“What?” I lick pulp and juice from my fingers. I’m a mess. I hardly stopped to chew. My eyes widen. “Did you want some? Was that the last one?” He’s not fond of fruit, so I didn’t think to ask.
“No. And no.” He sweeps his thumb under my lower lip, catching a drip. He licks the juice from his finger, and the intimacy of the simple act thumps me in the chest.
He hands me the dried meat again, but I shake my head.
“Eat it,” Griffin says, “or I’ll sit on you until you do.”
My mouth drops open in what I’m sure is a very attractive way. “I knew you were overbearing, but don’t you think that’s taking it a bit far, Your High-Handedness?”
“I knew you were stubborn, but don’t you know you can’t survive on oranges alone? That’s practically all you’ve eaten for days.”
“I have bread!” I hold up the bread.
“Bread fills the belly. It does little to nourish the body.”
I start to argue, then stop and scowl. “It’s annoying when you make sense.”
“Would you rather I were a fool?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Meat.” He slaps it into my hand. “Eat.”
I roll my eyes. “You could rival Calliope with poetry like that.”
“My ability to get what I want is legendary.” It’s not a boast. It’s fact. “I’ll do this every day if I have to, all day, until you stop arguing and eat some damn meat.”
I glower at him, secretly enjoying his gruff concern and domineering ways, something I’ll never admit to—not on my deathbed or beyond. “Fine. But I’ll wait for the rabbit. We should save our dried supplies for the Ice Plains.”
Griffin gives me a hardI’m holding you to thatlook before putting the cured meat away.
Compromise. I guess it’s not so bad.
While the rabbits hiss and cook on the spit, I settle against Griffin’s side, breaking off bits of bread to eat and also feeding some to Griffin. My mind wanders to our time in Kitros. Too close for real comfort to Castle Tarva and the enemy royals who live there, Griffin and I rarely left our room at the inn while Carver, Kato, and Flynn took care of replenishing supplies and replacing damaged items.
Heat blossoms low in my abdomen at the memories that flood to mind. Staying out of sight and “resting” extensively furthered my understanding of Griffin’s thorough and inventive nature. I never knew what to expect when his eyes turned that stormy gray and he prowled toward me, clearly intent on stripping me bare. His lovemaking can be long and slow with soft touches and gentle words. Or it can be fast and hard with fevered hands and shuddering breath. I’ve had my back against the wall—and my front. I’ve had his mouth between my legs until I scream and thunder shakes the room, and I’ve been naked on my knees with my hair gripped tight in his fists doing things that definitely don’t require a bed.
I lift my face and kiss his scruffy jaw, the heat from Griffin’s big body matching the warmth now swirling through mine.
A smile curves his wide mouth. “What was that for?”
I flush, certain my heart and my thoughts are in my eyes. “Kitros.”
“Ah, Kitros.” His silver gaze glitters like the first stars at twilight. His arm tightens around my waist, and he lowers his head, his breath warming my neck as he presses a lingering kiss to the sensitive spot below my ear. His lips are firm but soft. His stubble rasps. Tingles ripple down my spine.
I slide my fingers into his windblown hair, desire licking through me. “If we were alone, I’d want you inside me right now.”
He groans softly. “Right now?”
“Right. Now.”
“With only a kiss on the neck?” His rough whiskers lightly scrape the shell of my ear.
I shiver, shifting closer to him. “I was ready without the kiss on the neck. Now I’m desperate for you.” I grip his hair, keeping his dark head close to mine. Our cheeks brush as I whisper in his ear. “Just thinking about the things we did in Kitros makes me hot and wet. You’d slide right in, and I’d clench you so hard your mind would go blank.”
Griffin’s hand convulses on my hip. His grip is possessive. Deliciously hard. I hear him swallow. His voice comes to me a shade deeper, and a good deal rougher. “You have no idea how much I want that.”
I moan quietly. “I want it more. I want you. There’s a pulse between my legs. If you touch me, I’ll explode.”
