Eager to eliminate the distance between us, I launch myself at Rainer. With a knee on either side of his thighs, I straddle him. His hands grip my waist, holding me into place as he watches my lips with a heated gaze.
I don’t know what’s gotten into me, but I don’t care. With one quick tug, I rip his shirt open and buttons go flying everywhere.
“Alessia,” he warns.
His eyes darken, flashing to a deep cobalt. I pause, double-taking, but they’re back to their normal pale coloring. It was probably a trick of the light.
His shirt falls open a little wider, and I’m able to see the scripture up close. A language I don't recognize with intricate designs mixed in.
My fingers brush the dark ink on his chest, and he shudders beneath my touch. He’s all hard muscles and soft skin. An enticing contrast. I want to press my bare skin against his.
“I want to feel all of you.”
He grabs my wrists. “No.”
Despite whatever trance I’m under—whatever has my head buzzing and my emotions soaring high—I’m able to understand no means no.
I should apologize. Or maybe I shouldn’t, because the fae don’t seem to respond well to apologies.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It’s not—” He sighs, still gripping my wrists.
He’s hard beneath me, I can feel him through our layers. It’s clear the attraction between us is mutual, but it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t want this.
I nod, not fighting him on this. His grip tightens when I try to pull free from his lap. Logically, I should be mortified by his rejection. But, I’m not. Instead, my body buzzes with joy.
“We can’t do this,” he mutters.
His eyes flicker between shades of ice and navy, as if reflecting his inner battle. I blink a few times, wondering if I’m hallucinating again.
“You’re with Fern,” I mutter. She said he wasn’t her boyfriend, but he snuck into her room. They’re clearly together in some manner. “I get it.”
“What? I’m not—it has nothing to do with her.”
“I saw you go to her room. After the library. It’s—”
A large figure appears at our side out of seemingly nowhere, and I squeak, startled.
“Moonberries, aye?” Ken says.
Rainer removes his grip from me, and I tumble off his lap into the grass with a fit of laughter.
“Hi, little human.” Ken stands over me, peering down with a wide grin. “I see you’re having a good day.”
“Why, hello,” I say, smiling. “A great day indeed!” Not even Rainer’s rejection can get me down.
Ken’s toothy smile flashes at me as his eyes jump between me and Rainer. “Why did no one think to invite me?”
“This wasn’t planned,” Rainer says. He points at me. “I found the human wandering the gardens, high as a bird.”
“High?” I snort, rubbing my hands on the ground. The grass is so soft. So soft.
Holy gods.
Am I high?
“I didn’t sniff the pink roses, Rai Rai,” I say.