I licked my lips, shuddering and having to take his hands in mine so I could think. “How long has it been for you?”

The darkness of his eyes made me shiver. “So long I’d likely kill you if I’m not careful.”

My smile grew wicked. “You wouldn’t believe how uncomfortable these pants are.”

A work-roughened hand slid down the soft skin of my side, lingering at the waistband. “I opine mine are a mite tight right now,” he admitted. He curved an arm around me, and I made a little gasp of a giggle when he spun us around, landing me under him. The blanket was sort of under me, and with a surprising pop, the light went out.

“Pierce?”

Alarmed, I went to sit up, rising right into him. His hands caught my face and he kissed me as he knelt over me. It was as awkward as all hell, and I fell back down under him. My hands went to the ties of his pants,but before I could do more, he was pulling my shirt over my head and I had to let go.

Making a soft moan of sound, I tried again, only to have him pull back out of my reach as he fumbled with my side zipper. My pants were still wet from the river, and he had to pull them off inside out. He was swearing mildly, making me smile when he came back, and I reached up, running a hand over his shoulder, enjoying the way the fabric bunched when I moved to his front and found him taut beneath the thin fabric of his trousers.

I undid the tie and his pants were loose about his hips. My hand dipped inside to find him, and his breathing grew rough. Anticipation was a silver thread of adrenaline through me, and I pulled him down on top of me.

“How are you with ley lines?” I whispered, wanting to be sure he knew what was what.

“I swan, I won’t hurt you, Rachel,” he breathed. “But you told me not to.”

I thought back to waking up with the warmth of a ley line running through me. “I lied,” I said, running my hand over him just to enjoy the feel of him.

Making a satisfied sound, he eased to the blanket under me, and I turned to face him. Stretching out my awareness, I touched a ley line and filled my chi, jumping when his free hand slipped low across my back. From his fingers, threads of ley line spilled to melt into me, flowing up and through me to where his lips played with the skin under my ear.