He just held me tight and gradually warmed up my body and slowly, slowly, I could push off him and look into his eyes.
“You’re naked.”
“So are you.”
“I don’t think I will lose any of my fingers or toes.”
“Or your nose. You wouldn’t be as pretty then.”
I stared at him, in shock. Then he grinned and kissed my nose. “Just kidding. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Zaya.”
I traced my fingers over his collarbone, over his pecs, and along the shimmering flare of a sun tattoo he had that capped his shoulder and tore flames into his chest. There were scars all across his chest and back.
“Are you a warrior on your planet?”
“Yes, Special Operations.”
“What’s that mean?”
“It means I’ve probably forgotten many of the battles these scars came from, I’ve been through so many.” He grabbed my hand and held it tight, then brought it up to his mouth. He bit down on the tip lightly and I smiled at him, giggling. “That was smart of you to think of using the telepathic connection when you were beneath the ice. I’m glad you did that.”
“I’m glad you taught me how to use it.” I curled my hand into his and entwined our fingers. I moved my leg between his and moved my thigh tightly up into his. His breath caught as I wiggled my hips closer. “I’m glad I have the ability to connect to you that way.”
“Me too…”
“It’s the only thing that saved me. You’ve protected me twice now.”
Catari looked at me, a shade of sadness in his eyes. Then he shook it away and smiled. “Can we kiss now?”
I laughed and pushed my hands into his chest, pivoting my hips to swing up on top of him. The towels and cloak fell away. The red roar of the fire lit up my skin with a rosy kiss. I straddled him and let him soak in the sight of my breasts, the curve of my waist, and I squeezed his hips with my legs. When I bent over to kiss him, my nipples dragged across his chest, pinpoint with desire. He moaned into my mouth, his hands finding their way up my waist to my ribs and back down to my ass. Our kiss was gentle and sweet, but hungry, still.
“Do you want me?” His thought rang loud and clear through my mind and I thought for a moment that he had whispered it, but his mouth was otherwise engaged.
“I want you, Cartari… I want you inside me…”
He pushed me back, a huge smile on his face.
“You used my name.”
“I used your name earlier, too,” I said, referring to when I was calling to him from the water.
“That’s different, that was in fear. Now it’s in… In…”
“In what? Lust? Desire? Hope? Let me show you what I’m feeling…” I pressed my lips to his forehead, holding his cheeks in my hands, and swelled my Will into him, sending all those emotions to him with a furious force. Lust… Desire… Hope… Trust… Care…
I pulled back and licked my lips. He smiled at me, laying his hand on my cheek, the other hand he put over my heart. As he reached back to me and responded with his Will, sparks exploded in the cabin, tracers bouncing off the wooden walls, dashing about the room, buzzing into our bodies, and ricocheting through our cells. I watched the sparks ignite, a mini firework display, fearful something explosive was in the fireplace, but Cartari held me tightly to him, hand on my face and my naked chest, a knowing smile in his eyes, and I trusted him… He pushed back the same feelings to me and they flooded through with such force that I was knocked breathless, and I clung to his shoulders, heaving forward, gasping, astounded by the connection, by the feeling of reciprocity, and beyond that, the feeling of supreme loyalty, of partnership, of togetherness… It was as if we were one.
I looked at where my fingertips pressed into his skin and lights were rippling out from where I touched him, pressing through his skin, as if a torch was radiating out from underneath. I moved my hand, then placed it back, amazed at the ripple glow of light.
“What is this?” I demanded, exhilarating fear of the unknown challenging me, tempting me to pull off Cartari, or fall into him. I didn’t know which I wanted. To know more and be forever lost in this magical embrace, or to backpedal, to flee, to return to what I once was.
“I think it means you’re my Destin… It’s a Curan legend, a bond between two people that is unfathomable, unconditional, something that wars are fought over, lives are lost for, and kingdoms are pledged to protect. I don’t know what else this could mean, Zaya… I think you were meant to be mine, and I am meant to be yours.”
I gasped and a shiver went through my entire body, his words ringing a cymbal in the glowing cabin, as if truth was being spoken that had never been spoken before. I was his. I was meant to be his.
And he was mine.
I tangled my hands in his hair and pulled back on his head to expose his neck, kissing all along his jawline, down his throat, nipping at his collarbone, then tracing kisses around his chest. He wove his fingers into my hair and moaned with each kiss, the telepathic connection open between us. It was as if I could kiss exactly where he wanted me to before he even realized that was what he wanted.
My heart was beating heavily and our bodies were radiating heat, sweat sliding down our
