Page 24 of Monster's Past

I offer him the last strawberry, but he shakes his head and indicates that I should have it. I bite into it, enjoying the tart sweetness that combats the shortbread.

A light breeze passes by and I let out a small shiver.

Cethin puts the lid back on his shortbread tin and holds out his arm in what I have to assume is an invitation. I lean in and he puts his hand on my shoulder, making me feel all kinds of warm and glowy in response. There’s something so right about sitting with him like this.

I smooth my hand over his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscles even through his shirt and wondering what it would be like if he wasn’t wearing one at all.

“Anja?” he asks, his voice low and rough.

“Mmm?” I look up, noticing the ring of purple glowing in his eyes. I don’t know what’s causing it, or what it means, but I can sense that it’s not something that’s bad for me. There’s no risk ofanythingbad happening when I’m with him.

I reach out and touch his cheek, biting my lip as I do.

His gaze drops there and warmth spreads through me in response. I shuffle closer, feeling the change in the air as I do. He searches my face, clearly looking for something, though I don’t know what. It’s only when a small smile curls at the corners of his mouth that I realise.

He’s making sure I want this as much as he does. And there’s a way to prove that.

I lean in and brush my lips against his, excitement and anticipation zipping through me as I do. There’s something intoxicating about the moment, even if I’m not entirely sure what’s causing it or why.

He barely responds, and I pull back, panicking slightly that I’ve done something wrong.

“I’m...”

“No,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Don’t say it.”

“If you don’t want this...” I trail off, mostly because I’m not sure how to finish the sentence.

“Oh, I do, Anja. I want it.”

So why didn’t he kiss me back?

His hand brushes against my waist and his gaze fixates on my lips again.

“Kiss me again,” he says.

I nod, shifting so I’m on my knees next to him on the blanket. I reach out and touch his cheek again, leaning in. I can feel his breath tickling my skin and it only makes me want him more.

This time when I press my lips against mine, he kisses me back. Softly at first, but then with an increasing hunger until it feels like I’m the only thing he can think about. He tastes of strawberries, shortbread, and something else that I can’t put my finger on. But no matter what it is, I like it. And I want more of it. I want to press myself against him more and lose myself in the kiss properly. Unsure how else to manage that, I shift so I’m straddling him.

Cethin’s hand on my lower back pulls me closer, and I can feel every inch of him even through our clothes.

He deepens the kiss and I wrap my arms around him.

We lose balance and he falls back, taking me with him and not breaking the kiss at all.

Caw!

I jump, breaking away from him, but not moving from my position other than that.

A raven jumps around beside us.

Caw! Caw!

I groan. “Really?Nowis when you’re choosing to talk to me again?”

Cethin gives me an odd look. “You know the raven?” His voice is husky and his eyes are glowing even more purple than before. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy, even if I can’t explain why.

“I think so.” I climb off his lap, kind of disappointed that we can’t take this further, even if we’re out in the grounds of the academy where anyone could come across us anyway. Next time, I should suggest a more private location.