“Sure I could have.” Lifting her chin, she shimmied a little on the ground, knocking the soft material of her dress away from her legs. Tanned skin gleamed beneath the moonlight.
My smile widened. She didn’t believe she could have stolen the damn throne, regardless of what she said. The two dots of pink on her cheeks gave her game away. Which meant she was trying to impress me, even if she didn’t realize she was. That was certainly interesting.
“Is that so? And how would you have done it?” I prodded. “Tell me your grand plan. Aradia Galatas, Queen of Eretia.”
Aradia blew out a breath that ruffled the soft, dark hair that framed her face. She blinked up at me, intelligence shining in the depths of her eyes. Tension pounded in the night air as the silence stretched out into moments. She flushed and glanced away.
“You think I would tell you my plan?” She laughed nervously. “You plan to deliver me to Prince Cyril. If I tell you, then I’m basically telling him.”
I chuckled and leaned back. Firelight danced between us, crackling deep into the night. “Alright then. Keep your brilliant plan for Queendom to yourself for now. It’s getting late. We should wash you, and then settle in for the night. Cleatus will keep watch while we get some sleep.”
Aradia’s entire body tensed. Her spine was as stiff as my spear. “Excuse me? Did you say you want towash me?”
I smiled. “Yes, of course.”
“That has to be some sort of joke,” she said stiffly.
“Unfortunately, not.” I gestured at the gurgling stream behind us. “Your scent is very mortal and very potent. We need to disguise it as best we can in order to avoid attracting too much attention.”
She pressed her lips together. “Did you say myscent?”
“Your sense of smell is not as strong as mine, so you don’t understand what I mean. Yes, you have a scent. Every beast within a mile will know you’re here.”
Aradia’s nose scrunched up. “I don’t like this.”
“Too bad. Get in the stream, Aradia.”
“All my clothes will get soaking wet.”
“So take them off.”
Her cheeks flushed. “So, that’s what this is all about then. You want me to undress in front of you.”
Chuckling, I turned my back toward her, still keeping a tight hold on the rope. “There’s nothing I wish to see less.”Lies.“Undress, Aradia, and get in the stream. It’s for your own damn safety. If you don’t undress and get in willingly, I’ll just throw you in.”
She let out a little huff.
I smiled to myself. Truth was, I wouldn’t object to a woman like Aradia undressing before me. It had been a very, very long time since I’d seen a naked woman, and a part of me very much wanted to turn back around. I could imagine how her nipples would harden against the gentle breeze. The soft curve of her hips. The tops of her thighs brushing together, skin against skin.
A thrill went through me at the thought, hardening me.
Dammit. I’d let my imagination get the better of me, and an intense need churned through me that I had not felt in hundreds of years.
I couldn’t let myself get carried away. Aradia might be a breathtaking beauty, but she was still a mortal thief.
The material rustled as she dropped her dress to the ground. “I can only take off my dress because of the shoulder buttons. Not my chemise. Because of the whole you-tying-me-up thing. I can’t get my arms out of it.”
“You could just rip it off,” I murmured with a smile.
She huffed in response. “Honestly, I can’t tell if you actually want me to do this or if you’re just messing with me.”
A bit of both, I thought.
“I’m willing to remove your bonds long enough for you to take off your undergarments, but I’ll have to turn around to do it.”
Silence answered, and then a little cough. “Fine. But don’t look too closely.”
I held back a smile and turned. Aradia stood in nothing but her cotton chemise, her smooth, tanned legs drawing my gaze. Instead, I focused on her eyes as I wound my gloved hands around her bonds, slowly loosening the rope. They were such a deep blue. They reminded me of the great sky above. Even the golden flecks matched the boiling sun.
