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festival by means of flying straight up.
    Rekfa flew them to a copse of trees with lush grasses. Gala’s palms began to sweat before they had landed.
    She shivered with nervous tension, and her skin did the most extraordinary thing. The hair follicles on her arms and the rest of her rose, and for the first time in her life, she felt what it meant to have gooseflesh.
    When she had been small, one of her caregivers had read her a story about a boy who went out to learn what fear was. She had that same feeling right now. She wanted to know what it felt like—what everything felt like—and she wanted it all at once.
    Arez looked around and admired their location. “This looks comfortable.”
    Gala nodded. “Rekfa chose it for its distance from other settlements. The grass is thick and soft, and the trees are shielding. Even Yodin and Aster have yet to make it to this particular stand of green.”
    He turned to her and lifted one of her hands to his lips. “If I do anything you don’t like, tell me.”
    “If I do not, Rekfa will.”
    The soft but firm curve of his lips caressed her knuckles before turning her hand over and stroking across her palm. She watched as he pressed his lips to her inner wrist and made his way up her arm.
    To feel his lips moving on her skin was a completely new sensation. She now had a visual and physical sense at the same time. Her mind was in an anticipatory clamour.
    Arez smiled. “Stop over-thinking this and just feel.”
    “It is difficult. I want to remember every touch.” She looked up at him through eyes that felt heavy.
    “This is not your only occasion. I will be close at hand whenever you need or want me.”
    She didn’t ask why. She didn’t want to know why he wanted to be with her. It was only enough that he was with her right now. Her future would take care of itself. It always did.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
    Her clothing rustled to the grass with a soft sigh. She watched as Arez removed his own clothing, and Gala fought the urge to rub herself against him.
    His body was hard muscle and gleaming, richly toned skin, and the temptation was mighty. Her mind was quiet, but she could feel Rekfa watching through her eyes.
    Arez wove his fingers through hers and pulled her hands to the small of her back, using the leverage to tug her against him.
    The impact of her body against his sent a wave of heat through her that made her gasp. His erection was pinned between them, and her belly rubbed against it as she squirmed for full contact.
    Objectively, she knew what happened next; she just didn’t know what it felt like.
    “Touch me, Gala.”
    He released her hands, and she wasted no time in exploring his skin.
    Heat was the first thing she picked up on. There was a light sheen of sweat that let her hands slip over his muscles with ease. His skin was marked with scars, and she followed her instinct to press her lips to some of the knotted tissue.
    He shivered as she used her mouth to touch him.
    “What made these marks?”
    He cleared his throat. “I was a miner and that is where my second life took hold. The scars are from a lifetime with minerals and working with men as hard as the stone they mined.”
    “You died?”
    “It is a requirement for immortals to have a catalyst that unlocks their potential. For me, it was a mining accident that left me floating without oxygen for five days. When they found me, they were shocked when I started breathing again.” His voice was harsh and low.
    He ran his hands over her back, cupped her buttocks and worked around her sides and back up again.
    Arez moved a hand between them, and he pressed his fingers between her thighs, covering her sex for a moment before rocking his hand against her.
    The firm pressure against her clit buckled her knees, and she ended up on the ground.
    Grinning, Arez followed her down and knelt beside her in the grass. He pressed a hand to her breastbone and eased her back into the springy green bed.
    He looked her over