“Oh, you will. Accepting my advances is your choice,” Rowan told me. “I won’t force myself on you. My offer’s only for your men to stay out of it. Meaning they’ll grant me the freedom to…” Another little curve at the edge of his lips. “… woo you.”
I nearly choked on my coffee. Woo me? Forget Helen of Troy. I now felt like Princess Muffin from the magical kingdom of Coffee Beans. And all the men wanted a taste of my goodies.
Maddox’s jaw tightened, and I feared for his poor teeth again. They’d be nothing but dust by the end of the day. He looked at Lake, then at Briar. The three of them were quiet, but I felt like they’d reached a sort of understanding.
“Very well,” Briar responded, looking from our captain to Rowan. “We accept your terms. You may accompany Evan on his journey to Exalos and pursue him along the way, within reason, and none of us will interfere.”
“Good,” Rowan said. “I—”
“But we have conditions of our own that are nonnegotiable,” Briar added. “If at any time we believe you pose a threat to Evan, the deal is null and void. His safety and happiness comes above anything else.”
“Fair enough. Anything else, Specs?”
Briar adjusted his glasses. “Lastly, if Evan decides he has no interest in you or your advances, you’ll respect his wishes and step aside. Continuing your pursuit beyond that will be in violation of our agreement. You’re already walking a very thin line with the three of us, and it’ll take very little to cross that line. If that happens, no secrets you possess will be enough to sway our decision.”
“In other words,” Maddox said. “Watch yourself, thief. One wrong move, and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.”
“Threats have no effect on me.” Rowan flashed him a honeyed smile. “But it’s entertaining for me as you make them.”
“We’ve accepted your offer,” Maddox said, not playing into his taunt. “When do you fulfill your end of the bargain and share what else you know?”
“Soon.” Rowan left his perch at the window and approached the back door. “I’ll return at first light to speak with you.”
“Why not now?”
Rowan clicked his tongue. “Patience, oh great and mighty captain. You’ll get your answers come morning. If I showed allmy cards right now, you could easily go back on your word and have a force of armed knights waiting for me at dawn when I come to join your darling little muffin on his journey south.”
“I’m a man of my word,” Maddox said in irritation, clearly taking offense at anyone hinting otherwise. He might’ve kept things from me sometimes—so I wouldn’t worry—but he didn’t lie. He valued honesty. Loyalty.
“Your word means nothing to me. Only your actions do. And you’ve done nothing thus far to earnmytrust.” Rowan stepped closer to the door, walking backward. He tossed me a wink. “Don’t miss me too much.”
He then opened the door and left. Hard stares followed his departure from the room.
“Tell me how you really feel about this,” I said. My coffee had gone cold already and I hadn’t eaten much, but I had no appetite. My belly was full enough of nerves and guilt. “Rowan can flirt with me all he wants, but I won’t do anything with him unless it’s really okay with the three of you.”
“It is.” Briar placed his hand over mine. “I’ve suspected for a while that Rowan is… well, someone you can’t forget. I see the way your eyes shine around him. It’s the same as when you first met Lake. I knew back then what Lake would come to mean to you, and I was right. The heart is mysterious and has a will of its own. And yours, it appears, has room for another man to love.”
“Love?” I snorted. “I doubt that. You heard Rowan. He doesn’t want that from me. I think he just enjoys the thrill and likes making people uncomfortable. This is probably a game to him.”
Even as the words left my mouth, I remembered the way Rowan had pressed against me and trembled when he came to the cottage that night weeks ago to see me. I recalled the rasp in his voice as he called me his little treasure and said he couldn’t get me out of his head.
“I don’t trust him.” Maddox pushed back from the table and strode over to the window, crossing his arms. His broad shoulders and biceps tested the strength of his tunic’s material. “However, I detected a note of sincerity when he spoke of protecting you during your travels.”
“As did I,” Briar said. “Rowan’s aura is shadowed. Dark and ominous. Yet, for whatever reason, at least in regard to your safety, there was a glimmer of something brighter. When all else remained obscure, that was the one bit of clarity.”
With my throat too tight to speak, I gathered our dishes from breakfast and carried them to the sink. Maybe I’d bake something else, like a pecan pie or a Yule log. Both sounded good, in both taste and preparation. Anything to keep my hands busy. Being in the kitchen helped me process my emotions and sort through them. So, I’d wash the dishes, wipe off the counters, and then start baking.
My men had other ideas.
As I scrubbed a bowl, arms came around me from behind, bringing a scent of warm spice and leather. My chin did that wobbling thing as Maddox dropped the softest of kisses to my shoulder.
“This is the last day we’ll have together for quite a while,” he whispered. “Let’s not waste it worrying over things outside this cottage. The four of us are all that exist here, in this moment.”
He read me so well.
I dropped the plate back into the soapy water and faced him. “What if going to Exalos is a mistake? With everything happening here in Bremloc, I—”
“It’s even better for you to leave,” he interjected softly. “If the thief is right and there truly has been an infiltration of our ranks, I’d rather you be far from this place until the ones responsible are apprehended.”
