Bound by Ravens (Bound by Ravens, #1)

by Jesikah Sundin

Remembering his warning, I dryly tossed out, “You can remove your shirt now and I’ll pretend to swoon, but only this once.” His lips twitched. “I said no pity.” “Pity swoons are not pity but also not not pity.” Finn burst into laughter. It was a pleasant sound, deep and bright. “With riddling like that, lass, you might become more fae than me by week’s end.” “Well, off with it, then, before I change my mind. I’m afraid of what will happen to you if a female doesn’t fall at your feet at least once a day.” Another laugh left him. Then, playing into the not pity swoon command, his stare grew heated within a single blink as he licked his lips, and in an animalistic way that struck my trotting pulse into a run. He moved closer to me, close enough that I could feel his body’s warmth. My eyes rose to his and . . . shite, I was in so much trouble. Light and shadows played across the planes of his cheeks, down his nose, his pale eyes appearing paler beneath the dark strands of his disheveled, shoulder-length hair. A canine softly bit down on his lower lip as he slowly, so, so slowly, lifted his shirt over his head. The air grew thick around us. I couldn’t breathe. Moon-touched droplets of water rolled down the hard lines of his chest and down the ridged muscles of his stomach. Inky water lipped the V of his hips and my mouth parted. His body was bruised in spots and clawed and I was still panting. What would I do if he were unmarred? He tossed the partly shredded shirt to the bank ...

Yeah, I would also swoon.