From the entrance to my tent, I cast a glance over our small camp. Small groups of soldiers huddle around fire pits between their tents, enjoying warmth from the flames and hard cheese with some bread. While they chat amongst themselves, and an occasional smile pops up on one or two faces, the camp is quiet. Eerily so.
Slowly, I walk around the perimeter of the camp, scanning the tents, the fireplaces, the men gathering around. The tension is coiled so tight inside my stomach, I’m taut as a bowstring.
At first, I don’t understand what I’m looking for. But then it hits me… My gaze lingers too long on every shadow, every movement.
Only the most loyal men, I tell myself over and over again in my mind.
When they notice me passing by, my Ezkai offer their respect in the official manner. Some conversations go quiet. Not everyone meets my eye, but all bow their heads and press their fists above their hearts.
After mapping the whole perimeter of the camp, my shoulders sag. I’m so tired. With a sigh, I head towards my tent. On my way, I pass Noire, Ezkai Xander, and my old lecturer, Ezkai Cassandra, sitting by the fireplace, sharing a meal.
“General, would you like to join us?” Noire asks with a smile.
My steps halt. “Thank you for the invitation, but I’m going to pass. I’m too tired to sit straight.”
I say my goodbyes and leave them behind.
My tent and Jax’s smaller one next to it are far away from the camp, where the separation is obvious. Mine might not be a fancy tent, and not even that much bigger than others…but it still stands on the edge of the camp, a lone island.
“You look like a puppy who’s been drowned in the river,” Jax says, looking up from the fire pit he has built for us.
A startled laugh escapes me. “That’s…oddly specific.”
“What can I say, I’ve got a description for every situation,” he says and flashes me a smile.
It’s one of those that don’t reach his eyes.
I’m torn inside. We’re not on the same page, and he doesn’t approve of my decision, which makes me uneasy. It makes mewant to put distance between us. But…I’m craving him in a way that’s hard to describe.
The thought of me sleeping in my cold tent alone makes my whole body ache. I miss those nights when it was only us, wrapped in the furs, bodies tangled together.
When one corner of his mouth curls and his dark eyes flicker, I realize my thoughts may have traveled farther than I intended them to.
“I miss that, too,” he murmurs. “I miss you. All of the time.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, my chest and neck heating up. A different sort of tension curls low in my stomach.
I glance over my shoulder at the camp behind me. Fuck. So many eyes. So many ears.
“You look like you could use a massage to ease some of the tension.” Jax’s voice draws my attention back to him.
Something in my stomach flutters. “Are you a massage therapist, too?”
Jax rises to his feet. We’re face-to-face. He leans in closer and whispers, “I told you once. I’ll be whoever you need me to be, darling.”
Fuck all the eyes, and ears.
When Jax pushes the flap of my tent to the side, I duck inside without a single hesitation. A moment later, he follows me in.
I turn around so we’re face-to-face again, this time in the privacy of my tent. This feels…dangerous. As if I’m playing with fire.
I don’t care.
Wordlessly, I step closer to Jax and slide my hand over his chest and around the back of his neck. His lips part with a sigh before he brings them to mine.
Once more, lightning hits me, so intensely my blood turns to molten lava. Jax’s hands are on my waist and before I know it, our bodies are as physically close as possible.
Well, actually…
