He pulls the shirt off his face,simultaneously lifting Nazirah up and slamming her down backwards.He kisses up the slight concavity of her stomach, sending her bodyinto wracked, stacked spasms. “Can’t handle your own game?” sheasks, breathless.

“I can handle it,” he says, sucking thesensitive area where Nazirah’s throat meets clavicle. His handsnakes down, unbuttoning her jeans, slipping under the waistband.He lazily rubs his fingers in slow circles as she writhes beneathhim. With his free hand, he pulls her hair back, whispers in herear. “But why should you have all the fun?”

Adamek slowly removes his hand. Nazirahgrabs his wrist, gasping. She pushes him into a sitting position,climbing onto his lap. She will not let him have the last word.“It’s simple, Morgen,” she says deliberately. “Just let me.” Shetakes each of his fingers into her mouth, sucking off the stickysweetness.

Body tense, Adamek groans, “Fuck.”

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

His pupils are so dilated Nazirah can barelysee the green anymore. He grabs her, lifts her, and flips herunderneath him. He pulls off her jeans without further pretense,throwing them into a ball on the floor. Nazirah props up on herhands, entranced by the contrast of her smooth legs against hisdark denim. She watches him watch her, watches his eyes roam,stopping at her throat. Adamek walks his fingers up her side, toyswith the amnesty pendant. His eyes ask an unspoken question.Nazirah nods. She cranes her neck, allowing him to slip it off,over her head.

Tonight, they are not just Nazirah Nationand Adamek Morgen. They are more than that, less than that.Tonight, they are quite simply two teenagers living for thepresent. Yesterday is behind them. And who knows if tomorrow willcome.

Adamek runs his hand up her slender calves,strong thighs, curved hips, and small waist. “I’ve imagined thismoment so many times since we met,” he says huskily. “All thethings I’ve wanted to do to you.”

“I can’t say it was quite the same for me,”she snaps, unbuckling his belt. She bites her lip, struggling topull it through the loops.

“What changed?” he asks quietly.

She looks at him, belt forgotten. “Ichanged,” she says.

“You have,” Adamek agrees. He smileswickedly, fingering her hair. “But you’re still that same girl onthe swings. That headstrong girl I wanted all to myself.”

Nazirah pulls away, wrapping her arm aroundhis neck. “I don’t belong to anyone,” she says. “Especially notyou.”

She kisses him.

He lets her.

Their lips meet, crashing together for thefirst time in what feels like a lifetime. Everything suddenlybecomes real. The surreal, torturous pace they teased with beforeis gone, replaced by hunger, by need.

She claws his back. He bites her lip. Hedeftly unclasps her bra, letting it fall away. He pulls back,taking in the sight of her, before kissing her again. Adamek runsthe pads of his thumbs over her breasts then cups them in hishands, squeezing hard. Nazirah moans into his mouth, arching intohim. Adamek breaks contact, kissing her chest.

He tears off her final vestige of clothing,pocketing her panties. She lies under him, painfully aware she isthe vision of a blushing virgin. Nazirah wants to run away then,wants to put her hands over her face, cry, something. But she justcontinues burning a hole in the ceiling, trying to find thatcourage that seems to have vanished.

“Look at me.”

Adamek tugs her chin gently and she sighs.“What?”

“Don’t you understand what you do to me?” heasks, touching her cheek. “You don’t even realize.” He kisses herthen, a deep, shattering kiss that makes her less afraid. Thatmakes her not afraid at all. Nazirah smiles playfully, unbuttoninghis pants. She pulls the zipper down.

Adamek stares at her fingers, lids halfshut, as Nazirah shyly snakes a hand inside his jeans. He groansbefore catching her wrist and pulling it away. She looks at himcuriously. “Next time princess, I promise.” Adamek crosses both ofNazirah’s hands over her head. He takes his time, worshipping herwith his mouth, kissing every inch of her trembling body. Strippingoff the rest of his clothes, he lies over her, propped up on hisforearms. Their limbs entwined, eyes locked, Nazirah sees the fearon his face, hesitation clear.

“Tell me this is wrong,” he begs.

“It’s not.”

“Tell me to stop.”

“I won’t.”

And to show him she really means it, Nazirahtakes his hand in hers. She purposefully kisses each knuckle,callous, and bruise. She kisses the back, kisses the scratches,making sure that he knows … that he understands.

She wants to be with him, as he is.

Adamek looks at her, humbled. Nazirahwatches the transformation of his face. She sees the hesitationevaporate … change to determination … to intention. He kisses herone last time. It is passionate and lingering and sure. “Bite myshoulder,” he says.

She does, hard.

He rips through her.

She screams into his skin.

He stays there, motionless, muscles tense.He kisses her tears until it doesn’t hurt anymore, until the painfalls away. Nazirah won’t realize until later that the armor shehas worn for so long has fallen with it, gone to pieces with theirclothes on the floor.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nazirah awakens a few hours later with therising dawn, blinking back dreams. Sitting up slowly, she hugs thebed sheet to her chest. Her muscles scream and she acheseverywhere. She scans the disorderly room. Shards of glass anddiscarded clothes litter the floor. Adamek sleeps beside her on hisstomach, arm under head, breathing steady. Her eyes trace hissilhouette – across broad shoulders, over the blades of his back,down the dusza and lower, where sheets tangle around legs. Nazirahstares at his face, so innocent in sleep, and she waits. She waitsand waits and waits for the regret to come.

It doesn’t.

Nazirah dangles her legs over the side ofthe bed, trying not to wake him. She picks her bra off a waywardpillow and hooks it on, followed by the amnesty pendant. She scansthe floor for her panties, only to remember they now reside inAdamek’s pocket. Blushing furiously, Nazirah pulls on her jeans andshirt.

And still the regret stays away.

She rises, wincing as the mattress creaksand moans. A hand catches her wrist, stopping her, pulling herback. She turns around. Adamek is propped up on his elbow, watchingher. His hair is mussed, but his eyes are sharp. She should haveknown he could never sleep through her clumsy, morning-afterfumbling.

Nazirah coughs awkwardly, unsure of what tosay. Thanks for the sex? Sorry I tried to kill you? Off to war wego? She sticks with what she knows.

“Hey.”

Hey?

Nazirah casts her eyes upwards inexasperation. She can practically feel his smirk. “Hey,” hereplies.

“I was just going to, um, shower before themeeting.”

Adamek weaves his fingers through hers,dragging her body over his. “You can shower here,” he says.

“You’re naked,” she mumbles.

“I am?”

“Shut up.” She laughs, stretches, rubbingher feet into his calves. He holds her waist, his large handspanning her back. “My clothes are in my room.”

“You can wear mine.”

“Aldrik would just love that,” she says,rolling her eyes. Nazirah notices her bite mark on his leftshoulder, above the bandage, still tender. “Is that from me?” sheasks, embarrassed.

“It truly is a lucky arm now,” he whispers.“Stay with me.”

“You’re making it so hard,” she sighs.

He grins, pulling her hand under the sheets,way below his navel. Nazirah flushes scarlet. “That’s kind of thepoint,” he says.

“I have to go.”

She kisses his forehead chastely, his cheek,his other cheek, the corner of his mouth. He pulls her chin, not sochaste anymore, meeting her full on the lips. Kissing Adamek in thelight of day, when Nazirah can’t blame it on the night, is perfect.It’s decadent and indulgent. Nazirah smiles into his lips and hesmiles back.