“You heard me.”
Rune shifted on his feet. “You’re asking me to undress you?”
I laughed, toeing off my boots. “I’m just messing with you, Rune.”
Except…looking at the taut muscles of his back, visible even beneath his cream tunic, I didn’t think him throwing me around would be an entirely unpleasant experience. I hadn’t been intimate with many people. Over the years, there’d been one elven man and a couple of women—both humans—but none of them had ever sparked a fire in me the way I’d always yearned for. Enjoyable? Sure. Passionate and romantic? Eh.
When I was younger, I dreamed of meeting someone who would sweep me off my feet and stand beside me in the middle of a storm. Who’d walk with me even into the darkest of places. Who’d do absolutelyanythingjust to see me smile. Now that I was older, I worried love like that didn’t exist. That the romance stories I’d read could only ever be fictional.
A moment of silence passed between us before Rune asked, “Is this payback for what I said about your sketch?”
A shot of laughter tore from my throat. “No, payback would be shoving you into the pond fully clothed. So maybe I should do just that.” But as soon as I’d said it, my laughter died and a lump of hot coal sat heavily on my chest. “Oh. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean…”
He turned his head, just slightly, so he still didn’t see me half-dressed. “It’s all right. Most people forget, since it’s not something most have to worry about.”
Orcs were born with a skin condition that caused sensitivity to fresh water. They were severely allergic, and it formed angry welts. Rain and lake water like this could cause it, though salt seemed to dull the issue. Back in Fafnir, the city of the orcs, the clouds only rained salt water. I’d only met a few orcs over the years, but they all had this condition. Most didn’t like to talk about it. I’d really put my foot in my mouth this time.
“I really am sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be.” He shrugged, then a wry grin spread across his face. “It’s what I am. Just like a ‘terrible artist’ is what you are.”
My mouth dropped open, and I swept the towel from the ground and threw it at his back. It hit him with a softhiss, then gently tumbled to the ground again.
“Careful,” he warned. “Two can play at this game. Keep that up, and I’ll leave you here to fend for yourselfwithoutthe damn towel.”
“Nope, you’re just bluffing. The last thing you want to do is leave me unattended.”
“And why is that, Frida, hmm?”
I didn’t answer. We were beginning to tiptoe too close to a subject I wanted to avoid—me, why I was here, and why he was suspicious of me. So I quietly removed the rest of my clothes, walked across the soft grass, and eased over the lip of the pond. As soon as the cool water enveloped my aching body, a hiss of relief spilled from my lips. I might have even moaned.
“That good, eh?” Rune asked. He’d returned to standing with his back very resolutely turned toward me, facing the direction we’d come. His powerful form was backlit by the sun, enhancing the shape of his broad shoulders. I found myself staring at him, and started to look away—but then didn’t. He couldn’t see me. He’d never have to know I was enjoying the view.
“Are you really going to stand there the whole time I’m bathing?” I asked.
“You’ll be done soon, won’t you? Might as well wait.”
He really wasn’t going to go away. All day, he’d left me alone for no more than a moment or two at a time. It was clear he was keeping an eye on me, likely to make sure I didn’t unearth the secrets he’d buried around this island.
An idea sprouted in my mind. Perhaps if he got a little sloshed tonight, he’d sleep like a fallen redwood log and I could sneak out of the house to investigate. It meant another night of too-little-rest, but this was what I’d come here for. It wasn’t a holiday.
After I’d washed my hair and scrubbed my skin with the bar of soap Rune had given me, I hauled myself up and over the lip of the pond. Water cascaded down my chest, leaving droplets glistening on the verdant grass. Rune waited silently as I towelled off, and tension practically thrummed in his body. A fist clenched by his side, and his back muscles looked even more taut than they had before.
I glanced around, wondering what had set him off. Was the dragon lurking nearby? Was he worried I’d spot the beast?
“Do you hear that?” I asked, wringing my hair with the towel.
“You dripping everywhere? Yes.”
“No, it’s a rustling noise, like something’s out there in the forest. Something big.”
I held my breath, waiting for a reaction. He turned toward me, frowning. And then his gaze landed on my chest. I suckedin a breath, heat flooding my face and neck. The warm humid air still caressed my bare skin, peaking my nipples. My very bare nipples. I’d yet to dress, and I had the towel wrapped around my hair.
“Shit. Fuck.” But he didn’t turn. He stood there—as if frozen—for a long, fraught moment, his eyes locked on my breasts, before clearing his throat. He swallowed, then cast his eyes to the ground. “I wasn’t thinking. I shouldn’t have looked. Sorry.”
“I don’t mind. It’s just some skin.” But my whole body felt feverish. I was even sweating a little again, and I’d only just climbed out of the pond. Quickly, I finished drying my hair and threw on the clothes I’d brought with me. To be certain, I checked my breasts were covered, and then I cleared my throat. “I’m done now.”
He lifted his gaze. There was a flush to his cheeks. “I suppose we should make our way to Oakwater now.”
