A Tangle of Hearts (A Shade of Vampire #44)(56)

His lips stretched into a lazy smile, and I froze. My cheeks flamed. He’d heard.

Panic locked into my muscles. You and your big damn mouth, Serena!

He let out a deep breath and tightened his hold on me, somehow pulling me even closer to him. Another inch and our bodies would fuse into each other. The air left my lungs and, as I drew more in, I felt my chest rise and push into his.

Draven's smile faded, and a muscle tensed in his jaw. His fingers spread out on my back, trailing along my spine. I felt them move up, reaching the area between my shoulder blades. His touch sent shivers through my entire being, heedless of my shirt’s fabric.

His lips transfixed me as they parted slowly. His heart drummed against me, echoing into my ribcage. His breathing accelerated, heating me up with each exhalation of hot air over my face.

My instinct took over, and I abandoned myself in his arms, relaxing completely. My every curve rested against his rock hard body, while his hands continued tracing imaginary lines on my back. The bottom of my shirt lifted slowly, and his fingers found my skin beneath.

We both stopped breathing and stilled for a second. Then, his mouth came over mine and locked me in an ardent kiss. His lips pressed against mine while his fingers slipped upward underneath my shirt, exploring further, leaving traces of fire wherever he touched me.

I burned in his arms as he deepened the kiss. His tongue melted with mine. I felt him open up inside my head, coaxing my inner-sentry to dive into his very soul. I allowed myself to expand my mind into his, and, much to my surprise, he let me in.

My eyes closed as our kiss grew hungrier and our mouths devoured each other. His fingers gently dug into my skin. He let me in, and a river of images washed over me. I held his face and drew him even deeper.

I saw him running after Elissa, laughing and tumbling in the gardens outside. I saw his father coming home from a journey as Draven ran into his arms. I saw him roaming around the house on his own in loneliness and despair. I saw Elissa ending her own life as he watched her through the fire. The pain pierced me, and I felt what he’d felt at that moment.

I wanted to cry out, tears stinging my eyes, but Draven didn’t let go of me. He allowed me to go deeper, his mouth consuming mine. I forgot to breathe.

I saw myself through his eyes back at the mansion, shouting at him furiously, then in his arms, tight against his chest as he rescued me from the shape-shifters. I saw myself crying as I watched him go blind, as darkness covered everything. My heart expanded as a golden light glazed me in something so intense I felt like I was going to explode. And I welcomed everything.

Draven gave me so much in that long, feverish kiss. His memories, his thoughts, his feelings. All that gold, all that brightness—it was all channeled at me. It was meant for me, and I took it happily. I welcomed the heat seeping into my mind and spreading through my chest and my limbs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moaned into the kiss, pulling myself even harder into his embrace.

His arms tightened around me, a feat I had thought impossible, and we dove deeper, lips crushing as we consumed one another. I ran my fingers through his hair. He pulled himself away, just enough for us to take a deep breath before he took me on another rapturous journey, never breaking the mind-meld. He kissed me again, and I responded with everything I had.

“The scouts are back!”

Bijarki’s voice crashed down on us from just outside the tent.

The reality of that sentence broke everything down. It ended the kiss. We pulled away, both of us trying to recover our breath and our senses. The real world tumbled back into view so fast and unforgiving that neither of us had enough time to properly digest what had just happened.

I stood up and helped Draven to his feet. His face sought mine. His jagged breathing mirrored mine. His lips were red and slightly swollen. His tongue flicked over them.

Bijarki’s head popped into the tent, and his jaw dropped when he saw us. I had a feeling both Draven and I looked exactly how I felt—flushed and ruffled, awkwardly wobbling on our feet.

“The scouts are coming back,” his flat tone drilled into me.

“Yeah, we’re coming out now,” I managed to say. I ran my fingers through my hair for a quick detangle.

Draven was quiet, his jaw tense and lips firmly closed.

I walked out of the tent, and he followed quietly behind me.

Bijarki waited for us outside and took his time to measure us from head to toe.

My cheeks still burned. None of us said anything for a few moments until Bijarki pointed at the far end of the camp, where a small stone bridge reached out over a clear stream into the jungle, beyond the invisible barrier. He walked toward it, and Draven and I followed quietly behind.

A few moments later, Draven placed his hand on my shoulder, his fingers gently pressing into my flesh and sending another heatwave through me.

“Is this normal?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

“What—is what normal?” I stuttered, still trying to regain control over my senses.

“The awkward silence. I’ve never been so close to anyone before in my life. I don’t know how things work in this situation. Nor do I know how to behave or what to do next.” His confession threw hammers into my stomach.

He had a point, though. I didn’t know how to respond to all of this either. I had never been so close to anyone. I’d read plenty of books, but none had really prepared me for the real thing. I stopped and turned to face him, my palm flat on his chest. His heart thudded beneath.