“Whatever you choose,” she said. “I’m behind you.”
He looked over at her. Had his eyes always been that intense? Her hand was still on his arm. She willed it to come away. It did not obey.
“Thank you, Loretta,” he said.
They were close. So close. She should pull away. Run. He’d said her name. Again. Her head felt foggy. Muddled. Like when a diamond souled wielded her anima upon her but far less unpleasant. In fact, this feeling was far more dangerous because she wanted more of it.
“You’ll have to keep calling me Sauvage,” she said. “If we’re trying to keep…covert.”
He nodded.
Her hand slipped from his arm.
He turned to go back inside, pausing at the balcony entrance. “Gather up Gefahr and Malin. We need to get ready to travel.”
She nodded. “Mind giving me a moment?”
“Take your time.” He left her there alone with her muddled thoughts on the balcony.
Loretta leaned back on the railing. Had she really just asked him to call her Sauvage? She looked out at the gleaming Gatling gun. She had, hadn’t she? Sauvage wasn’t a bad name, really. In fact, it was starting to grow on her.
A groan escaped her. She allowed herself to momentarily slump against the railing. She was setting herself up for a whole new slew of troubles. This was not happening. They had nearly…nothing had happened. Nothing would happen between her and Sir Ragamuffin.
She pushed up off the railing and went to recover the rest of their team. They had a new mission.
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