Page 43 of Moonless
Chapter 9
I move to the edge of the pallet when Rauk brings the water.
His eyes go to the space I’ve left behind me, then to my feet. This morning he’ll have to kneel between my knees or ask me to move.
The bowl goes down beside my right foot.
“Back a little.” He stays on his feet.
“There’s room.”
He looks at me again, and I hold his gaze.
He answered my goodnight last night. He could’ve kept walking.
He still wants me.
The slab won’t move for me, and he catches me when I run. Yesterday he took away the few minutes of sky I’d managed to get from him. I’ve spent the night trying to find anything else that might work.
Now he’s here, waiting for me to move back against the rock.
I loosen the neck of his shirt instead.
He kneels with one knee beside my foot, close enough that the pale fur on his shoulder brushes my bare leg.
I look, because I’d be stupid not to. He’s hard already, thick against the front of his trousers, and all I’ve done is sit on the edge of a bed.
I work my left arm out of the sleeve while he supports my elbow. The narrow split has stopped bleeding, but lifting the arm still pulls. The shirt slides off my breast on the way. This time I leave it where it falls.
He looks once. After that, the wrapping gets all of his attention.
“Rauk.”
His fingers pause at the knot behind my shoulder.
“When you caught me in the forest, I felt you against my thigh.”
His breath stops against my skin. Both rounded ears turn toward me, then flatten.
I leave my right hand on his forearm. The dark fur is softer close to his wrist.
“You were hard before I kissed you.”
He resumes untying the linen, looking at the knot instead of me.
“You can answer.”
“Hold your arm still.” His thumb presses under my elbow.
“It is still.” I slide my thumb through the fur. “The other one works beautifully.”
He takes the loose wrapping off and reaches for the wet cloth. I have to let go of him for that.
I let him get it off before I start. “Take me outside tonight.”
“No.” He keeps at the wound.
“With you. To the stone.”
