Page 44 of Forged Flight

I blink. “You are?”

“Aye.”

His hands settle around my hips, and with effortless ease, he lifts me onto his lap, turning me until we’re facing each other.

“I’ve become enamored with you, Micah.” He shakes his head, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “It’s baffling to think you were a stranger just a few weeks ago. The weird veterinarian who kept staring at me from across the street—”

“Hey!” I lightly smack his shoulder.

He laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “And now…” His smile softens. “Now I’ve gotten to know you. I’ve become familiar with your big heart, your intelligence, your charm, and your adorable clumsiness.”

My cheeks burn.

“You consume my every waking thought,” he continues quietly. “You fill my dreams at night. Somehow, you’ve wiggled your way into my heart, and I’d like nothing more than for you to take up permanent residence there.”

My bottom lip wobbles.

I search his face, my gaze flickering between his eyes as I look for any hint of deception. Any sign that he doesn’t mean what he’s saying.

There is none.

All I find staring back at me are pools of sincere blue—steady, gentle, and impossibly honest.

My heart hammers against my ribs. “I like you too.”

His eyes widen for a heartbeat before a slow, radiant smile spreads across his face. “You do?”

I nod, suddenly shy beneath the weight of his gaze. “I do.”

Something soft flickers across his expression. His thumb traces gently along my cheek before drifting to my lower lip, tugging on it gently. The touch sends a shiver through me that has nothing to do with the cold.

“Your lips are still freezing,” he says quietly.

My breath catches.

He brushes his thumb across my lip again, his gaze dropping to my mouth. “Would you let me warm them?”

My heart pounds. “Yes.”

Lucan leans closer.

For one suspended moment, neither of us moves. I can feel the warmth of his breath against my skin, smell the faint traces of smoke and leather clinging to him.

Then his lips meet mine.

The kiss is gentle at first, almost tentative, as though he’s giving me every opportunity to pull away.

I don’t.

Instead, I lean into him, my fingers curling into the front of his cloak as his hand settles gently against the back of my neck. His beard brushes softly against my skin, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine.

His lips are warm.

So warm.

The cold mountain air disappears. The howling wind fades into the background, replaced by the steady crackle of the fire and the pounding of my heart.

When Lucan finally pulls back, he keeps his forehead resting against mine.