Page 88 of Seaborn and the Seven Seas

Before I acted on my thoughts, I rushed toward the door, then pointed a finger at him. “Nothing happened tonight.”

I straightened my shirt and smoothed my hair. I hoped my friends were still fast asleep. I had no explanation for my disappearance and even less for the state of me.

“Agreed.” He smirked, humor dancing in those deep blue eyes.

I lowered my gaze. He made no move to hide the length of him, still hard beneath the fabric. I already knew his size from touching him, but seeing it was something else. Heat flooded through me all over again.

Gods. He was beautiful even clothed. Unfairly, insufferably beautiful. Cocky asshole. But I wouldn’t want him to be any other way.

“Sleep well, Little Star.” His voice was low. “Try not to think about what I did to you.”

Ugh!

I slammed the door and inhaled a deep breath in the dark hallway, knowing full well I was going to think about nothing else, and I was certain he would invade my dream.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“Where are Hellena and the children?” I descended the stairs from the second story of the tavern. They had been sleeping there, safe with Selene. Now the space was empty except for bedrolls folded and stacked. Not even a scrap to suggest they’d been there at all.

Fraya and Minha were already settled on a horse. Ranis and Jina were mounted beside them, waiting.

“They left early this morning, before the sun broke,” Theron said, swinging up onto his stallion and gathering the reins.

I stomped toward him harder than necessary. “You should have told me.”

“Why make the goodbye harder for the kids?”

“I told them I would be back.” My jaw tightened. “Now they think I just left without a word.”

“You’ll see them again.” Theron patted the saddle. “Get on. We ride.”

“You should have told me they were leaving earlier than us.” I turned and walked toward Ranis, reaching for the stirrup.

“Wrong horse, Little Star.”

I crossed my arms and turned back around. Theron sat straighter in the saddle, expression unreadable, like he hadn’t just spent half the night making it impossible for me to think clearly.

“I’m not riding with you.”

One brow lifted. “The horse can’t carry three.” He looked past me. “Fraya, you lead. I’ll be right behind you.”

Fraya blinked like she’d been handed a problem. Minha pressed her lips together, shoulders shaking. Jina didn’t even try to hide her snickering. Ranis glanced to me then at Theron.

“Now,” Theron said. “All of you.”

That was enough for Fraya. She clicked her tongue and her horse moved. Ranis followed, Minha and Jina still giggling like it was the funniest thing they’d seen.

Fine. If I couldn’t get my way, then… I started walking. Faster. I didn’t have a plan. I just needed to move, needed the distance, needed to not look at him for one more second.

The galloping came fast behind me.

Before I could run, an arm hooked around my waist and the ground dropped away. Theron pulled me up and settled me in front of him in one clean motion, like I weighed nothing. I didn’t have time to scream.

“What’s wrong Little Star, afraid to touch me?”

Gods alive. What the hell was wrong with him?

I sat rigid, staring straight ahead, refusing to play his game, his chest warm at my back. His arm stayed loose at my side, not quite holding me, but just enough to grab me if I slipped.