Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78886 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 394(@200wpm)___ 316(@250wpm)___ 263(@300wpm)
“I thought we had this conversation already,” he said with a humph. “If I want sex, I can get it elsewhere.”
“Not with that attitude you can’t.”
He opened and closed his mouth, as if trying to say a thousand things at once.
More than a little irritated with him for reasons that definitely had nothing to do with his love life, I patted his cheek. “You don’t know this about me, but you’re about to learn the hard way. I value my beauty Zs as much as my meals. Precious seconds I can spend in bed are ticking by while you try to do the impossible and think of a comeback that can clean up the damage caused by my truth bomb.”
He gripped my wrist and lowered my hand, as if he didn’t wish to be touched. Except, instead of releasing me, he dragged his thumb across my palm, sending tingles rushing up my arm.
“Soft,” he muttered.
Goose bumps broke out. Okay, we needed to veer to a new track. “Feel free to take the first shift and stand guard.”
“We don’t require a guard tonight.” Wind kicked up, whistling. “A storm comes. Turul-shifters prefer not to fight in torrential rain. They are at a disadvantage. We are not.”
To punctuate his words, lightning flashed overhead, and thunder rumbled in a rolling wave.
Ugh. I hated storms. I had lived in tornado alley for years. Losing half my roof was what prompted me to move to Aurelian Hills. “What about the horses?” I’d grown fond of Fekete Ló.
“They’ll be in tents with my men.”
Another crack of thunder boomed, louder than the first. Tightness spread through my chest. “That’s my cue. Get moving or get left behind.”
He stood, tugging me up with him, and ushered me to the tent. An astonishingly cozy space with a full-size pallet of blankets that offered a soft cushion far better than the hard ground. The violin waited in the corner.
But. Um. Only one bed, not separate sleeping bags? I might as well be the heroine in a fated mates, enemies to lovers romance novel. “Remember our golden rules,” I said. “No falling in love with me or making a move.” I toed off my boots. “I’ll stay on my side. You stay on yours.” I didn’t want to play right now. Or talk. I just wanted to sleep. But new cracks of thunder caused even the ground to vibrate, and I swiped out my arm at record speed to link my fingers with his. “For your peace of mind, we’ll hold hands so you can be sure I’m not running away.” Nervous laugh. “You gotta be well rested for our journey and the battle with Deco, amirite.”
Gold rings flickered in Viktor’s eyes. He yanked me against him and enfolded me in an almost crushing but amazing embrace. “You’ll face down a camp of berserkers without flinching, but a little rain makes you tremble? You know I’m here, ja? I will allow nothing untoward to happen to you.”
Okay, so, his incredulity wasn’t my favorite. “You might be immortal, but you can’t control the weather.” Raindrops hit the tent, sounding like pops of gunfire, and I squeaked. “If you’ve never seen a semi-truck being spun in a dark, twisting funnel of chaos, you don’t get to judge my overreaction. By the way, I’m not afraid of anything. I don’t do fear. This is…reluctance. There’s a difference.”
Brighter flashes of lightning electrified the air, raising the fine hairs on my body as he positioned me on the pallet. He stretched out beside me, slid an arm under my neck, and crooked his fingers under my chin to lift my face. “I will hold you like this all night long, making sure you don’t fly away, but I, too, insist you make no moves.”
I snorted internally, which jostled sore muscles. There was no stopping my outer wince.
“Is that a hint for another massage?” he asked, his tone conversational, even pleasant.
“No, of course not.” But another massage did sound amazing. “Yes. No,” I repeated and heaved a second sigh. “Your question borders on a move.” And I wasn’t exactly unwelcoming at the moment, truth be told. He just, he felt so good, pressed so close. And he hadn’t retreated into madness a single time during this conversation. Or mentioned Valkara.
“I won’t allow you to keep your emotions at bay, so I’m not your type. I get it.” His dry tone grated my every nerve. “You’re not my type, either.”
Ouch. That stung, considering I was perhaps, maybe, possibly, the tiniest little bit attracted to him. But it was purely physical, so no big deal. “Just out of curiosity, because I’m nosy, what is the Valkara like? Since she is your type.”
“She’s exceptional.”
I waited, but he offered nothing more. “That’s it? All you’ve got?” I winced for him. “Your passion for her is extreme.”