Page 204 of Scarlet Wars
“How do I keep forgetting that?”
He laughed. I hated how warm it sounded. As if he found me endearing in this state. Disgusting.
He crossed the room, sat on the edge of my bed like he owned the place, and handed me a bottle of water.
“Please get out,” I said, waving a limp hand in his direction. “I smell like a brewery.”
“Get your ass in the shower, Thompson. We have a mission to go on.”
That got my attention. We absolutely didnothave any mission planned. I would’ve remembered. “What mission?”
“We’re portaling out to Greenland. Something’s going on at Sisu. We need your translation skills in the Human World to figure it out.”
“Pass.” I took a sip of water just to be petty.
“Didn’t give you that option.” He was all mockery and zero remorse.
“Funny,” I muttered, “I don’t remember you being the boss of me.”
“That’s because you drank away all your memory cells.” He stood, towering way too smugly over me. “Now get your ass in the shower before I decide to help you.”
“I’m not moving,” I declared, burying myself deeper into the pillow. “This is my deathbed now. Tell the others I fought bravely.”
He sighed. Loudly. “I warned you.”
The next thing I knew, the blanket was being ripped off me, and a very warm, very solid arm slid under my legs.
“No—Caden—don’t you dare?—”
Too late. I was airborne.
“Put me down!” I flailed half-heartedly, but he didn’t even wobble.
“You had your chance, baby” he said. “Consider it a rescue mission, since you were perishing in that bed. Tragic stuff.”
I thumped a fist against his chest. “You smell like smugness and cheap aftershave.”
“You seriously wanna compare smells right now?”
I stilled. I really didn’t.
Plus, he was warm, and stupidly strong, and not at all out of breath as he carried me like I weighed nothing.
He nudged the door of the bathroom open with his foot, thengentlylowered me down onto the closed lid of the toilet like I was made of glass. His hands lingered a second longer than necessary, steadying me.
“You good?” he asked softly.
His teasing was gone, replaced by something sincere.
“Could’ve managed without the bridal treatment,” I muttered stubbornly, “but yeah, I’m fine.”
Caden smirked, then kissed me softly on the lips before stepping back. “Good,” he said, “because I’m not dealing with you puking on my shoes again.”
“Excuse me? Again?” I called after him as he walked away. “When did that ever happen?”
His laughter echoed down my room as he closed the bathroom door behind him.
I shuffled to the sink and braced my hands on the counter, squinting at my reflection.
