Chapter 59 Alar #2
"Yes, we are. And did you know that their scales aren't actually solid," she continued, sounding a little breathless. "They're layered, like fish scales, but much more complex. The outer layer is what gives them their color, but underneath there are layers for insulation and impact resistance."
This was the Kailin I had come to admire during our journey up Mount Hope—passionate and intellectually curious. Her eyes bright with the joy of discovery and her cheeks lightly flushed, she was so damn sexy that it was painful to look at her.
"You were born for this," I said softly.
"For what?"
"Being a rider. You belong here."
Her expression turned serious. "Shockingly, I agree.
Throughout my life, I dreaded the prospect of having the gift.
I thought it would be a nightmare. But today during the flight, I felt alive, exhilarated even, and I did everything as if it was second nature to me.
" She smiled. "Perhaps I was a rider in my previous life. "
I tilted my head. "Do Elucians believe in reincarnation?"
"Not officially because it cannot be verified, and therefore cannot be part of the official canon, but then a large part of our religion is esoteric and known only to scholars.
It's all about interpreting the Precepts of Truth, with volumes upon volumes of books dedicated to discussions and examples about each one.
Then there are the myths, that some claim are the real history of Elu creating Aurorys and bringing people from other worlds to live here, but science disagrees with these stories, so they also can't be part of the official canon.
" She chuckled. "I doubt even Saphir Fatewever knows everything there is to know about it. "
I loved how animated Kailin got when she talked about things that fascinated her.
She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
She waved a hand at my face. "You have that goofy smile and a dreamy look in your eyes. I know Elucian theology is not responsible for that look."
"No, it is not. You are."
Our eyes met, and something shifted in the atmosphere of the lounge. The air between us seemed to grow thicker, charged with a tension that made my pulse quicken.
I was suddenly acutely aware of how alone we were in the lounge. Curfew was approaching, everyone was in their rooms, and the chances of someone interrupting us were slim.
"Kailin," I said, my voice lower than I'd intended as I reached for her hand. "We are all alone in here."
"I noticed," she whispered.
I moved without conscious thought, rising from my armchair, my book dropping to the floor and hitting it with a loud clap. I tugged on Kailin's hand, and she allowed me to pull her up, letting her own book fall to the floor as she stepped into me.
For a heartbeat, we simply stood there, close enough that I could feel the warmth of her body, see the faint dusting of freckles across her nose, and count each individual eyelash.
Then my hands were cupping her face, her fingers were gripping the front of my jacket, and our lips met in a kiss that was heat and hunger and need, long days of tension finally finding release.
There was no hesitation, no holding back, there was no longer a reason for restraint. We were together for the foreseeable future, and it seemed that neither of us was leaving anytime soon.
Not unless we met with a premature death during training.
Yes, it was a complication for me, and yes, I would have to navigate carefully between Kailin and my duty, but I would find a way. I wasn't giving up on what could be the best thing in my life because I was afraid of juggling two dragon-sized responsibilities at once.
Her lips were soft beneath mine, yielding at first and then responding with an enthusiasm that sent fire racing through my veins. I pulled her closer, one hand sliding to the small of her back while the other tangled in her lush, golden hair.
She made a small sound against my mouth, something between a sigh and a moan, and it nearly undid my self-control.
I deepened the kiss, tracing the seam of her lips with my tongue, seeking entry.
She granted it without hesitation, her own tongue meeting mine in a dance that was at times a challenge and at times a surrender.
We stumbled backward until her legs hit the couch, and we collapsed onto it in a tangle of limbs, never breaking the kiss. She ended up beneath me, her body so soft and yielding under mine, her curves fitting perfectly against my angles.
Her hands were exploring now, one gripping my shoulder, the other sliding down my back, pulling me closer.
When we finally broke apart for air, her cheeks were flushed, her lips swollen, and her eyes were dark with desire. The sight of her, disheveled and wanting, sent a surge of possessive satisfaction through me, primitive and powerful.
I braced myself on one elbow to avoid crushing her, using my free hand to trace the line of her jaw, her throat, the delicate collarbone exposed by the V-neck of her academy-issued sweater.
"Alar," she breathed, her voice husky.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face, marveling at how soft and silky it felt between my fingers. "I've been wanting to do that since that night in the cave."
"Me too." A small smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Why did you wait so long?"
I chuckled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry about that. I never dared to believe that we would both get in."
That was the truth, just not all of it.
"Don't apologize," she said, her fingers trailing along my jaw in a touch so light it almost tickled. "I was holding back because of the same fears. I was sure that the pilgrimage would end with you going back to Eluria and me getting a desk job in the map department."
The realization that she wanted me as much as I wanted her was intoxicating.
I lowered my head to kiss her again, slower this time, but no less passionate.
Her hands slid into my hair, holding me to her as she arched up against me.
The contact sent shocks of pleasure through my body, and I had to force myself to maintain some semblance of control and not reach with my hand under her sweater to cup her breast.
Would she mind?
What if I was going too slow?
We were in a public space, and although we were already in a compromised position, I hesitated to make it even more scandalous. I was a gentleman, and it was my duty to protect my lady, which meant not exposing her in public.
That didn't mean we couldn't explore more, though. It only meant that both of us needed to remain clothed during our explorations.
My lips left hers to trace a path along her jaw, down the slender column of her throat, lingering at the pulse point where I could feel her heartbeat racing beneath my mouth.
She gasped, tilting her head back to give me better access and tightening her fingers in my hair in a way that walked the delicious line between pleasure and pain.
She wanted me, and I wanted her, and there was no reason for us to torment ourselves anymore. We just needed to go somewhere private.
"Kailin," I murmured against her skin, "perhaps we should go to your room after all."
The suggestion hung in the air between us, loaded with implication. Kailin might not be ready for everything that such privacy might allow, but I didn't want to risk us being discovered like this in the lounge.
She pulled back slightly to look at me, her expression a complex mixture of desire and uncertainty. "Yes."
Her answer sent my imagination spinning in directions that tested the tenuous hold I was barely maintaining over my arousal, but before I could respond, the lounge door swung open with a creak that sounded as loud as thunder in the charged silence.
We sprang apart like guilty teenagers, though not quickly enough to disguise what we'd been doing. Kailin's hair was tangled, her lips were swollen, and her sweater was askew, but the most telling was the tent in my pajama pants.
Shovia stood in the doorway, her expression shifting from surprise to guilt to amusement as she took in the scene. Her own appearance was put together, but the languid satisfaction of her entire demeanor and the faint mark visible on her neck told the story of what she'd been up to.
"Sorry to interrupt, but it's almost curfew, and you don't want Jarren to find you here like this."
Kailin straightened her sweater, a blush creeping up her neck. "How did you know I was here?"
"When I didn't find you in our room, I went looking for you. I was worried."
"I was studying," Kailin said, gesturing vaguely toward the book that lay forgotten on the floor.
"I can see that," Shovia said. "Anatomy, was it?"
"Indeed." I lifted the book and handed it to Kailin. "Dragon anatomy."
Kailin took the book, her eyes meeting mine with an intensity that rekindled the embers of our interrupted moment. "Goodnight, Alar," she said breathily.
My hand lifted of its own accord to brush a golden strand of hair behind her ear. "Goodnight, Kailin." Leaning down, I pressed a chaste kiss on her heated cheek. "Sweet dreams."