“You did,” he replied, grinning. “Earth and spirit, mingled as one. Not only did you create them, but you also used the soil to help the flowers grow and water to make them bloom.”
“And the fire?” I prompted.
“A natural defense. You protected us in your sleep, the air keeping it from burning us or the walls. I’m actually really impressed.” He tucked a strand of unruly hair behind my ear. “Exos was right. You’re very powerful.” He studied my face, as if memorizing my features, his awe a palpable emotion floating between us. “So gorgeous.”
“Me or the flowers?” It came out huskier than I intended, my body alight with a different awareness now that the panic had subsided. The intimacy of what I’d just done, with his coaching, stirred something inside me. A dark yearning, utterly inappropriate and yet satisfyingly right.
“You,” he whispered, his green irises lowering to my mouth. “You’re gorgeous.” His gaze continued downward, his pupils enlarging, his lips parting in awe.
It took me a moment to realize why.
My dress had definitely disappeared last night, leaving me naked beside him. And while that should have alarmed me, it didn’t. Somehow I trusted him not to act on it, perhaps because he’d held me for the last however many hours without harm. Or maybe because I wanted him to see me.
“Titus,” I breathed, my fingers running up his bare, muscular arms to his shoulders.
“Claire,” he replied, my name a husky melody that seemed to center between my thighs.
“Is this pull normal?” I asked, threading my fingers through his auburn strands. “This instant connection that makes me want to kiss you?”
“It’s the fire,” he explained, his emerald gaze smoldering as it lifted to mine. “Your element is calling to mine.”
“To mate?”
“To test the potential for mating.” His palm slid to the back of my neck, branding my skin and causing me to lean closer to him. “It’s a call to play, to explore the boundaries and the potential between us.”
“What happens if we give in?” I whispered, my lips angling toward his.
“We’re bound for a month, where your power tastes mine and vice versa.” The words were warm against my mouth, a flicker of fire dancing between us and kissing the air with unspoken promise.
“A month?” I repeated, deciding I liked the sound of that.
“A trial period, yes.”
“Like dating?” I surmised.
“Yes, I believe that’s what you call it in the Human Realm. A courtship period where we’re exclusive to one another.”
I frowned. “Just from a kiss?”
He nodded, his free hand going to my exposed hip, holding me. “You would not be able to touch another Fire Fae until our courtship wore off.”
“That sounds…”
“Binding,” he murmured. “Yes. That’s what you’ve done to Exos.”
His words startled me from the stupor overwhelming my mind. “What?”
“You kissed him, thereby initiating the trial.” He swallowed, his grip tightening. “And because you are made of various elements, you can entertain more than one courtship at a time.”
“Oh,” I whispered, my eyes widening. “Is that normal?”
“No.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “Not at all.”
“Oh,” I repeated, my voice hoarse. “Is that why I want you both?”
His deep chuckle vibrated the sensual atmosphere around us, scattering goose bumps along my limbs. “Your elemental gifts crave us both, yes.”
“And a kiss binds us?”