“Wait,” Werzo puts his hands out. “How big a dinner are we talking?”

  Jace throws his arm around the Rogue’s shoulder, pulling him close. “Big. Gigantic. More than you can eat.”

  Werzo scoffs, being led over the grass. “I doubt that.”

  Nodding at Reid, Tucker follows the other Rogues back across the valley. Pratt and Mae do the same and then it’s the Dofinikes. Everyone leaves me. Everyone but Reid. We stare at one another for a long moment and I’m not sure what to say. I’m not even sure I can speak. All I can do is look at the boy I love and try to breathe.

  “You’re here.” His voice is quiet.

  “I’m here.”

  “I had dreams you came back.” His brows pinch. “And then…”

  A second lump rolls down his throat. Lifting his hand, Reid runs his fingers through my curls, gently breaking them apart. He watches them fall to my shoulder and bounce back into place. When he’s convinced they’re real—I’m real—he inches his hand up my throat, to my chin and finally over my cheek, cradling my face. His chest expands. I match his reaction, my own breathing altered, my heart pumping furiously. Watching with devoted reverence, Reid runs his thumb the length of my bottom lip.

  I inhale.

  His eyes flare. Tracing his thumb back and forth, he gazes at my lips, a heavy thought building behind his eyes.

  “I’ve practiced this over and over but now that you’re…” he lets the word drift.

  “I know.”

  His brows pinch again. So many things he wants to say. So many things I want to say. But we don’t say a word of it. Instead, Reid rests his forehead against mine. I inhale at the contact, my blood pumping fire, racing with the sheer scent of him. It’s intoxicating. Overwhelming. Unhinging. He brushes my cheek softly, his words as gentle as his touch. “What if this is another dream? What if you’re not really here?”

  “I am,” I roll into his palm, kissing his thumb pad.” I feel him tremble, and then stiffen. I do it again. His chest expands, his eyes piercing mine.

  Reid licks his lips. “Come with me?”

  “Where?”

  “Wherever you want. Just away from here.”

  I try to think of a place, but can’t. I can’t concentrate on anything other than Reid, anything other than touching him. Him touching me. Nothing else matters. I kiss the pad of his thumb again, letting him decide. “Okay.”

  Another gulp and Reid threads our fingers together. Wordlessly, he leads me across the wide, flat plain and into the forest on the west side of the valley. It’s a terrain I’ve never explored. And one I will probably need to again because it’s the last thing I’m thinking about.

  Reid’s hand in mine, his fingers grazing my own—I can’t look away. I’m staring at them, wondering how my skin can be so hot but not on fire. I bite my lip, anticipating the fire moving into other parts of my body. My stomach tightens. Heat flushes my core as we pass Eckle after Eckle, traveling deeper into the thick green fauna.

  There’s so much I want to say to him, so much to communicate, but my words are lodged in my throat. What if he’s right and this is some cruel dream? What if I still have to wake up and complete the twelfth test tomorrow?

  Reid stops.

  Then pulls back a curtain of Yulus.

  The lake sits secluded amongst the Eckles, hidden beneath a ceiling of branches and bulbs, cloaked by the walls of mossy trunks. No larger than a few yards in each direction, the basin boasts clear, fresh water, its limestone floor visible through the undisturbed surface.

  “Tucker found it,” Reid releases my hand and walks toward the lake. He rubs the back of his neck and then crosses his arms. He throws me a look. “Beautiful, huh?”

  “Beautiful.”

  “Stumbled upon it one day. No one was out here,” he shrugs at the innocent nature of the discovery. “Just begging to be swam in.”

  “Did you?”

  He shakes his head, gazing out at the crystal blue water. A breeze dances past, sending waves rippling across the glassy surface.

  “Who else knows?”

  “Possibly the Zingfinolds,” Reid stops to think. Then nods. “Definitely the Zingfinolds. And maybe a certain mayan. But they rarely come by,” he fully turns around, his gaze locking onto me now. “From what I can tell, it’s actually pretty private.”

  I bite my lip.

