Page 149 of To Fight and To Fold

Clinging to her arm.

"You're staring," Aaryn told her, but she did not look or sound upset about it.

"You're worth staring at." The admission slipped out before Thea could think about it.

Aaryn's cheeks heated, and when she was all shy like that, Thea's chest went so full with affection. "I'm glad you're here with me. You're too good for them," Thea blurted.

Aaryn tilted her head to the side in question. It was so fucking cute Thea wanted to—wanted to— "Evergale," she explained. "I hated how they got their claws into you. You were always too good for them."

Aaryn turned toward her, cheeks aflame. "Well, it's a good thing you rescued me."

Thea huffed out a chuckle, bumped their shoulders together, then swayed back into place until they were resting again. "Not without hardship, thanks to a certain someone."

Aaryn laughed, the sound a pleasant chime. "You should've been less scary."

"Scary?" Thea questioned in disbelief.

Aaryn nodded. "And mysterious."

"I don't think we had the same experience," Thea mused.

Aaryn nudged her. "Yes, we did. You were all—" She flicked her fingers out. "Poof with your magic, and—" She deepened her voice. "'Come with me, Aaryn. To my secret land full of secrets and dragons.'"

"I did not say it like that!"

"Might as well have!" Aaryn cried, snickering, and shoved her away as she leaned against a nearby tree. She paused and her eyes darkened, dragging. Then, "In your dashing black scaled armor, with your weapons."

Thea straightened and stepped in front of her. "Thought I was dashing, huh?"

"Oh, you were trying to be. You knew it," Aaryn accused, smiling. She curled her hand over Thea's shoulder and, once she'd successfully tugged her closer, gripped each sleeve of her torn shirt.

Thea pressed her palm into the trunk beside her head to catch herself. "Not my fault you were a princess who needed saving."

"I'm not a princess," Aaryn corrected, gaze following the line of her arm and along her face before finally—had her eyes always been so green?

"Might as well be," Thea echoed. Their shoes bumped.

"Does that make you my knight?" she asked.

Right then, Thea wanted to be her anything.

"Do you still need saving?"

Aaryn shrugged. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. Thea was helpless but to follow the movement before lifting her eyes again. "I'm sure we could come up with something," Aaryn replied, smirking. Her fingers tensed in the grip on her shirt, and nearby the sparks of the fire popped, but Thea could have sworn the fire was between them.

The weight of the moment drew her toward Aaryn like a dragon's paw upon her back, the bark of the tree digging into her palm as she leaned into her.

So close now. She could feel Aaryn's breath, and lifted her other hand from her pocket to grasp her waist over the belt, the smooth leather warm from the body it encased.

Her lips were full and waiting and Thea closed the distance between them, heart pounding at the proximity.

Their lips brushed, a test of a spark, and then they melted together like honey. Thea sipped from her full bottom lip as if she were parched, their mouths sliding and locking together, only to part for a breath before starting all over again.

"Thea!" a familiar voice called, and the moment froze, cracked, broke apart and fell away.

Thea pulled back and straightened her arm, resting her nose against it to steel herself, wondering what she'd ever done to deserve this.

Then she tilted her cheek against her arm, glanced at Aaryn, and found her cheeks flushed almost as pink as her lips, breathing hastened, eyes half-lidded and blinking quickly—processing—and decided she actually very much liked it right here.