“Oh, you absolutely were,” he said, grinning. “You were like a second shadow, following me around everywhere, even when I was training and you were supposed to be practicing script.”

“That explains why I can’t read, I suppose.” She laughed. “I bet you hated me back then.”

He leaned up, cupping her face and caressing his thumb down her cheek. The gentle act sent butterflies off in her stomach, and she wished they could stay like that every day.

“You were the most annoying female on the entire island, but no, not once have I ever hated you, little star. Not even when you left me in a piss-filled alley.”

She narrowed her eyes, the butterflies falling dead. “You called me a thief and threatened to kill me several times.”

In one smooth movement, he rolled on top of her, nestling his legs between hers and resting his hands on either side of her face. “Yet, even then, I wanted to fuck you into the gods damn floor.”

A laugh burst out of her, loud and carefree. “You have such a way with words.”

His eyes sparked; their color bright as they dipped to her mouth. He didn’t seem to be breathing. “I will say anything you ask of me, if you just do that again.”

Aware they were still very much naked, she fidgeted. The movement pulled at her skin, and she flinched, having forgotten about the multitude of bites her mate had bestowed upon her.

He grinned wickedly, rolling back off her to continue where he’d left off, kneading his fingers up her thigh. “Are you going to heal yourself?”

She blinked, trying to keep her eyes from rolling to the back of her head from the magic his fingers were currently working before she could comprehend his question. “What?”

He looked pointedly below her navel, indicating he wasn’t referring to his bites, and repeated it, his tone suspiciously calm and even. Like he was putting up a wall to protect himself from the answer he already anticipated she’d give.

She flushed, embarrassment shooting through her at how cowardly she’d been about the entire thing. He was a fucking ass, for sure, but it also wasn’t his fault that they’d grown up so differently. She should’ve just been honest with him from the beginning.

His face hardened, and his arms tensed around her as he misunderstood the shame radiating from her. “No,” she said, pushing up to a sitting position and wincing, the ache between her legs increasing with each movement. “No, I’m not going to heal, Jaren. I’m not ashamed of what we’ve done.”

She smirked; glad she wasn’t as red as a tomato for once. “I like the reminder.”

His nostrils flared, and he slid his hand up over her ass, his eyes promising a multitude of morning scenarios as his fingers grazed just between her cheeks.

The heat that immediately blazed to life at his touch had her shooting up and knocking his hand away to grab one of the many blankets strewn about them. She ignored the dark chuckle from behind her as she shoved off the bed, wrapping the stolen blanket around herself.