  He jerks his head over. “Want to go for a swim?”

  “Like—” I follow his focus “—right now?”

  Reid doesn’t know what to say. He glances around, searching for a response. He must not have been expecting the one I gave. “We can come back,” he rubs his neck, eyeing the lake like a missed opportunity. “Thought I’d show it to you. Figured you might like it after—”

  “Yes—okay.”

  The words are out of my mouth before I can help it. Of course I want to go for a swim. Reid is asking. How can I say no?

  “You sure?”

  My heart pounds fast. I know where this is heading, what this will eventually lead to. I haven’t been with Reid… like that… for three months and seeing him, being here with him now, it’s like a dream come true. It’s all I thought about when I had a moment alone to think on Arosin. This. Right now. And I finally get to live it.

  Pushing back the nerves, I glance at the clear pool. “We have to at least try it out.”

  The corner of his mouth lifts.

  Turning, Reid slowly wades into the water, giving me plenty of time to admire his perfectly naked back. He submerges beneath the still blue surface and reappears in seconds, his eyes catching mine. Something inside me stirs. Reid hasn’t looked at me like this in months. He hasn’t looked at me at all, but this look—this hunger—emanates power. Need.

  Necessity.

  I love it.

  I lift the shirt over my head and toss it to the grass. His eyes widen, but he makes no move to come closer. My fingers drop to the button on my jeans. My skin flushes as I pop it open and step out of the material, kicking off my Converse. I’m left standing in my black bra and panties, trying to keep my breathing even. A lump rolls down Reid’s throat but he doesn’t move an inch. He stays where he is—in the middle of the lake, his unwavering focus latched onto me.

  I walk over the smooth wet rocks and into the water until it reaches my shoulders. We’re maybe a few feet apart when I dip below the freezing surface. Frigid water coats my body and I reemerge quickly, pushing the hair from my face, shivering from the sudden temperature change.

  “Cold. Very cold.”

  He smirks. “Should’ve warned you.”

  “Yeah, thanks for that.”

  Reid swims closer.

  My heart pounds from the intensity of his focus. When he looks at me like this, I can never concentrate. Too distracted with his eyes, I force myself to examine the rest of his appearance. “You grew your hair out.”

  “You like it?”

  I swim backward. “I do. Makes you look older.”

  “Wasn’t sure you’d like it,” he moves closer, keeping us inches apart. I want him to reach out and touch me, but I’m afraid that if he does, I’ll drown in heat. It’s too much too quickly. Too much to be with him, to see him again. Too much to touch him. I continue swimming backward, seeking space, but brush up against something hard. It’s the edge of the lake—a smooth rock wall that I can see under my feet. Reid inches even closer, right in front of me.

  I retreat as much as possible. “You should keep it like this.”

  “Only if you want me to.” He places his hands on the wall beside my head.

  And leans in.

  I taste his breath seconds before his lips brush mine. My heart takes off, my entire body melting as his mouth moves softly, slowly, his new facial hair tickling my skin. But I like it. There’s something to it. Something… rugged. Manly. But he’s gentle in the way he’s kissing me, like he’s savoring every delicious morsel of this long-awaited reunion.

  Reid nibbles on my bottom lip and on instinct, my mouth parts. He starts to move in but I slide my hands up his chest and with as much strength as I can muster, I push back.

  Fast.

  Way too fast.

  I’ve only just seen him, smelled him, touched him. I want this, but I don’t know if I can handle it all at once. All of him. All over me. We might have to work up to it. Letting out a breath, I try to breathe again. Then swim around him, toward the middle of the lake. “Tickles.”

  He follows me. “Tickling not good?”

  “It’s not bad.”

  He runs a hand down his scruffy cheek, a momentary expression of forlorn. He wipes it clean and swims closer, a devious look in his eyes. “Should we test it all over?”

  “Test it?”

  His brows flicker. Reid closes the gap between us and wraps his arms around me, securing my body to his. “I could start here,” he gently kisses my cheek. “Or here,” he moves down to my jaw, planting a small kiss underneath. “Or even here,” his whispered words trail down my neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

  I grip his shoulders and close my eyes.

