Forged in Stone

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “I am capable of that.” He turned his back to me.

  I got dressed quickly and slipped under the covers of the bed. The sheets were soft and luxurious. “Is your room really next door?”

  “Afraid I will disappear on you?”

  “I’m nervous.”

  “Want me to sleep on the floor in here? Would that help?”

  “What? You are offering to sleep on the cold stone floor?”

  “I have done much worse.”

  “Would you sleep on top of the covers on the bed? Or will you be too cold?” Once again words left my mouth without thinking first.

  He laughed. “Are you inviting me to spend the night with you, Ainsley?”

  “Not in that way.”

  “You wish to use me for your protection.”

  I nodded. “I do.”

  “Those men scared you more than you admitted.”

  “Terrified me. I thought. I thought they were going to—”

  “And they would have. I am lucky I got there when I did.”

  “You are lucky? I am the lucky one.”

  “I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to you.” His eyes darkened.

  “It would have been my fault too.”

  “Please don’t run away again. I will get you home.”

  “I trust you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be asking you to sleep in here.” James had hidden things from me, but I needed to believe he’d brought me to Energo for a reason. I had to trust my gut instinct, and believe my pull toward him meant something. Otherwise I was just a stupid girl far away from home. He’d done nothing but protect me since we arrived, and he was clearly liked by Charlotte. My concerns over Nathaniel’s words disappeared.

  “I know.” He patted the bed beside me.

  “Wait.”

  “Yes?” He kicked off his boots.

  “Will anyone…. will anyone care?”

  “Are you concerned about your reputation?”

  “And yours. I know you care what Charlotte thinks of you.”

  “They will understand. Why do you think Charlotte put me in the room next to you?”

  “She knew I’d ask you to stay?” I adjusted my pillow.

  “She knew you might need me.” He lay back on the pillow next to me. “And she knew I would be checking on you.”

  “Checking on me?”

  “It is a good thing I did.”

  “Otherwise I might be spending the night in the bath.” I laughed, but my words were somewhat true. Or I would have tried to get out and hurt myself more. James didn’t need to worry about me running. I could barely walk. “This is a beautiful castle. Did you really grow up here?”

  “I did.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “Guess what room was mine?”

  “Wait. Not this one?”

  “Charlotte thought she was being funny by putting you in my old room.”

  “Nice room.” I gazed around at it with new eyes. Had a young James really slept here?

  “It is. The bathroom is new.”

  “Yes, the modernization.”

  He smiled. “So tell me, what do you think of my bed?”

  “This was your bed too?”

  “It was.”

  “It’s nice. Big.”

  “As far as I know, no one else has ever slept in it. Charlotte and Liam do not have too many guests.”

  “And you never brought anyone over?”

  He laughed. “I only lived in this room until I was seventeen. And a man does not bring a girl to his bed unless he plans to unite with her.”

  “Unite?”

  “Like your marriage but stronger. Unbreakable.”

  I moved away from that topic as quickly as I could. “But you’ve been with women.”

  “I have.”

  “Oh. I get it. Just not in your bed.”

  “Many men take that rule to mean any bed. I did not, but it is not something I am particularly proud of.” He looked away.

  “You care.”

  “Huh?”

  “You actually believe men should be held to the same standards as women. Amazing. It took meeting a guy from a medieval society to find that.”

  “We are not medieval. We choose to live the way we do.”

  “Yet you choose to drink in Charleston dive bars?”

  “Because I want to be anonymous. Something I can never be here.”

  “Is it really that bad?” I rolled onto my side. “Charlotte likes you… and she’s in charge.”

  “Yes, but that does not mean the rest of the people agree. They look at me as though they are convinced I will turn evil at any moment.”

  “You won’t.” I ran my hand down his arm.

  He pushed up his sleeve and placed my hand back down on his bare arm. “You are so quick to trust me now?”

  “You do something to me when we’re close.”

  “I do something to you?”

  “Yes. You pull me in like a magnet or something.”

  “Yet you chose to run away.”

  “I was scared.”

  “Are you scared now? You seem relaxed.”

  I ran my fingers up and down his arm. “I’m better. I like being close.”

  He smiled. “So do I, and I agree with you about the magnetic pull. I think it’s even stronger for me.”

  “Yet I’m the one begging you to sleep next to me.”

  “You didn’t beg. I would remember if you did.” He ran his fingers over the blanket covering my arm. I followed his lead, moving the blanket out of the way.

  “Ok. I asked nicely with emphasis.”

  He laughed again. I enjoyed his laugh, like the rest of him, far too much. “Should I blow out the lantern?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You afraid of the dark?”

  “Not usually.”

  “They cannot hurt you anymore.”

  “I know.” I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

  He wiped away the tear. “You don’t have to play tough with me.”

  “I’ve already admitted to being scared.”

  “But this is more than scared.”

  I nodded. “It is.”

  “I will be right back.” He got off the bed and walked across the room. He pulled back the curtains enough to reveal the moon.

