Veils of Storm

26. Conflagration

PART II

The sun shone through the tiny window and sent lines of heat on Kat's face. She scrunched her nose and let out a low groan, trying to prolong her sleep for as long as possible.

She felt complete, safe, and happy. She never wanted to wake up from this dream.

The reality of the new day didn't let her hold on to her denial. With another groan, she opened one eye. After days of storms, the sky was finally clear and the waves did nothing more than gently rock the ship.

As the seconds ticked by, her senses started returning to her and she realized the comfort she was feeling came from Cage. She lay with her cheek on his back, their legs tangled together, and it was the warmth of his bare skin that made her feel as if she were still inside the most beautiful dream.

But it was real.

Last night had been real. Every tender moment, every whisper, every promise, it had all been real. She and Cage had finally stopped dancing around each other and now she felt... Free. As if every insecurity in her life had disappeared and she now had his level of confidence, his strength.

His magic.

She raised her hand and glanced at her fingers. They looked normal, much like they always had, but there was something different about her body. The foreign energy she'd felt once she and Cage had become one was still there, humming through her veins, as if he'd given her his magic.

And her heart. Her heart felt as if it had doubled in size, filled with so much love, it was impossible to comprehend how she wasn't bursting with it.

She lifted her head and watched him. He slept on his front, his arms holding her tiny pillow under his head. The pose emphasized his strong arms and shoulders. The memory of how those arms had handled her last night made her shudder. How he'd touched her, where he'd kissed her, how he'd given her a way out until the last moment, and yet she'd refused to take it.

The bliss inside her was slightly tainted by a sense of foreboding. Intoxicated as she'd been by him, she'd pushed and pushed until she got her way. Now, in the light of day and without the alcohol clouding her judgement, a tiny bit of fear nestled into her chest. They weren't married. This was a decision she couldn't take back. As much as she'd always hated the social norms, they were still instilled in her and now she'd broken them so completely.

To the civilized world, she was now a harlot. A mistress. An easy woman.

But the more she looked at Cage, the more the distressing thoughts faded. It didn't matter because he made her happy. Because last night had been the most intense and exhilarating experience of her entire existence. Whatever happened next, she wouldn't regret it. And they were, after all, engaged. What did it matter that they became intimate before the wedding? He would still be the only man in her life. And oh, how lucky she was to be the one.

She leaned over him, wanting to kiss his skin, but changed her mind. He'd had a very rough day and he needed to rest. But it was so hard not to touch him...

"Your hair is tickling me," he mumbled into his pillow.

She let out a laugh as he turned over, grasping her shoulders to bring her on top of him. His gaze was still hazy with sleep, and his hair tousled, but the smile on his face could melt the thickest ice.