Page 100 of Warrior of the Wild
I smile, knowing he can’t see it. “You’re free to go home now. You can have your pick of all the girls back in Restin. I’m not your only option anymore. You wouldn’t want to restrict your attention to just one woman, now, would you?”
His hands go to my shoulders; they tug me back gently so he can look at me. I can tell he’s about to sputter off a series of protests, but then he sees my face. “You’re messing with me.”
I nod.
He brings his lips to my ear. “You might not be my only option anymore, but you’re the one I choose. My fierce warrior woman.”
“My helpless warrior man.”
“You’re never going to let me live down that ziken horde, are you?”
“Never.”
I’m startled by the sudden pressure of his lips against my forehead. It’s not like when I felt his lips against mine. The way I felt his heat and desire for me. This is different. It’s loving. Makes me feel precious. As though gifting him with myself is the best thing I could ever do for him.
After his lips linger against my brow, he lowers, kissing each of my closed eyelids, my cheeks, the corners of my mouth.
I get my hands on either side of his face and move him to just where I want. His lips sweep across mine. So slow and smooth and perfect.
Our lips don’t part until sometime much later.
We’re both gasping for breath.
“We need to douse the fire.”
It takes me a moment to realize he’s talking about the literal fire behind me. No, in front of us.
When did I end up in his lap? How did we get turned around? And how is night already starting to creep up on us?
“Go douse it and come back, then,” I manage.
He shoots me a grin, and it takes away what little breath I’d been gaining back.
While he does that, I prepare the lean-to, arranging the blankets and packs just where we need them.
My heart is pounding when Soren joins me inside. I wonder desperately if he will kiss me again.
He does. One lingering kiss before settling himself beside me. His arms go around me, holding me close.
“It’s a good thing you’ve agreed to let me stay with you,” he says. “I don’t know if I could ever sleep without you in my arms.”
“Not used to sleeping on your own, are you?”
“I went a whole year on my own.”
“So there was a girl back in Restin,” I say.
Soren presses his lips to my forehead, just as he did before. “There weren’t any like you.”
MY NOSE WRINKLES BEFOREI even open my eyes the next morning. “What is that smell?” I groan and stretch my limbs. They’re sore from sleeping on the rock floor, from climbing this blasted mountain.
“I think that’s us.” Soren’s voice comes from just behind me. “We’ve been sweating our way up a mountain. I also think I might have gotten otti blood on my clothes.”
“Then we’d best find that stream today. Otherwise I don’t think I can share another lean-to with you.”
“You don’t exactly smell like flowers.”
I smack him playfully. “You’re not supposed to say that.”
