“Which was a logical decision on your part. Necros killed them because he’s a cruel bastard. That’s on him. Not you.”
“But they wouldn’t—”
“Don’t go down that path, Valora. Don’t blame yourself for what-ifs or potential outcomes. You called them to retrieve their daughter after he had her violently raped to the point of near death. Then he killed them because he could. All of that is his fault. Not yours.”
She said nothing for so long that I worried I’d lost her again, that she’d fallen into a pit of self-despair I’d have to pull her out of, but when her gaze met mine, all I found was rage.
And something else.
Something… heated.
“You saved Zaya’s life.” Not a question now, just a statement. “Why?”
“For you.” I wouldn’t lie to her. If I hadn’t seen how much she cared for the girl, I wouldn’t have interfered. But I knew Zaya meant something to her, and I refused to allow Necros to take anything else from her.
Valora took a step forward.
Then another.
Until her breasts pressed against my folded arms through the thin shirt she wore. “I’m going to kiss you now,” she declared, shocking the hell out of me.
But not nearly as much as when she gripped my elbows to go up onto her toes and pressed her mouth to mine.
Necros was the only man I’d ever kissed, and he never reciprocated.
I expected Adrik to be the same, only his lips softened beneath mine, accepting and returning the motion as I clung to his arms for balance.
My heart skipped a beat, my stomach tightening as foreign sensations warmed my bloodstream.
This was my first real kiss.
And I wanted more.
I’d meant this to be a gesture of gratitude, a way of thanking him for helping the only real friend I’d ever known. But with each tender brush of my lips against his, my desire for something dark unfolded.
My fingers danced up his hard biceps to his shoulders, gripping him tightly as I tried to kiss him harder.
But his forearms remained crossed.
His body stiff.
Yet his lips parted for mine.
The conflicting signals left me growling against him, confused. Was he denying my exploration or accepting it?
I pulled back, meeting his obsidian gaze. His dilated pupils unveiled his interest while his expression remained studiously blank. “Am I…?” I trailed off, swallowing. “Is this all right? Because I want to do that again.”
He dipped his head, the manner oddly subservient. “You can do whatever you want, Valora,” he replied, his voice deeper than before. “Whatever you need.”
His words tightened my core, causing me to desire things I shouldn’t.
Like exploring every inch of him with my tongue.
Because he was still very naked.
And aroused, I realized, my gaze falling to his groin. I’d felt him against me a few times, knew he was well-endowed, but seeing it stirred something new to the surface. A longing I never would have anticipated.
Adrik didn’t try to cover himself, his arms still folded, his eyes on me.