Adara raised her eyebrows. “Are you sure that’s what you said?” She got to her feet and walked toward me, hips swaying gently with the movement. I swallowed a curse as she crouched down directly in front of me and placed two fingers on my pulse. A lightning bolt of desire shot straight from my neck and into my loins, and I clenched my jaw.
“You don’t seem to have any swelling there, or a fever,” she said, moving her hand from my neck to my forehead. Every touch sent little shivers of pleasure through my body, and I fisted my hands at my sides, trying to keep myself perfectly still.
“Stop. Touching. Me.” I forced out between gritted teeth.
She sat back a little, her expression pinched with annoyance. “I’m just trying to make sure you’re well before I give you the potion. It’s usually harmless, but if a person is sick it can make their symptoms worse.” Her eyes narrowed. “And while you don’t seem to have a fever, your faceisa little flushed.”
“I’m not sick,” I snapped, snatching her wrist before she could touch me again.
But that turned out to be a mistake, giving my body the chance to betray me. Because instead of pushing her away, I pulled herontome.
Straight into my lap.
Adara gasped, and I toppled backward in surprise. She landed on top of me, her curves molding to my body, and I hissed as my skin heated in response. I froze as her long legs settled around my waist, as her small hands curved around my biceps, as the heat between her legs sank into me. My cock stiffened to full attention, and there was no hiding it this time, not when we were pressed so closely together.
Her cornflower blue eyes widened, and this time it was her cheeks that stained with color. A blush that spread from the roots of her hair and disappeared beneath the neckline of her tunic. Her nipples stiffened beneath the fabric, scraping against my chest, and the air thickened with the scent of her arousal.
I wanted to push her off, to shove her away as far as possible.
But my body wouldn’t allow me, because every part of me screamed to touch her. To strip her bare and lick every inch of her shimmering skin until I reached the source of that delicious scent. The primal part of me knew she’d taste even better than she smelled, and I swallowed hard as my mouth watered.
But I didn’t give in, because I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop if I did. The urge to claim her was too intense. All I could do was remain still, and pray to the Radiants that Adara had more self-control than I did.
The sound of water hissing filled the air, and Adara’s head snapped up, her gaze tearing from mine. “Giant’s teeth!” she swore, leaping from my body. She rushed over to the bubbling clay pot and snatched it from the flames, then set it on a cool rock nearby. Relief swept through me as she stirred the contents, and I sucked in a gulping breath, willing my heart to slow, my blood to cool, my muscles to relax.
“Phew, that was a close one.” She put the wooden spoon aside and brought the pot to me, crouching down next to me. “It’s ready; drink up so we can get going.”
Her eyes settled on a spot near my nose as she offered me the contents, refusing to meet my gaze. It seemed that she, too, was not willing to acknowledge what nearly passed between us, and I was grateful for that.
“All right.” I took the bowl from her, trying not to think too hard about this. If she was planning on poisoning me, now would be the perfect time to do it. Sweat broke out across my skin, and for a brief moment, I considered tossing the potion into the grass.
Instead, I tipped my head back, and swallowed the contents in one go.
13
Adara
For a heart-stopping moment, I worried that I’d gotten the potion wrong. Einar sat there, blinking at me, his eyes still that same, damning gold color that would give us away. Biting my lip, I wondered if there were any other options. Could I tear a strip of cloth off my tunic and wrap it around his eyes like a blind fold?
“Oww!” Einar slapped a hand over his eyes. “What in the blazes is happening?”
“It’s working!” I crowed, relief lightening the tension in my chest. “Perfect. Now we won’t have to pretend that you’re blind.”
“What?” His eyelids flew open, brows drawing into a scowl, and I grinned. They were a boring moss green now, no hint of gold to be seen. “Were you going to blind me if this didn’t work?”
I snorted. “You’re so dramatic,” I said, getting to my feet. I kicked some dirt over the fire we’d made, then stomped on it for good measure to put it out. “Come on, let’s get going. We need to make it to Talamh before dark.”
Einar muttered somethingveryuncomplimentary under his breath, but he didn’t argue as he followed me out of the trees. We set out for the capital, walking alongside the river. I knew from studying maps of the kingdom that it led straight to the city, though Mother had never taken me there. A constant anxiety for her simmered in the back of my mind, but I had to admit the thought of finally visiting a big city for the first time in my life was exciting.
I glanced sidelong at Einar as we walked, who was staring straight ahead, a stoic expression on his handsome face. My skin tingled as I remembered the way my body responded to him when he’d yanked me on top of him. A savage hunger had roared to life inside me, and the intensity of it had stunned me as much as the lust that had burned behind his golden eyes.
I’d never felt such desire for anyone, not even Dune. And while Dune and I had never made love, we’d done a lot more than just touch each other.
And where did that get you?A voice in my head scolded. The taboo nature of our relationship coupled with the yearning I’d felt for Dune had blinded me to reality, had spurred me to spin fantasies in my head of a future that was never going to come to pass.
Besides, it was clear that despite the mutual attraction between us, Einar loathed me. He was only helping me because it suited him. The fact that I felt anything other than annoyance toward him was proof that lust was a treacherous thing, not to be trusted, and certainly never something to base decisions on.
If Dune had taught me anything, it was that hearts were selfish things, capable of fooling even the sharpest of minds with sweet lies and false promises. My mind was the only thing I could trust. And it was only as reliable as my ability to keep my gaze clear and focused and on the road ahead.
