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“Yes.”
“I can brew a potion to prevent it, when we settled somewhere safe,” he said.
Would that be enough to deter Dargan? She doubted it, but smiled up at Gavin with a sleepy smile. Then her eyes grew heavy with a sudden exhaustion, closing on their own and taking her down into a dreamless sleep.
23
VIOLET
“Had a good time last night, eh?” Mios’ lips twitched with mischief as they headed out of the cabin. The chill morning breeze blew the mane out of his face, revealing his handsome profile.
Violet could have blamed the cold for the way she blushed or the soreness between her legs on riding a horse all day yesterday. She wasn’t a bashful woman, but this situation left her longing for more privacy. What had happened between Gavin and her meant so much more than just a romp in the sheets.
They had taken that next, very intimate step. Before, it had been easy to lie to herself, to tell herself that Gavin and her weren’t truly married. Not anymore.
Dammit, but he’d sneaked past her well-constructed walls and made her trust him. Love him even. Her chest constricted with the painful reminder that she shouldn’t be loving anyone. Not when she lacked answers for how long she had in this world. Not while he didn’t even know what was coming.
Violet eyed Mios as he stretched, looking around the place with cautious eyes. How had last night’s meeting with the alpha gone for him? Had they spoken about the locals in Scoria and their demands for a shifter to be killed in response to the attacks?
It wasn’t like Mios knew all that much about the city since he’d been a captive the entire time he was there. Unless, of course, he was lying, and this was all a ruse… Perhaps he’d worked with Julius all alon—no!
There she was, doing it again. After everything that had happened with Harry and Laura, and how wrong she’d been then. She should try to open up to strangers instead of being so defensive and driving them away. And so she swallowed any cynical remarks and allowed her body to adjust to the uncomfortable churn of embarrassment until it trickled away.
She stepped to the street as the sound of familiar footsteps came from behind them, followed by Gavin’s hand settling on her lower back. “Is your leg still bothering you? You’re walking funny.”
“It’s not her leg, man.” Mios’ snort turned into a quiet laughter.
Gavin’s cheeks flushed. “In that case, we should go back into the room and…”
She side-eyed him, crossing her arms. “If you say you’ll heal me from the inside or something equally ridiculous, I will hurt you.”
“It’s not ridiculous. That’s how healers work.” Gavin shut the door behind himself.
He trotted in front of her in that carefree manner of his, not showing the slightest trace of soreness or tiredness. Damn him. Then again, he’d not been the one getting fucked all night long… Not that she was complaining.
“So what happens if someone—anyone—is internally bleeding? Would you also stick your fingers in all of their holes to heal them?”
“Goddess, let his answer be no,” Mios muttered from the street. He was already walking away to give them some privacy. Or to give himself some peace.
“What if I said yes?” Gavin whispered. His breath teased the side of her neck as he stepped close to her. “Would you allow me to? I’m willing.”
Violet battled the need to press her hand over his rakish smirk and smother him. The memories from last night returned in full force, warming her cheeks and turning her insides over with a pleasant flutter.
“Continue,” she said. “I dare you…”
He chuckled. “Have I ever told you I love a challenge?”
It wasn’t surprising. So far, he’d taken every difficulty that life had thrown at him and faced it with a smile. It only spurred on her growing affection for him. “No, but the real question is… do you enjoy getting hurt? Because you are purposely egging me on.”
“I find it sexy when you’re mean,” he answered, and his fingers trapped her chin before he kissed her roughly on the lips. “That should be enough of an answer for you.”
Her pulse throbbed in her neck. Maybe she wasn’t hungry for food, and maybe having him heal her from the inside wouldn’t be so bad. “That’s a lie. You want me to stop every time I’m mean to anyone.”
Gavin’s brown eyes darted toward the street. Mios was far enough now that he’d turned into a black shape against the wide expanse of land around them. “It’s not a lie,” he whispered in her ear. “It drives me mad and makes me want to throw you over my knees and teach you some manners. Then I would do things to you that would make you come apart in my hand.”
“Gavin!” She gasped, half expecting to see Mios gaping in horror at them. Still, her heart and her sex quivered at his words. It was always the ones you suspected the least that surprised you the most.
“So be mean, Violet, and let’s settle the rest in the bedroom.”
