by AJ Nuest
“Fandorn’s dragon’s breath brew. I never travel without a flask. It warms the body on a cold night, sparks a flame during rain and can cauterize wounds.”
She snorted. The guards had complained more than once after a night of drinking Fandorn’s secret brew, but she’d never been offered a sip until now.
Grabbing the wineskin, she popped the cork and tipped the neck to her lips.
“I caution you to—”
Liquid fire scorched her throat and she sputtered and coughed into her fist. Holy shit, the fumes alone were enough to remove hair. Several wheezing gasps later, her heart finally slowed and she offered the wineskin back to Caedmon.
“Smooth,” she croaked and coughed through another attack.
His low chuckle floated on the breeze as he took the spot beside her and upended the flask to his lips. Her first impulse was to scoot away from him. Sorta…create a buffer zone. But moving suddenly seemed to take too much effort. And, besides that, where would she go? No matter where it was, the guy would no doubt pack up his stuff and follow.
The fire danced and shifted, warped and expanded. She tipped her head back and frowned as the swirling blaze pulsed and a puff of ethereal smoke wafted into the sky.
A wave of her hand in front of her face and a multicolored trail zoomed past. “Okay, what the hell is in that stuff?”
Caedmon grunted, forearms braced on his bent knees as he dangled the corked the wineskin between his thighs. “If you’re not privy to its effects, the first sip can be a bit disorientating.”
She glanced over with a smile and then did a double-take. Damn. His eyes were so dark they were bottomless, framed by thick lashes that curled near the tips. High cheekbones slanted down to his perfectly square jaw, shadowed by the gruff texture of his unshaven cheeks.
His bottom lip was slightly plumper than the top, full and smooth and totally kissable. The craving to nip it, suck it into her mouth and explore the silky curve with her tongue had her hot in a way that had nothing to with sitting so close to the fire.
They’d only been this close once before without a blade between them. And, that time, she’d ended up in his arms. Tasting him, devouring those same lips, fighting the desperate urge to give him everything she had and more.
A grin creased his cheeks, exposing a set of strong white teeth and deepening the crinkles near his eyes. “A man can only deign to guess what transpires behind such a beguiling perusal.” Inching close, he slanted his head. “What you are thinking?”
Dear God, he was beautiful. And sexy.
She wrenched her gaze back to the fire, agitated, aroused and scared out of wits all at the same time.
Shielding herself was what she knew. The one thing that kept her safe. But after everything he’d been through, everything he’d done for her, purposely hurting his feelings seemed mean. “I was thinking how glad I am that you’re here.”
He’d told her time and again that he loved her. Had proven as much less than a few hours ago. They were supposedly engaged. But, for God’s sake, for all intents and purposes the two of them were complete strangers. Other than that soul-shattering kiss, their only physical contact consisted of swordplay.
Maybe she should threaten him with a silver spike. It was what she did best, after all.
“What’s this?” He extended his long legs, ankles crossed, one arm settling along the log at her back. Reaching for the map, he skimmed the parchment and a deep rut formed between his brows.
She studied his face, trying to swallow past the knot lodged in her throat. This was the spot where he’d demand to know what she was doing. She’d tell him about the key and he’d insist she leave that to someone more up to the task.
Her brows shot heavenward as he tossed the scroll aside and helped himself to another sip of Fandorn’s brew.
He offered her the drink and she shook her head. Stopping the opening, he set the flask near his leg.
So…what? He wasn’t going to get all bent out of shape that she hadn’t answered? Push her for information she wasn’t ready to provide?
Her core pulsed, she clenched her thighs against the delicious ache. Yep, there he went again. Making himself so damn attractive, she had absolutely no problem believing she’d fallen in love with him in three days.
He scooted lower, shoulders braced against the log, his dark gaze aimed at the sky and his arm resting along her hips. “You have nothing to fear from me, my lady. Denmar informed me of the torment you endured under Braedric’s low-handed pursuit. I shall not press you to take action you deem unsavory.”
