Compel (Rae Wilder #2)

Chapter Two

I stared after Conall and pressed my lips together.

“He will find the trail if it is to be found,” Breandan said after a terse pause. “We have had so little time to talk and to be together … will you not look at me?”

I exhaled through my nose and fisted my hands on my knees. Turning so I faced him I nodded once. This was true. We had had no time to get to know one another, and surely it would do no harm to forget about Devlin and focus solely on the boy in front of me.

With a hot flush creeping up my neck, and a too hard thump of my heart, I realized this might be harder than I first thought. I was … shy. He was intimidating, and though I should feel comfortable with him when I tried to meet his gaze my eyes fell to his lap. I got uncomfortable because I stared at his crotch, but then I started to think about staring at him so blatantly, and it made me curious as to what his reaction would be, so then I did stare on purpose.

Breandan said and did nothing. He watched me quietly, and was seemingly content to just sit with me.

I could not fathom why I wanted to rub myself all over him. The urge was starkly primitive and astounded me even as I acknowledged how absurd such a thought was. Wasn’t I supposed to want him to kiss and caress me tenderly? What I wanted could in no way be considered tender.

I was not brave enough to stroke him so boldly – yet – still gripped in the vice of my own embarrassment. Scooting close, jerkily, I placed my fisted my hands on his shoulders and waited for him to take the lead.

He noted my silence and hesitation with the briefest of smiles. He trailed his fingers over the base of my wing pinion making me gasp and arch into him. I trembled. My face hovered in front of his, so close his eyelashes brushed the curve of my cheek. I trembled again.

He blinked and asked, “Are you frightened?”

I gulped and found myself unable to hold his gaze, liquid silver and shimmering with amusement. I was a whole lot of things, but frightened was not one of them.

“You’re going to have to work for me,” I said breathless, and backed up until I was half crouched. My lungs filled properly and I felt light headed. I lifted my chin. “You want me? Come get me.”

There was a beat where he withdrew from me completely. My awareness of him winked into nothing and his face clouded over. I felt a split second of panic that swiftly became wariness. Breandan stood, uncoiling from his seat oh so slowly, and paced forward. His nature exploded in a gush of heat and fierce possession to suffocate my own into obedience. Still not willing to bend, panting, I stepped back and held up a hand in warning. He took another measured step and grabbed my hand.

“Are you sure you want to play this game?” he asked in a rough voice that had my eyes widening and my stomach clenching tight.

He had a feral way about him I’d not seen before and I felt his nature caress mine in such a way it would have been indecent if he decided to mirror in the touch as a physical manifestation. He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed each of my fingertips before bringing my baby finger into his mouth and biting it gently.

“You are most beautiful to me Rae,” he murmured and did it again, harder this time.

Dazed, I tried to catch his eye. “Say-say?” The high chime of my voice had taken on a new quality. It was throaty, husky even.

His expression was intense and he cupped my face in his hands like I was delicate, but he did not repeat himself, and I was more interested in touching than taking. I moved forward, pushed him back down so I could straddle his lap. My face felt hot but I was determined to see this through. Leaning into him, I rubbed my cheek against his and made a soft hum at the back of my throat. The sensation of his firmer skin stroking against mine felt good. I shuddered and leaned forward further to rub my entire torso against him, aware of the soft curves of my body as they glided against the rigidity of his. He pushed back and I made a noise – my thigh muscles tightening around his – and acting purely on instinct, enthralled by the sight of his skin pulsing faintly the tip of my tongue flicked out to slide over his earlobe.