Page 61 of Fifty First Times (Sharing You 0.40)
Of course she could. “Yes.”
“Then we won’t speak of it again.”
She nodded in agreement.
“More?” he asked, brushing his thumb over her mouth.
By way of answer, she tangled her fingers in his hair and brought him down for a long kiss. Moments later, he used a knee to gently part her thighs and positioned himself in between. He held there motionless for a while, extending their kiss until he began to tremble. Then, peering down at her, he swallowed hard and begged with his eyes.
Lyra didn’t make him ask. She told him, “More,” and held tightly to his shoulders as he made them one.
True to his word, he was remarkably tender. He tipped their foreheads together, his eyes clenched shut as he moved so slowly that she barely noticed the brief stab of pain. He repeated unnecessary apologies and fisted the bedding in a clear struggle for control. She knew he held back for her benefit—his rigid muscles said so—and she thanked him with reassuring caresses along the length of his spine.
After, he rolled them to the side and held her tightly against his chest, where his heart pounded a staccato for her. Lyra pressed a hand above his rib cage to feel the beats slow with each of his deep breaths, amazed at how much had changed between them tonight.
“Are you all right?” he whispered tentatively, as if afraid to dispel the magic.
“Better than that.” She rested her cheek in the hollow where his shoulder met his chest. She wanted to tell him that she felt freed—that fear of the unknown had consumed her for days, and now he’d lifted that burden from her back. And she wanted to say she felt foolish for having been so frightened in the first place. The act of love was rather magnificent. But she couldn’t seem to force the words off her tongue, so she said, “I’m glad you beat me to the bedchamber tonight.”
His quiet laughter shook the mattress. “Not as glad as I am.”
Lyra doubted it. He had given her more than physical affection—he’d given her hope. While her heart still ached for home, her new connection with Kai dulled the pain, because she found what she’d been missing in this strange land. An ally. She could bear the heavy Seryn robes and choke down their unfamiliar food as long as she had a true companion by her side.
Propping her chin atop his chest, she studied the look of satisfaction on his face, pleased with herself for having put it there.
Kai smiled when he noticed her watching him. “What are you thinking?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Always.”
“What if it’s embarrassing?”
His eyes warmed. “Then we’ll laugh about it later. You can tell me anything.”
Lyra felt that truth deep inside, a trust that shouldn’t have formed so quickly, but did. She didn’t know what the future held for the two of them, but she was eager to discover it. She skated her fingers over his chest. “What you and I just did . . .”
“Yes,” he prompted.
She peeked up at him from beneath her lashes. “I’m wondering how soon until we can try it again.”
Dark eyebrows bolted up his forehead, his smile widening. “Really?”
She bit her lip and nodded.
“So it wasn’t unpleasant for you?”
“Not at all.”
He seemed to turn that over in his mind for a while before confessing, “I was worried you would hate it—and by default, me. My stomach was so knotted tonight that I couldn’t eat my supper.”
“Me too,” she said. “I drank my meal in the form of melon wine.”
“Next time will be easier, because we won’t be strangers.” Thoughtfully, he rubbed a lock of her hair between his fingers. “But I think we should wait at least another day to see how you feel.”
“Tomorrow, then,” she said. “Assuming you can beat me to the bedchamber again.”
Amusement danced in his eyes. “You can count on it.”
