Entwined Realms Volume One(151)

The thought of him going off alone, it struck her hard on her breastbone, crushing her chest and making it impossible to breathe. Any mistakes he made were the same kind she had – thoughtless, maybe prideful, but never malicious.

No, never malicious. She never told him she knew that, when they were starving in the streets, he would give her his portion of food, telling her he’d eaten earlier. Or he made sure she was blanketed even if he faced the cold nights in nothing more than a thin T-shirt. She’d watched him work long into the night with Jac giving Jac the only help her prideful brother would ever accept, help on making himself a better fighter, even nights that Esh had watch and wouldn’t get any sleep afterward.

A street kid who managed to hold onto that goodness would never let his best friend go into a fight that would kill him, no matter what consequences faced them. She’d been so wrong to put so much blame on him.

All because she didn’t want to rail against Jac. Her brother had been so reckless, so careless, so weak. Weak that he’d get himself into these situations without care of the cost the rest of them were always paying.

No, her brother wasn’t malicious either, but he was weak, and in those last days, she had begun…

She’d almost started…

Gods help her, those last days, she’d hated Jac.

“Nalah.” Esh’s voice was concerned, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks, and only with that did the wetness on her cheeks register in her memory-dimmed mind.

Five years they’d been separated, but as she looked to see his gaze on her, she saw what she always had – love, concern, happiness that she was near him. He was so easy to read, at least to her. Five years and nothing had changed. Not for him.

Not for her.

The bands she’d unknowingly placed around her heart snapped free, and with their destruction all the love and affection she’d been holding back burst forth, flooding her with warmth and contentment and joy because she was back where she belonged, with the boy who protected her and the man who challenged her, and both of them always, always loving her.

She lifted her head and placed her mouth on his, and in that kiss she let everything she felt run free. As she licked at his lips and was allowed access to go deeper, she poured everything running rampant inside her into that kiss. Adoration, joy, hopefulness, and above all the love and happiness she’d denied herself so long, in a misguided attempt to punish herself.

He’d stiffened for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her, crushing her to him as he took over the kiss, drawing from her everything she offered and leaving himself open in return. His kiss contained awe, wonder, and a bone-deep promise to always stay at her side.

Esh lifted her in his arms, never breaking the kiss, and headed for the bedroom. Once there they were naked within moments, with Nalah only having a vague impression of tearing cloth and buttons flying.

The sheets were cool against her back while the man above her was hot and hard, the glide of his skin on hers sparking a deep desire that had her heart rate soar and brought a sheen of perspiration to coat her skin.

“I’m going to devour you,” he growled when his mouth wasn’t otherwise marking her breasts and the valley between them. “I’m going to get between your legs and not leave until you forget your name.” And then he headed down to make good his claim.

She watched that skillful tongue come out to make a light pass over the outside lips and clit before it delved deeper, entering and tasting her, lapping up the wetness and creating more.

She watched the dark curls move as his head turned this way and that to taste every inch available. There wasn’t a patch of skin that hadn’t experienced his lips and tongue on it, and his expression was of a man savoring every experience, committing it to memory.

She watched as his fiery eyes lifted to meet hers, and not breaking their gaze, his tongue and lips found her clit and began to work.

His teasing had worked her up, made her muscles jump and her skin crackle with electricity, but it was his eyes that ratcheted up her arousal, had her wet beyond all reason and desperate to come. Those gorgeous eyes watching her, taking his cues from her body and without words, pressing harder here, sucking a little more there.

A rolling hunger swept through her, and in quick decision she grabbed his hair and pulled him up. “Not like that. I’m coming with you in me.”

His eyes closed like a man in pain. “Are you sure?”

In answer she spread her legs wider, opening and making herself vulnerable, willing him to understand everything in her heart with what she was offering.

He lowered himself over her, taking her mouth again, and she accepted greedily, tasting herself on him and loving how they combined. “Esh, I’m yours.”