Page 74 of Sword of Rage
The temperature continued to drop now that the sun had set. Harley feared it would snow instead of rain. “Maybe we should share.” She didn’t look at Ackley’s face because she didn’t want to know what he thought of her suggestion. While they might have shared the bed last night, she didn’t want him to think she was coming on to him. “I also have my cloak. It seems better to share than for each of us to be cold and not sleep.” Although, he probably intended to keep watch and wouldn’t bother sleeping.
“Harley.” His gruff voice made her toes curl. She loved when he said her name like that. “Are you sure?”
She looked at him then. “I’m certain. It’s not like it means anything. We’re just trying to stay warm.”
“Okay.” He spread out one of the blankets on the ground and then laid down.
She stretched out next to him, being careful not to touch him. Then he covered them with the other blanket, placing her cloak on top of that.
“It’s going to get a lot colder,” he said. “If you need to nestle next to me, I’ll understand.”
“I think the blanket will suffice.”
He chuckled. “Why are you afraid to touch me?”
“I’m not afraid to touch you.”
“Prove it.”
She jabbed him in the ribs. “See?”
“No one will know if we’re snuggled up together or not.”
“Did you just use the word snuggled? You? Ackley? An assassin-prince?”
“I thought the word might be more enticing. All I’m thinking about are my toes. If you’re next to me, my toes will be warmer. And really, that’s all that matters.”
She wanted to roll over and curl her body next to his. But she couldn’t. He was a prince, and she only a lady. They weren’t even from the same kingdom. And her husband had recently died. She should be in mourning, not lying beside another man.
“You’re not eager to cuddle since you have those warm socks on,” he teased. “The ones I purchased for you back in Landania.”
“You’re right. I am rather warm from the socks and pants. Too bad you don’t have warm socks and pants like me. What’ll I do if I wake in the morning and find you dead? What if you actually freeze to death?”
“It’ll be your fault for not snuggling with me.”
“Isn’t snuggling just another word for stealing my body warmth?”
“If you don’t want to share your body with me, Harley, just say so.”
She sucked in a breath, not knowing how to respond. She’d thought they were simply teasing one another, but now, she wasn’t so sure. Was there a kernel of truth to what he said? Did he truly want to cuddle with her? Not for warmth but for need? Every moment she’d spent with Ackley, she’d learned more about him. While he was still the arrogant prick she’d first met, she’d also discovered that he was sincere, kind, compassionate, and considerate. Her entire body warmed thinking about being intimate with someone like him.
And that was why she couldn’t get too close. He was slowly chipping away at the steel cage she’d erected around her heart. The cage that protected her from men like Lyle. Men who only used. If she let Ackley in, it might be wonderful for a while. But it wouldn’t last. He’d return home and find a princess to marry. Someone equal to him in every way. And she’d be left here to pick up the pieces. She wouldn’t do it. She would never give herself to a man. Now that she was finally free from Lyle and her marriage, she would be her own person, not owned by another man ever again.
In the darkness, she could barely see the outline of Ackley’s body, only a foot away.
“Stop worrying that pretty little head of yours,” he whispered. “I’m just teasing you. In case you haven’t noticed, I like to tease. Now go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”
* * *
Traveling via horseback was much faster than being stuck in the back of a cart traveling over a rickety dirt road. The horses were strong and quick, taking them to the Russek and Melenia border late the following day.
“Let’s cross before we stop for the night,” Ackley suggested.
“Good idea.” While Kerdan had been kind, she didn’t trust other Russeks to behave the same way. The sooner they were in Melenia, the better.
“The horses may be a little skittish when we cross,” he said, implying that the animals wouldn’t handle the rotting heads on spikes well.
She couldn’t blame them—she could barely handle it herself. The only way to survive was to ignore what she saw. Because if she allowed herself to dwell on the death and devastation around her, it would be too much to recover from. Keeping a tight hold on her horse’s reins, Harley steered her way between the line of death. Once her horse stepped foot in Melenia, a sense of relief filled her. “Is this the sort of thing you do back home?”
