"I wanted you closer."
Her cheeks warmed.
He never took his eyes off her face as he filled her cup with wine.
Just as she was about to lift the cup, he spoke. "Why were you not in my room when I returned?"
Her hand went cold.
Though the question wasn't loud, it sounded possessive, and tinged with the same jealousy she had experienced through the bond the previous evening.
"I..." Her pulse fluttered as she looked down. "I thought it would be better to sleep in my own room. I'm not fully… comfortable yet, sleeping beside someone."
His jaw clenched.
"I see." His heat touched her cheek as he leaned in closer. "You were supposed to sleep in my arms tonight."
Her breath seized for a second.
"I wanted you there," he continued. "Where I could feel you breathe. Where the bond settles. Where you belong."
Eliora's heart stuttered. "I just needed space to think."
His gaze momentarily shifted to her lips. "I don't want your thoughts," he whispered. "I want you."
