Page 17 of Night Fall
Erik let out a long breath against her neck, raising goosebumps along her skin. They sat in each other’s embrace for minutes, perhaps hours, until the comfort gave way to something darker, hungrier. And even though it was wrong, the feeling was undeniable.
Mya lifted her head, as did Erik. She met his eyes, taking in their depth, their intensity, and then she stared at his lips. She needed to feel them again, desperately. She cupped his face, her eyes flickering back to his just once, as if asking for permission. When she realized he would not pull away from her, she kissed him.
His lips were warm, soft and smooth against her own. She meant the kiss to be gentle, something just to taste, to stave off the hunger that had built between them, but then Erik pushed into her, claimed her lips for himself, and she was lost. Her fingers wound in his hair, gripping the strands, keeping him close just as his fingers gripped and pressed into her back.
He kissed her firmly, deeply, as if she were the water that quenched his thirst. This was not like the kiss in the alley. It was too passionate, too thorough, too intimate. It was as if there was nothing separating them—no time, no space, no air. Their bodies moved together, clinging to one another. She scratched his back and pressed her nails there, needing more of him as he moved her closer, pressing her hips against his as he squeezed her waist, her shoulders, then tangled his hand in her hair at her scalp.
Erik angled her head to deepen the kiss, and she moaned into his mouth. The sweep of his tongue lit her aflame, and her hips jerked involuntarily against his own, seeking him, pushing for them to be so close that nothing could separate them, nothing could break them.
Erik pulled at her gown, bunched the material around her waist and gripped her upper thigh. She panted against his mouth as his tongue played with hers. He devoured her, then he spread his legs, forcing her to sink more into his lap. When he gripped her hips once more, she rubbed herself against his erection. Lightning flashed through her body, causing her to moan his name.
Her voice woke them from the spell.
Erik pulled back to look at her, his eyes raking over her face and body like a caress. “We should stop,” he croaked.
She nodded, unable to speak, but then he drew her to him and whispered, “One more,” before crushing his lips to hers again.
This kiss was forceful, brutish, rough, a mass of lips and teeth and tongues, and she loved it. His fingers played at the laces of her gown as he began to undo them, then his hand slid up her back, skin to skin, while she guided her core against his erection, once, twice, earning a tortured moan.
“No more,” he said, his voice hoarse. “No more.”
Mya searched his eyes, scanned his face, and then she lifted her hands to his cheeks and caressed them, trying to convey everything she felt but did not know how to say. He grabbed hold of her wrists and brought her hands to his mouth, kissing the insides of her palms. Then he lifted her and carried her to his bed, where he sat her down carefully and looked her over once more. His fingers traced several spots of blood on her gown, and he sighed.
“I apologize for ruining your gown. Let me get you one of my tunics.”
Before he could move, Mya grabbed his hand and kissed his palm. “Thank you.”
The look he gave her was incredulous, as if she had just procured the known stars in the sky and delivered them to him. Then Erik moved to the wooden chest. Picking out a light-colored tunic, he offered it to her and she stood, accepting the cloth.
He swallowed hard. “Do you require any assistance getting changed?”
She did not—he had already undone the laces, and the five buttons on her gown were ones she had fastened herself that morning—but she would not miss a chance to have Erik’s hands on her again. “Yes, please.”
Mya turned, and Erik swept her hair over her shoulder. His hands paused on her back for a moment before sliding down slowly. He followed the curve of her spine with a brush of his knuckles, and the cold metal of his ring made her shiver.
He neared the bottom of her laces, undid the first button, and then chuckled. “You could have done this yourself.”
She smiled. “I could have, but you so graciously offered.”
He undid the last button, and his hands found themselves on her hips. He squeezed her and whispered in her ear, “Do not test me, Mya. You do not know what it will make me do to you.”
She tilted her head back to his. “But I have enjoyed everything you have done to me thus far,” she said. She caught his gaze and his blazing eyes reignited the fire in her core.
“Get dressed,” he commanded before striding outside the cabin, leaving her to grin to herself.
Mya removed her gown and chemise, then changed into Erik’s tunic which fell to her knees. For a single moment she stood in the cabin alone, her arms wrapped around her torso as she basked in his scent that was so embedded in the cloth that she was sure it would never completely come out. Then she moved to the hearth and threw her clothes into it.
Her body shook with a mixture of misery and anger when she thought of the night’s events. So much life had been lost, so much death had occurred, so much injustice. Although the day had tested her more than she could ever have imagined, Mya felt that she understood Erik on a new level. She felt closer to him, more deeply rooted and connected in an indescribable way.
But she also felt the weight of his history, of his dark past. She shook her head again, took a shaky breath, and rolled her shoulders. It would never happen again. She would not let it. Erik deserved better, and she would do everything she could to make him believe he was worthy of it. He needed to move forward, to let go of the past, and she would show him the way.
Mya moved to the door and opened it, the creak causing Erik to turn around. When he saw her, she watched his eyes begin to light, turning from their normal silver to something unnatural, predatory. It made her blush, and she could feel the tension between them like heat in the air.
“W-Would you like to get changed?”
Erik blinked, clearing away the spell. He looked down at his shirtless body and then nodded sharply. Mya moved onto the porch, but Erik urged her back inside.
“I will change outside.”
