Page 284 of Dragon Slayer

He trotted a few laps around the mown grass oval, and tried a bit of canter. Gin had a deep, rocking gait that covered an immense amount of ground, though she wasn’t hurrying. When he finally pulled up beside the others, Mia was watching him with wide eyes.

“I’m more than a little rusty,” he said, face heating. He patted Gin’s neck and her ears swiveled back; yes, they would get along splendidly, and hopefully he could keep from going jelly-legged and sliding right off of her. “A bit embarrassing.” Or a lot.

But Mia shook her head. “You look good.”

“Such flattery.”

Ramirez cleared her throat.

Vlad said, “Will you stay on?” Flat and disinterested.

Val swallowed another laugh. He couldn’t decide who looked less pleased with this outing: his brother, or the quietly furious Army sergeant. “Yes, I do believe so.” He gave Gin’s neck another pat and she craned around to nudge the toe of his boot affectionately.

“There’s a trail,” Vlad said, and turned his horse and started down it.

Val looked to Mia, who shrugged. “He’s very imperious, you know.”

“I’ve noticed.”

There was indeed a trail, a narrow one that plunged into the trees, a grown-over game trail just big enough for them to proceed single file. Vlad led the way, and Ramirez held back to fall in last. Val didn’t like her eyes on the back of his head, but was glad Mia was ahead of him so that he could serve as a buffer between the two women. Ramirez had her orders – but the second one of those orders put Mia in harm’s way, Val would cheerfully kill her.

The track led them into a dense forest populated with a mix of hardwoods and pines. The underbrush grew dense and wild here, in a way that it hadn’t in Romania. Birds trilled overhead. Sunlight pierced the canopy in thin fingers, the world a kaleidoscope of gold and green dapples. The leaves on the hardwoods had just started to turn, brittle in patches, brown at the edges. Val tilted his head back and stared up, fascinated.

“Don’t get yourself knocked off by a low branch,” Mia advised with a laugh, and he righted himself to see that she’d twisted around in her saddle to look at him.

He returned her smile; his face was starting to ache from smiling. “Same goes to you.”

Vlad led them deeper, and the path began a slow rise, the way strewn with rocks, shaded by low limbs. After a time, Val picked up the gentle chuckle of running water, and soon after, its scent. Clear mountain spring water, coming down from the Virginia hills. Gin lifted her head and walked a little faster; it smelled nice to her as well.

The trail widened, and Mia dropped back to ride beside him. She was still smiling, but he could read the concern in the little groove between her brows. “You doing alright?”

“Fine,” he said immediately, but he could already feel that he’d be sore later. The long muscles in his thighs had begun to twitch every few strides, and his shoulders ached. He hated the weakness, but gave her his brightest smile. “I could keep going for hours.”

Her look said she knew that was a lie, but she let it slide. “How’s it feel to be back in the saddle?”

“Like being able to breathe again.”

Her smile turned soft and sweet. “I meant what I said about you looking good.”

“I know, darling.” He winked. “I look good riding other things, too.”

Her mouth dropped open, and for a moment, Val wanted to kick himself. It was such a line, so crass and – and the sort of thing he said to men, just to fuck with them. (Usually right before they tried to actually fuck him.) He swallowed against a sudden surge of nausea.

But Mia blushed and glanced away. “Alright,” she said with an embarrassed little laugh. “I didn’t doubt that, but whatever.”

“Didn’t doubt it?” His own voice sounded hollow. “What do you mean?”

She breathed a disbelieving sound. “Are you serious?”

“Quite.” She’d figured out that he was a whore, then. Doubtless her father had told her, or one of the officers who’d gone to collect her. It was common knowledge, wasn’t it? Of the two brothers, one was a terrifying warrior, and the other was a pretty mistress. He swallowed again. “Mia–”

“You’re gorgeous,” she said, blush deepening as she stared fixedly ahead. “I know you know that. Unfairly so. I mean…” She made a vague gesture toward him. “And then you say stuff like that? You don’t have to.”

His heart pounded. “Why not? Do you dislike it?”

“I…didn’t say that.”

“Do you want me to stop?”

She didn’t answer, instead bit down on her lip until he thought it might bleed, blush darker than ever.

Oh. Oh, shelikedit.

“You don’t have to,” she repeated, softly.

Slowly, his panic eased, like a clenched fist opening. He smiled and leaned out of his saddle, getting in closer. “Sweetheart, that wasn’t the question.”

She turned her head to look at him, and beneath the brim of her helmet, her eyes were very blue. Why hadn’t he kissed her yesterday? What kind of idiot was he?

But then they reached the stream, and he smelled the bear, and everything went to hell.

---