“Your voice trembled when you said that,” he breathes.
Damn it. Clearing my throat, I try once more to steady my voice when I demand, “Move away. Now.”
Aurelio does, in fact, move away—just not to where I expected him to. Instead of walking away, he steps in front of me, holding my hands at arm’s length, just far enough to be comfortable, but close enough to capture all my attention. In the rapidly fading light, a soft gold halo surrounds his frame, making him even more impossibly attractive. I gulp.
“Aurelio…what are you doing?”
“Testing a theory. Tell me to stop if you don’t want this.”
His eyes dart to my lips, then back to my eyes. It’s an obvious question. My heart beats faster than is probably healthy. My gaze darts to his lips, then back up to his eyes, which contain the same question as before. He’s not moving until I give him permission.
What should I do?!
Sweat trickles down the back of my neck. Is it just me, or did the temperature rise again? I’m overheating as my brain short circuits from the pressure. I want to kiss him, but I don’t want him to touch me at all; I want to know him, but I want nothing to do with him; I want to train with him, but I want to kick his butt over and over again. I can’t seem to make up my mind. The choice feels impossible.
But…is it really impossible? We’re married, after all. What’s the harm in kissing my own husband?
My head is screaming at me to turn and run.
My heart is speaking something a little louder, and far more compelling.
I give him a slight nod, and before I know it, he’s closed the distance between us. His lips brush softly against mine. Sensations I never knew existed cascade through my body. Something like electricity zips through me, from my chest all the way through my middle. I instinctively wrap my arms around him, pulling him in closer until our chests are touching. I feel his heart beating as rapidly as mine in there.
Is he nervous, too? He’s not showing it.
I’m not sure why I had this sudden change of heart. I’m sure Aurelio is wondering the same thing. It feels as though there’s a magnet between us, dragging us closer whenever we try to run away. I wonder if a celestial has it out for us, or if this is some trick of my bloodline, my imperial human instincts showing their true colors.
But deep down, I know this is me, and only me, discovering what flirting, affection, attraction, and rejection are for the very first time.
And it’s exhilarating.
Aurelio breaks the kiss after a few moments, stepping back to look at me with shining eyes.
“So, I was right.”
“About what?”
Aurelio smiles. “Nothing important. Come on,” he says, taking my hand. “We have to get going, or it’ll get dark before we return.”
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t swoon a little as he lifted me up and put me on the saddle himself. This runaway train has derailed much faster than anticipated, but for once, I don’t mind giving up control. I’m curious to see where this goes.
Chapter eight
Aurelio
Iknew it. She does like physical touch.
She’s just never experienced it before, so it’s terrifying to her.
I know it’s not just a fluke or the heat of the moment, either, because the entire ride back, she’s relaxing into my chest, a much different situation than the trip out. Her entire demeanor toward me has softened, too. Instead of snapping at me every five seconds, I get small teasing comments and quieter rebukes. I’m taking this as a win.
Whatever that win means, though, I have no idea.
I’m still shocked that I went for it that fast. I wasn’t sure how I felt about her until I was standing there, with her back to mine, and her trembling hand completely covered by mine. She’s an ice queen, that’s for sure, but there’s a lot more in her than I ever imagined possible. Those things that I’m pursuing are slowly rising to the surface. They glittered in her eyes as she gazed at me shortly before I made my move. There’s not just something, but several somethings, that I find very attractive about her, and I’m curious to see how this pans out.
Imagine that. I’m starting to fall for my wife.
I sigh happily as I brush Cricket, feeling Alessia’s eyes on my back. For a guy that doesn’t like attention, I sure am enjoying her undivided attention. I’m finding that I’m not so afraid to fall when I’m slowly falling for the woman I’m already married to.
