“So I’ve noticed,” I grumbled as I rolled onto my back. I didn’t think I had the strength to get up again, not like I wanted to. Ilyan was here now. I had nowhere else I wanted to be.
Ilyan had perched himself next to me, his face soft and welcoming as he smiled at me, the warmth in his eyes turning me to the equivalent of warm jelly—warm jelly that was melting under the heat of the French sun.
The thought was as ridiculous as it was perfect; as perfect as everything was right in that one joyful moment. It was a feeling I hadn’t felt in months, a peace I had been seeking since the day I had run from Ryland’s house. Somehow, I had finally found it. I wasn’t sure what to do with such joy as a smile didn’t seem like it was enough, so I began to laugh, the sound fresh and elated as it echoed through the air, the gulls chatting along as if my happiness was contagious.
“I don’t think I have ever seenyou this free, M?j Nav?dy,” Ilyan whispered as he sat down beside me, his arm propping up his weight as he leaned over me.
His side pressed against mine as his arm enclosed me under him. The warmth that radiated off him seeped into me, my body pulling at it as if I couldn’t get enough, as if I wouldn’t be able to live without it.
The sun framed him from behind as he leaned toward me, his hair glowing in that weird, ethereal light that should be reserved for bad romance movies, yet somehow, right here it fit him.
“M?j nav?dy?” I asked, the awe leaving my face as confusion took its place.
“It means ‘my forever,’ Joclyn.”
“My forever. M?j nav?dy,” I repeated the words as accurately as I could, getting used to them on my lips, in my heart.
I smiled as my stomach fluttered, the gold flecks in Ilyan’s eyes shining brightly.
“Yes,” Ilyan whispered, his hand moving from the sand to my face, the usual, soft touch tingling over my skin. I closed my eyes as my body heated and cooled with the pleasure of his touch. The sensation was stronger than anything I had ever felt before, making it hard to control my breathing. I gasped as the feeling swelled, at the way my toes tensed and my magic popped in sparks of heat inside my body.
Ilyan’s fingers ran the length of my jawbone before the touch left, the supercharged sensations trailing away as his fingers did. My eyes snapped open as his hand withdrew, shock still running through me only to see him gazing down at me, a knowing smile on his face.
“What was that?” I gasped, the words barely able to find their way out of the pressure in my chest.
“The sensation that a Z?lství gives you, mi lasko. A true Z?lství. One forged in honesty and commitment. It is your body reacting to mine, your soul to mine, your heart to mine. I never thought it would be this strong. I never thought…” His voice broke as he looked away, the movement of his head casting his features in shadows.
Even though I couldn’t see the lines of his face, I knew what had come over him. I could feel it within me as his heart swelled, the thankfulness he felt for the gift we had been given. It was as strong as the waves of the ocean that crashed over the rocks.
I lifted my hand from where it lay until my fingers touched the side of his jaw. I could feel the stubble on his chin—the warmth of his skin—but it was the way our magic reacted—the way the sensation rocked through me—that affected me the most, that sent Ilyan’s breathing to shallow pants of desire.
I didn’t stop, even though it was hard to focus, even though my hand shook. I ran my fingers over the smooth lines of his face, across his hair line, and down his neck until my shaking hand fell into the sand, taking the supercharged sensations with it.
“Is it all you hoped for?” I asked, my voice shaking with nerves as I asked him.
I didn’t know why I was so nervous. I wasn’t even sure why I had asked in the first place. I could feel his contentment, hear his soul rejoice as he found pleasure in what he had been waiting for his entire life. Maybe it was my own insecurities, my own worries that had brought the words out.
Ilyan turned toward me as he lowered his body to the sand, his tall frame parallel to mine as we lay side by side. I was barely able to turn toward him before his hand wrapped around my waist, dragging me through the sand until I was an inch away from him.
I could feel his breath against my face, the warmth of his hand against my back, and I didn’t want to move away. I lay still beside him, the words in his mind projecting through the light in his eyes before the love shown through, and he finally put voice to his feelings.