Stone Guardian

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Eight

Torin buried his face in her silken hair, filling his lungs with the delicious scent of her. He’d never enjoyed such sweet fragrance before. A field of flowers couldn’t compare.

She stirred in his embrace, pressing back against him as though seeking reassurance he still lay beside her. Torin smiled into the darkness. He loved when she slept in his arms. Her steady heartbeat tickled against his chest as he snuggled closer against the velvety bareness of her back. With the gentlest of movements, he cupped a round firm breast in his palm, burying his fingers into the warm cleft between the plump delightful orbs.

She must go with him to the next place. He wouldn’t consider otherwise. Emma belonged with him. Surely, she knew that now. He eased his lower body away a bit, cursing his lengthening shaft. Torin swallowed hard and tried to think of something else, anything else. They’d battled with passion and loving for hours and the new day neared. Emma needed some sleep.

Clenching his teeth and sucking in another lungful of air, Torin noticed a moving beam of light slipping beneath the bedroom door. Laynie must be up and about. A sense of relief settled over him. Apparently, the girl had lain awake beneath the blankets and heard much of what he and Emma had hissed at each other last night. Yet, she hadn’t reacted. She’d only spoken when Torin silenced Emma with a kiss and headed toward the bedroom. Perhaps Laynie could be an ally—at least until she discovered the truth in its entirety.

The pale light struggling beneath the crack in the door shimmered again then blinked out and returned to darkness. A faint thud then the creaking hinge from the grating over the hearth told him Laynie had decided to stoke the fire before returning to her dreams.

Closing his eyes, he nestled his face against the comforting warmth of Emma’s shoulder. Tomorrow. The decision settled him. Tomorrow, he would seek Laynie’s help.