Oh. That.
Visions of Braedric screamed into her head. The disgusting way he’d licked her cheek. The sour wine on his breath. One of his clammy hands crawling up her inner thigh and other clamped around her throat.
“Denmar told ya, huh?” The captain needed to learn how to keep his big trap shut.
“Yes.” Caedmon cocked a brow. “And you have my solemn vow. At my first opportunity, I shall run the bastard through to the hilt of my sword.”
Air blurted past her lips. She lowered her chin to stifle a laugh. For months after that asshole had cornered her in an alcove, she’d imagined the same type of revenge. Especially those mornings she’d been forced to tie a thick ribbon around her neck in order to hide the bruises.
But, get real. No one besides a masochist would go up against the reigning prince. She tipped her head. Still, she had to admit the idea of a strong, handsome prince risking a trip to the chopping block to protect her virtue did have a nice ring to it.
Caedmon’s smile spread slow and lazy, a devilish spark of firelight reflected in his dark eyes, and a quiet moment passed before their low chuckles mingled beneath the pop and sizzle of the fire.
“Something tells me we’ll probably have to get in line.” She sat forward to reach for a blanket and toss it around her shoulders. Scooting into the empty space behind her, Caedmon stretched out along her bedroll and patted the spot at his side.
O-o-okay? Now he wanted them to sleep together? Just sleep? “I thought you said no unsavory funny business.”
“I also said you have nothing to fear.” He patted her bedroll a second time. “Come. You rode like the wind all night and day. A sound rest will do us both well.”
Sound rest, her ass. How was she supposed to relax with Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy cozying up to her all night?
Shifting around, she reclined on the blanket, the gap between their bodies both too narrow and obnoxiously wide. Gravel bit into her scalp. Her neck was crimped at an awkward angle.
Hell, forget sleep. In this position, she’d be lucky if she survived until morning.
Caedmon rose on his elbow and leaned over her.
She stiffened and faked a smile. “What?”
“You lie there as if preparing to meet the Nine on a funeral pyre. This position cannot be comfortable.”
“I’m fine.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest, and he tugged her close, shuffling her around until he’d wrapped her in his arms and her head rested on his shoulder. “There. Better?”
His body heat soaked through his shirt, his heartbeat a steady, soothing rhythm in her ear. He smelled like green earth and a high mountain breeze. Leather and candle wax all mixed with the musk of his skin.
“Much, much better.”
She slid her hand under her cheek and his pec was a perfect match to the inside of her palm. Their bodies fit. Like two pieces of a puzzle. The curve of her hip seated at just the right angle along his waist, his bicep the ideal size for supporting her neck.
The tip of his thumb trailed up and down her arm. He settled his other hand behind his head and yawned.
Nice. Cozy and nice, and she’d even go so far as to say she felt safe. Protected. She snuggled closer and he hummed as she twined one of her legs through his.
Overhead, a vista of infinite beauty adorned the sky. Wispy white clouds drifted before a sea of shimmering lights. “Wow. Look at all those stars.”
“Helios’ diamond offerings.”
She frowned and lifted her head. “Excuse me?”
He searched her face a moment before a gentle smile teased his lips. “When the land was young, long before kings held thrones or beasts foraged the woods…” Slipping the leather tie from her braid, he gently unwound the tight weave. “Helios reigned the heavens, his radiant light all-seeing, his strength far-reaching.”
Thick, blunt-tipped fingers speared through the sensitive hair at her nape. She shuddered and her lashes fluttered closed. Her scalp tingled as he dragged his hand down to the ends of her hair.
Dang. Her nipples hardened against her chest plate. A thrill washed down her thighs to her toes.
“Yet the sun god was lonely. So he called upon his mighty power, and from the air he breathed to life nine goddesses to inhabit his realm.” A second thrust into her hair and her insides liquefied. He clenched his fingers and massaged her neck.
She tried not to puddle on the spot.
