She leapt onto a rock in the midst of the water. “Maybe they just went somewhere else for a little bit.”
“Be careful,” Finn advised. “It’s slippery.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “You act as though this is my first time doing this.” She took another step, and her foot skidded across a patch of moss. Her arms pinwheeled as she tried to catch her balance.
Finn stretched out his hands to catch her, but she was too far away. When she righted herself, he sighed and shook his head. “Maybe not the first time, but it’s been a while.”
She reached for his hand to return to the shore.
When he would have pulled his hand away, she tightened her grip, keeping it captive. She leaned against him, and they both regarded the landscape: a gentle stream meandering around stones, birds calling out in bright song from the treetops while an easy breeze stirred the branches.
“I’ve missed this,” she admitted. “I’m glad I’m home.”
“As am I,” Finn stated, absently caressing her smooth fingers with his thumb. He felt her soft body beside his, a comforting yet arousing sensation. His gaze moved over her face, and he spotted a dry leaf in her hair, brushing it away tenderly. Her eyes met his for a lingering moment before his gaze was drawn to her lips. She was so close to him that he could feel her breath fan his face. She had been eating honey; he could smell the sweetness that lingered on her breath, a tantalizing scent that enticed him. He leaned forward, their lips almost touching, but suddenly froze. What was he doing?
Then, she lifted on her toes and pressed her lips to his.
He was caught off guard, but his arms acted of their own accord, encircling her waist. She adjusted her stance so she was facing him. She was delicious. Warm. He could lose himself in her touch, her kiss, her feel. He tried to quiet the voice of warning in his head, allowing himself to get lost in the moment.
She reached up and entwined her hands in his hair, pushing her body against his.
He knew he should stop before it went further. But he couldn’t. This was what he wanted. Ari. He coaxed her lips apart with gentle strokes of his lips and tongue. When she opened her lips, he thrust his tongue forward, exploring, teasing her. She tasted like a breath of fresh air, and heat erupted through his veins. He wanted more of her. He wanted all of her.
He broke the kiss and inhaled deeply, finally listening to the cautions of his mind.
Her eye fluttered open with a sigh, their gazes instantly connecting and sparking an unspoken exchange. “I’ve always wondered…” she whispered, her focus lingering on his lips.
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. He had also.
“Will you kiss me again?”
Startled, he pulled his head back. “I would love to, but I don’t think it’s appropriate until I am your husband.”
Her eyes widened. “Then youareentering the contest!”
“How could I not?”
Finn rose early the next day with a renewed sense of purpose. After his chores, he would put the finishing touches on the horse he had created for Ari.
As he gazed down at the horse, contemplating whether he should etch a rose into the saddle, the door suddenly opened, letting in the morning rays of the sun.
Finn quickly hid the horse on the shelf behind a large sword and turned to see Kage entering the smithy. His eyes narrowed.
Kage strolled around the blacksmith shop with his shoulders pushed back, arrogance in every fiber of his being. He surveyed the room, taking in everything but absorbing nothing. “I’ve known you all my life, and I don’t think I’ve ever been in here.”
“You haven’t,” Finn snapped. “What do you want?”
Kage’s confident glare settled on Finn. “I want you to make me a gift for Ari’s contest.”
Finn’s jaw clenched. “No.”
“You know her better than anyone.” He leaned over the anvil toward Finn. “I’ll pay you well.”
“I said no. If you’re going to enter the contest, you’ll have to come up with something on your own.”
Kage stared at him, his eyes squinting to small pinpoints. “If you think you’re going to win, you’re sadly mistaken. You shouldn’t even enter.”
Finn’s jaw clenched. He had as much right to enter as Kage did.
