“I’ve missed you.”
His first words surprised her. In the fading light, his blue eyes seemed darker, and he stared at her intently. Slowly, he reached out to touch her hand, but this time he jerked slightly. The drugging zing of electricity snaked along her hand and tingled all the way up her back.
Dylan closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure. “Ah, that feels so good.”
“Why, what do you mean?” Aspen looked at him in surprise.
Gently, he tugged her hand until she stood on the ground next to him, and then enveloped her in his arms. Dipping his head, he ran his nose along her chin.
“Did I tell you that I missed you?”
Her skin hummed. “Um, yeah, you did.”
She pulled back from his hold and looked into his eyes. His gaze was steady and he ran long fingers down her spine. Around them, the trills and chirps of crickets became louder in the evening air, almost drowning out the loud thud of her heartbeat.
“Did you know I feel the same way you do when you touch me?” he whispered against her ear.
Gooseflesh ran down her arms, and her eyes widened as his words sank in. “Um, no. You didn’t tell me.”
Dylan tucked her completely against his warm body, and she shivered at the charge that ran across their skin. “I couldn’t. I didn’t want you to know how you affect me.”
“But I thought, you and Ruby . . .” Her sentence hung in the air.
Dylan shook his head. “Ruby is just a friend.”
“A friend with benefits.” It was difficult to keep her voice low. “It’s obvious that she wants you, and you don’t seem to mind.”
“Ruby is trying to make Caden notice her. We’ve been friends for years—she’s like my little sister.”
“If that’s what a little sister acts like, then you’ve got family issues. You might think she doesn’t want you, but you haven’t seen the way she looks at you.”
Dylan’s lips quirked. “Are you jealous?” He brushed his mouth against her jaw, and she inhaled sharply.
“She called me a Halfling.”
He stiffened. “I was mad at her when she said that, and I told her to apologize. She knows she went too far. Her brother likes you, and she thought you were playing me against Ray. All Fire Walkers have short fuses, and her temper took over.”
“Ray? No, I’ve never liked him the way I . . .” With a mental kick, she clamped her mouth shut.
“The way you what?” Dylan smiled and his expression softened.
“Nothing.”
A light switched on in the living room, bathing the front yard in a balmy yellow glow. Tiny insects immediately circled the illuminated area.
“Ah, Aspen.” Sighing, Dylan pulled her back into his warmth. She stood still while he rocked her back and forth gently.
Scared that he would stop holding her, she asked quietly, “Where did you go?”
“Demothi needed an ingredient for his spell. I traveled to the city of Muda with Caden to get what he needed. He’s finally completed the spell, and your mother will be able to come back with us.”
Pushing away from his chest, she cried, “Are you serious?”
“Yes, we can tell your parents in a second.” He threaded his fingers through her long tresses and held her head in the palm of his hands.
“I want to tell you something before we go back to Lanta.” The burning look he gave her caused the blood to pound in her veins. “I think you’re amazing.”
She blinked. Her voice was a whisper. “Really?”
“Yes, I wanted to tell you that you are beautiful and that you drive me crazy. Crazy for you.” He brought his lips in line with hers and pressed a tiny kiss against them. “I think about you,” he kissed her again, “all the time.” He left his mouth next to hers as he spoke, and her lips curved into a smile next to his.
She could feel soft stubble on his chin, and she breathed in his clean, soapy scent that combined with the fragrance of the evening air.
“I want to know if you feel the same.”
It took a second for her to understand him, and she didn’t respond right away. Dylan tilted his head to kiss along her jaw. “It’s okay, I can wait,” he said in a tight voice.
She reached up to touch his cheek and saw the wounded look in his eyes. “I do. I mean, I feel the same,” she answered finally.
With a groan, his face lit up, and he squeezed her against him tightly, then lifted her in the air and spun her around. Aspen let out a shaky laugh, and her heart flipped over in her chest.
Once she was on the ground, he looked at her tenderly. “Will you be my girlfriend? I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
This time she was absolutely speechless, and the zinging feeling in her muscles threatened to overwhelm her.
“I don’t want to share you with anyone,” he went on. “I want people like Ray and anyone else to know that you’re taken.”