Saving Verakko: The Clecanian Series Book 3 Victoria Aveline (best book club books .TXT) 📖

and scooted closer, mimicking her stance and sitting back on his ankles. “Fine, I’ll give it my best shot, but I don’t want to hear any complaining about it tomorrow. You asked for this. Agreed?”

A spark of fear and something that looked incredibly similar to excitement flashed in her eyes. Would he ever understand this female? “Deal.” She reached her hand toward him and held it in place as though expecting something. After a moment, she dropped it. “Never mind. Okay, go. Are you going to try to make me feel cold again? I didn’t even feel a little cold.”

Verakko stiffened at the challenge in her voice and repressed a grin. “Oh, I’ll make you cold. Just wait.” He rolled his shoulders and gave his neck a satisfying crack, then focused on Lily’s warm brown eyes.

Her lush lips pulled into a smile. “Bring it on.”

Verakko felt himself growing hard, his instincts screaming to make her feel things other than just cold.

He rocked slowly from side to side, not much at first, just enough to make her eyes flick back and forth. He didn’t always have the time for it, but the added motion often boosted the effect of his sway. “Lily.” He grinned when her pupils reacted. She wasn’t immune to his gift after all. “It’s been warm all day. The night is oddly cold.” Her eyelids drooped, and her smile faltered. He imagined all the things he wanted to do to her, letting his scent grow stronger to boost the effect of the sway. “The fire isn’t nearly warm enough tonight. The wind is too chilled.” He leaned in closer and wanted to hiss in triumph when her nostrils flared. Her smile relaxed, and she crossed her arms around her waist.

“It’s cold tonight,” she whispered, her eyes trailing his small movements side to side.

Verakko let out a low chuckle. He’d done it. “Yes, it is. Your whole body feels cold.”

On cue, she shivered. Verakko’s gaze traveled down her body, and his face fell. Shelved on top of her crossed arms were her breasts, her puckered nipples visible beneath her thin top.

“My whole body is cold,” she repeated, shivering again.

His hands itched to touch her. He needed to stop this. He was engaged, and she was under his full sway. He wanted her, Goddess knew, but not like this.

“Verakko,” she said softly while scooting toward him.

His muscles shot tight, blood rushing to his shaft. Now that he thought back, he couldn’t recall her ever having said his name aloud before. The sound of it uttered on her lips did things to him. Things he needed to ignore.

Before he could find his voice or dash away, she huddled against his chest. He kept his arms locked at his sides and gazed up in bewilderment at the sky. Why did I do this?

“Lily, wake up.” The words escaped him, but he failed to inject them with sway, the uncaring baser side of him roaring to let this scene play out.

She rose to her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body into his.

“You’re warm now,” he choked out. “Mivassi—”

Her head raised, her brown eyes bore into his, pleading. “Verakko, please, I’m cold.”

All of his resistance shattered. In an instant, he had his arms wrapped around her, pulling her more firmly against his body. He forced sway into his voice. “You’re warm now. Lily.”

She sighed in relief, and her body melted against his. He buried his head in the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply before begrudgingly muttering, “Wake up.”

She stiffened in his grip, but he held on for a moment longer, memorizing the feel of her body against his. He lifted his head, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist, and peered into what would surely be angry eyes. What he saw instead made his heart pick up speed.

Lily smiled up at him. “Wow, that was crazy. I felt like I could’ve shaken it off if I wanted to, but it made me a little nauseated to try.”

She wasn’t mad? He remained in place with bated breath, waiting for the realization that she was being held to sink in. Her hands, still resting on his shoulders, twitched, then her palms slid down his arms.

“You’re really warm, you know.” Lily leaned into his touch a little more, and her eyes strayed to his mouth. And then he smelled it, her arousal.

Lust flared, making his already rigid shaft swollen. She wanted him. Lily wasn’t mad about him touching her or using his sway. If her heated looks at his mouth were any indication, she wanted to kiss him.

Verakko needed to play this right. He needed time to think. If he had a taste of her, he’d want more, and he couldn’t have more. He was under contract, for Goddess’s sake. And Lily didn’t know about it.

Moving his hands to grasp her hips, he pushed her away. Every inch away she moved was like a rib cracking inside. There was something more with Lily. If he hadn’t been sure of it before, he was now. She was his, recognition or not, marks or not, and he had to figure out a way to keep her.

Her pretty cheeks tinged with pink, and confusion creased the corners of her eyes.

“Told you I could do it,” Verakko said, feigning a triumphant smugness.

The hurt that shone in her eyes felt like a punch to the gut and stung more than the flashes of disappointment and anger that followed.

She didn’t rail at him or pepper him with questions about the sway. In a tight voice, she said, “Yep. You win,” and moved back to her side of the fire.

Verakko sat back, ensuring his bent knee concealed his unrelenting erection. “Would you like to sleep in my shirt? It’ll be cold tonight, and I don’t need