Carpathian 21 - Dark Peril

inside her mind. He knew her fears. She moistened her lips, her pounding pulse thundering in her ears. As before he remained silent, he did not repeat the request. He simply waited for her choice.

    She licked her suddenly dry lips. Her life would be in his hands. Arms outstretched, her body falling forward as if she were really flying, she wouldn’t have the opportunity to hang on to him. She doubted she was fast enough at shifting to turn and latch on with claws should he drop her. Could she do it? Would it displease him if she didn’t? Would it matter? She tried to touch his mind, but he simply waited.

    She could feel the weight of his gaze on her. That single-minded focus. His complete concentration on her alone. She felt tears burning behind her eyes. She wanted to give this to him. It was all she could give him.
    Moments like this one. She knew there was no other woman for him. It wasn’t that he loved her. Or wanted her. He had no choice, yet he was willing to give her choices. It was just that his personality was so overpowering.

    She closed her eyes and nodded.

    He brushed a kiss over the top of her head, setting off a peculiar fluttering in the pit of her stomach. She held her breath as his mouth drifted to her temple and then pressed his cool, firm lips to her ear.

    My woman.

    Her heart contracted. Her womb clenched and she felt a flood of damp heat between her legs. Two words and she melted. What did that say about her? Was she so desperate for his approval that all he had to do was sound happy with her and she would do anything he wanted?

    He waited for her to shift position on her own. She almost wished he’d moved her first, but he didn’t. She slowly, with caution, began to lean into his palms, so that she swung out, away from the solid comfort of his body. The wind increased and she couldn’t stop her hands from grabbing his wrists. Instantly he brought her back against him and . . . waited.

    She knew he was waiting for her to gather her courage and put her trust in him. There was no pretending she was too exhausted—he had her entire weight. All she had to do was hang there in the sky while the magic of the night surrounded her. He was giving her a gift of such importance. There had been no gifts since her family had been slaughtered, until now, until this moment. He seemed a dark sorcerer she couldn’t resist—especially when he offered her such a rare, phenomenal experience.

    Time slowed down. She could feel her heart pounding. He made her feel important when she’d never felt so before, not to anyone. The air seemed crisp and fresh, the night a cool blanket. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let go. She brought her arms straight out away from her body. He removed his hands from her and she knew this was the moment, now or never. She would never summon this kind of courage—or trust—again. She let herself fall forward. The sensation took her stomach and for a moment she was afraid he wouldn’t catch her, but there his palms were, and she found herself suspended in the air with nothing but his hands under her.

    Very slowly she opened her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as she soared and dipped and wheeled with the freedom of the birds. Again she experienced that dizzying rapture that was physical, the adrenaline pouring into her bloodstream like dark gold, thickening her blood, spreading heat through her. She felt Dominic with her—in her—sharing the dazzling moments. It was pure magic— he was pure magic.

    The wind tore tears from her eyes. After one of the worst days of her life, losing Annabelle, killing two men and nearly getting captured or killed by her own father, fighting vampires and having to face her lifemate, she was overwhelmed by sheer joy as she flew through the air. It was too much and yet she didn’t want it to end.

    Dominic drew her in, turning her so that her face was pressed over his heart. The rock-steady beat comforted her, helping her to keep from sobbing aloud. She wept quietly, her fingers buried in the front of his shirt. She just didn’t care about anything in that moment. Not where they were going or what would happen when they got there. He had a destination in mind and it was evident he wouldn’t drop her, so she just gave herself up to his care.

    Dominic felt the exact moment she let go and gave herself over to him. His arms tightened around her, holding her close to him. She was very fragile, and so vulnerable. Not