She didn’t have experience with men; Venn had been the first to ever look at her with such attention. She wasn’t sure where to start in brokering their own alliance, but she wanted to believe it was possible. She wanted to fight for him.
She just needed to find the right words.
The day progressed, and they paused often to allow their horse rest. Sometimes they walked along the road, the horse plodding behind them with only the weight of their packs. But even though Vera’s newly healed feet didn’t appreciate the travel, it was infinitely better than traveling with the mercenaries. She had plenty of food and water—something she would never again take for granted.
When the sun hung low on the horizon, Venn finally steered them off the road. Vera thought he would move for the thicket of trees for some shelter, but he paced away from them. “The trees aren’t deep enough to hide in,” he said. “I want to see what’s around us. That way no one can surprise us.”
They worked to make a hasty camp, with their two bedrolls placed on opposite sides of a small campfire. After eating dinner, Venn moved to tend to the horse, and Vera repacked their rations. That done, she found the small jar of ointment Jaadah had given her.
She twisted off the lid and the citrus and mint smell of the salve wafted around her. Her raw wrists had healed considerably over the past few days after applying the salve, but after a long day of travel, she was ready for the cool relief of the ointment.
“May I help?”
Vera started; she hadn’t heard Venn approach, but he stood only a pace away, eyeing her with a strangely guarded expression.
Fight for it.
Nerves danced in her abdomen, but she nodded. “Please.”
Surprise sparked in his eyes and a needle of guilt pierced her, because she knew she was to blame for that.
Venn knelt on the ground in front of her, and she held the jar of ointment as he dipped his fingers into the healing mixture. He held her free hand and began to gingerly spread the ointment over her abused wrist. His touch was far gentler than when she’d applied the salve herself, and her scalp prickled pleasantly at his careful ministrations. While his eyes were locked on his work, she stared at him.
He was close enough that she could smell the familiar leather and spice scent of him. Strands of dark hair had escaped his ponytail and now framed his angular face, and his dark brows were knit in concentration as he tended her wrist. He was undeniably handsome, and though he wasn’t smiling now, she knew the flash of his grin would melt her.
It always had.
His smooth jaw was near enough that she could have stroked it before he could lean away. She was tempted, but refrained; she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
The quiet intensity that he’d had ever since their reunion was still in place, and that shift from his normal teasing nature made it even harder to interact with him. She couldn’t guess his thoughts, or play off of his humor as she’d done in the past.
“Do you remember the day we met?” she asked suddenly.
Venn glanced up, his ministrations pausing. “Yes.”
He said nothing else, and color invaded her cheeks. She shouldn’t have asked such an unexpected question. She’d only wanted to bring them back to familiar ground, and—
“I remember every single thing about you, Vera,” Venn whispered, his eyes fixed on her.
Her heart tripped. She hadn’t expectedthat. It took considerable effort to remember her thoughts—what she wanted to say. “I didn’t speak a word to you. You must have thought I was terribly rude or foolish.”
“Not at all.” His eyes dipped to his fingers as he traced the ointment over her reddened wrist. His light touch raised every hair on her body. “My dashingly good looks have stunned many a girl to silence.” He shot her a quick grin, to show he was teasing.
Her lungs stopped working for a moment, but she managed to crack a smile. “You are so humble.”
“Humility is just one of mymanygreat strengths.”
She chuckled and shook her head, but inside, she thrilled. This was what it used to be like between them.
The ointment was fully applied, but his callused fingers continued to move softly over one wrist, coaxing words from a place deep inside her. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she admitted. “After that first meeting, I was always peeking through the doorway of every room I entered. I couldn’t decide if I wanted you to be there or not. I was mortified that I hadn’t said anything, and I was worried about what you must have thought of me. Or if maybe I hadn’t made an impression at all.”
“You made a very deep impression,” he murmured.
Vera eyed him, though he wasn’t looking at her. She wished she could read his mind. But he hadn’t asked her to stop, so she continued. “I knew our paths would cross again, obviously, but I wasn’t sure what I should say. I couldn’t decide if I should ignore what had happened last time, or address it. I hadn’t made up my mind when it happened. I was carrying a basket of sewing supplies, and then suddenly there you were in the middle of the princess’s sitting room. I did the first thing I could think of and bobbed a curtsy.”
“Ah, yes,” Venn chuckled. “I was so surprised by that. I didn’t quite know what to do. And then you threw those scissors at me.”
She flushed. “I didn’t throw them. They fell out of the basket when I bowed.”
