When Aliana offered no protest, he shifted his hands to her hips, his fingers digging into her skin to support her weight and slowly eased himself out of her, drawing a soft whimper from her lips at the sudden emptiness.
Her legs untangled from his waist, and her feet touched the cold ground.
However, Aliana had not anticipated her legs turning to jelly the instant her feet took her weight. Her knees buckled beneath her, and she would have fallen flat on her face had Gavriel's sharp reflexes not caught her.
His strong arm caught her around the waist, pulling her back against his chest.
Weakly, she clutched at his forearm for balance and looked up only to find an insufferably smug smile curving his lips.
"Do not look so proud of yourself," she huffed, her breath fanning over his chest. "I still need the use of my legs tomorrow."
Hearing her converse with him naturally again, a devastating smile bloomed across his face.
