Oh Gods.I lurched toward the inn’s door, but the second I brushed the door handle, Kole opened it with a carpet in tow.
I jumped back, and he halted, as if my presence took him by surprise as much as his did me.
His hair was ruffled, and his breathing was rapid, as though he’d been running, which made no sense whatsoever. The inn’s quarters were much too tight to run through.
“You’re still here.” My shoulders sagged in relief.
He eyed me, and I could only imagine what I looked like. Frantic energy likely filled my aura.
“Of course, I am.” He moved out into the street until his huge carpet was free of the door.
His enchanted carpet was large, colorful, and looked brand new. He maneuvered it easily, even having slipped it fully through the door without knocking anything over in our vicinity.
“Did you get lost?” I joked.
“No. I, uh, had to do a few things first. Sorry to make you wait.” He began to unfurl the carpet. It rolled awkwardly, asthough it’d been tightly coiled for months and was only just being allowed to breathe.
I shrugged. “That’s okay. I’m glad you showed.”
He peered up at me, and once again, his rugged masculinity threatened to steal my breath. “Did you doubt that I would?”
I wrung my hands and forced a smile. “No?”
His penetrating stare didn’t waver. “I wouldn’t abandon you, Prim. I promised you could join me. I was always going to show.”
His tone left no room for argument, and something in me calmed. Even though I didn’t know Kole well—if at all—his statement told me that if the warrior gave his word to someone, he kept it. “Sorry that I doubted you.”
“It’s all right.” He returned his attention to the carpet, and once it was fully flat, it levitated automatically on its own. Thick magic puffed around it, and the strong scent of woven fibers filled my nose. It not only looked new, but it smelled new too.
Kole grabbed my supplies and began to stack them in the back. I joined him and studied the bright carpet colors that were in direct contrast to the angry sky.
“Do you require travelers to remove their footwear?” I bumped his elbow playfully.
He stopped mid-movement. “What?”
I nodded toward his carpet. “It’s so clean. It looks brand new. I figured you may be one of those fae who don’t allowanyone to wear shoes on their carpet. How else could it be so spotless?”
He reached for another box and said gruffly, “No, you can keep your shoes on.”
My brow furrowed, but I finished helping him with my supplies.
Within minutes, everything was magically strapped into place, and we were ready to go. I glanced toward the northern skyline. The Wildland Mountain peaks gleamed with fresh white snow, and I thought of the creature last night. Of what potentially waited for us in the Wood.
Suddenly, I was very thankful that I was traveling with an Imperial Warrior whose very job was to hunt such things. I could only hope that Nym, Jessip, and Felix would be lucky enough to avoid them if any more were lurking about.
Kole jumped onto the carpet and sat, but he had to shift his sword so his blade angled off the carpet’s side. He then patted the area beside him. “Ready to go?”
His large hand snagged my attention. His fingers were thick, his palm wide. Wind swirled his midnight hair around the tips of his ears, and my attention shifted to his mouth. Last night now felt like a whirlwind, but at one point, I knew he’d been as aroused as me.
My heartbeat kicked up, and I hurriedly climbed onto the carpet, then settled myself beside him. My leg brushed against his, but when I made a move to shift away, his hand settled on my thigh, halting me.
Warmth immediately seared through my pants from his body heat, and my muscles bunched.
His fingers tensed, and he quickly removed his hand and ran it through his hair. “Um, sorry about that.”
All I managed was an awkward smile since I was still reeling from how easily he touched me.
Glancing away, he mumbled a command to the carpet, but nothing happened. His jaw locked, and he said it louder.
