Page 114 of The Starlight Savior

“Y-You want me?” Saige whispered, blinking rapidly

“Out of all the questions, that is possibly the silliest one you’ve asked yet.”

“I just…I don’t know how to do any of this.” The words spilled from her mouth before she could stop them. “Living in Denholm, I barely even touched another being. The emotions I felt…sometimes they were so strong they became uncontrollable. I could not harm—” Her voice cracked, the realization of her actions flooding her.

She hardly believed her own brazen actions. Sharing her magic with him felt so intimate. It just seemed right to finally allow herself to give in to her desires.

Conor leaned forward, mouth hovering over Saige’s. “Tell me what you want. I’m not going to overstep nor assume. You tell me what you want and I’ll listen, even if it goes against the very pieces of my soul.” His voice was husky, his eyes darkening. His breath tickled her lips.

The truth ached inside her. She didn’t know how to give into what she wanted. The idea of being close and intimate with another in Etrane felt foreign. Conor brought a comfort she wasn’t certain she was ready for.

“Tell me,” he whispered again, teasing her closer until she could almost feel him against her.

Shivers shook her spine. Her jaw tightened. Why couldn’t he just kiss her? He dangled her words of anger in front of her, waiting for her to take the bait. If she was going to give into the desire pulsing through her body, she needed to speak the words.

She spoke through gritted teeth, eyes burning as bright as the stars. “I want you to kiss me. Now.”

Before she could get the last word out, Conor’s mouth crashed down on hers.

His body fell on top of Saige, pushing her back onto the cave’s floor. He placed one hand on each side of her head, chest hovering, and legs sprawled between hers. His mouth moved over hers slowly, allowing her to explore and feel and learn. The pressure of his kiss was intense, as if he couldn’t seem to get enough.

Saige’s own desire burned bright. With Conor, she needed no caution. Their kisses intensified with urgency as his mouth parted in invitation. She followed her instinct, letting her tongue slide into his mouth. His own danced with hers, teasing and beckoning. A pressure built inside of her, so similar to the way magic flooded through her body. Yet her power was absent. The only feeling of bliss and lack of control was through the pent up longing. She had wanted this for so long, and she had denied herself of it.

All she could think was how could she?

She pressed her hips into his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Bones and muscle bit into her body as his weight enveloped her. All she wanted was to be close. Closer until her skin absorbed into his and this desire could be depleted for once. Her hands trailed over his back, down to where his trousers rested on his hips, and up under his tunic. She wanted to feel his skin, feel the cords of muscles lining his back and shoulders—

“No,” Conor murmured against her lips, “not now.”

“But—”

He pulled away. The space between them felt cold and bare. “You asked me to kiss you, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

“And if I want more?”

The dimple appeared on Conor’s cheek as he smiled. “I wouldn’t deny anything you asked of me. But I also want you to have a moment to think about this. You’ve had a hard last few days, and we’re in a very cramped and very wet cave.”

Saige let her gaze wander. Her hair and clothes were dank. Conor’s legs stuck out of the cave’s entrance, threatening to dip into the lagoon below. Maybe he was right.

“Alright.” Saige slowly wrapped her arms around her chest. She didn’t want to undress and bare herself right now. Not like this.

“I know—” Conor began, but before he could finish, she unfolded herself and pushed back against his body. Her kisses swallowed his words.

It was the quietest she had ever heard him be.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Dawn illuminated the forest with a soft glow when Saige regained her strength. They slipped through the wet moss and draping plants hiding the entrance. A lip of rock sat upon the edge of the lagoon. They pressed their bodies against the rock, shimmying across. The occasional brush of their fingers sent shocks through her body as they trudged back to the castle.

Sidestepping fallen trees and leaping over boulders, Saige felt a sense of peace wash over her. She couldn’t help but watch as Conor’s muscles strained under his damp clothes. Occasionally, she’d see his eyes turned to hers, thick lashes narrowing. But she’d look away, skin flushed.

As they approached the castle gates, her steps faltered. She was exhausted. But returning to her quarters seemed more daunting than usual.

In a single evening, everything had shifted.

Not only did she finalize the true beacon of her magic, but her and Conor were forever altered. She could never go back to what they were before. Not after all she allowed herself to feel in the cave. But with every step, there was the potential for it all to fall out from under her.

How could she focus on the mist before her when every thought of Conor sent her stomach fluttering?