“My flirting with you. It was just the brew.”
I frowned. “I know that.”
“And you were the only person of the same species as me. It was either throw myself at you, or throw myself at…”
“A pixie.”
“Exactly.”
She wriggled against me, and I was acutely aware of everyplace her legs touched mine. Suddenly, my skin felt too warm. Too hot.
“So, whatever I did,” she said, her voice getting softer. “Whatever I said… You just need to know. It wasn’t really me.”
“I know,” I repeated. “Eira, I was only teasing you before because your reactions were amusing.”
“Right. Of course.”
We both fell silent again. I listened closely to the wind, trying to determine if it was getting stronger or fading out. I had no idea how long the storm would last. But so far, our clothes remained tucked around us. I felt the occasional bite of wind, but Eira’s warmth was cocooned around me.
“So you weren’t at all tempted?” she asked.
“What?”
“You weren’t tempted to…tryanything with me while I was drunk on that brew?”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry.No, I wasn’t,I thought.
I wasn’t tempted.
Not at all.
But the lie died on my lips. I could think it all I wanted, but it couldn’t be spoken aloud.
I shifted slightly, then froze, painfully aware of how my arm rested against her bare breasts. Blood and ice, she was everywhere.
“I wasn’t going to let anything happen,” I said.
“Just tell me you weren’t tempted, Theron,” she said slyly. “Say the words.”
I clenched my teeth so hard my head began to throb. “You were… very persuasive.” I cleared my throat. “Perhaps, for a moment, I was tempted.”
“Hmm.” The amusement in her voice was clear. “Interesting.”
“Is it?” I snapped. “I mean, it’s as you said—it was either you, or those feral pixies. It’s not outrageous that of every creature there, I found you the most attractive.”
“Yes, well,youweren’t drunk on Winterwing Brew. You had no reason for eventhinkingabout physical attraction.”
I fell silent at that, my nostrils flared and my blood roaring with indignation.I did when you were pushed up against me in that cave,I thought.
But saying those words would only make the situation worse.
“What do you think would have happened?” Eira breathed. “If you had drunk the brew, too?”
I stilled, my heart racing. If Ihadbeen stupid enough to drink that foul liquid—which was highly unlikely, as I swore to stay away from fae drinks—then…
I drew in a ragged breath as I let myself envision it for one dangerous moment. Eira and me, dancing in the crowd of pixies, our bodies entwined. Stumbling to the caves together, laughing as we shucked off our clothes. Pressing her against the cave wall, running my fingers along her soft skin. Kissing her. Tasting her. Thrusting into her so hard that I made her cry out my name, her fingernails digging into the bare skin of my back and shoulders…
Eira suddenly tensed beside me, and I snapped out of my delirious fantasy.
