Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Fifty-Two

Hours later, my eyes fluttered open when Onyx shifted at my side.

I blinked Calin into sight, then sighed and rolled onto my back to stare at the ceiling of the tent. The exhaustion I'd succumbed to still weighted me down, but I felt as though I could finally form a coherent thought. Onyx moved again.

"Outside?" I whispered, and she shuffled to her feet.

As quietly as I could, I got up to my knees and reached over to unzip the tent. Onyx squeezed through the opening, the sound barely a whisper against the grey nylon fabric. I sat back to wait and nearly jumped as Calin's hand began to rub the exposed skin between my pants and shirt. I hadn't even heard him move his arm to my side of the tent.

Calin laughed as I tensed.

"Why are you up?" I asked, relaxing as goosebumps lifted my skin in response to his touch. I turned my head to look at him, my breath catching as he watched me beneath sleep-induced hooded eyes. I licked my lips. "I didn't wake you, did I? Onyx had to go outside."

"I didn't hear you get up," he said, his lips slowly turning up. "I guess I'm just sensitive to when you wake."

I nodded, feeling myself lean into his touch as the slow circles he drew on my skin hypnotized my senses. Our gazes locked. I sucked in a breath as he shifted so he could come closer.

The heat inside the tent felt like it was centralized in the warmth that traveled to my cheeks. The rest of my body—especially where the lack of his touch became apparent when he dropped his hand from my back—cooled from the night air brought in from the opening in the tent.

"Nora, I—"

As Calin started to sit up, I reached for him, cutting off whatever he was going to say.

My hands landed on his shoulder, the force of my movement knocking him back down.

Leaning down, I kissed him.

Calin's hands grasped my side, then circled around my waist. His fingers rubbed the bare skin above the waistline of my pants.

A shiver ran the length of my body.

I pressed myself closer.

Calin rose, causing my back to arch.

His arm tensed, the muscles flexing as he pushed me down to lie on my back. Shifting, Calin aligned his torso against mine. He rested his weight on his elbows beside my head and his hands cupped my face. My hands trailed up from his shoulders across his neck to his nape, and I tangled my fingers in his hair.

Pulling him closer, a whimper escaped.

Heat flooded my body, burning me from head-to-toe.

Calin pulled back and held my gaze, our breath mingling.

I leaned up as I pulled his head down once more. Our lips met and I laid back down. His tongue darted out, seeking entry. I opened my mouth and met his urgency with my own. Another moan cut through the silence between us, and I lifted my leg to circle his, hooking my foot over his thigh.

Calin's arm tensed.

He lifted himself, breaking free, and began trailing kisses along my jawline, down my neck, across my collarbone. Involuntarily, my fingers curled, tugging his hair. I felt his chest rumble with silent laughter.

"You're beautiful," he whispered against my skin. He pulled the fabric of my shirt aside and kissed my shoulder.

My breath hitched, then sped to gasps.

His kisses began to retrace its course back to my mouth. I tilted my head and pulled his face back to mine, not willing to wait for him to kiss me again. His hand flattened on my stomach and circled to my side. My back arched. I pushed him back so that I was lying on him, and he steadied me with both hands on my waist.