Page 78 of Dark Awakening: Hidden Currents

"I climaxed so hard that I saw stars," she said, and it wasn't a lie. "The only thing better than that would have been another climax, but I'm not sure I had enough energy left for another one. It has been a long day."

His expression changed from skeptical to adoring, and Jasmine felt her heart swell with love for him. "You are so good to me, my Jasmine." He dipped his head and kissed her softly, his lips gentle against hers.

His fangs were almost fully retracted now, but he was still hard inside of her. If she wanted him again, he could easily bring her to another climax, but she hadn't lied about being tired. The events of the day, coupled with the intensity of their lovemaking, had left her pleasantly exhausted.

After all, there was no rush. They could make love again tomorrow morning, then after Ell-rom's afternoon nap, and again at night.

The thought of it made her smile.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, his thumb tracing the curve of her lips.

"I'm planning our lovemaking sessions for tomorrow," she admitted with a playful grin. "Morning, afternoon, and night."

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his chest and into hers. "Now I believe you that I didn't do so badly."

55

ELL-ROM

After they had cleaned up, Ell-rom lay in bed facing Jasmine and basking in the contented smile on her face and love in her eyes. She'd said she was tired, and yet she was awake, sharing with him the afterglow of their first lovemaking.

He had loved this female even before waking up from stasis. Her voice had brought him back to life. He just had to see who the angel was that was singing to him.

"When did you realize that you were in love with me?" he asked.

Jasmine furrowed her forehead in an exaggerated frown, pretending to think hard about his question. Then she smiled. "I think that I loved you even before I met you, but I was just in love with the idea of you. The tarot promised me a prince, and I couldn't wait to meet him. Still, I think I fell in love with the real you when we started to communicate, and I discovered how gentle and sweet you were and how much you cared about your sister. The more I get to know you, the more I love you." She paused, her fingers idly tracing patterns on his chest. "But if I had to pick a specific moment, that jolt to the heart thatproclaimed you as the one for me, it was probably when you first woke up and looked at me. You were awake just for a couple of seconds, but the connection between us was undeniable."

Ell-rom sighed. "I wish I remembered that moment, but I don't." He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I fell in love with your voice first," he whispered against her mouth. "I was confused, and I didn't realize what I was hearing, but I know for a fact that you helped me find my way out of the coma. I had to find out if the owner of the voice was as beautiful as her singing."

Jasmine wound her arms around his neck. "I promise to fill your life with songs." She pulled him closer and kissed him back.

Ell-rom lost himself in the sensation, marveling at how perfectly they fit together, how natural it felt to hold her, to kiss her.

He wanted to learn everything there was about Jasmine: every thought, every desire, every fear, and every aspiration. He'd wanted that before, but now it had turned into an insatiable hunger.

"Tell me something," he said.

"Hmm?" Jasmine murmured, her eyes half-closed.

"What's your favorite experience from before? I mean, from before you learned about the existence of gods and immortals."

Jasmine was quiet for a moment, considering. "That's a tough one," she said finally. "I have a memory that I'm not sure is real and not a dream or a fantasy I conjured as a child. It was a camping trip I took with my mom and dad before she passed away. We went up to this beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains. I remember sitting by the campfire, roasting marshmallows and looking up at the stars. My dad told mestories about the constellations, and everything felt perfect and magical."

Ell-rom's heart squeezed at the longing in her voice. "Perhaps we could go on a camping trip someday. I would love to see what Earth looks like outside the big city."

Jasmine reached out to cup his cheek. "We'll make great memories together."

Ell-rom nodded. "I was overwhelmed by what I saw when you showed me the view from the penthouse. I don't think that I ever lived in the city. Although given that Morelle and I grew up in the temple of the chief priestess, it must have been close to the royal palace, which should be in the capital. But maybe I'm wrong, or maybe the Kra-ell just don't build big cities."

"Would Aru and his teammates know that about the Kra-ell?"

"I don't think any of them has ever been to the Kra-ell capital, but Jade should know the answers to most of my questions. She served in my mother's guard, so she should be able to tell me more about my life."

"I'll see what I can do to get her to visit." Jasmine closed her eyes and put her head on his chest.

Ell-rom didn't want Jasmine to keep being the intermediary. She was almost as new to Annani's people as he was, and there was no reason for him to lean on her so heavily.

He'd just made love, so he couldn't be in too bad of a shape physically and mentally. He had been fine for many days now. The memory loss was a hardship, but at least he had retained all of his faculties.