Saved by the King

Twenty One*

I nodded wordlessly, my chest heaving. "Me, too."

"That was the bond. It almost opened."

I nodded again, not able to tear my eyes away from his gaze. He leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine, letting his eyes slide shut. I did, too, allowing my muscles to relax slightly.

Everything that was Logan surrounded me. His scent, his strength, his heavy breaths, the sparks that crackled where his leg was brushing mine.

With a thump, his hands slipped and he had both forearms pressed against the wall. I opened my eyes and he was suddenly much closer, and his eyes were open again. They burned into mine, too fierce and beautiful for me to look away. My knees felt weak, and I accidentally whimpered when I felt them buckle.

The small sound seemed to kick him into action. Smoothly, as if he had rehearsed this a thousand times, he wrapped one well-muscled arm around my waist and dragged me towards him, leaving one hand on the wall. All my strength left me, and I felt that I would surely fall if he weren't holding me up. I didn't fight him, because even though our proximity only accentuated how much bigger than me he is, his touch was still the same: gentle, adoring.

Even with my neck craned up, he had to bend his neck significantly to rest his forehead against mine again. He was leaning over me slightly but his arm held me tight. My hands were grasping his biceps, not even closing halfway around them but needing something to hold onto.

Electricity crackled in the air, and I felt the atmosphere change and his thoughts shift like a strong tide. His muscles tensed, tightening against me, turning his whole body into solid rock sheathed in callused skin.

"Carter?"

"Yes?" I was almost embarrassed at how breathless I was. I needed him closer to me, if that was even possible. His scent and his touch were driving me crazy, making me dizzy; my head was spinning and my pulse pounded in my ears. I briefly considered that he could probably hear my heart considering how fast it was going. The bond was singing, burning, urging me to pull him closer. I squeezed my eyes shut, not knowing what to focus on.

I jumped when I felt his lips press against the corner of my mouth, not quite touching my lips. My hands tightened on his arms. I may have been digging my nails in, but I couldn't tell. Either way, Logan didn't seem to mind.

"You feel the bond?"

I jumped again when he kissed my jaw. I gasped, and the bond seemed to swell and gain strength. Oh, I could feel it, alright.

"Yes," I said shakily.

He kissed the base of my throat, and I whimpered again. It struck me how easily he was able to get a reaction out of me, but the bond didn't let me focus on that.

"It's telling me to do something."

Oh, I think I knew what it was telling him. It was telling me the same thing. "Yes?" My voice shook.

"Yes," he said. Unlike mine, his voice was strong and confident. He kissed the other side of my jaw and my breath hitched. "But I'm not going to unless you want me to."

I felt like the bond had swelled and taken my lungs' place. My heart hammered against my chest. If he waited any longer I might have just had to beg him. My head was swimming and I would have swayed in my place had Logan not been supporting all my weight. He chuckled. "Breathe, love."

I let out the breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. He kissed the other corner of my mouth. "Yes," I said quietly, but I wasn't sure what I was saying yes to. I wasn't sure of anything anymore. I felt like I was floating.