“Very good,” I praised. “Now, walk to me,” I said, holding my arms out for her to grab onto.
The princess’s mouth opened in horror. “I just made it up here! You can’t expect me to—”
I dropped my arms to my sides. “I can. And I do.” I said, my expression clean of any humor. “You’ve got this.” I couldn’t help the lopsided grin that slipped free, though. “Just don’t fall.”
“Great instruction. Top tier shit, Slate,” she quipped. “Thanks for that.”
I gave her a proper bow, bending at the waist and keeping my eyes glued to the beam below me. Slowly, I lifted my head, meeting her surprise at the other end. “I’m at your service, Princess.”
Gray recovered as she tipped to one side with her shoulder and sharply caught herself. “Don’t do that. Not while I’m up here,” she griped. “It’s distracting. Don’t want to have a splattered princess, right?”
“Oh, most definitely don’t.”
Gray inhaled a deep breath to muster her courage. Unsteadily, she placed one foot in front of the other along the training beam. Her eyes never left the piece of wood directly below her feet, which was her first mistake, but the most common rookie one.
“Eyes on me, Princess.”
“Kinda trying not to plummet to imminent pain and suffering.” Gray’s eyes remained glued to the beam as she struggled to find her balance.
“Look at me, and it’ll be less likely,” I instructed. “Do you trust me?”
Gray paused, her body wobbling on the beam. Sweat beaded down over her eyelashes, and she blew out a shaky breath. Slowly, she inched her head upward until she peered at me through her eyelashes. “Yes.”
In her eyes, I could see the unspoken plea.Please don’t break it.
With a smile, I held my hand out to her. “Walk to my hand.”
Hesitantly, she worked to get her footing right and fought to keep her balance. She tilted from side to side with her arms out wide, keeping her eyes glued to mine.
“There you go,” I encouraged. “Almost there, Gray.”
A small smile slipped from one side of her lips, her steps coming easier and slightly faster.
Pride swelled in my chest at her confidence and natural ability.
Reaching out a hand in preparation to grab hold of mine, her back foot snagged on her front, toppling her over the side of the beam.
I didn’t think. In a split-second, I lunged toward her, dropping to the beam just in time to snatch her wrist from the air.
Gray’s body flipped around until she dangled by her arm in my grasp, feet kicking the air helplessly in a panic.
“I got you, Gray,” I grunted. “Trust me.”
In my dash to catch her, I had flung my body to where I draped over the beam. Its sharp edges dug into my ribs and pressed into my lungs, but I didn’t care. Her safety came first.
Thanking the gods for my own rigorous training, I maintained my hold on her wrist while pulling myself into a balancedsquatting position on the thin wood board. Once I had my footing, I heaved her up to join me.
Gray wrapped her arms around my torso, squeezing me tightly against her. I held her in a protective embrace, gasping while I awkwardly balanced us on the beam. “I’ve got you,” I whispered into her sweaty, frazzled hair. “You’re safe with me.”
“You caught me.”
I nodded, my chin rubbing against the crown of her head. “I did. I told you to trust me.”
The princess didn’t speak, her cheek pressed against my chest as she fought to catch her breath.
“But hey, you did it, Gray.” I didn’t want to let go of her. Shit, she felt so good in my arms.
“Did what?”