  Be strong!

  “Well?” I feel his mouth trace one side of my throat to the other, his breath on my skin firing me up. “Still ticklish?”

  “No.”

  “No?” he lifts his head with a smirk.

  I start to say something but he cuts me off with another kiss. It’s sweet and sensual and teasing in a way, like he’s giving me a preview for something even better. I melt against him, leaning into the kiss before his tongue probes my mouth, begging entrance. We hit the edge of the lake and with an unbidden moan, I succumb, unable to fight it anymore.

  Running my hands up his neck, I grip the hair behind his ears, holding his head to mine. He groans and I tug a little harder. It must ignite something because he pushes against me, flattening my body with urgency. Reid moves in even closer, stroking my tongue with his, our bodies rubbing together as the familiar fire rushes through me.

  I break free, searching for air and he moves to my neck, a combination of sucking and kissing that has a whimper rolling off my lips. Hooking a finger in my panties, he starts dragging them down my thighs.

  “Reid…”

  But I get no answer. His finger continues trailing my leg, dragging the intimate material with it. I’m melting, right here in this icy water. I don’t know what to do. But I don’t have to do anything. Reid removes the barrier and then wraps my leg around his hip. I feel him hard against my thigh and I start to tremble. His tongue is in my mouth, and then he’s inside me.

  I stiffen with a gasp.

  Reid stops.

  I didn’t expect that to hurt so much. I know it will feel good in a second, but after three months away, I need a moment to get reacquainted with him. With his body. With my body. Suppressing a wince from the painful jab, I offer the only explanation. “It’s… been awhile.”

  Reid presses his brow to mine and I know he is forcing himself to keep still. He doesn’t want to ask, but still, he does. “You want to stop?”

  “No.”

  Relief washes over him. Leaning in, he kisses me softly on my lips. It’s the same sensual kissing as before—his lips tugging on mine, his tongue tasting me, begging entrance into my mouth again. He’s warming me up, loosening me up.

  I close my eyes.

  Slowly, he rocks his hips against me. “Tell me if it hurts.”

  Keeping my eyes shut, I nod at his request. It’s still a little uncomfortable, but doesn’t hurt like it did before. I relax a bit and Reid pushes closer, slightly crushing me to the wall. He lifts my body, one hand snug around my waist and the other on the rock beside my head.

  “Better?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  Moving to my neck, he suckles the tender skin, nipping at my collar bone. I verbalize my approval—a soft, almost-whimper that starts a series of short breaths. He does it again, scraping his teeth against me and I grip his hair between my fingers. I pull. Reid drags his mouth up my throat, scratching the skin as he goes.

  With the flexing of his hips and the exploration of his lips, I’m already close to losing it. Close to unraveling any second, but I’m holding on, wanting this to last, wanting this moment to be our life together. Reid latches onto my ear and with another thrust intended to hurt a little, I cry out. It’s loud and pleading and panting all in one.

  And I want more.

  I’m coming undone around him. My body is on fire and I’m—

  I’m being lifted.

  Reid lays me onto the padded grass. He’s over me, water dripping from his face onto mine as he separates my thighs with his. One thrust and he’s deep inside. Two thrusts and I arch, opening myself for him. He moves with a punishing rhythm and it’s fast, fast, fast—hitting my very center.

  This isn’t Reid. This is some other animal. Some animal that exists at the very core of him, demanding to be released. To be acknowledged. To be freed.

  This is carnal.

  Digging his fingers into my hips, he lets himself go. It’s never been this hard. This aggressive. But this is what he needs—this is what we both need. With his body moving inside mine the way it is, I can’t help it. I cry out as a violent shock consumes me, igniting me, and I’m falling—falling through bright sensations where all time and space is void. Everything is glowing. Everything is real.

  Everything is alive.

  “Fuck,” Reid pulls out.

