“My Claire,” he whispered, his lips soft against mine, his tongue an addiction inside my mouth that I would never get enough of. He kissed me tenderly, adoringly, lovingly. His palms stroked up and down my sides, his cock an inferno inside me, and so damn hard despite our shared orgasm.
“I’ll never get enough of this,” I said, drawing my nails down his back and scoring his skin with fire, claiming him as mine.
He chuckled, his mouth falling to my ear. “Claiming me, Claire?”
“Yes,” I hissed, arching into him once more. “You’re mine.”
“And you’re mine,” he murmured, nibbling my pulse. “We have time for another round before class. Unless you still want me to eat?”
“You can eat on the way to class,” I decided, no longer caring about my omelet. I’d make him another tomorrow. “Fuck me again, Titus.”
“As you wish, my Claire.”
Titus
I ran my fingers through my hair, a strange sensation churning my gut. If I didn’t know better, I’d call myself nervous. But I was never nervous. Not even for my Powerless Champion matches.
Yet sitting here, beside Claire, and knowing I was the only guardian in her presence for class, did something to me. It put me on high alert, inspecting everyone in the room with a regard I never considered before.
I almost missed Exos and his constant vigilance.
Not that I would ever admit it.
I needed a distraction, and the lecture at the front of the room was not cutting it. Although, Claire seemed to be enjoying it. She sat on her little stone pedestal in the middle of the cement yard, her fingers clasped over the desk before us.
An angel dressed in a sinfully perfect uniform. I’d never noticed it before, having not cared that everyone wore the same outfit. But Claire, mmm, her legs looked amazing in that skirt.
Providing me with the perfect idea for a distraction.
I sent a heat wave to the beautiful apex between her thighs—a part of her I was never going to grow tired of, even if I did fuck her twice this morning.
Her eyes widened, as she clenched her legs together and shot me a glare. I grinned and pointed at Professor Vulcan, who was droning on about how to use fire in controlled bursts.
Pay attention, I mouthed.
She thrust her middle finger up at me in response. I frowned, unsure of what that meant. I would have to ask River about human gestures.
The class itself was mind-numbingly boring, at least to me. Neat piles of straw dotted the outdoor arena with a marker for difficulty. I could set them all ablaze in two seconds flat, but the goal of the exercise was to burn a particular target without igniting the surrounding ones.
Control Concentration was my least favorite course.
Hmm, but how would Claire perform with the task? Would she be able to do it while distracted?
I smiled, intrigued by my own wickedness.
Normally, this would be a good exercise for her—without the distraction. But if she really needed to conjure a controlled flame, it wouldn’t be in an environment of complete silence where she could focus. Someone had taken Exos and was powerful enough to keep him sedated, and if they came after her, she would need to be ready for them.
I’d been training with Claire for weeks. Power came easily to her, but control? Not so much. And while I loved to make her lose control, it was time she learned how to master her powers.
“Claire,” Professor Vulcan said, making her flinch. “Why don’t you and your guardian take point and make the first attempt.”
Claire’s face paled as she glanced at me. I knew that look. She definitely didn’t want to be in the spotlight, much less go first in an exercise she’d never done before.
The rest of the class had been curiously watching us the entire time, a sea of Fire Fae who were edges and hardness against Claire’s delicate form. She surveyed the group, most of them with tattoos or spiked hair that might come off as intimidating to a human. I liked my people; they were blunt, real, and passionate. Claire would learn more about them, and they’d get to know her and love her like I did. All she needed to do was be her beautiful self.
I took her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll show you the exercise. It’ll be fun.”
Professor Vulcan glowered at us. He resembled a flame himself, his hair standing straight up with a red streak down the middle. He stepped aside and crossed his muscular arms. “Only one demonstration, Titus. I need to assess the Halfling’s control before I place her in more classes.”