Page 49 of Ashborne Forged

“Grace… shit, Grace!”

Scrambling, I rolled her over to face me, taking her flushed face in my trembling hands and lifting it—which extended her neck and revealed the already dark bruise in the shape of my mouth.

Shit.

Rough. Too rough.

I wanted to reach for her buttons, to open her shirt—but I hesitated, knowing what I’d find.

Fingertip sized bruises around her breast, capped by half-moon marks where my nails dug into her flesh.

“Grace, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please. Look at me,” I croaked, stroking her cheeks with my thumbs. “I can be gentle, I promise—that wasn’t, it’s just one way, not the only way. I wasn’t—”

She opened her eyes, then blinked, and blinked again her sky-blue gaze slowly clearing as she focused on me.

“Where does it hurt?” I whispered. “Koa might be able to help, but we can also—”

“I just need a moment. To get my breath back,” she whispered.

“Of course, of course. I’ll carry you back—I should never have… I’m so sorry—”

“Sorry?” She blinked again, then pulled her head back, out of my hands and leaned up on one elbow to stare down at me. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her cloak dragging sideways from her throat and pinned under my bicep.

I cursed and pushed up, off it, so she could be free. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry—”

“Why are you apologizing?” she panted. And then she grinned.

I froze in the sunlight of that smile. “I hurt you.”

She frowned and looked down at herself. “No you didn’t. I’m uninjured. Did you think—”

Speechless, I touched her neck where I’d sucked so hard, it was already turning a deep red. Then, because I needed to face the truth of myself, I unclipped her cloak and reached for the buttons of her jacket, popping them free, then opening the top three on her shirt as well.

I cupped her breast in my palm, sickened by the red marks around that sweet, plump pillow, and the scrape at the edge of the nipple.

How had I done that?

Grace stared at my hand, holding her a moment, then looked up at me again. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“It will.”

And then she fucking smiled again. “Prove it.”

I went still again, searching her expression, unable to believe what I saw there. She still trembled and panted. Her body in shock from the onslaught, leaving her voice shaky and breathless.

But she smiled.

“Grace, you don’t have to pretend—”

“Let me get my breath back. I can hide better,” she said, putting a hand to my chest so the bond jolted again and my body hummed. “I understand better now. I won’t laugh—and if I don’t use the bond, I won’t know where you are, and you’ll have to track me. It would work better.”

I stared at her, speechless.

Her smile faltered. “I’ll do it better next time. It’s a hunt, right? That was fun, and it made me want you too. I’ll get better at it, Voski. I promise.”

“You’re already perfect,” I breathed. And then, with shaking hands and my breath catching, I leaned down to kiss the marks on her pale skin. She blew out a breath and slid fingers into my hair, pulling me into her, holding me against her as I kissed my way up her neck—careful to protect her from my teeth—and then took her mouth.

Her kiss was sweet and passionate, and a little bit desperate. I held her head to tilt her into it, and tried to use my body to express what wouldn’t come with words, the impossible feelings that swelled my chest.