Chapter 6
Chapter Six
*Him*
Her mouth worked open and closed, but no sound emerged. She couldn’t admit what was happening right in front of her, and her imitation of a mermaid out of water amused him more than he would have thought possible.
“Magic,” he supplied with a chuckle when she couldn’t articulate what she saw.
He watched her squirm, eyes glued to his fingertips, and let a tendril of his power snake out to swirl in the space between them.
It was invisible to the naked eye unless he willed it otherwise, much like a cold, concentrated breeze.
But like the breeze, it could be perceived by other senses.
“My magic brought me to you, love, and carried both of us back to this chamber.”
“But there's no such thing as magic!” she countered immediately, contrary to the swirling currents she could feel happening around her.
He let the stream of power have a little fun, and with a mere thought, snowflakes danced in a small vortex between them.
He raised an eyebrow and made the snow circle her with a flick of his index finger.
It surprised him to realize how much fun it was to tease her.
The idea of teasing ignited darker fantasies within him, and the snowflakes slowed to a more sensuous undulation.
She gasped as his magic stroked her collarbones and jumped, squealing, when it caressed the underside of her breasts.
“Stop. That.”
It came out breathy, and her jaw clenched as she heard herself.
He could sense her teeth grinding from his position across the room, and though tempted to tease her once more, he restrained himself.
He would always and forevermore do her bidding.
She stomped forward, her petite frame making an awful lot of noise, and jammed her finger into his chest. It pleased him greatly that she was the one to traverse the distance this time.
The window into his heart opened a sliver more, and his magic sent an eddy of light into him, greeting the part of him he kept locked away for all those years.
It had been too long since he held hope within him.
She poked him again, and her rage seemed to slide away. The consternation, which etched an adorable furrow in her brow, was replaced by desire, and she slowly let her fingertip wander lower from its place on his chest.
He hummed, the sensation of her fingernail grazing his flesh sparking a need that nearly buckled his knees.
Unpredictably, she meandered every which way, and he sucked in a ragged breath as her fingernail scraped across his nipple.
The sound pulled Halo’s attention upward.
Burning the path of her touch into his flesh much in the same way he'd done to her, she ghosted her finger over his lips.
In the blink of an eye, he crushed his mouth to hers.
Their breath mingled, hot and cold, fire and ice.
He cupped her face between his hands and gentled the kiss.
He poured every ounce of the love he was experiencing through their connection.
She stilled. Eyes open, they locked gazes, and the magic streamed between them.
She jumped away, fingertips to her lips and panic in her gaze.
“Keep your hands to yourself,” she gasped, shoving him away and retreating to her spot on the other side of the chamber. His heart clenched with rejection until his magic whispered her fears into his heart.
She doesn’t understand. Help her see.
Watching her move her hands to her flushed cheeks, he exhaled slowly. He swirled his finger, capturing her attention, and slowly, guided his magic in a ribbon toward her. He added snowflakes for her benefit, allowing her to see the path his power took as it closed in on her.
“Oh, love.” The icy tendrils of power swept gently across her cheeks, cooling them and causing her eyelashes to flutter.
He took a step closer. “I don’t need my hands in order to touch you.
” Following his instincts, he stroked another chilled thread of magic across her jaw.
To his delight, she sighed and melted a little bit more. “See?”
She nodded, her breath hitching as he traced every line of his previous kisses with power. He closed the gap between them and stood, waiting for her acceptance. His magic swirled behind her, and she opened her eyes on a shiver, gazing up at him with aching vulnerability.