And Let Fate Lead You

Chapter Thirty-Four

Eira’s eyes fluttered open slightly, squinting against the bright light illuminating the room. It took a moment for her vision to focus, and when it did, she nearly gasped and flinched back in surprise. Elias was lying next to her on the pillow, too close, his bare chest gently rising and falling with his slow, even breathing.

Eira’s face flushed a deep scarlet as last night’s events came rushing back to her. She looked down at the thin camisole and silk pajama pants she had thrown on before falling asleep the night before and quickly pulled the comforter around her, all the way up to her neck, hiding everything but her face, which was still burning with heat.

Slowly, she tried squirming out of bed with the comforter still held against her, but was quickly forced to lie back down when Elias rolled over in his sleep, mumbling incomprehensibly as he did. Eira couldn’t help but smile at his cuteness. He was like one of those tiny puppies that were cute even when they weren’t trying to be. Affection welling inside of her, she moved closer to peek over his shoulder when, all of a sudden, he whipped around and enveloped her in his strong, lean arms.

Eira screeched, surprised, and struggled to wriggle away. “Elias!” she cried, her voice muffled by his chest. “W-what are you doing!?”

Elias chuckled, the deep sound rumbling through his ribcage and reverberating in her ears. She shivered, the feeling of his bare skin against hers making her blush all over again. It was one thing to be this close to him in the darkness—where she could barely see her own hand let alone anything of his—but now, in the bright daylight, she couldn’t hide a thing from him even if she tried to.

Gulping, she looked down at her hands braced on his chest and quickly pulled them away, feeling her face flush hotter. “Elias,” she said again, more quietly this time. “Please.”

Her voice had an almost desperate, pleading air to it, as if she would start crying any minute. She couldn’t help it. Her discomfort had long ago reached the point where she wanted nothing more than to dissolve into midair or sink into the ground through the bed. Anything but remain lying next to him, feeling so exposed. Suddenly sensing Elias’s intense gaze on her from the corner of her eye, Eira shielded her face with her hands and turned away from him, a soft groan of embarrassment escaping her.

“Please don’t make sounds like that,” Elias muttered quietly in her ear. “You have no idea what they make me want to do to you.”

Eira felt her entire body flame, making her skin burn a deep ember shade. “Elias!” she gasped, turning to swat his arm. “You’re disgusting, you pig!”

He grinned and pulled her into his chest again. “Call me whatever the hell you want, princess,” he said, kissing her hair. “I’m too happy to care.”

Eira rolled her eyes but curled deeper into his arms, resting her head against his shoulder. “And why is that?” she asked, gazing up at the angle of his face she could see from where she was positioned, one of his arms wrapped around her—cradling her close—and the other stroking her cheek and hair.

“Because,” Elias said, his face growing serious.

“Because what?” Eira asked, pulling her eyebrows together in confusion.

They were both talking quietly, their still sleep-ridden voices only loud enough for each other to hear. But, there was a certain type of intimacy in speaking in such a soft tone. It was as if they were the only two people left in the world, tucked away in their own little bubble, away from everyone and everything else.

“Because I can do this anytime I want now,” Elias said suddenly. Eira looked at him, waiting for an explanation. But, instead of giving her one, he lifted her chin up with two fingers and pressed his lips against hers. Eira gasped, surprised at first, but as the kiss continued, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, finding herself wanting more. But, when he pulled away and ran his mouth along her neck instead, his breath tickling the sensitive spot behind her ear as his lips teased it, she giggled and pushed him away.