Terms and Conditions

Chapter 15

The door to the treasure room shut.

And slowly, Luis' lips pressed against mine. It was gentle, soft, like pillows. Yet sweet; a natural sugar.

At first, I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't kiss back, but my eyes closed slightly, half-lidded. My head followed his touch as his fingers pushed into my curls to bring my face closer to his. And when I felt the tip of his tongue brush against my lips, I opened my mouth slightly.

That's when he breathed into me. Slightly. Just enough for my lungs to stop screaming.

Our lips locked. I inched closer. And breathed back.

"False alarm!" someone shouted down the hall. "These people aren't who Nhyx told us to grab. He mentioned a mage. This is just a woman who found one of our workers."

"Workers?" a second voice followed, then laughed. "Oh, I see. Look at that. Too much of Nhyx's punch, huh?"

"That or this music. Did you see everyone out there?" the first voice joined in on the laughter. "It's very much a Nhyx party."

"Oh, yes."

I partially listened to whoever was out in the hall, watching us, looking for me. But the sounds of Luis' sighs were louder, echoing in my ear. Soothing, too. Enough to make me close my eyes and give in; to breathe with him. I wasn't sure if his dramatic take on saving me was needed, but I liked it. And when he deepened the kiss, I found I couldn't let go.

As footsteps faded down the hallway, my arms lifted from my sides. One by one, my hands wrapped around his neck. The ends of his hair brushed across my wrist, tickling. When I held him—closer, tighter—he chuckled against my lips.

Lifting his head slightly, just enough to look into my eyes as I opened them, he whispered, "You're alive, Chari."

"Why—" I wanted to ask, "Why did you stop?" But that wasn't what I said.

Instead, I asked, "Why wouldn't I be...?"

He grinned before biting the corner of his lip. The chuckle he let slip was husky, deeper than his normal voice.

At that moment, there was a little Chari in my chest. She jumped. She squealed. And next to her was a darker version of me, smaller, angrier. It grumbled and shook its head.

I don't like him. This was random. This meant nothing.

"You're right." Luis looked back at me with his golden eyes. He slowly moved my arms from around his neck, stood, but reached down. In one swift motion, he lifted me, and pulled me close. My chest was against his. "You would've found a way out without me."

"Thank you," I whispered as I looked away. I couldn't let him see me blush. "For saving me."

"That's what partners are for," he said, using a finger to lift my chin. "Sorry if I went too far..."

A part of me wanted to remind my two tiny inner Chari's that his motion to use a kiss to give me oxygen was a bit extreme. There could've been other ways. He could've shut the door, and taken me farther down the hall and away from the gas. I would've had oxygen in seconds if he had done it that way.

But the rest of me held onto his sudden warmth, his tenderness. The sounds he made; that satisfaction. Yes, when our lips met, he helped me breathe. But when he leaned into it, carefully balancing his weight above me, it was as if he let go. There was more than the will to live in that kiss. There was a need. A wanting.

Does he like me?

One of my hands moved forward to grip his shirt. "It's okay," I said, focusing on the bright specs in his eyes. "It wasn't..." Well, it kind of was too far, but here we are and I'm swooning, "I mean..."