  He came back to the bed. “Maybe that will help.” He blew out the lantern and lay back down next to me.

  The moon did help. It cast just enough light into the room. “Perfect.” I nuzzled into the blanket.

  “Good.”

  “Will that light bother you?”

  “Not at all. I sleep out under the moon when I can.”

  “The moon is brighter here.”

  “You noticed that, huh?” He brushed some hair back from my face.

  “Amazing how perceptive I am.”

  “You ready to try to get some sleep?”

  “Yes.” I closed my eyes.

  “Sleep well, Ainsley.”

  “I like the way you say my name.”

  “You do not say mine enough.”

  “James.”

  He covered me up with the blanket. My eyes were still closed, making the action feel almost intimate. “You should say it more often.”

  “Do you have a nickname?”

  “No. Do you?”

  “Ains.”

  “I prefer Ainsley.”

  “Me too.”

  “Then that is what I will call you.”

  “Good night, James.”

  “Good night, Ainsley.” He left a feather light kiss on my forehead.

  19

  James

  I could have stayed there forever. Ainsley lay beside me, her head resting on my chest. She looked like an angel with her hair splayed out on the pillow above her. Her even breathing relaxed me, and I had to fight to avoid falling asleep. I didn’t want to leave her by herself, but I had to do some research of my own before I met with the Guards. This was not the kind o
f research that Ainsley could be involved with.

  I inhaled her intoxicating scent again, letting it take over my senses. I needed to get as much of her as I could, because I could not make her mine no matter how much my mind, body, and soul demanded that she be.

  I tried to slip away, but she snuggled in more. “James,” she mumbled my name.

  She was dreaming about me. How was I going to leave when I knew that? I would have to find another way to get the information I needed.

  She shifted, kicking off the covers. My eyes went to her now exposed long legs. She was sleeping in nothing more than a t-shirt and underwear.

  She smiled. Her eyes were still closed, and I wondered if the smile was from her dream. Her dream about me. My heart rate picked up and my body hardened. If only I had the gift to slip inside her mind. I wondered if her dreams were anything like my own.

  She shifted again, this time draping one of her silky legs over my body. I groaned. This was torture. To have such complete beauty nearly on top of me without being able to do anything about it. I wanted her. No, I needed her. I ran my hands down her back. It was a safe gesture. I could touch her without crossing a line.

  “James.” She did it again. She mumbled my name. Did she realize what she was doing to me? The discomfort she was causing? I ached for her.

  I laced my fingers through hers. Maybe holding her hand would be enough. She pulled our joined hands against her chest. I could feel her breast beneath our hands. It was getting worse. Much worse.

  I tried to pull my hand away from hers, but she held on tight. I might wake her up if I tried harder. Instead I closed my eyes, and focused on the sensations. The feel of her breast underneath the thin cotton of the t-shirt, the way her leg felt pressed against me.

  I focused on her breathing again. It had gone quieter. Maybe the dream was over. Either way, I could not move without waking her. She was too peaceful, and I was too comfortable to ruin that.

  I relaxed, and before long my breathing matched hers. I felt myself falling asleep, but I did not fight it. Instead I embraced the feel of sleeping beside Ainsley.

  * * *

  I blinked. Light poured into the room through the open curtains. Ainsley still lay mostly on top of me, but the quilt was pulled up over us. I did not remember doing that, so maybe it was her doing.

  I thought about moving the blanket so she would not get upset with me, but I resisted. She should know how close we had been sleeping together. I wanted to see how she would react.

  She murmured something and then blinked, finally opening her eyes. She looked into my eyes. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” I waited with anticipation.

  “Oh.” She looked down at our entangled bodies. “No wonder I slept so well.”

  I grinned. “I slept pretty well myself.”

  “I guess we both spent the night in your bed.”

  “We did. You are the first woman I have spent an entire night with.”

  “Oh? Usually the love and leave them type?”

  I gave no answer. I had no interest in thinking about other women with Ainsley so close. No one else could compare. “I wouldn’t mind a repeat of this.”

  An unreadable expression crossed her face. “Did I talk in my sleep? I’ve been told I do that sometimes.”

  “A little bit.”

  “Oh no!” She put a hand over her mouth. “What did I say?”

  “Only my name a few times.”

  She blushed. It was the cutest blush I had ever seen. “Yeah… I was afraid of that.”

  “Have some nice dreams last night?” I teased. Maybe she would share them.

  “Yes.”

  “About what?”

  “Are you purposely trying to embarrass me?”

  “Dreaming of me is not embarrassing. I hope you do it every night, as long as the dreams stay good.”

  “I was afraid I’d have nightmares. I have that problem a lot.”

  “You suffer from nightmares?” I ran my hand through her hair. “I didn’t know that.”

  “You don’t know me well. It’s not something I tell someone when I first meet them.”

  “We know each other well now, or we should considering we spent the night together.”

