Enduring Light (The Afterglow Trilogy #3)(13)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

I struggled to swallow before walking into the room Calvin had selected for us. I took a few steps into the dark room, the only light coming from the lantern Calvin held, and a tiny bit of moonlight slipping in between the curtains.

“Ah, goodnight,” Henry said to our backs.

Calvin shut the door behind us. “I can speak with him if you would like. He should not talk so freely with you.”

“No. It’s okay.” The thought of Calvin confronting Liam scared me. It was bad enough we were all traveling together.

Calvin placed the candle on a small nightstand beside the double bed. It was going to be a snug fit considering Calvin’s size, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to be close to him.

He pulled me into his arms. “I have waited so long for this.”

“Me too.” I had, although I’d been a nervous wreck about it. We’d spent nights next to each other together, but definitely not with the intent of doing what I knew was about to happen. I knew unequivocally that my virgin status was about to come to an end. I had no doubts, and it wasn’t because of the message from Ruth. Calvin and I had been denying the urge, but the natural pull was too strong to ignore any longer.

He put a hand under my chin and lifted my face. “I love you, Charlotte.”

I let out a deep breath. “I love you.” Even though I knew I wanted to be with him, I couldn’t avoid the nerves.

He pulled off his shirt, tossing it onto a chair next to the bed. I reached out to touch his muscular chest. I was still amazed at how strong he was. Years spent working on his father’s farm followed by over a year of Guardian training had made his physique flawless.

He slipped a hand under the bottom of my shirt. “I always imagined you would be in a dress.”

“Does it really matter?”

“No. I would prefer this moment to any imagining I have had, whether awake or asleep.” He moved his hand to run it over my stomach, before using both hands to pull my shirt over my head.

I lifted up my arms to make it easier. His eyes widened as he dropped my shirt on top of his. He reached to remove my bra, hesitating for a second. I had a pretty good idea he’d never seen that kind of bra before—or when I really thought about it, any bra.

“Is this your first time, too?” I asked.

He nodded. “Of course. Who else… why would you ask that?”

I looked down. “I just wanted to know.”

“Do not look away. I wanted to make sure you were not of the wrong impression of who I am.”

“I know who you are.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his lips down to mine.

He quickly responded to the kiss, groaning as he moved his hands to fiddle with my bra.

“It clasps in the back.”

He found the clasp and unhooked it. I dropped my arms, letting the bra fall to the floor. I refused to get embarrassed when his eyes zeroed in on my chest.

He moved a hand to my breast while continuing to kiss me. I moaned, loving the feel of his hand on me. I’d been craving his touch since I’d met him, and I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. Without breaking the kiss, he untied my pants. As I stepped out of my pants and underwear, he brushed his hand against my leg. The touch sent chills down my entire body.

He stepped back, devouring every inch of me with his eyes. “Beautiful. You are perfection.”

His hands moved next to his own pants, and it was my turn to have wide eyes. Evidently, underwear wasn’t the thing for men in Energo. He stepped toward me, taking my hand to lead me over to the bed.

After pulling back the sheets, he helped me in before slipping in beside me. “I promise to cherish you always.”

Chapter Nine

Samantha

Charlotte owned a lot of short dresses. At first, I ignored those and concentrated on the four or five pairs of stiff blue pants that Kevin seemed to prefer, but a deep red dress caught my attention, and I had to try it on. The long sleeves seemed appropriate for the time of year. I found a pair of black leggings in her drawer that I assumed would go with the dress. I trusted that Charlotte was right that I could get away with wearing my boots. I packed a pair of the pants and a few shirts in my pack before going downstairs to meet the men.

Kevin gawked at me. “Wow. You look incredible.”

“Thanks. Charlotte told me I could borrow anything of hers.”

“Of course. Charlotte wouldn’t mind at all,” Monty was quick to reassure me.

I did not need the reassurance—especially not from him. I forced myself to stop thinking about the troubling dream I’d had.

Talen walked into the room. “Is everyone ready?” He was dressed head to toe in white. With his snow white hair, he was quite the sight.

“Way to blend in, man.” Kevin really had a problem with the Arco. I wondered where the bad blood stemmed from.

Monty approached the issue more tactfully. “Talen, didn’t you see the extra clothes I laid out for you?”

Talen leaned a hand on the counter. “I prefer to wear my own.”

Kevin rolled his eyes.

Monty shrugged. “I’d prefer it if you changed, but we don’t have time to argue. The car’s in the driveway.”

We walked out the side door. A bright red conveyance sat on four wheels on the rock portion of the front yard, what I assumed Monty had meant by “driveway.”

Kevin turned to Monty. “Umm, when did you get a new car?”

Monty locked the door behind us. “It’s bad enough someone saw us in this house. We don’t need them tracing us to the airport.”

“Okay.” Kevin opened one of the doors of the red vehicle for me.

I tried to act as if I had a clue what I was doing, but I had never been in such a contraption. I took a seat and waited for Kevin to close me in.

“You need your seatbelt.” He pointed to a strap attached to the inner wall of the car.

“Oh. I see.”

He must have noticed my confusion because he took the seatbelt and reached over me to snap it into some sort of buckle. His hand lingered on my lap as he pulled the strap slightly away from my body. He was evidently trying to adjust it.

I smiled, trying to hide my embarrassment. I had a hunch I would be feeling that emotion a lot that day. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.” He closed the door, opened another in the back and got in to sit in the seat behind me. I did not need to look to know he was not providing the same service to Talen.

Monty started the vehicle, and loud music blared from all sides of me. Monty quickly turned it down.