That just makes him laugh more.
“Would you rather do something else?” he eventually asks.
Thoughts of their garden fill her, but that would require leaving his embrace. “I enjoy lying here with you.”
“There was a ‘but’ in there. I heard it in your voice.”
With a light laugh, she leans over his chest to see his face better, and his heart beats even faster.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing more of our garden,” she says.
His hand finds its way to her back, and he gently circles his finger against her dress. It’s such an intimate touch that every press of his finger sends shivers racing up and down her spine.
“The garden?” he asks. “Not the labyrinth?”
“Actually, Rominy, I’ve been thinking—”
“No.”
“How do you know what I’m going to say?”
In a high-pitched voice, he says, “Rominy, what if the dragon didn’t mean to kill you? Maybe it was scared or hurt or—”
Elowyn buries her face against his chest. “You know me too well.”
“I’ve only cracked the surface, but I’m starting to.”
She finds his eyes again.
“Can’t I just buy you a puppy or a pony or something?” he asks. “Does it have to be a dragon?”
“The heartlanding put a dragon in our garden. Surely that means something.”
“Yes. Keep out. Stay back. Don’t die.”
For a moment, she gazes into his caramel eyes as she tries not to smile, and eventually he groans.
“Fine. But if I die another gruesome death—”
She cuts him off with a kiss, which he eagerly returns as her fire magic warms her from within.
When she pulls away, he sighs. “Let’s go see this pet dragon of yours. And you can kiss me all you want as gratitude for my bravery.”
Laughter bubbles up inside her again, and she briefly presses her lips to his once more. Then she crawls off his chest and reaches for his hand, and together they make their way to the cabin below.
Suit Up
Episode 56
AsRominyfollowsElowyninto their cottage below, she creates a ball of golden light in her palm to illuminate their steps. Apparently, it’s night here, too.
“Maybe we should wait for daylight,” he suggests, and she glances back at him. Disappointment laces her eyes, and he sighs. “Let’s find our shoes.”
At his words, a stunning smile replaces her disappointment, and his breath catches. She looked at him with that same smile when they first glimpsed each other at the border between their kingdoms.
He never would have guessed they’d be married and chasing a dragon in this strange place less than a week later. What an unexpected turn his life has taken.
But other than his untimely death and that man in Wolbourne, Rominy regrets nothing. He may die again before the night is over, but if she keeps looking at him like that, it would be worth it.
