Page 50 of Somber Prince
His arm twitched. True to his word, however, not a wisp of a shadow peeled from his skin.
“You want to feel it?” I croaked.
“I’d give what’s left of my life just for a tiny taste,” he admitted.
Oh boy.
I wanted it for him. I really did.
“Alright.” I drew in a deep breath. Bending my arm, I moved it forward, offering the two star rosettes on it to him. “Let’s do it.”
“Are you sure?—”
“Do it, Rha.” I thrust my arm his way. “Before I change my mind.”
Black tendrils spiraled from his arms, faster than I’d ever seen them appear before. The smoky ends of one caressed up my body. Gold sparks crackled in the smoke as it aligned itself with the glistening star of the ribbon on my left arm. Rha paused it there, giving me a chance to stop him.
I gave him a tiny nod instead.
And that was all he needed.
The tendril pressed its end into the shiny star on my arm. Black shadows curled around it, as if in a hug. Then, it appeared to sink into my skin and deeper, into the muscle tissue underneath, into the bone below, into the very essence of me.
The intrusion wasn’t painful, but it was absolute. It knocked the air out of my lungs and tripped my heart. My head swam, making me sway on my feet.
Sliding his hands to my back, Rha pressed me to him tightly.
“I’ve got you.”
“Do them all,” I said into his chest. “All at once.”
I closed my eyes, not watching the shadows emerge and twist into tendrils. Three more of them connected to the stars on my arms. Two others fused with my body from the back, one on my nape, the other one a few vertebrae down my spine. I felt pressure at the points of their contact. But the effect of the connection spread through my entire body.
Rha slid a finger under my chin, lifting my face to his.
“What do you think?”
“It’s like…” I heaved a breath, searching for words. “It’s like you’re hugging me both from inside and out.”
It did feel like a touch, as if he embraced my emotions the same way his arms held my body. The bizarre sensation buzzed through me, leaving me feeling slightly out of control.
“Should I withdraw?” He asked, searching my eyes.
He felt it too. He felt my unease. He knew how flustered I was inside, no matter how hard I tried to keep my cool on the surface. There was no hiding from him anymore.
“No.” I shook my head. “Stay.” I pressed my forehead to the precious stones of the jewelry piece over his chest and took a few deep breaths, slowly adjusting to him being closer to me than anyone had ever been before. “Feel with me, Rha.”
I asked for this because I wanted him to experience joy. Now, I had to give it to him.
“Will you kiss me again, Dawn?” he asked softly, making me smile as I lifted my head from his chest.
I cupped the side of his face and skimmed the sharp ridge of his cheekbone with my thumb. His hair draped down, tickling the back of my hand. I raked my fingers through it, pushing it away from his face. With my other hand resting on the side of his neck, I rose on my tiptoes again and kissed him.
This time, when I slid my lips against his, he immediately moved his lips in response. When I tentatively stroked the bottom one with the tip of my tongue, he darted his tongue out to touch mine. As I melted against his chest, he grabbed me tighter, leaning over me so hard, we both staggered on our feet to regain our balance.
My breasts pressed into the hard jewels on his chest. My heart pounded against his. Holding me to him with one arm, he sank the fingers of the other into the hair on the back of my head. My mind appeared to float into the ether somewhere. I moaned into his mouth. And this time, a soft, deep groan came from his throat in response.
His reaction proved more intoxicating than wine. Heat coursed through my veins, spreading through my body and beyond. It filled me to the brim, then spilled over into the tendrils attached to my back and arms.