“In their infancy, the goddesses were frivolous, prone to mischief and folly, and Helios soon determined none of them posed a good match for an ancient being such as he.”
A slight tug as his splayed fingers raked through the strands. Her hair tumbled and feathered along her back. Every lame reason she’d fed herself for holding back on the guy weakened and blurred.
As long as he kept playing with her hair, he could have whatever the hell he wanted.
“An unforgiving god, Helios grew frustrated by his daughters’ constant pranks, and cast them from his side into darkness, dividing them for all eternity.” Caedmon pointed at the sky. “There is Cassiel, goddess of the harvest.”
Rowena twisted her shoulders, her hand pressing his chest as she squinted at the small cluster of stars in the shape of a sickle. She turned back to him with a smile. Never, in her wildest dreams, would she have guessed a man who could single-handedly take on an army could also tell such a great bedtime story. “And so?”
His eyes softened at the corners. As if he remembered something that made him sad. His hand met her shoulder blades, and he urged her to back his chest. “Over time, the sky god regretted his impatience, and sought out his daughters in repentance.” His voice softened to a low murmur, vibrating her cheek. All the worries she carried became less important compared to the soothing rhythm of his voice. “Helios chased after the night, growing ever closer, but his bright rays always alerted the Nine to his presence, and his daughters fled from their father in fear.”
“Aw. That’s terrible.”
“Yes, but my tale has a happy ending. You must be patient.” He kissed the top of her head. She smiled and squeezed his waist. “The beautiful moon goddess, Selene, was aware of the rift between the mighty king and his daughters, for when he cast them out she had welcomed the Nine into her realm, vowing to keep them sheltered from harm.”
“Uh-huh, that’s because women are smarter than men.”
“Stop interrupting.” He smacked her bottom and she jumped, jerking her head up. One of his brows rose, and he tsked three times, rubbing the slight sting. “Be a good girl or I shall demand recompense for my story other than a simple cozy by the fire.”
She narrowed her eyes even as her stomach flipped. If he was trying to scare her, he was going about it the wrong way. All he’d managed to do was make her wet. Turn her on even more than before he’d started. “Finish the story.”
He cleared his throat. “The heart of the moon goddess grew heavy with sorrow, so she took it upon herself to visit Helios, intent to mend the schism between father and nine daughters. The moment she broke the horizon, he became consumed by her beauty and blazed bright. With rays flaming, he raced across the sky, aimed for the goddess, for he knew, at last, he had found his true love.”
Interesting how his story mirrored the two of them, the way he’d chased after her the night of his homecoming celebration. She sighed. “God, I love this story.”
Caedmon’s soft chuckle created the perfect bass undertone to his heartbeat. His hand swept her side and he held her shoulder. “Mistaking his passion for rage, Selene grew frightened by his scorching advance, for she had not the occasion to meet so radiant a being, and fled in terror back to her throne.
“The sun god chased after her but, no matter his speed, the moon goddess evaded capture, gathering the night near. In desperate search of refuge, she hid her face behind the veil of her ebony cloak.”
A new moon. He was describing the reason for its disappearance.
Or maybe, just maybe, he was describing her.
A tear formed in the corner of her eye and spilled onto his shirt.
“Helios grieved for the pale goddess’ return. Forever lost to him was the splendor of his utmost love. In a fit of despair and self-loathing, he rent the pieces of his being and flung them from far from view.
“Yet with his sacrifice, hope sparked anew. For when the glittering flames appeared in Selene’s realm, she risked a peek outside her dark shroud.”
Rowena rolled her head to the side and blinked up at the night sky and, for the first time, imagined the glowing crescent of the waxing moon as a frightened goddess, peering out from behind an inky curtain, on the lookout for the fiery sun god who pursued her.
Another roll of her head and she pressed her lips to the soft fabric of Caedmon’s shirt. Thank God he hadn’t given up on her. If not, she’d be alone now. Cold and alone. Fighting the same desolation she’d lived since the day he’d been yanked from her arms.
