Stone of Destiny(39)

The women led us upstairs and down several long hallways to what I remembered as the guest quarters. There was a common room in the center of a half-dozen bedrooms. Couches with throw pillows arranged haphazardly took up most of the space.

I fell back onto one of the plush cushions and rubbed the heel of my hand over my forehead. Now that I thought about it, I was exhausted.

“I’m tired too,” Samantha said. “Does it matter which room I take?”

“I doubt it,” I said, stretching my arms up behind my head.

“Okay, well wake me up if anything happens, I guess.”

Ethan stood off to the side with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He hadn’t cut his hair in a while and when he looked down, a dark curl nearly touched his cheek. He smiled at me and my chest swelled.

“Don’t you want to get some rest?” he asked.

“I guess so,” I said, suddenly feeling awkward. “How are you feeling?”

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze lifted to the high arched ceiling before meeting mine. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “This might sound ridiculous. But I feel kind of like a piece of taffy that’s been pulled and stretched and put back together.”

I laughed. “Nope, not ridiculous. I actually know exactly what you mean.”

He rubbed his hands together, his brow wrinkling. “I know this is going to sound wrong, but will you stay with me? I’m not coming on to you. I’d just feel better if you were with me.”

“Yeah, no problem,” I said, my voice coming out choked. I cleared my throat and tried again. “Let’s go.”

I stood and led him into the room I’d stayed in last time I was here. It was small, but comfortable. I sat on the edge of the bed and scooted over to make room for him.

I took off my shoes and crawled over to the other side of the bed. After getting under the covers, I positioned myself on my side so he had plenty of room.

Ethan slid under the blankets and stared up at the ceiling. Neither of us said a word for a minute.

Butterflies fluttered in my chest when he rolled onto his side to look at me. I wondered how many times he’d lain in bed with other girls and the thought pierced my heart.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern etched in his forehead.

I was immediately grateful that Ethan couldn’t read minds. A laugh bubbled out. “Nothing. I mean, I’m fine.”

His eyes twinkled. “Are you nervous?”

I frowned. “What, you can hear my thoughts now, too?”

“Hey,” he said, reaching over to smooth back my hair. “It’s just me. I promise I’ll behave.”

I swallowed. Was he serious — just him?

He kept his hand on my cheek and whispered my name. Closing my eyes, I felt his touch all the way down to my toes. When I opened them again, he was still staring at me.

I looked down at his mouth and his lips spread into a crooked smile. My eyes lifted to his and in a moment of boldness I said, “What if I don’t want you to?”

His eyes widened, but he didn’t hesitate. His hand slid down my arm to my waist. My pulse pounded when he pulled me closer. His lips brushed against mine, softly at first.

I raised my hand to the soft skin just above his elbow, shivering as his biceps tightened under my touch.

The kiss deepened and the world fell out from under me. In that moment, I forgot about the Danaans and everything that went along with them.

Ethan trailed kisses across my cheek, down my neck and a soft moan escaped me. I wasn’t embarrassed, though. I wanted more, so much more. I yanked his shirt loose from his jeans and slid my hand up the contours of his back.

In one swift movement, I was on my back as he hovered over me. His arms were on either side of my head and his hands gently cupped my face. Bringing his lips down to mine again, he kissed me until we were both breathless.

Both of my hands slid up the back of his shirt and I pulled him to me, wanting him closer. But he pulled back, his breath ragged.

“You need to get some rest,” he said, pressing his lips against my forehead. He put all his weight on one arm and trailed the tips of his fingers over my cheek and down my neck, resting his hand on my heart. I was sure he could feel it thundering in my chest.

I was about to protest when he placed one last kiss on my lips. He lifted himself off me and settled onto his side. My eyes drifted closed as he draped his arm across my stomach. I snuggled in closer, and he snaked his arm under my head. After burying my face into his T-shirt I willed my heart to slow down. Eventually I drifted off to sleep thinking about gentle breezes and warm sunlight.



I woke up in Ethan’s arms. Without windows, I had no concept of how long I’d been asleep. I watched his chest rise and fall for a moment as he slept. A strange tickling sensation appeared in my head. It was Niamh’s voice in my mind.