“I’m never going to get rid of that fucking nickname, am I?” he asks and lets out a sigh that ends with an amused chuckle.
I’ve never heard Sabin laugh as much as he has on this outing, and as much as I like the deep rich tone of it, his levity is also unsettling.
“Well, up until thirty seconds ago, you earned it fair and square. I didn’t know you hadthatin you, Captain."
Maybe I did actually fall and hit my head, and this is all some elaborate coma-fantasy, I offhandedly wonder as I grab Darcy’s reins and pat his neck. Sabin jumps down off of Bennet’s back and runs his hands over Darcy, checking his legs and feet for injuries.
“I was terrified you were going to fall off and smash into a tree. You did everything absolutely right.”
Sabin stares at me with obvious relief and something else I’m not sure if I’m seeing correctly. We both just stand there, staring at each other, neither one of us sure what the hell to do now.
“So, what the fuck was that?” I blurt uncensored.
He rubs the back of his neck and stares at the ground for a second before answering me.
“Well, that’s what we casters like to call a kiss.”
I roll my eyes at Sabin’s smart ass response, but I don’t miss the slight blush that creeps up his neck and into his dimpled cheeks.
“Have you been body snatched?” I ask randomly, and take a dramatic step back.
Sabin snorts and shakes his head.
“No, no body snatching. Although if I was, I probably wouldn’t admit to it.”
I huff at his solid logic. He studies me for a couple more seconds and then takes a deep breath.
“I wasn’t planning on kissing you. I just wanted to talk to you, to get to know you better. That was my only goal with all of this.” He gestures to the horses. “But I was just so fucking relieved you were okay. Then you were smiling and laughing and just so damn beautiful. I just didn’t want to stop myself anymore. I didn’t want to hold back. I’m sorry.”
Sabin’s candid confession astounds me, and I look back and forth between his deep forest-green eyes, not sure what to think or say.
“Valen was right when he told me I needed to stop being afraid. I thought I was being smart and protected by keeping my distance, but really I was just scared and fighting what I now realize was inevitable.”
“Sabin, you don’t even like me,” I say confused.
“Vinna, that’s not true. I was drawn to you from the first minute I saw you, but it scared the shit out of me. You fit so seamlessly with us, and I convinced myself you were too good to be true. I know I fucked up and pushed you away. I hate that I did that. I hate that it hurt you. I realized just how wrong I was the night my runes showed up.”
Sabin brushes the back of his hand lightly against my cheek.
“I could feel thatrightnessthat you and the others were talking about. I could feel my magic responding and being strengthened by yours. Magic in its basest form is pure, and my magic wants to be tied to yours. That blew all of my doubts and reservations away. It forced me to wake up and see you for what you are.”
“What’s that?” I ask quietly.
“Ours.”
Sabin’s gaze is filled with such raw intensity that I look away, not able to take it and process what he’s saying at the same time. Forgiveness is not a talent of mine, and I’m not sure where that leaves any of this. I knew when all of us agreed to try for a relationship that Sabin was included in that scenario. I guess, I just never gave much thought to what it would look like if he pulled his head out of his ass.
“I think Darcy may have a shoe loose. It’s probably best not to keep riding him. We can double up on Bennet and head back.”
Sabin ties Darcy up to Bennet’s saddle and swings himself up onto her back. He puts a hand out for me, and I grab it. I expect him to position me behind him, but he swings me up in front of him instead. His saddle is different than mine. There’s no horn to hold onto in the front, so it’s not completely uncomfortable, just awkward. I’m half in Sabin’s lap and half on Bennet’s shoulder area.
He clicks Bennet into action, and we slowly start to trace our steps back to the stables. The feel of Sabin at my back is comforting and welcome in a way that it shouldn’t be. Not with everything that’s gone on with us. Apparently, a mind-blowing kiss is all I need to abandon good sense. I get what he’s saying about our magic making it clear what we should do. I felt drawn to these guys before I could make sense of it, and right now with him is no different.
“Sabin, how am I supposed to trust this?” I ask earnestly after we’ve been riding in weighted silence for a while.
“I don’t expect you to let everything slide, or give me your complete trust after everything that’s happened. I just need you to let me earn it. Give me a chance. Let me show you the other sides to who I am. I am more than Captain Cockblock.”
I can’t help the snicker that escapes my lips, and I feel Sabin’s vibrating laughter in his chest.
