The fire crackled between us, throwing dancing shadows across the cave walls.
He was awake now, sitting up against the rock, and I was trying really hard not to stare.
But holy shit.
In the darkness and rain earlier, I'd known he was big. Strong. But now, with the firelight hitting him, I could actually see him.
And damn.
His chest was bare, all hard muscle and old scars. The kind of body that came from actual fighting, not just training. Broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist. Arms that looked like they could snap someone in half. Dark hair falling messily across his forehead, still damp from the rain.
And those eyes. Silver, glowing slightly in the firelight, watching me with an intensity that made my stomach flip.
Even half-dead and covered in dried blood, he was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen.
"You're staring," he said. His voice was still rough, raspy.
I looked away fast, face heating. "No I'm not."
"Yes you are. It's okay. I'm staring too."
My eyes snapped back to his. "What?"
He tilted his head, studying me. "You're beautiful."
I actually laughed. "I'm covered in mud and probably smell like a dead animal."
"Don't care." He shifted slightly, wincing. The poison was fading but he was still weak. "You're still the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
My heart did this weird stuttering thing. "You definitely hit your head."
"Maybe. Or maybe..." He trailed off, silver eyes locked on mine. "Maybe almost dying makes you see things clearly."
The way he was looking at me like I was water and he'd been dying of thirst made the heat pool low in my stomach.
This was bad. This was dangerous.
I needed to put distance between us.
Instead I asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got stabbed. But better." He flexed his hands, testing. "The poison's almost gone."
"That's not normal. Most people would still be dying."
"I'm not most people."
"Yeah, I'm getting that."
He smiled slightly. Even that small movement transformed his face. Made him go from dangerous to absolutely devastating.
I was in so much trouble.
"You saved my life," he said quietly. "Why?"
I wrapped my arms around myself. "Already told you. I'm stupid."
"That's not an answer."
"Fine. Because I know what it's like to be left behind. To be dying and alone. And I couldn't..." My voice cracked slightly. "I couldn't just walk away."
Something shifted in his expression. Softened. "Come here."
"What?"
"You're shivering. The fire's dying. Come here."
I should've said no. Should've added wood to the fire instead.
But I was cold. And that look in his eyes...
I moved around the fire and sat next to him, keeping a few inches of space.
"Closer," he said.
"I'm fine here."
"You're freezing. I can see you shaking."
"I'm okay—"
He reached out and pulled me against his side. His skin was warm, actually,not cold like before. Heat radiated off him.
I went stiff. "What are you doing?"
"Keeping you warm. You saved my life. Let me return the favor."
His arm came around my shoulders, tucking me against him. I could feel every line of hard muscle, could smell him rain and smoke and something else, something that made my head spin.
"This is weird," I muttered.
"This is survival." His fingers traced absent patterns on my shoulder. "Just for tonight. Tomorrow we will go our separate ways."
"Yeah. Separate ways."
But neither of us moved.
I let myself relax slightly against him. The rejection wound in my chest that constant ache that'd been killing me since Kaelen ripped the bond away went quiet.
Not gone. Just... silent.
"That's weird," I whispered.
"What is?"
"The pain. From the rejection. It's not hurting right now."
He went very still. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it always hurts. Every second since he rejected me, it's been like something's missing. Like there's a hole in my chest. But right now..." I pressed my hand over my heart. "It's quiet."
"Maybe that's good."
"Or maybe it's dangerous."
His arm tightened around me. "Why is it dangerous?"
"Because I don't know you. Don't even know your name. And my body's reacting to you like..." I stopped.
"Like what?"
Like you're important. Like you matter. Like maybe you're supposed to be here.
But I couldn't say that. It was insane.
"Nothing," I muttered.
We sat in silence. The fire crackled. Rain had stopped outside just the sound of water dripping off leaves now.
His fingers moved from my shoulder to my hair, gently untangling knots.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I don't know." His voice had gotten softer, rougher. "You're just... I can't stop touching you."
My breath caught. "That's the poison talking."
"No it's not." His hand cupped the back of my neck, thumb brushing my skin. "I'm clear-headed enough to know what I want."
I should move. Put distance between us.
Instead I tilted my head to look up at him.
Mistake.
His face was right there. Those silver eyes were intense, heated, looking at my mouth like he wanted to devour it.
"We shouldn't," I whispered.
"I know."
"This is stupid."
"Completely."
"We don't even know each other."
"Does it matter right now?"
And god, right then it didn't.
His hand slid into my hair, angling my head. His other hand came up to cup my face.
"Tell me to stop," he said, voice rough.
"I should."
"But are you going to?"
I looked at him—
this beautiful, dangerous stranger who made the pain stop. Who looked at me like I was precious instead of worthless.
"No," I breathed.
He made this sound relief and hunger mixed together and closed the distance.
His lips touched mine. Soft at first, testing.
Then I pressed closer and he groaned, pulling me into his lap, and the kiss got deeper. Desperate.
His mouth was hot, demanding. His hands were everywhere my hair, my back, my waist. I couldn't think past the sensation, past the want flooding through me.
I'd never felt like this. Even with Kaelen, the bond hadn't felt like this.
This was fire. This was drowning. This was everything.
He broke the kiss, both of us breathing hard. His forehead pressed to mine.
"We should stop," he said.
"Yeah."
Neither of us moved.
His hands slid under my slip, fingers splaying across my ribcage. Hot against my skin.
"Last chance," he whispered. "Tell me to stop."
I looked into those silver eyes. Saw hunger there, yes. But also something else. Something that looked like he was barely holding onto control.
The rejection wound was completely silent. For the first time since Kaelen destroyed me, I felt whole.
I pulled his face back down to mine. "Don't stop."
He made this growling sound and kissed me harder. His hands moved, pulling at fabric. My slip came off. His pants went next.
We were skin to skin, fire crackling beside us, and I couldn't remember why this was supposed to be a bad idea.
His mouth moved to my neck. "You're sure?"
"Yes."
"We don't even know each other's names."
"Don't care."
He pulled back slightly, silver eyes searching mine. "I'm going to disappear in the morning. You know that, right?"
Something in my chest twisted. "I know."
"And you still—"
"Yes." I pulled him back down. "Just for tonight. I don't care about tomorrow."
His hand cupped my face, thumb brushing my cheek. "I don't even know your name," he whispered, "but I've never wanted anyone more in my entire life."
My breath caught. Heat flooded through me at the raw honesty in his voice.
This was it. The moment we both knew we were crossing a line we couldn't uncross.
"Then stop talking," I said, and pulled him down to me.
He made that growling sound again, and then his mouth was on mine and his hands were everywhere and nothing else mattered.
Not the danger. Not tomorrow. Not the fact that we were strangers.
Just this. Just now. Just us.
The firelight flickered across his skin as he moved over me. Silver eyes locked on mine, intense and burning.
"Beautiful," he breathed. "So damn beautiful."
No one had ever looked at me like that. Like I was precious. Like I was everything.
I pulled him closer, nails digging into his shoulders.
"Please," I whispered.
He understood.
His hand slid down my body, between my thighs, and.....