Lilia’s body tensed, and then a pulsing storm went through her. She clenched around me, again and again, coming harder than she had the night before. The intoxicating feel of her pleasure only quickened my own release. My cock throbbed once, twice. And then I came so hard I roared.
When I finally quietened, Lilia sagged forward, panting. The flames on my skin died. Sweat coated her back.
“Fuck.” I pulled out and twisted her to face me. “Are you all right? Did I take it too far with—”
“Shh.” She pressed a finger to my lips, gazing at me with softened eyes. “You didn’t hurt me. Just like I knew you wouldn’t.”
I shook my head. “I lost control.”
“You had enough control to keep me safe.” She palmed my cheek. “That felt good for me, Ragnar. Did it not feel good for you?”
“Fuck yes,” I said without a beat of hesitation.
She smiled. “I like your fire.”
“I like everything about you.” The words spilled out of me. Too late, I realized what they were. It was true, of course, but I didn’t want to scare her away with my intensity. Fates, I’d already set fire to myself from wanting her so much.
But she didn’t pull away. If anything, she leaned closer.
Somehow, the truth of me hadn’t scared her away. It seemed almost impossible, like she was a lass I’d plucked from my dreams.
And one I could never keep.
27
LILIA
Halfway down the final hill, the wagon got stuck. Muddy sludge from the previous night’s storm grabbed the wheels and refused to let them go. The entire thing shuddered to a stop, even with both me and Ragnar trying to pull it forward. I slumped against the left yoke, wiping the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand.
The bottom of my cloak was caked in mud. Spatters of dirt peppered my trousers, and even with Ragnar’s presence, I was chilled to the bone.
I gestured at the mud-caked wheel. “Why do I feel like we’ve been here before?”
“Only this time,mywagon is the stuck one.” Ragnar grinned at me, and my belly did a little flip. Even with all the mud and the cold and the persistent wind, there was a giddiness in my chest that made the adversity feel…unimportant. It was only a bit of mud. A scrub would wash it all out. And soon, I could have a warm bath and a bowl of hot stew beside the hearth.
A shout echoed from down below. Moments later, a few of the younger boys from Riverwold came rushing up the hill. When they reached us, they were breathless, but their eyes were gleaming with hope.
“Nilsa said you’d gone to get some food for Yule. Did you find any?” a ginger-haired human boy asked, his cheeks pink from the wind.
“Steffon is threatening to call the whole thing off!” a tall, silver-haired elven boy added.
“Don’t worry.” Ragnar pounded his fist against the side of his wagon. “We’ve come bearing gifts. Want to help us get this thing out of the mud?”
Eagerly, the boys jumped in to help, and a couple more ran up the hill to join us. With five of them pushing from behind and the two of us at the front, the mud eventually released the wheels. As we carted the wagon down the path, the boys walked alongside us. And when we finally reached town, they shouted at the windows we passed by. Soon, we had an entourage. People spilled from their homes and followed us to the courtyard square. Someone grabbed a flute, and a merry tune joined the cheers.
I looked up at Ragnar, smiling. He grinned back. We’d actually saved Yule. And we’d done it together.
* * *
After making the grand procession to the square, we had to backtrack to the festival grounds when Steffon scolded us for delivering the food to the wrong place. But even his anxious temperament couldn’t douse my good mood. Ragnar even offered to swap the wagons while we were there, putting his cart where mine had been on St. Olaf’s Row and mine in its old spot beside the indigo-leaved willow tree.
I stepped back and surveyed my old familiar friend, the Traveling Tavern. Now that we had enough grains, I could get started on brewing some ale. And soon, I’d get to open up those doors to patrons again.
“You know, you didn’t have to do this,” I told Ragnar when he returned from distributing some bags of flours to the food merchants.
“After everything you’ve done, it only seems right for you to have this spot.” He motioned at the tree. “Besides, your wagon looks better there than mine.”
“Don’t you mean after everythingwe’vedone? You’ve been with me every step of the way, Ragnar.”
