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The edge of his mouth lifted, though he tried to hide the smirk. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“Yes, well, aren’t you the charmer.”
“Depends on the day.”
“I’m gathering that.”
“Will you two stop flirting and get on with it?” Paesha yelled.
“We’re perfecting the element of surprise,” he answered without missing a beat. “Mind your business.”
“Some of us are hungry,” Hollis yelled from the front step.
“Fine.” He turned to me, pulling his blade from his side. “Hold this. And don’t get any ideas.”
I flipped the weapon in my hand once and then twice. “Pretty brave to hand the Death Maiden a weapon.”
“Last time I checked, you were a weapon without needing the blade.”
“Let me guess, your little baby nose still hurts.”
“You knocked me out, Deyanira. Out cold. On the damn floor.”
“Ah, so it’s your ego, then.” I flipped the blade one more time. “Noted.”
“I hate you,” he said with a playful growl before tearing off across the yard, hesitating for a second to make sure Quill was ready, and then lifted her, spinning in circles. His laugh was short-lived as the child began screaming like a banshee, burying tiny fists into his face, and jabbing him in the nose, just as I’d shown her.
He fell to a knee, clearly trying to put the wild thing down without hurting her, but the second he let go, she screamed again and planted her foot right between his legs. He fell to the side in a heap, and she launched herself at him again. Paesha had to tear her away, fighting back her laughter as Quill turned into some kind of rabid beast.
“Good job, kid,” I whispered, taking her hand as we headed inside, leaving Orin to wallow in the field.
Thea hadn’t joined us for supper, but eventually, the door opened, and she dragged herself inside, came far enough into the kitchen for Elowen to hand her a sandwich, and off she went, likely directly to her bed.
“Do I have to?” Quill whined from the table, shoving a potato around her plate as she kicked her feet back and forth.
“Bath house or river, your choice,” Paesha answered, rising.
With a groan and a heavy eye roll, the child slipped from the table, dropping the potato onto the floor for Boo. “Bath house, I guess.”
“I’ll come, too,” Elowen said, following them out of the kitchen. “It’ll be a nice treat.”
Once everyone had left the kitchen, Orin wandered in, his tender steps eliciting a pointed grin from me. When his playful temperament shined through, I wanted nothing more than to find a way to make those moments last. I wanted him to see me, look at me. There were times when I even wanted him all to myself. Because I craved him. Even in the darkest moments. And I didn’t care what that said about me.
“I blame you for turning her into a wild animal,” he said, sitting carefully as he reached for the loaf of bread.
I ran a finger over the rim of my glass. “You say that as if it’s an insult, but the best people are always the wild ones.”
“That explains a lot about you, Nightmare. Pass the butter?”
Sliding the dish across the table, when he reached forward, our hands connected, only slightly, but neither of us pulled away immediately. He’d never been one to deny a chance to touch me, and while others may not have noticed, having so little physical contact in my past, I always would. The bite when he’d called me Nightmare had faded, though, no longer a weapon.
“She likes you, you know?”
I nodded, pulling my hand away. “I’m told I’m only medium bad.”
He pinned me with a stare, scraping the butter from his knife to the bread. “Quill is a terrible judge of character.”
I smiled. “She’s pretty sure she’s going to marry you, so I’d have to agree, Fluffy Bottom.”
