For this Flash Fiction Friday, I have a piece that focuses on Banach and Rith. This one shares the first training session he had with her in magic.
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Banach closed her eyes and drew in a long, slow breath. She placed her palms in Rith’s large hands and crossed her legs. “I’m ready.”
“You remember what we discussed?”
She nodded.
“Repeat it back to me. I want you to run through the steps one more time.”
His baritone voice trickled through her, left heat behind everywhere it touched. She shivered and brought her mind back to the task at hand. Repeat the steps. She reached out to his mind. He’d want her to practice every aspect of her ability, so she might as well start now. She might be too tired for it later. You want me to reach out with my mind to touch yours.
Good. I see you got a head start. His thoughts eddied through her mind, left an impression of a smile as they moved on. The next step?
Then I should try to plant a suggestion. Try to encourage you to do something that you weren’t previously thinking about.
He chuckled. Yes. That’s good enough for today. Let’s try.
She ran her thumb in circles along the pulse point of his right arm. His long fingers clasped her wrists, tightened.
Focus, Bane.
Her cheeks heated. He should’ve known his touch would cause this. But he’d insisted that she needed to start learning by grounding herself to someone she knew and loved. That left only him. If she wanted to learn, she’d learn his way.
She frowned and focused on the sensation of her forehead wrinkling to distract herself from his fingers. Rith had never been pushy with her, but on this point, he refused to budge. If she wanted to train, she’d train with him on his terms. Still, what was there to complain about? She had him all to herself during these moments, something she didn’t get often. And he was supportive.
His fingers tensed against her wrists. Had she forgotten to bar him from her mind at the beginning of the exercise? Suddenly, she couldn’t remember if she had. Fine. If he wanted her to focus, she would. She’d focus on the one thing she couldn’t seem to get out of her head. A smile turned up the corners of her lips.
She reached inside to the ashtra. Would it like the idea too?
The ball of energy tinkled with laughter. Do I like it? Of course, child. He’s earned it.
The smile widened.
“You know, I can feel the smugness just radiating off you.” Rith chuckled. “What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“Telling you that would ruin the point of the exercise.”
His thumb brushed over the pulse point of her wrist again. She shivered, and he laughed. “I think I can guess. You’re supposed to be concentrating on the exercise, though.”
Oh, she was. She took hold of the ashtra, shaping the energy into a single thought and easing it into Rith’s mind. It was similar to the way she spoke to him mind-to-mind, but at the same time, it was completely different.
He sucked in a shaky breath, and she smiled. It had settled in.
She opened her eyes just as he did the same. His normally warm gaze seemed to sear into her now, and she shivered. Maybe she’d gone overboard? He looked like he wanted more than a simple kiss, which was all she’d meant to suggest. His gaze raked over her, settled back on her face.
His lips curved up into a wicked smile. “You’re playing with fire today, aren’t you?”
Her lips parted, and she shook her head.
“I think you are.”
“I—” She cleared her throat. “Of course not.”
He leaned closer until their chests brushed. “Really?”
She lowered her gaze and watched him from beneath her lashes. No, not really. She’d clearly messed something up. He wasn’t supposed to tease her like this. He was supposed to kiss her. Just one chaste kiss. But based on the fire burning in his gaze, she’d get a lot more than that.
“You want me to kiss you?” He slid his fingers under her chin and tipped her face up.
She fought for breath, closed her eyes. “Did I say that?”
“Yes.” The terse answer rumbled through his chest and vibrated into hers.
“When?”
“The minute you planted that thought in my head.” His lips brushed hers. “Like I said, you’re playing with fire.”
She was. And she hoped it would consume her. Because at this point, the slow burn his touch ignited wasn’t enough. Heat sparked through her and blossomed in her cheeks.
“Nothing to say, Bane?”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen?”
He chuckled, tugged her into his lap. His head dipped, and his lips pressed to her neck. “You expect me to believe that?”
She straddled him and pressed her hands to his chest. “Yes. You’re supposed to be training me, and I don’t know what I’m doing. Obviously, I’ll make mistakes.”
He hummed and moved his hands down to her hips. “I suppose. But when you make mistakes, it’s my job to show you the consequences. Here, in a controlled environment where you won’t be hurt if it goes wrong.”
Even now he retained control. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Right now, his control made her heart sink and her body burn. Definitely a bad thing if he didn’t plan on relieving the ache. Banach sighed.
Rith lifted his head and smiled. “Something wrong?”
Her cheeks warmed, and she stared at the bushes hedging the clearing’s edge. Would it kill him to quench the fire he’d started? Or had she started it? Probably. She’d been the one to plant the suggestion to kiss her, after all. But she hadn’t meant for this to happen.
Rith’s rough palm cupped her cheek. “I’ll give you what you meant to ask for. No more.”
The warmth in her cheeks traveled to her ears. She met his frank stare and bit her lower lip. “No more?”
“No more.” His gaze darkened. “Otherwise, I might not be able to control myself.”
She smiled and reached out to run her fingertips over his furrowed brow. “Somehow, I doubt that. You’re the most controlled person I know.”
He dipped his head and brushed his mouth over hers. “Maybe. But I’d rather not tempt fate. Let’s just say this training session was a mixed success.”
Was it though? A success, that was. It didn’t feel like it. His quick, chaste kiss wasn’t at all what she wanted. She lowered her head to his shoulder. True, it was what she’d initially wanted. But after the looks he’d given her, his kiss disappointed. It was all she was going to get, though. So, she’d take it.
Besides, she knew there would be other times when he would go further. When he’d give her what she wanted and more. In lots of ways, he already did. The disappointment faded. He’d give more when he felt it was appropriate, when he felt she was ready. Because whatever he did, he was always trying to ensure her safety and happiness. He loved her. That was enough for now. Maybe the training session had been a success after all.
~~~
That’s it for this week, everyone! I’d love to know what you think! Feel free to leave a comment below if you have anything you’d like to say or if you have suggestions for more things you’d like to read on Flash Fiction Fridays.
