Chapter 29 ON EDGE
Haven's body acted of its own accord. Her hand moved to the sleeve of her gown, pulling it down her arms. She did the same to the other sleeve and the dress fell to the floor leaving her in just her chemise.
Her breath came in shallow, uneven waves. The cool air brushed against her bare shoulders, raising goosebumps that had little to do with the chill. Every nerve in her body seemed alive, aware of his presence.
She closed her eyes, pressing a trembling hand against her chest, as if that could steady the wild rhythm of her heart. But the more she tried to calm herself, the more her thoughts tangled around him, his voice, his gaze, the memory of his touch that lingered like heat beneath her skin.
It was maddening.
He was maddening.
The fire inside her wasn’t one she could control. It pulsed with something dangerous. The way he looked at her made her thighs ache.
Her lips parted on a soft gasp as the bond’s magic flared again, curling like invisible fingers down her spine. She gripped the edge of the table for balance, whispering, “Make it stop…” though part of her wasn’t sure she wanted it to.
Auren stepped closer to her, his hands tracing invisible lines along her bare arms, igniting another wave of fire in her. “Make what stop, Little Flame?"
"This thing that I'm feeling,” she replied,her breathing ragged and labored. The air felt so hot , it literally burned her throat anytime she inhaled. I'm not yours,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
A low chuckle vibrated from his chest, dark and knowing. “Then why do you burn for me?” He leaned in close so he could speak in her ear. " You had to go to my sister for help, when you could have simply come to me.”
“I don't want anything to do with you," Haven said, but a part of her didn't believe it.
Auren hummed, his hands trailing up her thighs. He hooked the lace garter with his fingers, and pulled it down. “So you say."
Haven’s breath stilled in her throat as the garter slipped down her thigh and brushed against her ankle before falling soundlessly to the floor. The air between them turned heavy, dense, electric, as if the room itself was holding its breath.
Her fingers curled against the table’s edge, knuckles pale. She wanted to move, to speak, to say something, but her body betrayed her, frozen in place while every nerve screamed his name.
Auren stood close enough that the warmth of him touched her like sunlight filtered through smoke. His eyes were molten gold in the dim light, flickering with hunger and restraint in equal measure. He looked like sin draped in silk—every inch of him temptation carved into flesh.
“ Y…You shouldn’t touch me like that,” she managed, her voice cracking.
“Shouldn’t?” he echoed, his tone low, dark. He took a step closer, and she swore the air thinned. “Then tell me to stop.”
She opened her mouth, but no sound came.
He tilted his head, studying her, his gaze traveling over her face like a touch. “That’s what I thought,” he murmured, almost to himself.
“You’re cruel,” she whispered, heat and defiance warring in her voice.
He smiled faintly, but there was nothing soft in it. “I never said I wasn't.” His hand lifted, hovering a breath from her skin, never touching, but close enough to make her tremble. “You crave the same fire you pretend to fear.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pulse thundering in her ears. “You’re wrong.”
“Am I?” His fingers finally brushed her jaw, a featherlight touch that burned like flame. “Then why do you shake when I’m near?”
Haven tried to step back, but the table behind her stole her escape. He followed, his presence filling the space until she could feel him everywhere. The air was charged, alive with the bond that tethered them, pulsing like a living thing.
She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing words through unsteady lips. “I can’t think when you look at me like that.”
“Maybe that’s because you don’t want to think,” he whispered. His breath brushed her ear, and she shivered. “You just want to feel.”
The admission stung because it was true. The pull between them wasn’t something she could reason with. It was ancient, raw—like gravity, inevitable and merciless.
“Stop it,” she said again, softer this time. “Please.”
His jaw tightened. “You think I don’t want to?”
Her eyes flew open, meeting his—and in that moment, the bond roared to life, fierce and undeniable. The room spun, the magic thrumming between them in molten waves that licked at her soul.
Auren’s expression fractured, revealing something raw beneath his usual control. “You think I’m immune to this?” he said roughly. “Every time you walk into a room, Haven, I feel it, the pull, the fire. It’s maddening.”
Her lips parted, her voice barely a whisper. “Then why fight it?”
“Because I can’t have you,” he bit out, stepping back as if the words physically hurt. “Not yet. Not until you willingly give yourself to me. ”
The admission hit her like a blow. She wanted to reach out, to bridge that distance, but his eyes—his cursed, beautiful eyes—warned her that if she did, he’d shatter.
For a moment, neither spoke. Only the soft crackle of the hearth filled the silence, and the pounding of two hearts caught between desire and denial.
She bent slowly, picking up the garter, her hands trembling. The intimacy of the motion made her flush deeper, her skin still tingling where his gaze had lingered. She pulled the gown back up over her shoulders, the silk cool against fevered skin.
When she looked up, Auren was no longer watching her body—he was watching her face. There was something tortured in his eyes, something unspoken.
“I’ll never want you, ” she said quietly.
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll remind you of this when I make you scream my name so the entire kingdom can hear.”
He turned, cloak swaying behind him as he started toward the door. But just before he reached it, he paused.
“Stop fighting it, Haven,” he said, his voice rough, threaded with something that sounded almost like pain. “The more you do, the more you'll want me. “
And then he was gone.
The door closed softly, but it might as well have been thunder.
Haven stood there for what felt like forever, her body still thrumming, her heart still chasing his. The air smelled of smoke and him, clinging to her like a ghost she couldn’t shake.
She pressed a hand to her chest, her palm trembling over the frantic beat beneath.
“Oh, Christ,” she whispered, her voice breaking.
The bond pulsed once more, wild and alive, before settling deep in her chest, where no amount of denial could tear it free.