Page 58 of Fifty First Times (Sharing You 0.40)
Kai made a noise of understanding. “I’ll take you to the stables tomorrow and have a saddle commissioned for you. Then we’ll match you with the right mare.”
“That’s kind of you.”
“I meant what I said,” he insisted. “This is your home. What’s mine is yours.”
While he continued his work, a glimmer of metal drew Lyra’s gaze to the corner, where Kai had discarded his double-edged blade and curved dagger. She had noticed a lattice of scars along his knuckles and forearms, evidence of hand-to-hand combat. How many of her countrymen had he slain? Had he killed her brother?
She had to know.
“My father told me the Blood Moon Battle was horrific,” she said, testing him.
Kai halted his movements and followed her gaze to his weapons. Hesitantly, he agreed, “It was.”
“You were there, then?”
“Yes, but briefly. I was assigned to the third wave.” Lyra sank in relief. Her brother had died much earlier in the fray, one of the first casualties. Kai took her hand and placed it low on his belly, where a lump of scar tissue marred his flesh. “It’s where I earned this.”
Quickly, she pulled her fingers away, but not before they absorbed the tightness of his abdomen and sent the images to her brain. Her voice shook when she said, “May the gods grant us peace.”
“Long-lasting peace,” he agreed. Kai separated another section of fabric and skimmed a palm over her bare flesh. “You’re tense.” It wasn’t a question, and Lyra didn’t deny it. After unlacing another seam, he rested his fingers atop her shoulders and lightly massaged her. “Does this help?”
A breath of tension escaped her lungs, relaxing her at once. His affectionate touch eased her nerves, despite the fact that he was undressing her and she wore nothing beneath her robes except for thin linen shorts. He worked the knots from her muscles for several minutes. She thanked him, and he resumed unfastening her laces.
“There.” Finally, he pulled apart the silk panels. “All finished.”
Cool air caressed her skin for the briefest of moments before Kai closed the distance and pressed his chest to her back, his heart thumping hard against her.
The shock of his heated flesh made her breath catch. Then his mouth was at her earlobe, whispering something in a language she couldn’t interpret. The utterances were lovely, but all Lyra could do was close her eyes and savor the tickle of warm breath in her ear. Unexpected pleasure washed over her, and she tipped back her head to rest on his chest.
Still murmuring secrets, Kai grasped her sleeves and slid them down over her shoulders. When she pulled free both arms, he slowly turned her to face him. The hunger in his eyes had multiplied, his features both stunning and fierce in the lantern’s dancing glow.
“I don’t speak much Seryn,” she whispered. “What were you saying to me?”
He bared her by lowering the dress to her waist, but kept his gaze fixed on hers. “I told you about the treaty ceremony, when I saw you for the first time. You were standing off to the side, holding a tiny girl.”
“Elissa.” A bittersweet smile lifted her lips. “My sister. She was afraid.”
“I watched you sway with her in your arms. You’re a nurturer.”
Lyra ducked her head. “I don’t know about that.”
“I recognized it at once.” He tipped her chin and lifted one of her blond locks. “And then the sun broke through the clouds and touched your hair. You glowed so beautifully that I dropped my blade and broke formation. My father was furious.”
She laughed quietly. “Did you really?”
“Yes,” he insisted. “I kept trying to catch your eye, but you wouldn’t look my way.”
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p; “I don’t remember much.” Fear had blotted out nearly all recollection of that day.
He inched nearer and trailed a fingertip along her collarbone. “I hoped that our fathers would pair us. I knew you would have to leave your home, but I wished for it all the same. Maybe the gods are punishing me for my selfishness, because sleeping beside you all these nights—never touching you—has driven me half mad.”
Lyra parted her lips, but she didn’t know what to say. “Sorry” didn’t seem to fit.
Kai glanced at her mouth. “I want to kiss you more than I want to breathe.”
As he leaned closer, Lyra closed her eyes, pulse racing in anticipation of what would come next. Kai’s hand curled around her neck and gently drew her in, but he stopped before they formed a connection.
