Page 64 of A Fate of Wings
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
“My little queen?”
“Yes.”
“Because you are.”
“I’m your queen?” Her frown deepened into grooves.
“Not in the way you’re thinking. You don’t rule me. We’re different creatures. I have my king.”
“So I’m a queen? Ofmypeople?” She sat on the ground in an unqueenly crumble of legs, the fabric of her dress fluttered in a ripple of rough material.
I sat opposite her and picked up her hands as tenderly as possible instead of tearing the dress from her body.
“I don’t know the best way to help you remember. If I tell you, then will it be your memories or me telling you?”
She gazed down at our joined hands. At the warmth gathering between our caresses. Awareness skittered over both our bodies now we were touching.
Her tongue darted out to her lips. “Are you in love with me?”
I considered her question instead of my need to capture her tongue with mine. Was I in love with her? I found the answer at once.
I swept my knuckles over her cheek. “Very much.”
“Did I love you?”
I dropped my hand to my lap. “I don’t know.”
“Wouldn’t I tell you if I did?”
“We were together a short time before this happened.” I ached to hold her in my arms. “We didn’t have the time for deep heartfelt declarations of love.”
She patted her long hair as though taming her tresses would ease the racing of her heartbeat I saw pounding through the veins in her throat. “We don’t have the time now.”
“You’ve been gone years. A few more days or weeks won’t matter.”
She sighed. “What makes you think I’ll ever remember?”
“You.”
“Me?” she squeaked in surprise.
I inched closer until my face was inches from hers. “You are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. If anyone can battle this affliction and win, it’s you.”
She smiled a shy smile, so unlike the Thea, I knew. Perhaps she was different now. We both were, but she was my mate. Different or not, she was still mine. I hungered to kiss her, to see if the passion between us was still there. I sensed it humming against both our skins this close to each other. Our mouths were within kissing distance. Our bodies were within touching distance.
I groaned and sat back.
“What’s wrong?”
“I want to kiss you.” I swiped my tongue over my lips as though I felt her kiss on my mouth if I fantasized hard enough.
Her eyebrows rose a tiny fraction, her eyes darkened, and she wet her plump lips in a mirror action to mine.
“Maybe a kiss will help me remember?”
I slammed into her, forcing her back to the ground as I kissed her with a passion exploding deep within me. She moaned against my mouth. Let me ravish her plush lips in a ravenous kiss of tongues and lips until we devoured each other as though each lick and nip were the best things we’d ever tasted.