Winds of Fire [ACOTAR]

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

Sleeping through the night with a newborn in the next hall had been almost impossible. Leo's cries echoed through the house each time he woke up hungry or needing a change. It was around three when Prim gave up on sleep altogether, sitting on her window ledge and looking up at the starry sky. It was a comforting sight, one she had grown to adore. It helped to know that, wherever he was, her father was looking up at the very same stars. A gentle breeze blew, Prim's bare legs and arms covering with goosebumps in an instant. She was only wearing a nightgown, her hair down and brushing her shoulders. She could have sat there until sunrise, could have watched as the sun rose and illuminated the mountains she could just see beyond the city.

But she didn't.

Dropping down from the window ledge, Prim pulled on a pair of panties before leaving her room and entering the shadow-filled hall. She crept toward Orion's room, her feet cold against the wooden floor as her hand reached for the handle. Pressing her ear against the door, Prim could hear the gentle sound of breathing. She couldn't quite tell if he was awake or not, but there was only one way to find out. Opening the door, Prim peered in to find Orion sat up in bed, his head shooting to face her as she stood in the doorway.

"Prim?" He asked, rubbing at his eye, "What are you doing?"

Closing the door behind her, Prim walked into the room, "I couldn't sleep... I was hoping we could talk."

Orion blinked for a moment, nodding his head slowly and ushering her closer. Prim moved toward the bed, sitting on the mattress across from Orion, turning to face him. The duvet was down around his waist, his chest completely bare, a golden chiselled dream. A string of tattoos spread across his collarbones, stretching over his shoulders to finish at the top of his arms. Prim tried not to look at the defined muscles of his abdomen, looking up to meet his eyes.

Before Prim could even open her mouth, Orion was speaking, his eyes darting to her lips, "Is it... Did you want to talk about the kiss?"

The kiss they shared yesterday morning felt like years ago. The kiss he instigated between them. Prim fingered the duvet nervously, "No...Well yes, but not exactly, it's more than that."

Orion covered Prim's hand with his, flatting it against the cover and collecting her fingers in his, "Do you know?"

That string inside her tightened, zoning in completely. He knew.

"Yes," she breathed, noting the way he watched where their fingers connected, "When you screamed my name in the Autumn Court."

Orion swallowed and Prim watched the way his throat bobbed, his hand pulling away from her's as he wrapped his arms around himself, "Does it change anything for you?"

His voice was a whisper, Prim strained so deeply to hear what he said, his words disappearing into nothingness. Prim crossed her legs as Orion climbed out of the duvet, his body completely bare apart from the boxers he wore. He moved toward the window, distracting himself as Prim stood, turning to look at him.

"It just confirms what I already knew," She insisted, taking a step closer and wanting to reach out to him, "That I'm drawn to you in a way I cannot fight."

That she wouldn't want to fight even if she could. Orion spun on his heels, looking over Prim as she stood before him. Her hands ached to roam his chest, her core tightening as he watched her. In a few strides, he was in front of her, cupping her cheek in the warmth of his palm.

"Prim I-" His breath was minty, his lips plump and incredibly kissable as he stood so close, "I'm in love with you, Primrose."

The words hit her like a hurricane. He loved her. He was in love with her. Prim's mouth was agape as she looked up into his eyes, her hand shaking as she lifted it to the cup the back of his hand with her own. "H-how long have you known about our bond?" She asked, those three words dying on her tongue as she searched for an explanation instead.