Forbidden

Chapter 41

41

I woke the next morning to the comforting smell of breakfast wafting through the house.

Outside, tree branches shook in the slight breeze, and I could hear the leaves spinning in swirling dances of vibrant, yet dead color on the moldy scented forest floor. I inhaled the leftover scent of pine leaves in the air, floating high in the oxygen, like a drug.

But Liam’s heart, thump-thumping under my ear was the greatest sound of all.

I don’t know how I ended up against him as I was, with his arms around my torso, and the comforter pulled up to my elbows, but surprisingly, he was very comfortable. I looked up at him, across the planes of cool skin, to the patchwork of growth on his chin and even finer whiskers up the sides of his jaw, to the peaceful structure of his face, so perfect in the embrace of sleep. His eyelashes, thick and dark cast shadows across his skin, and once again, I found freckles that I would’ve never seen before dotted faintly across his cheeks.

Once again, I felt so safe in his strong embrace. It was so quiet, so peaceful…

Liam’s soft snores stuttered, and his arms constricted around my waist. I closed my eyes and smiled against his neck. Yet, only seconds later, I felt fingers gliding smoothly through my curls, over and over, while others trailed a light, delicate path down the shallow valley of my spine.

My smile grew even wider.

His hands trailed lightly down my sides, until they rested on my hips and not a hair further.

He really was too modest.

“You know,” I murmured, drowsily drawing my hand up and down his arm. “We were supposed to do something yesterday… but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”

I heard his breath hitch, and his heart stutter, not to mention that peculiar noise of surprise in the back of his throat. I laughed softly at his reaction.

But not for long, as his fingers shimmied up just below the hem of the shirt.

“We can make good on that one,” he murmured, a twinge of hidden excitement in the deep timbre of his voice. I gazed at the boy in front of me, wondering where I’d found the good fortune to be Mated to someone who was genuinely in love with me.

Not even for the sake of magic.

“I’ll remedy that right now.” His voice got deeper, huskier… hungrier, and my eyes widened in surprise at the hectic look in his normally chilled and relaxed silver eyes.

I found myself on my back suddenly, with his lips parting mine slowly, a thrill of pure adrenalin racing through my arteries, like a live wire. The air seemed to combust inside of me, and I couldn’t get enough of it—or maybe, of him.

My fingers caught the thin cotton material of the shirt he was wearing to pull him closer to me, which he seemed to have no trouble with at all.

In a tangle of broken breaths and twisted limbs, I was soaring on an imaginary cloud, higher than anything as he delved into the kiss with as much enthusiasm as I could thoroughly diffuse. I was so happy, I’d forgotten how we’d ended up here, how quickly we were able to forget what had happened in our families, what was still going on right now.

His skillful hands eagerly slipped under the hem of the shirt again, slinking up my skin like a thief, making me shudder.

A loud slam came on the door, throwing the two of us apart.

Trying to calm my labored breathing and the rushing of blood in my ears at the sudden movement enough to hear what the person at the other side of the oak door wanted, feeling angry and annoyed at the same time because we’d been interrupted.