Page 66 of Desire

Brandle leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Until Liam and Edmund are well, I would like you to stay inside the cottage.”

“And I would like to be where all of you are,” I said. “It feels safer.”

“All right,” he agreed much too easily. He saw my suspicion and chuckled. “I would rather keep you where I can see you.”

He took my hand, and we returned to the others with the warm bucket of wash water.

I bathed Liam’s hands and face while he slept. Edmund roused at the first touch of the cloth to his swollen knuckles.

“I’m so sorry you were hurt,” I said softly.

“Not your fault, Trouble,” he slurred. “Stay close.”

“I will.”

He closed his eyes and held my hand as I cleaned all the minor cuts. By the time I finished, they were almost healed.

Daemon took Garron around the back with a saw, intent on creating boards to fix the table.

Darian and I stared after them.

“Did you promise Daemon something?” he asked.

“No. They both don’t want Liam to see the reminder of what happened. But I think Daemon’s feeling guilty that Liam was hurt so badly when he only suffered a bruise. He thinks it’s because he didn’t try hard enough.”

Darian glanced at me in surprise.

“I’m keeping myself open to watch the trackers. That means I can feel what you’re feeling.”

The corner of his mouth tilted. “You don’t say.”

His desire wrapped around me. Inviting. Coaxing.

“You want me to sleep on you again. You liked holding me.”

“That’s easy to guess. Tell me something harder.” He held his arms out, inviting me to delve deeper.

His desire branched out with love and fear. Love because he adored everything about me—even the way I lashed out when they pushed for too much. He feared losing me before I could grow to love them.

Them.

I searched for jealousy. I found hints of it but only with yearning, never with anger or hate.

“You like when I hit you,” I said, unwilling to admit the rest. “Perhaps I’m not hitting hard enough.”

He laughed and pulled me into his arms. “I would prefer your caress to a strike if I have a choice.”

I reached up and trailed my fingers over his brow and along his jawline.

“Like this?” I asked with a small smile.

He made a pained sound.

“I like touching as much as I like being touched. Thank you for removing your shirt last night.”

“Vixen,” he said before kissing my temple. “Tell me you’ll sleep on me again tonight.”

My gaze searched his as I said, “I think Eadric needs me most.”

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