Moon's Flower (Kingdom, #6)

It was like a slap of cold water to the face. “Why?” She tried to hide the fact that she wanted to see him again, wanted to do this every night for the next million nights, wanted to talk of other planets and strange and exotic people, but she knew the sad note in her voice was giving her away.

Using his other hand, he traced her knuckles and his touch felt so good. Like a brand it burned straight through her, made her nerves tingle. But then he did something even more amazing. He lifted their hands and kissed each and every single one of her fingers. Lingering long between kisses and she couldn’t help herself from moaning because the pleasure was wild and racing and making her dizzy.

Her body reacted strangely, in a way it never had before. Her limbs felt heavy, why… even her thighs tingled, and her dress was suddenly much to tight on her chest.

She feared that perhaps she was dying. But was it possible to die from too much pleasure?

“I cannot stay long,” he finally whispered, and holding her gaze, she read the sincerity in his gaze.

“But we’ve only just met, Jericho.” She shook her head. Wishing there were someway to keep him with her. “If you knew of me already, knew how to find me, why did you wait so long to come and get me?”

It was an innocent question, she didn’t expect for the light in his eyes to dim, or the sadness that crept across his features. Cocking her head, she cupped his cheek. Now that she could touch him, she wanted to continue to touch him. It was almost an obsession. He’d be leaving soon and she wasn’t sure she’d ever see him again.

She nibbled her lip.

“That is a convoluted and twisted tale and if I had more time…” he sighed, the sound was loud and long and full of regret. It pained her to hear it.

“How much longer do we have?” she asked.

“Ten minutes at most.”

“So soon? Will I see you again?”

“As long as you want to, Calanthe, I’ll never stop coming.”

And this time, he was the one to close the distance between them. Yanking her onto his lap, he rubbed her back, paying particular attention to her highly sensitive wings. It made her body feel as if it’d gone up in flames. She shivered in his arms.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” she whispered. Godmothers had always spoken of the myth. Fairies of course had laughed, because while a few of them worked to develop love matches between humans and nonhumans, fairies could hardly conceive of the notion as being truly real.

They loved their animals and flowers and fun… but love of one for another, in a sexual way… it simply wasn’t a part of them. But what she was feeling now for this man, this virile, mysterious Jericho was definitely not what she felt when she was around June.

His lips were on her forehead and she felt the stretch of them as he said, “I’ve seen it enough to know it is real.”

Pulling back, she gazed at him. “I am not a proper fairy, Jericho,” she whispered her most painful secret to him.

His eyes blazed and she hoped he understood what she implied.

Tipping her chin up with his finger, he pulled gently, tugged her toward his lips and she fell into the kiss with the ardent passion of a virgin in love.

She didn’t know what she was doing, or if she was even doing it right. But she kissed and kissed and kissed him and when he growled and his tongue skated between her pinched lips, forcing her to open them and he slipped inside, sounds she’d never in her life made spilled from her.

Purrs and mewls and her hands were frantic to touch him, all of him. His tongue tasted like heaven and the chords of his muscle flexed beneath her manic hands. After a moment, he laughed and pulled away and his eyes glowed and she knew hers did too. That’s when she noticed that in her frenzy to touch, she’d actually scratched his face so hard there were now welts.

“Oh, my… I’m… I’m so sorry, Jericho.” She covered her mouth in shame.

But he pulled her hand away and kissed her lips once again. No tongue this time, which made her pout. But only a little.

“I’ll wear it like a badge of honor, my beautiful, sweet Calanthe.” And with a long sigh, and one final kiss to her brow, he made to stand.

Jumping off his lap, she scrabbled to her feet. “You’re leaving?”

Even as she said it a glimmering blue veil shimmered beside him. It was a long tunnel that drew up into the very heavens.

“I don’t have a choice, or trust me, I wouldn’t.”

“Then let me come with you.” She grabbed his hand, bold in her declaration of love.

Brushing his knuckles along her cheeks, he sighed. “I wish you could. But the magic would never allow it.”

Where just seconds ago her heart had been ready to burst with joy, it was now squeezing with pain. “You will come back to me, yes?”

Releasing her, he walked toward the veil and her heart was literally breaking. It felt like ripping a part of her soul in two and watching it float away, helpless to stop it.