Fuck!
That feels good.
It’s been too long—months since I took a woman to my bed. Not since I promised Asha I would work alongside her.
A smirk tugs at my lips as I grip Kythara’s hips, holding her against me. “Comfortable?”
The Watcher narrows her eyes. “Hardly.”
She tries to push herself up, but her hand slips in the mud, causing her to fall back against me.
I stifle a laugh. “Do you need a hand?”
“I don’t need anything from you,” she snaps.
“Clearly.”
With a grunt, she manages to stand, brushing dirt from her clothes. I rise more gracefully and take a moment to dust off my own attire. The faint scent of her lingers—something floral.
Lilacs?
“What are you doing skulking around at this hour?” she demands.
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I thought I saw an intruder,” she says as she glances over her shoulder.
“So did I.”
She crosses her arms and scrapes her gaze over me—from the top of my head to my boots. “Do you think we’re under attack?”
“Possibly.”
“Then, we should alert the guards.”
I shake my head. “And cause unnecessary panic? It’s better to handle it ourselves.”
The wind tugs at her surcoat as she presses her lips into a thin line. “I don’t recall agreeing to anything with you.”
“Consider it a fortunate coincidence. Two people are always better than one.”
She scoffs and rakes her eyes over me again. “In your case, that remains to be seen.”
“You’ve got a sharp tongue,” I say, admiring her—this woman who hides more than she reveals. All I can make out are dark eyes, long black hair, and a short, petite figure. Well, and a ridiculous amount of henna decorating her hands.
“And you’ve got a penchant for getting in my way.”
“Is that so?” I take a step closer. “From where I stood, you were the one doing the barreling.”
“Only because you were lurking about like a thief.”
“Protecting the camp is hardly lurking.”
“Well,” she says, brushing at her armor, as if removing invisible dust, “if you’re done wasting my time, I have a threat to track down.”
I gesture ahead. “By all means.”
She shoots me a withering look and walks away, and I follow a few paces behind.
