An hour later, victorious infourrounds of carpo, I’m still grinning and flushed with my victory as Merrick carefully puts a large bowl of steaming stew down in the middle of the table and Matthias packs up his cards with a pout. It’s followed by a wooden tray of small rye rolls, enough for one each. He waves off our thanks. “I picked this up from the hearth earlier. It just needed a pinch more seasoning to be perfect.”
Everyone serves themselves, laughter and chaos ensuing as Sol and Rio squabble over a spoon and Esme sneaks the roll left for Sol on the tray while he’s not looking.
He doesn’t even look. “You know I can’t eat that,Es-mer-ay. No point in hiding it, you little sneak.”
“I made you one with rice flour,” Merrick interjects. “It’s on the counter.”
“Thanks, Merrick.” He gets to his feet. “Glad to knowsomeoneappreciates my sensitivities.”
“I appreciateallyour sensitivities.” Matthias purrs the words with laughter underscoring each one, his loss forgotten, and Rio snickers. “Every single one.”
“Ugh,” Esme grimaces. “Also,Iknow that.” She tears the roll in two, tossing the far bigger half to Leo and running the remaining sliver around her bowl to gather up the juices. “I’m preventing the inevitable wrestle between Rio and Callan over who gets your allocation.”
“Good idea.” Rio stretches his arms above his head, smirking slyly. “Wouldn’t want you to pull a muscle, Cal. Not after last time. Besides, you need your rest.”
“I can see your lips moving,” Callan muses. His fingers brush my shoulder, and I look down to watch him nudge his own roll onto the side of my plate with his free hand. “But all I’m hearing are excuses.”
Esme’s whisper is loud as she addresses me. “Merrick banned them from wrestling in the house.”
Merrick sighs. “And for nothing, since they took it outside instead. Last time, half the town came to watch for entertainment and Esme led the betting.”
Smiling, I tear the roll into three. One part for Leo, who crows with delight as his gifted bread pile grows bigger and he happily starts munching through it.
I chew on the second before holding the third part up to Callan in silent offer. He takes the small piece with his teeth, his lips brushing my thumb and making me shiver. “Thank you. You didn’t ask who won that wrestling match.”
My blink is innocent. “I assumed it was Rio.”
Callan’s mouth drops open. Laughter echoes around us, and my smile creases my face.
His low murmur in my ear has my expression shifting between one word and the next. “Perhaps I could show you some of my moves later.”
My brows pull together. I press my lips into a tight line, not looking at him.
“All the moves,” he almost purrs, and a choked noise comes from my throat. “I seem to have a point to prove. I’m anexcellentwrestler, Amaris. And I play to win.”
A loud snort slips free despite my attempts to keep it in, and I slap my hands over my mouth. “Oh, gods. Stop… whatever this is supposed to be.Please.”
His deep chuckle only makes my own laughter deepen. “I’m extremely disappointed that my wrestling talk doesn’t impress you. I’ll have to try harder.”
It doesnot. But his eyes, lit with amusement, and that grin that curls up his mouth as he leans back in his chair and rakes his hands through his hair—
That does something.
I glance down, taking in the thin strip of gold above his waistband as he stretches. My mouth turns dry at the dusting of brown hair that trails down, hidden from my eye. I bite down on my lip.
How unfortunate.
The back of my neck warms, and when I jerk my head up, he’s watching. “Perhaps alittleimpressed?”
His grin grows wider at my blatant assessment. Only to vanish when I lean forward. My movements are hidden by the table as my fingers skate across that warm patch of skin, and I feel Callan’s stomach flex beneath my touch as he shudders.
It’s a heady feeling. I’m already grinning before I look up to claim my victory in our small game—
Callan’s hand grips my chin. Not hard, but swiftly enough to pull a startled noise from my lips as he angles my head and covers my mouth with his own. Warm, soft, he presses his mouth to mine for a single, heated moment. His tongue traces my lips, and they part for him as I inhale.
Just enough for me to soften, to lean into him, before he pulls away andsmirks.“I intend to repeat that later. All over.”
My head feels dazed. “Perhaps we both won this game.”