“The eldest of the nine recognized Selene’s curiosity. So driven by love and the chance to earn her father’s favor, Fortuna perched on the cusp of both realms, awaiting the moment she could ensnare the sun god’s attention and convey the rending of his spirit had not been in vain.”
Yes, yes, she’d seen that star. The one hovering on the horizon right before nightfall.
“Helios’ desires flared and burned hot when he learned all was not lost, so he tore out his white heart, split the chambers in his fierce fist and tossed the embers toward his love, night after night, until his diamond offerings lay scattered at her feet, lighting all the dark corners of her realm.”
Another tear slipped over her lashes and she held her breath against the ache building in her throat. How much of this story was legend, and how much was the man at her side?
“With each evening, as more and more stars appeared, Selene crept farther and farther from her hiding spot, until at last she stood, round and full, in awe of her sun god’s devotion.
“When next she broke the horizon, Helios remained centered, waiting, having learned patience should his love be quick to flee. And as she slowly approached, her white pale to his fiery glow, they were joined as one and a vibrant brilliance bathed the land from sea to sea. Life sprang forth and prospered. Abundance was made free. And from this, their eternal love, man was born.”
Her breath hitched, and she shook her head. Caedmon had offered her that same patience. He’d held strong and hung onto hope even when she didn’t deserve it.
“Witnessing the divine proof of their union, the god and goddess rejoiced. Selene eventually made to depart back to her throne, though she vowed to return, as she has throughout the ages, so the two of them can be reunited and all creatures may bask in their love.”
“Oh, Caedmon.” Rowena sniffed and swiped at another bloated tear. “That’s beautiful. I mean it.”
“Sh-h-h, my heart.” He rubbed her shoulder. “Sleep, now. You are safe. We have finally come home to one another’s arms.”
Chapter Eighteen
A shiver jerked her awake. Clutching the blanket tighter, Rowena curled her fists into a ball under her chin. Her joints ached as if shards of glass had crawled out the ground to host an all-nighter in her body.
Another bone-wrenching shiver, and she clenched her chattering teeth.
Cold…so cold…
Past the lacy shadows of her lashes, the fire had died to a pile of gray ash. Tendrils
of fog snaked through the nearby trees, carpeting the small clearing in a blanket of white. High on a nearby branch rested the shadow of a large falcon, his head tucked beneath the feathers of one wing.
She flipped to her other side and the heat of a sunbaked sand dune met her cheeks, emanating from a tower of thick muscle wrapped in honey-gold skin. Yes-s-s…
Caedmon lay on his back, deep breaths pulling through his chest, tousled hair spread around his head and brushing his broad shoulders.
Biting her lip, she eased close and gently tugged his shirt from his breeches. She snuck her hand inside and he flinched as she flattened her icy palm on his stomach.
Warm. Deliciously warm, and exactly what she needed.
She slid her hand around his side and a muted chuckle tickled her throat. It was an evil way to wake him, but she wasn’t sorry in the least. After the tender way he’d taken care of her, she was pretty sure a little body heat wasn’t the only thing he was looking to provide.
“Sweet tits, you’re chilled to the bone.” Slurring his words, he wrapped her in his arms and hauled her right up against his body.
A moment later his breathing slowed, the hand at her hip went slack. She glanced around the hushed forest and raised a devious brow. A girl had to wonder. Would the rest of him be as…big? As hard and sporting all those same yummy veins?
Only one way to find out.
The downy hair near his waistband gave way to a smooth expanse of sultry skin. She glided her palm higher, exploring the landscape of grooved muscle in his chest and abs. Over one thickly toned pec, and she cupped the curve of his shoulder, trailed her fingertips along his collarbone to the shallow dip in the base of his throat.
His pulse vibrated through the thin skin and the hair on her nape lifted in anticipation. A slow journey with her fingertips along his other collar bone, and she dragged her nails down to his left nipple.
Beneath the light circle of her index finger, the ring tightened and peaked. A graze of her nails to his other side and his right nipple received the same attention.