Chapter 40 Taboo Romance
LYS
I stood facing the moonlit lake as footsteps approached from behind.
“Don’t move, baby.” Finn's voice carried over the garden, and a smile tugged on my lips.
“Why?”
A camera shutter responded. I spun around with a gasp.
“Moon’s Mercy. Why did you do that?”
He looked startled, eyes wide. “You don’t like your pictures taken?”
“No,” I shook my head hastily. That was not it. My pictures were everywhere. “I look a bloody mess.”
I tugged at my ponytail, and with a wince started to wrap it into a tight bun. Finn gave a disbelieving smirk, took two steps back and took another picture.
“You looked breathtaking just staring at that lake. And this…” He turned his phone’s screen to me. “...yeah, I’m totally gonna print it out and hang it over my bed.”
I giggled.
From anyone else, I would have taken that as an exaggeration. But Finn? He likely would do that.
He closed the distance between us and stared down into my eyes. And staring up into those aqua-colored eyes as the garden went silent around us, my heart grieved for Draki.
I understand you both have this friendship. Could you not tell him anything for now? I want to be the one to break the news to him.
The look on his face as soon as the Ashbounds left after breaking that news would stay with me forever. Struck, dazed, lost, so lost.
“Hey… what’s that look in your eyes,” Finn took my hand and raised it to his lips.
In the dark like this, he glowed. And it was a sad thing he and the sun were eternal enemies. Because under direct sunlight, he would have shone like gold.
“We’re fast friends.” I smiled quietly.
“Friends?”
“You know what I mean,” I smiled, “Besides other things, we’re friends. Best friends.”
“Hmm.” He blinked away in contemplation, then his eyes met mine again. “I’ve never had one of those.” His eyes dropped, raking in every inch of my face, then he gave a small nod. “I think… I like that. I feel like I know you, like I’ve always known you since the moment you showed up in that wheelchair.”
This recognition. It all made sense now. My soul must have recognized another woman even though she was nestled in a man’s body.
Did this mean I like women too?
I moved away from him before he could perceive my thoughts and truths I was hiding from him. “What’s that you have behind you?”
His cheeks lifted, pink and puffy in a shy smile. “An offering?”
Pulling his left hand from his back, he revealed an elegant cardboard box, big enough to fit a face cream.
He slipped his phone into his pocket, and started to tug the lid open. “I know we gotta dance right away, so I, um… made sure it was something light.”
My eyes watered. “You made something for me?”
No one had ever done anything this thoughtful for me.
Every other week, Fentone sent flowers and gifts that had the touch of his P. A everywhere. Last Easter, Mom and Dad bought me a purple car because they thought purple was my favorite color. And our butler told me how they had to cancel a dinner reservation two years ago because they thought my birthday was June 15 instead of 25.
Finn stretched the box out, and I took a step forward.
I giggled at the sight of the pear slices inside a foil plate. The same pears we had made today. Now, they shone. All gloss.
He nodded in encouragement when I glanced at him. And pushing the delicate curl of lemon peel perched on top, I pinched the slices between my fingers and brought it up to my lips.
It was an explosion on my tongue. Sweet, sweet syrup, a tangy citrus sourness that sent a shiver down my spine, layered with a cool creamy finish.
“You look like you’re struggling not to spit it out.”
My hand flew to my mouth, giggling. “It’s like ice cream,” I said as the dessert literally melted in my mouth. “You know the kind so good and cold it gives you a brain freeze.”
“Oh,” he looked surprised. “I’ll go a little lighter on the lemons next time.”
“No,” I said too loudly. "It’s perfect.”
I cleared the plate, and then looked around in a dilemma. There was nothing to clean my hands with.
Finn grabbed my wrist, and before I could speak, popped my finger in his mouth.
I gasped, and my nerves started to sing. His lips were soft, tongue warm as he swept up the length of my finger.
Goosebumps covered my skin. Heat spread from my knees to between my legs, and my cheeks burned in embarrassment.
Then his eyes met mine, and my body caved.
My heart rate spiked, and there was a tingling along my nerves from the place his tongue touched my skin down to my pulsing clit.
The box dropped from my hand, and his arm wrapped my hand around my waist immediately.
Pinned flat against his chest, he licked all the citrus and syrup from my fingers, tongue moving in deliberately slow swirls till I was squirming against him like a cat in heat and biting my lip hard to stifle every sound.
The ache at my core returned.
“Finn,” I whispered as his lips closed around my thumb. I collapsed against him, my face in his chest.
Was this how Draki felt with his thumb between my lips? Was this why his eyes flashed as I sucked our blood off it?
Did my tongue create a chasm deep in his belly that begged to be stemmed, to be filled?
“We’re,” I pulled away from him. “We’re going too far. This…” I sucked in air as my heart thudded painfully in my chest. “This is not right.”
I was too embarrassed to meet his eyes now. He must find me annoying at this point. An indecisive woman. One minute I said yes, the next I said no.
But when I finally stole a glance at him, he was watching me with a small smile.
“Ok Lys.” He gave a small nod, “Ok.”
However, his response brought me no joy. I suddenly wished he would argue, persuade, or go boo-hoo like he did earlier today. I wanted him to crush his lips to mine and lower my back to the lawn by the lake. To take me, and damn all the consequences.
“I get to spend time with you like this.” He moved closer, and circled my waist with his forearm.
I let out a shuddering breath.
“Stare at this lovely face and partner up with the country’s best ballerina…”
I swallowed, watching his lips move closer. So close that I could stick my tongue out and feel their pouty softness.
“Yeah…that’s enough for me, Sweet Lys.” He moved his lips and pressed it to my forehead.
And then we were in the air.
We had no need for anchors or aerial ropes. Not when he was a vampire. A vampire who could hop past the height of four floors, and then spiral back down to the floor with my body locked securely in his arms.