  “We slept in the same bed. That is not spending the night together.” She moved her leg and settled at my side.

  “We did not have sex, but we spent the night together. “

  She shivered beside me.

  “You cold?”

  “No.” She blushed again.

  “Then what is wrong?”

  “Your words got to me. That’s all.”

  “My words seem to have an effect on you a lot.”

  “Everything about you does. It’s not fair.”

  “It is perfectly fair.” I boldly pulled her on top of me. I needed to feel her pressed against me; it would illustrate my point better than words. “Everything about you affects me too.”

  “Maybe we should just have sex and get it over with. Maybe once it’s out of our system this will stop.”

  “Get it over with?” I could feel my eyes widen. “There is no getting anything over with. When I finally have you, there will no rush, and it will not be the end. It will only be the beginning.”

  “You said when. Don’t you mean if?” She made no move to slide off me.

  “I am not a fan of pretending.” I could not pretend anymore. She was made for me. I was as sure of it as I was that the sun would rise every day.

  “But I’m going home.”

  “You are.” I would play along with that idea for now, but I would change her mind. She had said herself she had nothing to go back to. She had plenty to stay for. Whether I deserved her or not, I would have her. I would spend each and every night with her beside me, only there would be no clothing separating our bodies. She would be mine in every sense of the word, and nothing was going to get in my way. Not even her fears. Ainsley was mine. The voice in my head repeated those three words over and over.

  I was blinded. Without any thought I crushed my lips against hers and rolled her beneath me. She gasped as I deepened the kiss, needing to taste every corner of her mouth. I held my weight off of her with a hand, but I let my other hand settle on her hip beneath her t-shirt.

  She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. I let more of my weight press into her, and she moaned before rewarding me by thrusting her body against mine.

  My body strained against the cotton of my pants, and the knowledge of how little separated us urged me on.

  She slipped a hand underneath my t-shirt, running her hands up and down my torso, setting every spot she touched on fire. I broke the kiss to pull off my shirt. I needed to feel more of her touch. I moved my lips to her neck, eagerly leaving kisses all the way down to her shoulder. I pulled away her t-shirt enough to continue to kiss down her neck, to her chest.

  Ainsley is mine. The voice urged me on, as her hand left my hair and moved to my back. She pulled me all the way down flush against her. There was absolutely no hiding how aroused I was, and I did not want to. She needed to know exactly what she did to me.

  She locked her eyes with mine before taking my hand and slipping it under her t-shirt to settle on her bare breast.

  Perfection. She was perfection. The touch was incredible, but I longed to see. She seemed to read my mind. She pushed up against me, and I dropped my hand. She pulled off her t-shirt and tossed it where I had thrown mine.

  “Such beauty cannot exist.” I returned my hand to her breast while I dared to lower my mouth to her other. She moaned beneath me. She liked the feel of me on her. She wanted this as much as I did. Ainsley is mine. The voice urged me on, but another voice joined in, stopping me in my tracks. It was all too soon. I was rushing things. I reluctantly released her beautiful breasts and moved off of her.

  “Oh my gosh.” She covered herself with the sheet. “That just happened.”

  “It did.” I lay back against the pillows. I had
never experienced such pleasure, and I knew there was so much more to come. But not yet. She was already mine. There was no reason to push things too fast.

  “It didn’t help.”

  “What do you mean?” I rolled onto my side to look at her. I knew she was nearly naked underneath the sheet, and it took restraint not to pull it off and return to her amazing body.

  “I still feel a pull toward you. It may be worse.”

  “I told you your idea wouldn’t work. I only want you more now. I need you more.”

  “You are the one who put on the brakes.” She sighed.

  “Because it is not time. This may be my old bed, but it is not my home. You deserve more.”

  She touched her neck. “Please tell me you didn’t leave a mark.”

  I examined her soft skin. “No. I was careful.”

  “Good. That would be hard to explain.”

  “Hard to explain for the both of us.”

  Her stomach growled.

  “You are hungry.”

  She shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  “I will get us some breakfast.”

  “I can go with you.”

  “Wait here. I can bring it up.”

  “I don’t need breakfast in bed.”

  “Have you ever had it?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “Even more of a reason to have it now.” I was going to make sure she liked Energo. Serving her breakfast in bed seemed like a good start.

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Worried you will miss me?” I brushed my lips against hers.

  “I’m not that pathetic.”

  “Why would missing me be pathetic?” I crawled over toward her, pinning her back down in the bed.

  “Because just yesterday I was running from you.”

  “I prefer this.” I cupped her breast through the sheet.

  She closed her eyes. “Don’t tease me.”

  “You don’t like being teased?” I released her breast and ran my fingers over her body.

  “Teasing is only fun if you know you are going to get something good in the end.”

  “And you doubt that? I have already told you that you will be mine, Ainsley. Do not take those words lightly.”

  “You say that like I should be afraid.”

  “I will never hurt you.” I ran my lips over her neck.