“I’m waiting.”
“Hard,” I snapped. “I was going to ask how you’re hard again—”
“Poppy,” He feigned a gasp. “That’s an inappropriate question to ask.”
“Are you fucking—?”
He kissed me, capturing my lower lip as he ground his hips against mine. “I’m trying to.”
“You’re trying to…?” I smacked his chest. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I think the word you’re looking for ishorny.”
I laughed, unable to stop myself.
His chest rose with a sharp breath, and then he shuddered and lowered his forehead to mine once more. In an instant, I knew the shield he had put up around his emotions had cracked. I felt them without even trying, and my breath caught as I attempted to decipher what I was picking up from him: the sweetness of love tinged with the spicy flavor of lust. The earthiness of relief and something else. Something faint withjust a hint of airiness. I knew what it was despite rarely feeling it from Casteel.
Peace.
He stiffened against me, and then the walls he built around his emotions were back up.
“Casteel?” I whispered.
“Hmm?”
My fingers moved idly down his arm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t sure if he was telling me the truth. “You’re shielding your emotions from me.”
“Habit,” he replied, kissing my shoulder again before easing himself from me. “Are you tired?”
“Gods, no. How could I be after sleeping for so long?” I said, and he glanced at me with a smile. No dimple was visible. “What about you?”
Dipping his head, he kissed my forehead. “I’m fine. We still have a lot to discuss,” he said, rocking back as his gaze lifted to mine. His eyebrows shot up.
“What?” I asked.
“Your eyes.”
“Oh, no.” I pressed myself into the bed, slapping my hands over my face. “What about them now?”
“You’ll be happy to hear this.” He took hold of my wrists and pulled my hands away. “They look more like they did before. They’re mostly green again.”
“Really?” I blinked. “Are the other colors still there?”
He nodded. “But they’re like flecks now instead of blotches.”
“That sounds—”
“Beautiful,” he interrupted, kissing the tips of my fingers. “And I think I know why.”
“Do tell?”
“I fucked you hard enough to change your eyes.”
Another loud laugh erupted from me. “I’m sure that’s what did it.”