  His body falls on mine, the side of his face on my chest and his arms sprawled out. We lay like this, panting and waiting to catch our breath. It’s a little difficult with him lying over me but I don’t say a word. I don’t want him to move. I like the way this feels too much. To have him so close to me, to have his skin brushing mine and his hair tickling my neck. This is what I want.

  He lifts his head.

  Some thought weighs heavy behind his eyes but the corner of his mouth lifts. He rests his chin on my chest, his grin growing. “I missed you.”

  If he only knew how much I missed him.

  Reid leans down and kisses the black material linking my breasts. His furry face tickles and I do my best to suppress a laugh. But he exhales, sending the short hair rustling and a chuckle escapes. He lifts his head with a smile. It takes him a second, but when he finally figures it out, he buries his unshaven cheeks between my breasts, rubbing his face against me. “Like this?”

  Laughing, I grip his ears, holding him still. “Yes.”

  He props himself on an elbow and smiles. “I would’ve grown it out awhile ago if I knew.”

  “And this,” I run my fingers down his right arm. “When did this happen?”

  “A few weeks after you left. Zingfinolds started doing them for all the Rogues.” His voice grows hoarse. “You like it?”

  I bite my lip, nodding gleefully.

  “I wasn’t sure how you’d react when you came back and I looked different.”

  “Do I look different?”

  Something passes behind his eyes. Something soft. Sad. He gazes at my hair before his attention shifts to my lips, then back to my face. “You didn’t say goodbye. That morning.”

  My stomach sinks.

  “The others—they were really upset. I tried explaining it,” he scratches his cheek. “I think they understood.”

  “Even Pratt?” I wonder aloud. “Able?”

  He inhales. “They took a little convincing. Sampson—he went into the whole thing. Said you were really upset about going and that you didn’t want to leave everybody. Pratt…I think Pratt was still mad that I knew,” he looks at me. “You may not hear the end of it.”

  “Thanks for the heads up.”

  A lump rolls down his throat. That same heavy thought is back and I feel it weighing on me, pulling at me with guilt. “I woke up and you were gone.”

  “Reid—”

  “I thought maybe you were just outside. Or with Sampson or Clarence. And when I found them…” he buries his face in the valley between my breasts and groans. I hold his head to my chest, running my fingers through his hair, wanting to comfort him any way I can.

  Maybe I should’ve said goodbye that morning. But I didn’t want to. I wanted our goodbye to be the night before, when he first told me he loved me. I wanted that to be the last thing that happened between us.

  “It’s been… difficult,” he murmurs into my skin. “A lot’s happened since you left.”

  “Like what?”

  Reid looks at me. And exhales. “I’m sure Sampson will go over the fine print later, but the whole invasion thing aside—Able and Mae have a thing going.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah,” he rubs his jaw. “They’re trying to keep it secret, but subtlety is not one of Able’s strengths. It’s fun messing with him when he lets something slip. He gets all red. Starts panicking. And you know Mae—girl barely speaks. The two of them… I don’t know why they just don’t tell us. Just get it out in the open.”

  “Maybe they’re embarrassed.”

  “Of what?”

  I shrug, because I have no idea. Promising myself to dig deeper into it later, I probe Reid for more about the other changes. “What else?”

  “Let’s see… oh,” he nods, “Jace has pretty much nailed half the tribe-girls—no surprise there—and Ariana’s been coming back weekly to discuss preparations for the invasion. Claims it’s on her mother’s behalf, but it’s really to see Tucker.”

  “How do you know?”

  Reid smirks. “What? You think guys don’t talk?”

  “Have they…”

  He winks.

  “I have missed a lot.”

  It was a small part of forcing myself not to think of back home. I didn’t want to know everything I was missing by being away. We’ve all known each other such a short time and three months might be a grain of sand in the big scheme, but leaving friends and family, it can feel like an eternity. What if I came back and everything was different? What if people felt differently? I look at Reid.

  “What about you?” I try for nonchalance. “Besides the facial hair and sleeve, what have you been up to?”

  His expression softens.

  The look stirs a deep, heated weight. He wants to say something, something important, but simply gazes at me. I’m about to ask when the corner of his mouth lifts.

 

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