I turned to face him. “Do you have something to say, lover-boy?”
He snorted. “You two are ridiculous…but I agree with Finn.” His lips twisted into a smirk, but he refused to look me in the eye.
“Well, I’m glad you seem to be healed and normal once again enough to tease me.” I paused as I shot him a look. “And I am not a shy, giddything, you imbeciles.”
“Not typically,” Finn chimed in. “But this handsome human comes along and suddenly you’re just that in his presence. Has the great and beautiful Avery found someone who makes her nervous?”
“No,” I rushed out. “I just have never had a chance to…act out on…actually never mind.”
The two of them burst into an obnoxious laugh, forcing everyone’s stares in our direction, including Gage’s.
“I hate you both.” My grip tightened on the reins.
Their soft, wicked laughter surrounded me, forcing me into a bravado of false bravery.
I cleared my throat quietly. “Um, Gage!” His neck instantly snapped around to look back at me from where he was several feet ahead, next to Zaela and Veli.
He instantly circled back and approached me and my horse.
“My lady, Avery.” Gage smiled at me, and my heart raced as my breath caught. I cursed my brother in my mind for antagonizing me into this.
My mind instantly blanked on what to say as he stared up at me with caring, warm eyes.
“Do your feet hurt from our travels?” I whispered.
Finnian instantly barked a laugh, making my jaw tick, but I refused to look at my brother as he teased me.
“What was that?” he asked gently.
The corners of my lips tilted up. “There’s room in the saddle. It was built for two.” I paused as his smile fully formed. “That is, if your feet begin to ache.”
An unbearable silence blanketed us as he continued to gaze up at me, walking alongside our horses.
“My lady, are you asking me to join you atop Matthias?”
“If you wish to…the invitation remains,” I answered.
He grinned up at me. “I would be honored to share a mount with you.”
In one swift movement, he gripped the front of the saddle with one hand and effortlessly swung his leg up the other side, planting himself directly behind me.
My eyes widened as the heat of his chest pressed into my back. My entire body went stiff.
“Are you comfortable, Avery?” he whispered into my ear, a knowing wickedness lingering in his words.
A shiver ran up my spine. “Yes,” I answered softly.
My brother and Landon felt the tension as it shifted around us like a mist and immediately commanded their horses to trot ahead of us, giving us privacy—or as much privacy as possible in our currentsurroundings.
"You know, Avery..." His words caused a tingling sensation to run through my body. “It’s very kind of you to consider my aching feet.”
I tried to speak, but words refused to come.
He chuckled in my ear, seeming to sense how incredibly awkward I was around men. “Tell me about you,” he said as his arms wrapped around me and took hold of the reins.
I craned my neck to look over my shoulder and was almost left speechless once more as I met his stare. “What do you wish to know?”
“Everything,” he answered without hesitation.
