Page 24 of Gryphon’s Fire

Keir’s muscles tensed as his fingers fisted. “Goddess, I wanted to rip that smirk off Jaakobah’s face. The very thought of him bonding with Phina.” Keir stopped mid-stride, breathing heavily. “I won’t allow that to happen, Lazarus. I talk a good game, but when it comes to my little sister…I’m afraid I’ll do something stupid.”

Resting my hands on Keir’s shoulders, I used my thumbs to try and rub away his tension. “That is what I am here for. You are not alone, Keir.” I cocked my head to the side as I stared into Keir’s beautiful amber eyes. “Do you think I did not wish to burn Jaakobah to the ground?”

Keir’s lips twitched as he fought a grin. “Any sane wyvern would have felt the same.”

I smiled at that. “Indeed. We will need to be each other’s voice of reason. When you are at the end of your rope, I will pull you back in and vice versa. We make an excellent team, you and me.”

Cheeks flushing a pretty pink, Keir’s gaze slid to the side. “What you said back there, about personally seeing my attributes… I really thought Jaakobah was going to come unglued.”

I raked my claws through Keir’s hair, tucking it behind his ear. “I’ll admit it was a petty dig.”

“But oh, so satisfying,” Keir said on a grin.

Inhaling, I decided to take a chance. “It was a lie I hope to turn truthful in the future.”

Keir’s lips parted as they slackened. Eyes wide, he innocently stared up at me. “I’m not a wyvern.”

“Obviously not.”

“No, I know that. It’s just…” Keir’s voice faded as his eyes pinched.

“Do gryphons not bond with other species?” I had not considered that an obstacle. Perhaps I should have.

With a slow head shake, Keir answered, “No. Not typically.” Sucking on his bottom lip, Keir added, “Then again, most gryphons don’t abandon their flight.”

“You abandoned nothing,” I fairly hissed. “If anything, your flight abandoned you.”

Keir shrugged and said, “Semantics.”

I kept my disagreement to myself. We would discuss it later. Right now, Keir and I had more important concerns to hash out.

Cupping the back of Keir’s head, I held his gaze steady. “Forgive me, but have I misread your feelings?” While I did not believe so, consent was important and I would not push the issue if I’d imagined something that wasn’t there. “My aid in this situation is not dependent upon anything more than friendship between us.” I wanted to make my position clear. I would not back Keir into yet another corner.

“Thank you.” Keir’s fingers lightly touched my chest. The scars beneath my shirt were less sensitive than the surrounding skin and his stroking motion sent undulating waves of pleasure through me. “To be clear, you haven’t misunderstood anything. I…” Keir exhaled and his eyes slid closed. “Your species doesn’t matter. What is in here”—Keir tapped a finger over my heart—“is all that is important.” With a cheeky grin, Keir added, “And the shell encasing your magnificent heart’s not difficult on the eyes either.”

Those few words managed to ease the weight Jaakobah had left sitting in my chest. With one hand still cradling Keir’s head, I laced the fingers of my opposite hand with Keir’s, our combined weight laying over my pounding heart. “I am pleased to hear it.”

“And I’m pleased to say it,” Keir responded, his flushed cheeks gaining even more color.

“I’d very much like to kiss you now.”

“And I’d very much like it if you did.”

I hardly needed any further encouragement. Closing the distance, I leaned forward and pressed our lips together. Keir’s parted on an inhaled gasp. I didn’t care that his lips were chapped and a little rough. I didn’t care that Keir’s lips were thicker than a wyvern’s. I didn’t care about all the problems plaguing Keir’s life—problems that were now affecting my own. All I cared about was tasting his skin, the little gasps and moans of pleasure that escaped those wondrous lips, and the fact that the one I desired reciprocated that emotion tenfold.

I would not call our first kiss chaste, but it wasn’t the devouring I craved either. There would be time enough for that. I would make certain of it.

Pulling away, I rested our foreheads together, relishing the tingles still emanating from my lips and the shivering ripples I could feel assaulting Keir’s body. Breathing in each other’s breaths, Keir said, “You smell like a campfire. You taste like one too.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“It is a very good thing,” Keir answered. “A perfectly wonderful thing.”

A contented growl rumbled through my chest.

“I wish time could stand still,” Keir said.

“I do not.” Keir pulled away and his deep amber eyes glistened questioningly. Raking my fingers through his hair, I was careful of my claws. “I, for one, plan on having even more wonderful moments with you in the future. I would hate to halt time here and deprive us both of that future.”