Morning sunlight and a cold breeze drifted around me. Warmth pressed into my back, and I snuggled deeper into it. Heat. So muchheatsurrounded me, and it felt positively blissful.
A throat cleared in the distance, but I burrowed deeper against the intoxicatingly firm warmth. I wiggled more, and a hard rod abruptly pressed against my backside. Someone hissed.
My brow furrowed in my dazed state. The hard thing against my rump reminded me of something.
Something . . .
My eyes fluttered open, and the sensation behind me disappeared. Cool air abruptly coated my backside.
“Good morning,” a male said roughly.
His deep voice rumbled through me, and my toes curled, but just as fast, I realizedwhohad spoken.
Kole.
I blinked more, taking in my surroundings. Solid rock appeared in front of me, only feet away, since I was facing the wall. Sunlight drifted into the enclosure too.
Alertness coasted through me rapid fire. It was morning, and I’d just spent the night beside the warrior in our makeshift bed, and I could have sworn that I’d felt him not even a second ago, and I’d been pressing myself against his?—
My eyes flashed wide open.Stars, moons, and all the galaxies.I’d just ground my arse against his morning erection.
Kole pushed to a stand, his movements barely making a sound. Chilled air made my flesh pimple, and I peeked over my shoulder.
He was straightening his clothes, his back to me. It was obvious the warrior wasn’t going to acknowledge the fact that we’d just been spooning, or that I’d been grinding myself onto him. His closed-off actions reminded me that he could very well possess a Solis affinity that prevented him from experiencing intimacy.
Kole grabbed his sword and said gruffly, “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He disappeared in a blink of mistphasing magic, and I was alone in the cave.
Fast breaths lifted my chest. In front of me, cloudy puffs emitted from my mouth since the air was so frigid. Without Kole’s heat, the cold quickly set in.
Shivering, I wrapped the covers around me more andcalled upon my fire element to rush through my blood, warming me. But I missed Kole’s warmth. His body heat was much more appealing than my elemental magic.
Once I was warm enough not to feel like an icicle, I shoved the covers off and made quick work of dressing and cleaning my teeth, then I grabbed a few supplies for breakfast.
Not long later, I was in the midst of slathering jam on bread while a pot of water heated over my newly formed fire in the makeshift pit, when Kole reappeared.
As before, he reappeared as suddenly as he’d left, but instead of looking like he’d just rolled out of bed, his hair was damp, his face was cleanly shaven, and fresh breeches and a new tunic adorned him.
The sword I was coming to associate as being an extension of himself draped down his back, and an air of coldness clung to the warrior, as if he’d bathed in a frigid lake.
I stopped slathering the jam and eyed him hesitantly. “Good morning,” I offered.
His gaze met mine, his mask entirely in place. Not one trace of emotion flitted across his features, but his aura was roiling.
“Morning.”
I so desperately wanted to know what that magic was around his wrist and if such magic truly existed that prevented one from enjoying intimate relations. I could only imagine how awful that would be, and I wanted him to know that I didn’tjudge him. If anything, I sympathized with him. That had to be torture, especially for a male as virile as Kole.
But he looked away and said, “I’ll get everything packed up.” His movements turned quick and jerky, and my stomach tightened because it was obvious Kole wasn’t willing to share that part of himself yet.
Disappointed, I returned my attention to the breakfast I was making and knew it had the potential to be a long day.
Kole packedeverything in blurred speed, then secured it to the carpet while I finished making breakfast. We both ate the jam and bread and drank a cup of tea in silence. Never in my life had I been more aware of a male’s every move, but I didn’t know how to breach this newfound awkwardness between us.
“Should we go then?” I forced a smile.
Kole’s gaze landed on my mouth, settling there for a heartbeat. He started, jerking his chin away, and gave a swift nod. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
