“Just give me—” he groans. “A minute.”
I nod, unwilling to detach our bodies and make another mistake. Itwould be comical if it were anyone else, but of course, it had to be us. And my dumb luck, I kneed him in his manhood.
Gods.Is this karma paying me back for being a jerk? Well, I guess it would be his karma, too. It’s been less than a day, and he’s been on top of me, and now I'm on top of him.
A soft giggle slips past my lips, but I quickly bite my lower lip to stifle it as memories of last night collide with the present. One sapphire eye pops open.
“Are you laughing?” He looks at me incredulously, his breath low and raspy, still tinted with pain. At least he can manage a few words. Unable to suppress the urge any longer, another giggle bubbles up, and I surrender to the moment, allowing my laughter to build and flow freely. I bury my face in his chest because where the heck else can I hide?
A moment later, I feel a deep rumble of laughter resonating from him, the sound tumbling through me before I lift my gaze to meet his. He’s looking at me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. Everything shifts, reality rushes in, and suddenly I’m aware of every inch of our bodies and where they’re touching.
“Sorry,” I whisper, my voice barely rising above the sounds of nature waking up.
“You're burning up.” His hands mold around my waist, effortlessly lifting me as I push against his shoulders until I stand above him. Gods, he’s breathtaking. Early dawn sunlight streams through the trees, illuminating miles of golden skin stretched over packed muscles.
I can’t help but think that the gods must be enjoying a good laugh right now. It seems that fate has a wicked sense of humor, continually drawing us back into questionable situations. I groan inwardly, thinking of the girls' suggestion that Anders and I take each other to bed, hiding my flushed cheeks as I turn away. I take a clarifying breath before turning back toward him.
“I’m just hot from the run.”
“No, this isn’t the first time. Your skin feels hot to the touch.”
I look down at myself as if I can see the heat rising from my skin. “I feel fine.” I shrug. I reach out as Anders’ gaze flickers between meand my outstretched hand. A frisson of delight traces my spine when his massive, calloused fingers wrap around my wrist. He easily pulls himself up, gripping the boulder that caused this chaos, leaving me to balance my weight as he rises.
My chest tightens with guilt while a heavy knot forms in the pit of my stomach. I remind myself that it wasn’t my fault he fell. “Thanks.”
“Turn around, let me see.” I say, twirling my finger.
He shoots me a teasing smirk before complying. “Never would’ve thought you were an ass kinda girl, but sure.” His tone is annoyingly playful.
I’m about to scoff when his back comes into view. Beyond the smear of dirt and gravel, there are a few superficial cuts scattered across his skin, but what grabs my attention is the deep gash just beneath his shoulder blade. Blood oozes from the wound, tracing a path of crimson through the grime.
“You’re bleeding,” I mutter, horror and concern lacing my voice.
He looks over his shoulder as if he can assess the damage himself and shrugs. I can’t tear my gaze away. Blood doesn’t make me squeamish, but seeing him hurt has more guilt settling in my stomach like a weighted rock.
“I’ll be fine.”
Despite my rising anxiety, I shake my head and gently brush away the dirt and leaves. If I had more fabric to work with, I could use my shirt to patch him up, but considering he’s shirtless and I’m in a sports bra and running shorts, there’s very little material to go around.
“We need to get back. I’ll patch it myself if you want.” My fingers linger over tender spots. If we don’t go soon, we'll probably miss breakfast. It was reckless to drag him out here, and for what?
He shivers when my thumb brushes over another tattoo on his back I’ve never noticed, probably because I haven’t been close enough to him while he’s shirtless to really take in the details. The tattoo is a series of waves, each line a swirling pattern of thick black ink. My fingers instinctively follow the curves and lines, tracing the artworkthat spans over his left shoulder and part of his spine as the waves crest.
As my fingertips drift down, they pause over another tattoo that caught my eye before. This one is even more expansive, extending up his whole right side. It combines bold lines and swirling shapes, creating a collage of elements that appear to be distinct. Dancing swirls at the bottom represent flames, followed by flowing waves symbolizing water above, and finally, the airy swirls at the top look like gusts of wind.
His skin prickles as I continue to trace the thick, dark lines, moving from his hip up towards his ribs, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my touch. A question escapes my lips before I can stop myself.
“Do they hurt?” My voice comes out breathless. I’ve always thought tattoos were beautiful pieces of art, but I don’t know if I’m brave enough to get one. And where would I put it? One day soon, I’ll have the Lumos Bond mark, but I won’t have a say in the magical design. The only thing I know for sure is that it will start on my left hand and wind up my wrist, just like every Lumos marking.
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that, Princess.” His voice is low and teasing. Our eyes lock. He’s been studying me over his shoulder. I instinctively drop my hands, tucking loose strands of hair behind my ears like I've just been caught touching something I shouldn't be.
“The tattoos,” I clarify, feeling mildly flustered. I hold my wrist out toward him, showcasing the crest marked on my wrist. He turns to face me fully now, clearly unfazed by our proximity. He cradles my hand in his, brushing his thumb over my inked skin. “I don’t remember getting this one,” I say.
“They can if you don’t take the elixir.”
A moment passes before he’s gripping my biceps, gentle yet firm. His expression shifts to one of concern, and he scans me as though searching for clues that I might have sustained an injury. “You didn’t hit your head, did you?” His gaze scrutinizes every inch of my bodybefore finally returning to meet my eyes, revealing his annoying dimple at the corner of his mouth as his lips tilt up in a playful smile.
“Nope.” The sound of the ‘P’ popping annoys me. “Not a scratch. Just had to check since you’re being so sweet.”
