“One day,” I murmured into her ear, the wispy hair springing from her braid tickling my mouth, “you will trust me.”
“Doubtful,” she shot back.
“Hmm.”
We rode together in silence for several more hours, only stopping for a small bite to eat halfway to our destination. Panos’s castle was only a two-day journey from Drakon Castle. We’d have to camp out for the night partway there, and I’d chosen a known clearing that I’d visited many times before. As far as I knew, Panos was unaware of the little patch on the side of the hill. If his spies were out this far, they might have followed us, but I hadn’t heard any crunching of leaves just yet.
Eryx leapt down from his horse and scanned the forest. I followed suit, holding out a hand to help Aradia down. She just swatted my hand aside and slid off like butter from a knife. Her feet wobbled when she hit the ground, but she quickly steadied herself with a fiery spark that lit my gut on fire.
“Steady now.” My hand whispered at her waist.
She froze, almost gasping. It was such a small sound that she likely didn’t hear it herself, but I did. She wasn’t as good at hiding her arousal as she thought. “I don’t need help.”
“Of course not.” Still, I held her steady while her feet found the ground. The rest of the party dismounted their steads, and we all got to work on making camp for the night. I didn’t like to pack much myself, but Aleka had brought an entire sleeping mat, a rough-sewn blanket, and a full satchel of cheese and bread.
While they set up, I got the fire going. It was easy enough for me. All it took was a flicker of my hand against the wood, and the entire clearing was bathed in the flickering glow.
Aradia had settled in near the back edge of the clearing away from the others. She huddled beneath her woollen blanket, eyes shut, though her face was tense, her breathing rapid.
My heart ached for her. She was brave, but she still feared for her life. It had taken a lot for her to agree to this mission, and I would never forget this sacrifice.
“Eryx will stand watch with Cleatus for the first few hours.” I knelt to the ground beside her. Aradia’s eyes were shut, but she wasn’t asleep. The flutter in her neck gave her rapid heartbeat away.
Her eyelids flipped open. “That makes it sound like you think something will attack us.”
“No,” I said, arm slung across my knee. “Just taking precautions.”
“Precautions,” she repeated. “If you’re that worried, you should stand watch yourself.”
“You really do like to test my patience, my love.”
“Stop calling me that.” She glared up at me, her chin—and every inch of her body—hidden beneath the woollen blanket.
“My love,” I growled, leaning down to brush a hot kiss against her cheek. She trembled against me, and her hot breath slid into my ear. Instantly, I was hard. Everything inside of me screamed for her. I wanted her wrapped around my cock. No, Ineededher, unlike I’d ever needed anything before. Who was this girl? And how had she dug a hole so deep beneath my skin?
I flipped the blanket aside and slid under it, pressing my body against hers.
“What are you doing?” she whispered with wide eyes that reflected the glow of the moon.
“I promised to protect you from Panos, did I not?” I traced the curve of her jaw, relishing in the softness of her skin. “I asked you to trust me to do that very thing. How can I make certain I fulfill that promise if I’m not right here by your side?”
She shivered, her body shifting against mine. Her thigh brushed against my erection, and it was all I could do not to burst. “I don’t think this is what you meant when you said I should trust you.”
“It wasn’t,” I said with a slight smile. “But it can be. If you want it, Aradia…”
My hand snaked around her thigh and squeezed tight. She arched toward me, and her hands wrapped tightly around my tunic. With her breath shuddering from her lungs, she gazed deeply into my eyes. There was a question in them, a request, but I would not take what she had not told me she wanted.
“Say it,” I murmured, clinging onto her as tightly as she clung to me.
“I want it,” she whispered in a rush. “I want you.”
With a growl, I leaned in and caught her mouth with mine. Her lips parted and welcomed me in. Her hot breath mixed with mine as our kiss deepened, as our bodies roiled together in the dirt. The way our lips locked together felt like an impossibly perfect puzzle, and our kiss deepened with a feverish intensity.
Her leg hooked around my waist, and she pressed herself against me, rubbing my cock, building up an electric need. I grabbed her thigh and pushed her off. Aradia’s shoulder slammed into the dirt as I reached down between us. Her eyes widened. She glanced toward the others. They were all gathered around the fire, sharing bread and mead.
I didn’t care about them. Mortals were shy about sex, but dragons were not.
“Yuto,” she whispered. “Won’t they see? I don’t want anyone to watch us.”
