breath. How could the air feel so thick, as if he should wade through it, instead of walk?
Judging by her silence, Arun assumed Caprice was still knocked out from the portal. He reached back for his pack, relieved he still had it. The explanation to this riddle must be in his father’s journal. Setting Caprice down, he rifled through his belongings. There must have been a mistake, had he accessed the wrong portal, was there more than one? A soft pit-pat pricked his ears, the sound growing louder as he—
“Aaaaah!” Over and over, Caprice screamed.
He jumped to his feet, crouched low, preparing for the attack, but they were as alone as before. Circling, glancing left and right, he saw nothing. “What? What is it?”
Lifting her arm in front of him, she stood, and then looked up to the canopy. His eyes followed hers, when she squeaked. “I’m melting.”
“What?” Then he felt it, soft rain pelting his face, his arms. The warm rain melted the icy cold he felt all the way to his bones. Looking at Caprice, he relaxed his stance. The power that he’d become accustomed to ratcheted down, and his shoulders relaxed.
“What is this? Get it off, get it off! Look at me! Something is wrong.”
“Relax. It’s not what you think.”
She looked up, the coal around her eyes smudged and dripping down her cheeks. “Not what I think? It’s burning me. And look, my dress, it’s sticking against my skin. What is it made of? It’s so warm.”
She looked miserable, the mist now turning into a full downpour. How was it she’d never seen rain? He watched as she walked around in circles, flapping her arms like a sun-chicken with its head cut off. He was trying to be understanding. Really, he was, but… He threw his head back and laughed, the tension leaving him for once. Within seconds he regretted it, bending over, the chuckles turning into a coughing fit.
Damn ribs. They still hadn’t healed.
Caprice went silent. Gazing at him with narrowed eyes, she looked about ready to explode. He wondered how long he would allow her to suffer when he noticed the white of her gown had gone see-through. His mouth went dry; all humor fled. Dear gods, her chest heaved, and two rose colored nipples strained against her bodice. Instantly he grew hard, still unaccustomed to the voracity of his attraction.
“I take it from your reaction, this occurrence is somehow… normal? That it’s not unusual that a warm liquid is falling from the sky?” She held her palms up, looking skyward and squinting one eye as the rain pelted her face.
In that moment, with her innocent expression and her damn near perfect body, his fascination grew, intensified, became a living thing. He needed to know everything about this strange woman who had never seen rain, never touched a man, and yet set his soul on fire. He gulped great breaths of air in, watching the rivulets of water run down her neck, pooling under her dress, caressing her perfect breasts. He fought the urge to rip the gown from her body and worship her rosy nipples.
“I guess it’s not so different from snow… And considering the heat here… When snow is melted… It makes sense… So strange, though, but it does feel…” Muttering to herself, she puzzled out the problem. She took in slow breaths, calming herself, showing him she didn’t succumb to hysteria often. As she worked it through, she straightened, composed her features, blanking all expression. The Ice Princess had returned. “This is your home?”
“Hells no. Come on. Let’s find some shelter from the rain.” He started for the trees, but stopped when she didn’t follow.
“I will not take another step until you tell me where-you-have-taken-me.” Her hands sat on her hips only pulling her gown, tighter, against her chest. Gods , he loved her furious.
His erection tented his pants, annoying the hell out of him. I don’t have time for this shit. But he couldn’t get the image out of his head of pulling her under a
Judging by her silence, Arun assumed Caprice was still knocked out from the portal. He reached back for his pack, relieved he still had it. The explanation to this riddle must be in his father’s journal. Setting Caprice down, he rifled through his belongings. There must have been a mistake, had he accessed the wrong portal, was there more than one? A soft pit-pat pricked his ears, the sound growing louder as he—
“Aaaaah!” Over and over, Caprice screamed.
He jumped to his feet, crouched low, preparing for the attack, but they were as alone as before. Circling, glancing left and right, he saw nothing. “What? What is it?”
Lifting her arm in front of him, she stood, and then looked up to the canopy. His eyes followed hers, when she squeaked. “I’m melting.”
“What?” Then he felt it, soft rain pelting his face, his arms. The warm rain melted the icy cold he felt all the way to his bones. Looking at Caprice, he relaxed his stance. The power that he’d become accustomed to ratcheted down, and his shoulders relaxed.
“What is this? Get it off, get it off! Look at me! Something is wrong.”
“Relax. It’s not what you think.”
She looked up, the coal around her eyes smudged and dripping down her cheeks. “Not what I think? It’s burning me. And look, my dress, it’s sticking against my skin. What is it made of? It’s so warm.”
She looked miserable, the mist now turning into a full downpour. How was it she’d never seen rain? He watched as she walked around in circles, flapping her arms like a sun-chicken with its head cut off. He was trying to be understanding. Really, he was, but… He threw his head back and laughed, the tension leaving him for once. Within seconds he regretted it, bending over, the chuckles turning into a coughing fit.
Damn ribs. They still hadn’t healed.
Caprice went silent. Gazing at him with narrowed eyes, she looked about ready to explode. He wondered how long he would allow her to suffer when he noticed the white of her gown had gone see-through. His mouth went dry; all humor fled. Dear gods, her chest heaved, and two rose colored nipples strained against her bodice. Instantly he grew hard, still unaccustomed to the voracity of his attraction.
“I take it from your reaction, this occurrence is somehow… normal? That it’s not unusual that a warm liquid is falling from the sky?” She held her palms up, looking skyward and squinting one eye as the rain pelted her face.
In that moment, with her innocent expression and her damn near perfect body, his fascination grew, intensified, became a living thing. He needed to know everything about this strange woman who had never seen rain, never touched a man, and yet set his soul on fire. He gulped great breaths of air in, watching the rivulets of water run down her neck, pooling under her dress, caressing her perfect breasts. He fought the urge to rip the gown from her body and worship her rosy nipples.
“I guess it’s not so different from snow… And considering the heat here… When snow is melted… It makes sense… So strange, though, but it does feel…” Muttering to herself, she puzzled out the problem. She took in slow breaths, calming herself, showing him she didn’t succumb to hysteria often. As she worked it through, she straightened, composed her features, blanking all expression. The Ice Princess had returned. “This is your home?”
“Hells no. Come on. Let’s find some shelter from the rain.” He started for the trees, but stopped when she didn’t follow.
“I will not take another step until you tell me where-you-have-taken-me.” Her hands sat on her hips only pulling her gown, tighter, against her chest. Gods , he loved her furious.
His erection tented his pants, annoying the hell out of him. I don’t have time for this shit. But he couldn’t get the image out of his head of pulling her under a
Similar Books
