Page 61 of Swamp Kings 2

She shook her head at him. “Oh no you don’t, you know what.”

“I have a hard time believing that one,” he muttered.

“I didn’t say they didn’t want me, they justnever went about it like you are. You’re flirting,” she said, deciding to call him on it. “Do you want to marry me too? You’ll have to get in line behind Brother what’s his face, the righteous idiot of the circus. He proposed—past tense now that I’m found out to be a liar and troublemaker and a speaker of words, and shaver of legs.”

“BrotherJakob,” he said.

She tugged the fur pelt closer, her jaw shaking when the wind whipped around her. “That’s the one.”

“He wanted to use you too,” he muttered. “To make his babies.”

“Oh, he’d be out of luck then,” she said with a shrug. “I can’t make those.”

She watched his face, surprised to see his smile and gaze soften. “No place for babies in a warzone, anyway.” He laughed when her jaw dropped, back to whittling. “What?”

“I bloody well know you want babies.”

His brows narrowed while he gave a half grin. “How am I now part of this marriage discussion.”

“You tell me, Mr. Flirty pants,” she demanded with wide eyes, his laugh dancing through her blood.

“I made a vow to this life. No regrets.”

It hit her then. “Are you saying you’re never marrying?”

“Well now, I didn’t say that,” he muttered, confusing her.

“So, you’re a man-whore, is that it?” she said, her anger heating her blood right up.

“A man-whore,” he chuckled. “That would be hard to be if I’ve never been with a woman.” He paused his whittling to grin right at her. “What has you shocked? That I’m not a man-whore or that I’m a virgin?”

“This is not shock it’s confusion,” she explained.

“You soundandlook very shocked,” he countered.

“So you’re a virgin who took a vow with no regrets, not wanting babies, but flirting I see. I’m not following how these fit in your…your resume,” she sputtered, bringing his deep laugh.

“I’m not either,” he admitted, back to carving. “You seem to be an exception to all the rules.”

She sputtered indignantly at his nerve. “I will most certainly not be the exception, Mr. Voss. Is everything I say a joke to you? I could quit this job you know.”

He straightened, his mirthful eyes not letting up. “You’re like that one rare comet making an appearance every thousand years. Nobody plans for that, you have no rules, or ideas about it, you just have a remarkable event passing you by.” He blew on the tip of his stick, his brows drawn. “Guess I’m just… enjoying the event.”

Her jaw had dropped with each description. “I’m a remarkable event that you’re celebrating, you say? You go from flirting to being impossibly romantic, a priest who doesn’t intend to marry or have babies? Number one, I am sitting across a fire from you in what seems like the beginning of a blizzard, I’m a human being, I’mfreezing, and I’m scared. I’m not shooting across the sky a million miles away while you whittle on and celebrate.”

He’d paused again, watching her.

“Stop your staring,” she ordered, tugging the pelt tighter to her. “It’s so rude!”

“I can’t,” he said, his soft tone drawing more than her gaze. “I know you’re not a comet. It was a metaphor.”

She snorted as he went back to his stick art.

“You will sleep with me tonight,” he announced. “It’ll be too cold for you to sleep alone.”

Her entire body jolted while he sat there aloof. “You are surely a jesting madman,” she said in amazement.

His head shook. “Not joking.” He looked up and around at the sky. “You’re right about a storm. And I’m not letting my nurse freeze to death.”

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