Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
But the cursed Blood Drake wasn’t what I was most focused on—Saint was. The idea that no one had touched him in years—not even to pat his back or rub his shoulders or hug him—was so sad I felt tears stinging my eyes.
“Oh Saint,” I said, and put my arms around him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
It took him a minute but then he hugged me back, wrapping both long, muscular arms around me and pulling me close to his chest. I could smell the masculine spice and the bonfire smell that always seemed to accompany him wherever he went. It smelled really good and his body was extremely warm against mine. But warm—not hot—and he didn’t squeeze me too hard. Clearly he found it much easier to be gentle when his Drake was sleeping inside his head.
“Dios, this feels so good,” he murmured in my ear. “Thank you, Avery. I was afraid you’d never want to touch me again.”
“I do want to touch you,” I admitted. “As much as you want to touch me. But there have to be limits—we’re not going to have sex. Not right away.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything of you that you don’t want to give,” he rumbled. “Besides, you’re not of age yet, are you?”
“No,” I admitted. “I’m not.”
“Then I will wait to claim you completely until you are of age,” Saint told me. “Thank all the powers that ever were that Marking you was enough for my Drake—I wouldn’t want to have a rape added to my many sins.”
I shivered at the thought. That would have been much harder—if not impossible—to forgive, even if he had been driven by his Drake to do it.
“What do you mean you’ll wait to claim me?” I said, concentrating on the other part of what he’d said. “What makes you think I won’t want to claim you?”
“We can claim each other when the time is right,” Saint promised, and there was a rumble of amusement in his voice. “But for now, I just want to hold you and kiss you.”
My heart started pounding again.
“You sort of did the other night, when you healed my lip,” I pointed out.
“Not nearly as much as I wanted to,” he murmured. Cupping my chin, he turned my face up to his. “Avery, I want to kiss you more—much more. I want to taste your mouth.”
“Goddess…” I whispered. “All…all right. Kiss me, then.”
Saint’s mouth was as warm and soft as it had been when he healed me.
“Gently,” he whispered against my lips. “To make up for last night, no?”
“Yes,” I breathed and then he was kissing me, taking my mouth with his and parting my lips to taste me deeper.
I gave a little groan and pressed against him. Now this was a first kiss to fantasize about! To remember forever. This was what I wanted—a guy who wanted me as much as I wanted him.
I wanted Saint.
The question was, would I get to keep him?
24
AVERY
The next day I waited to see if Saint would withdraw again. He was kind of quiet as we got dressed and I wondered if he was regretting our little make-out session the night before. But when it came time to go up to the Dining Hall, he took me firmly by the hand, interlaced our fingers, and we walked to the Norm table together—even though none of now sitting there were Norms, but still, the name persisted.
I saw my Coven mates’ eyes widen, but nobody said anything as we sat down side by side, just as I had wanted.
“Um, good morning, Avery, Saint,” Megan said at last, after a moment of awkward silence. She and Griffin were sitting across from us and Griffin had his arm around her shoulders.
“Good morning, Princess Latimer,” I answered, smiling as Saint put one long, muscular arm around my shoulders and nodded a greeting at them both.
“You appear to be feeling much better than you were last night, Avery,” Griffin remarked.
“I am, as a matter of fact.” I smiled at Saint. “I’m going to go get some coffee. Care to come with?”
“Of course, mi Corazon.” Saint rose with me and took my hand again. We passed by the long tables that hosted the different groups of Others, and I couldn’t help noticing the other couples and thinking how I was one of them now—I was actually part of a couple!
Although honestly, some of the couples were more obvious about their status than others. In particular, I noticed two Fae—Kalinda Mossworth and Darren Treeheart—who were making out in full view of the entire Dining Hall. Which is frankly tacky, to my way of thinking. I mean, a peck on the cheek or the lips is one thing but the kind of hot and heavy kissing and groping that was going on at the Fae table was kind of off-putting and not for public consumption.