Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

him? Would she lose her sense of herself?

    Is it so difficult, kessa ku toro —my little wildcat, to relax for me?

    Was it? She was being silly. She took a deep breath and let it out. She forced her eyes open and looked up at the night. They were out of the heavy canopy in open sky. High. Higher than she’d ever been before.
    She’d never been out of the rain forest. She’d never flown in a plane. For a moment she was frightened and she clutched at him.

    Spread your arms out, minan— my own.

    She swallowed hard. There was that low purr in his voice, as if all she had to do was stretch her arms out like wings and she’d please him beyond anything else. Was it so simple? She had to trust him to keep her from falling. She’d trusted him in battle implicitly. Of course he would keep her safe. It was ridiculous to think that he wouldn’t. And she would have the experience of flying, for maybe the only time in her life.

    She let out her breath and pried each finger from his arm. Only then did she realize she was hanging on to his forearms with her claws. She gave a soft inarticulate cry, ashamed.

    No worries, little cat. Just let go and fly with me.

    It was a seductive whisper. She felt the warmth of his breath on her neck somehow giving her reassurance.
    To please him—to say she was sorry for inadvertently hurting him—she let go and spread her arms to the wind as if she were a great bird. The wind touched her face and ruffled her hair. Above her was a sea of clouds, rolling and turbulent, but so beautiful. Around her was open sky. Below her were the tops of the trees, some shooting past the thick cover to emerge triumphantly from the crowd. The earth below dazzled her eyes. She’d never felt so free in her life.

    His mouth nuzzled her neck, a whisper really, yet she felt his touch like a brand. No one had ever made her feel like that—dizzy, important, his entire focus on her. With just one touch. And he’d asked. He could easily merge his mind with hers, Carpathians did it all the time—an invasion, she’d always thought. Wrong .
    No one should have access to one’s private thoughts. And yet . . .

    It is not necessary.

    She couldn’t detect disappointment, but still, why couldn’t she just say yes? He was giving her such a beautiful experience, one she doubted very many people would ever have the chance to have. Was it such a big thing to let him see how much she appreciated this moment? He wasn’t making her feel guilty; that was all her own. Was she really such a coward? What could happen if just for this moment she said yes?

    She took a breath, knew his hands felt it, that swift intake of breath, so raw and ragged. I don’t mind.

    You honor me.

    And then he was inside her mind, a slow penetration that sent a thousand darts of fire burning over her skin and deep inside of her, sending a slow burn through her stomach to her most feminine core. She felt him in her, just as if they were sharing the same skin, merged together so deep she didn’t know where he started and she left off.

    She realized her insecurities were displayed for him, her fragile hold on her courage, the terrible need she had for him, the horrendous, almost insurmountable fear of letting him down.

    Shh, minan , see the night with me. That is all. Just share the night.

    His soothing murmur, almost a caress, calmed her wild thoughts and she turned her attention to the spectacular sensation of soaring through the air. She found the miracle so much more special when shared.
    He took them in a large circle over the river and she spotted the rare pink dolphins. Of course she’d seen them before, but not like this, where she could see their amazing speed in the water. She laughed. With their minds merged together, his burst of happiness elated her. He was like a child experiencing everything for the first time after hundreds of years without emotion, and that enhanced her enjoyment.

    She turned her head toward him and found herself wanting to nuzzle his neck in a rare display of shy affection, but she couldn’t quite dare to touch him so she just inhaled his scent, took his masculine essence into her lungs and held it there, as if she were hugging it to her.

    I will link my hands around your waist, Solange. Lean out and let me take your weight so you feel the actual flight.

    Her heart stuttered at the idea. He was really pushing her limits of trust, yet he seemed unaware of it. Or was he? He couldn’t be. He was