And now, the last few days. Nothing. Like we’re just really good friends.
A sigh escapes my lips and I blink back to the present to find I’m staring at him. He turns around with a frown.
“All right up there?”
I smile at him. “Perfect.”
He grins at me and the sun shines on him, highlighting his golden hair and making his bronze skin glow. My heart starts hammering as fast as it had in the memory and, for a second, I feel dizzy as we beam at each other.
Then Asher clears his throat and I realize with a start we’ve stopped walking.
“Are we going to stand here all day and stare at each other or are we going to try to get to the city sometime before the next war?” Asher grins at both of us.
For the very first time I can remember, Gavin actually blushes. He quickly turns around, makes a clicking sound, and starts forward again. Starshine continues on while I drift back into hazy, sleepy boredom.
It isn’t until the sun is high in the sky that Asher forces my attention back on the trip. “Forest dead ahead!”
Gavin scowls. “Can we not say ‘dead’ in conjunction with forest? I’ve had quite enough of dead forests, thank you very much.”
This confuses me, but I’m completely focused on the forest. It doesn’t look at all how I pictured. “Forest” may be a bit of an overstatement, actually. It’s just a collection of sad-looking trees.
Asher taps my knee and I glance down at him. “Not much of a forest, huh? It’s really just a bunch of scrub oak clumped together and some pine trees with palmettos tossed in for good measure.” He rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “But it’ll feel great to get out of the sun for a while. And the shade will cut some of this awful heat.”
He’s right. It feels about twenty degrees cooler the minute we step into the shade. Shortly after entering, we find a clearing and stop for a rest and some lunch. Which, to my dismay, consists of jerky. And even though my nose wrinkles at the sight of the shriveled meat, I eat it anyway.
I just want a solid hour or two to nap, but entirely too soon, Gavin is telling us we need to start going again. And I find myself back on the horse and traveling down that worn path again, trying to ignore how bored and sore I am. Asher is mumbling to me about something, but I’m so hot and tired, his voice is more a droning sound than anything else. I’m finding it harder and harder to stay awake. Suddenly, the entire saddle jerks to the side and I let out a short scream when I feel myself tilting sideways as someone jumps up behind me.
Before I can fall, a strong arm snakes around my waist and pulls me close to a toned chest and stomach. I relax almost instantly. I know who it is even before I look behind to smile at Gavin.
“It’s okay,” he says in my ear. “I won’t let you fall.”
His voice is husky and I shiver, relishing the feel of him being so close. “Okay.”
Asher heaves a world-heavy sigh beside us and we turn to frown down at him. “I see how it is. Completely ignore me. I’ll be just fine being the only one on foot.”
Gavin smirks at him. “It’ll get some muscles in those skinny little bird legs of yours.” He leans against me again and gently pushes my shoulder until I’m facing front, then traces his fingers down my arms, whisper light, until his hands are over mine.
“Grab the reins,” he whispers. And I do, because when he talks like that, it’s hard to resist anything he asks me to do.
His hands tighten around mine, causing my hands to tighten around the reins. For the next little while I amuse myself by letting Gavin teach me how to control Starshine. It’s fascinating, how just a slight pressure from my fingers or my heel tells her exactly what to do. I have to admit I’m quite enjoying myself, but I’m enjoying the feel of Gavin’s body against mine more. Wicked thoughts—thoughts I have no business thinking ever, let alone with Asher less than an arm’s length away—fill my head and I bite my lip, hard, to try and force them away.
Unfortunately, or maybe it’s fortunately, Gavin seems to be thinking the same thoughts. He kisses down my neck, starting just below my ear and moving toward my collarbone. My breath catches in my throat and I let my eyes drift closed.
Now this is more like it, I think.
His hands move from mine to rest on my hips, his fingers trailing along the edge of my waistband, inciting little fires along every single one of my nerve endings. My fingers slip from the reins and I start to twist around to face Gavin, but he only breathes, “Don’t,” in his gloriously husky voice, then goes back to brushing his lips along my neck. The stubble on his jaw prickles my skin.
A throat clears and I blink heavy lids. I try to focus on Asher, who’s grinning up at us. He hands me the reins. “You might want to hang on to these, Princess. Horses have a way of knowing when their riders aren’t paying attention.”
Blushing, I take them from him. “Thank you.”
Gavin only continues his onslaught to my nerves and hormones by nuzzling my neck and running his rough fingers across my stomach. I have to force myself to concentrate on breathing and paying attention to the path ahead of us.
“Stop!” My voice is hoarse and I have to clear my throat. “Stop.”
Gavin chuckles but does as I ask. He crosses his arms across my waist and rests his forehead against the back of my head. It isn’t long before his breathing evens out and his body sags against me. I’m fairly certain he’s fallen asleep. It’s slightly uncomfortable, but I don’t dare wake him up. He needs the rest.
By the time we finally stop to make camp for the night, my back hurts from leaning over the horse. When Gavin helps me down, my legs are stiff and patches of my skin feel raw from the leather saddle, so it’s hard to walk at first. I stumble my way over to where Asher is setting up camp.
“All right, Evie?” Gavin asks. He sounds more rested than I’ve heard in days, especially considering he’d been sleeping on a moving horse in what had to be the most uncomfortable position ever.
“Just tired … and sore.” I rub at the tightness in my arms.
Asher smiles over, knowingly. “You’ll get used to that. Couple more days riding and you won’t be sore at all.”
“Wonderful.” Just what I wanted, more pain.
To take my mind off all that, I help Asher set up the tents—one for each of us. But still my back aches to the point that when we’re finished, I’m grateful the only thing left to do is wait for Gavin to come back from hunting for some fresh meat.
I settle myself next to the campfire Asher is setting up. Asher keeps sneaking glances at me, and when he sits next to me, he asks, “How are you feeling?”
“Still a little sore.” My stomach growls and I press a hand to it in an attempt to make it stop. “And hungry, I guess.”
Asher laughs and scoots closer. “Me, too. Wonder what our famous hunter will bring back.”
“Famous?” I give him a sidelong glance.
“He’s the best in the village, Princess. Why do you think they always send him to go?”
“I’d never thought of it before.” I trace patterns into the dirt. It’s true. Gavin is always off hunting.
“That boy can catch anything.” Asher shakes his head. “But it’s not a job I’d want. Never being home … Only getting to see my family between trips…” He glances over at me as if he’s going to say more, but then turns back to look at the crackling fire.