Dinner back at the Golden Sea Inn was hearty—thick goat stew, fresh bread, and mugs of spiced cider. Borun and the others joined us, and the seven of us ate, drank, and chatted until the moon was high in the sky. Vral and I told them stories of our battles. Tristan regaled the dwarves and Vassa with stories from the temple, and the dwarves shared their own stories about the adventures they'd had over the years.

  And, after far too many drinks, Sophia and Vral all got up and danced together, performing some elegant and elaborate dance to the tavern bard's tune. The duo danced with one another for a song or two, but by the third, they set their sights on Tristan and me. The quarter-elf and I tried to ward them off, citing a dozen excuses for why we couldn't possibly, chief among them the fact that neither of us knew how to dance, but the girls' enthusiasm won us over. When the clock struck midnight, I'd lost count of how many songs we danced to.

  By the time the four of us decided to retire, we were exhausted, full, happy, and more than a little drunk. Vral, in fact, was drunk enough that she needed me to carry her, though I was pretty sure she was hamming it up so I'd have to carry her to bed. Either way, the four of us said our goodnights to the others and stumbled down the long hallways to our rooms. After a few minutes, we reached their room. Sophia fished out her stone and opened the stone door.

  "It's been a lovely night. I haven't enjoyed myself this much in a long time. Thank you."

  "It really was. Sleep well."

  She nodded, reached out, and took Vral, who had actually fallen asleep, in her arms and disappeared into the room. Turning, I went to say goodnight to Tristan, but before I could say a word, she threw her arms around me and pulled me close. Her lips met mine, and we were kissing.

  It was a passionate, intense kiss. She tasted like wine and cinnamon, and I wanted nothing more than to melt into her right then and there. Her kisses always tasted good, but there was something more tonight. She was warm. I could smell her scent. I felt everything—the feeling of her lips, her breath, her tongue. Even her body, pressed tightly against mine, was a pleasure I'd never get tired of.

  I wrapped my arms around her, grabbed her firm ass with my both hands, causing her to squeal, and kissed her again. Her tongue pushed past my lips. Her body pressed against mine, her small firm breasts pressed against my chest. When I treat to pull away, she bit my bottom lip and pulled me back into her embrace. She was aggressive. Her fingers played across my skin. Every touch caused goosebumps.

  Then, she pulled back from my lips. Her hips stayed pressed to mine. "I've missed you."

  "I missed this."

  Stolen story; please report.

  "Alex..." Her lips pressed into mine. "I'd like to... would you...?"

  I froze. The instant I did, I felt her tense up. Wrong move.

  "I..." Her cheeks turned red. She looked up at me with her big sapphire eyes, smiled, and said, "Good night." With a flick of her hair and a swish of her hips, she disappeared into her room. The last thing I saw was her eyes shining in the dark of her room as her stone door shut with a heavy clink, leaving me alone in the hall.

  "God damn..." I wiped my face and tried to cool off, but it was no use. I leaned against the wall. It took a few minutes to collect myself. When I finally cooled off and could stand up straight, I made my way to the end of the hallway, opening and closing the door to my tiny private room, and promptly collapsed onto my bed. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, could taste her on my lips. If I had any less control, I'd have thrown her over my shoulder, taken her to my room, and claimed her as mine right then and there.

  She wanted it.

  She wanted me.

  I knew she was inexperienced, and I knew we'd have to take it slow, and I know I couldn't keep denying myself to her forever. Couldn't keep putting off what was plainly obvious. But I just... I wanted it to be special. I cared about her so much, and I didn't want to mess it up. I always messed it up. And she didn't deserve that. She deserved the best.

  Could I give her that?

  I touched my fingers to my lips. With the thought of Tristan's lips on mine, I drifted into unconsciousness.

  ***

  I heard a soft knock. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I turned and peered out the window. It was the middle of the night.

  The knock came again. Standing, I rubbed sleep from my eyes and shimmied off the bed. At some point, I'd taken my shirt off and tossed it on the ground, so I pulled it back on but didn't bother buttoning it. Another knock followed.

  "Who's knocking at this hour?"

  Fumbling through the darkness, I found the stone and pressed it to the indent in the door. The door clicked and swung open a few inches. Pulling it open more, I poked my head out into the hallway. The instant I did, someone grabbed me by my shirt collar and pushed her way into my room. Before I knew what was going on, a woman was pressed against me.

  "I couldn't sleep," The woman whispered. Her lips pressed against mine. She pushed me into the room and shut the door with her foot. Throwing me against the wall, she stripped my shirt off in a single pull.

  I was dreaming. Surely, this was a dream.

  Pushing me back against the door, her tongue forced its way past my lips. She tasted like herbs and smelled like scented oil. Her hair was wet, but I knew her smell.

  "Tristan..." I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her closer, reveling in how she felt pressed against me, in how she felt in my arms. She buried her head into my neck and planted soft kisses along my collarbone.

  I wanted to end it there. I wanted to push her back. But the last of my willpower was spent.

  Weaving my fingers through her wet hair, I pulled he close and spoke with more confidence than I'd ever felt. "You're staying with me tonight."

  She pulled away. Her eyes met mine. For an instant, she seemed unsure. I lifted her chin and pulled her close. The uncertainty faded, replaced by something else. Her eyes burned with passion. With need. Our eyes stayed locked for only a moment before her body melted into mine.

  I placed my hands on her firm butt and picked her up. She giggled as her legs wrapped around my waist, her lips pressing to mine as I carried her the final steps to my bed...