Page 77 of Blooms of Darkness

Ian hadn’t moved all night, still in the same place from when I fell asleep.

How on earth had I ended up pressed against this insufferable man?

And why did it feel so damn good?

Getting caught like this, though, would be beyond embarrassing.

I moved slowly, attempting to pull away from him, but he twitched, flinging his arm over me. He tugged on me tightly, pulling me in close to his warm, hard body.

“Looking for another kiss, Little Rebel?” he whispered in my ear. His deep voice was huskier in the morning and sent a delicious shiver coursing down the length of my spine and straight to my core.Damn it.

“Absolutely not,” I hissed in return. “You’re the one wrapped around me.” I lifted his arm and rolled out of his reach.

Kade’s eyes were still closed. “I’m just as surprised as you are, Princess.”

“The sun is barely up,” Storm grumbled, raising his head before he paused, giving Kade a glare which could kill. “Aren’t you supposed to be on watch right now?”

“The shadows are keeping watch, don’t you worry.”

Storm continued to mutter to himself as he rose from his own bedroll, marching off in the direction of the river. I scurried farther away from Kade as Ian rolled over, cocking an eyebrow suspiciously between the two of us.

“It’s a three-hour ride to Starhaven,” Ian said. “If we hurry, we can make it there, investigate, and still be back on the road by this evening.”

His lack of comment about learning how I kissed Kade, and whatever happened last night unnerved me. At some point I was certain I’d hear his point of view on Kade, and this “thing” between us.

No.

There is nothing between us.

This silly attraction needed to be quashed before I did something stupid. Right?

Giving into my lustful desires, or even worse, developing feelings for him in the middle of the marriage trials could only lead to disaster.

With the early hour, we packed and mounted the horses in relative silence. I wished someone would say something. Riding in the quiet gave me too much time to think about the tension pulling taught between Kade and I, and all the questions left unanswered.

Two hours in, and my thighs were screaming. Aching. Despite my riding skills, it had been years since I’d been allowed to venture away from Ellevail enough to amass more than an hour riding at a time. Day two of this had me dreading how sore I’d be once we returned to the palace tomorrow evening, cursing myself for forgetting Elisabeth’s salve. The first thing I would be doing would be taking a long, hot bath and having that blessed concoction soothe my aching muscles.

I only lasted a few more minutes before I needed a distraction from the pain radiating through my body. Ian and Storm were in front of me while Kade rode beside me. His face seemed serious, deep in concentration. His brows were furrowed, and even with the breeze and cooler morning temperatures, sweat beaded across his forehead.

“A little horseback riding has you all hot and bothered, Kade?” I teased.

He didn’t say anything, didn’t even acknowledge I had spoken. I hated the way my heart sank. Perhaps he wasn’t in the mood for joking around. I kept my gaze trained forward so he couldn’t see the pain in my eyes. Silence continued until Kade abruptly stopped his horse in the middle of the path. I tugged on the reins of my own horse to halt as well.

“Today is a special day for some of my friends,” he said quietly. “A sort of anniversary of when we all realized we weren’t so alone. I haven’t seen them in a long time and was merely thinking about how I miss them.”

My chest expanded as he shared this piece of his soul with me. I knew he wouldn’t have shared it with just anyone. Helooked down at his horse, patting the mare’s neck before our eyes locked once more.

The deviation to something more serious than the bickering between us surprised me. “I’m sorry you are away from your friends and helping me instead.” My heart jolted, suddenly heavy, thinking of what I would do if I were ever away from Ian and Kalliah for any length of time. I couldn’t be sure if I would survive without them. “Some people make friendship look so easy, but it’s something else entirely when you find people who understand you. Truly understand you.”

He mirrored my small smile and neither of us looked away until Kade’s eyes darkened, and he stiffened. He closed his eyes, shaking his head and allowing whatever shadow passed through him to clear. Gone almost as quickly as it had come, he shifted on his saddle, urging his horse forward once more.

“Why are you helping us?” I asked. “You have no reason to. You offer your aid and skill to towns where you have no allegiance. I haven’t promised you favor in the trials. So, what’s in it for you?”

“Well, Little Rebe—” Kade stopped, tensing.

Ian came to a halt, his right fist quickly rising in the air. A signal for all of us to be silent and stop moving.

Even the breeze stilled around us. Ian swiveled his head, as Storm and Kade matched his movements. They searched the trees and skies for any indication of danger, any indication to explain whatever they all sensed.

---