With a shake of my head, I let the two of them bicker before walking into the kitchen. Pots were pulled out and oats poured into a pot after I begged a bottle of milk from Florrie, who was in the house next door. As I set the pot on the fire, I watched Fern approach Lorien.
“I still can’t believe you did that…” Her hands rose and then fell again. “When you threw yourself off Slate’s back, it felt like my heart went with you.”
“It did?”
My hand stopped stirring as Lorien stepped closer. The man was gazing down at her like he couldn’t believe his luck, and why not? He was the one who saved the day. We were in this together, I was forced to remind myself.
“That leap was pure madness.” She was trying hard to be firm, but her temper seemed to evaporate as he took another step. “You could’ve fallen, could’ve died.”
“No chance of that,” he said. “Benefits of a misspent youth. I’ve thrown myself across bigger gaps than that and lived to tell the tale.”
“And you weren’t injured?” Finally, her hands came to rest on the other man’s chest and I was willing to bet he went perfectly still, just like I did, at her touch. With glancing caresses,she made a show of inspecting him. “You have to have hit the balcony terribly hard.”
“No injuries to speak of.” He tore his tunic off, then his shirt followed suit, leaving the man standing there, naked to the waist in my living room. “Look.”
If it was anyone else, I would’ve snorted at that line, but instead I felt a flush of something red hot. Jealousy, I realised belatedly. I wanted to be the hero of the hour, even though I knew I didn’t have the skills to do what Lorien had. He shivered as her fingers slid across his chest, making a thorough inspection, having earned every caress. That’s what drew me closer. Fern might not be touching me, but I’d be damned if I’d stir porridge while she did someone else. It seemed like the entire wing had the same idea. As I set the pot aside, then moved closer, so did Kael and Dain.
“Seems like a proper inspection is in order,” Kael purred.
“Shut up, brother,” Lorien replied, but he didn’t look away for a second.
“He’s all yours.” Kael continued, unbowed. “We all are.” He nodded as I took my place beside Fern. “So, milady, maybe now’s the time to reach out and take him.”
Chapter 64
Fern
Take him…Kael’s words echoed inside my head, getting louder and louder with each iteration.He’s yours.
The truth of what he said was apparent. Lorien’s eyes followed the every movement of my hand, but it was the flex of his stomach muscles that caught my attention. Lean, hard, they tensed as my hand trailed lower, forcing me to pull away.
“You’re hurt.”
“Not in the way you’re thinking, lass.” Lorien’s hand was scalding hot as it covered mine. He pressed it back against his stomach. “There’s an ache, but its not there.” My palm slid across his skin until it came to rest over his heart. “It’s right here.”
“Because you got injured…” His smile softened and then I shook my head. “Oh.”
“Oh.” His lips pursed, then he nodded. “You always say that when someone does something kind or pays you some attention.” With a tilt of his head Kael’s way, he continued. “Except with that idiot, because he spends all his time riling you up.” The man in question looked completely unrepentant. “When are yougoing to realise we’re all here for you? I’ll leap onto a hundred balconies, break into the king’s palace, if that’s what it takes to make it clear to you.”
I looked down because my cheeks were burning and what swelled inside me felt too big to contain. Lorien wouldn’t allow me a moment, tilting my chin back up so I was forced to meet his eyes.
“When I first met you, all I thought was thank the gods, she’s beautiful,” he said. My teeth sunk into my bottom lip. “I was arrogant and stupid.”
“Kael still is.”
Dain crossed his arms, but did he just wink at me? Before I could interrogate that, Lorien went on.
“Figured fate had decided we were to be together, and I didn’t need to try to impress you. But a male dragon must pursue a female, outfly and outwit her before he can mate her. I needed to do every damn thing I could to impress you. I’ll get you those books. I’ll build a bookshelf a wall wide and fill it up with them.” His arm gestured how big it would be. “Gods, I’ll even…” He shook his head in revulsion. “I’ll even sit and read them with you.”
“If you knew how big a promise that is,” Kael said with a smile.
“But I do.” My voice failed and I was forced to clear my throat before I went on. “In the library, you hated every minute of reading through those books.”
“Not hated.” His head dropped lower. “Couldn’t, not when I was with you, because you’ve got to see it. I was prepared to read every damn book on dragons, if that’s what it took. That’s why I sat there in the library, eyes burning from lack of sleep. It’s why I went into the damn tomb and why I confronted the general. I just needed you to look at me, like you are now.”
My tongue flicked over my bottom lip, my mouth suddenly dry. I needed a drink.
No, this.
