AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, honestly,” I went on brightly, “I think the time we spend on this journey to save your mother will give us the perfect opportunity to become familiar with each other so you can fall in love with me without the mark.”
His brow furrowed with doubt. “My lady, I don’t think—”
“It’s Nicolette,” I corrected him. “And our deal is settled.” Glad I knew the truth, I stretched back out on my pallet and closed my eyes, a smile on my face. “I will help you save your mother if you allow me the chance to woo my way into your heart naturally.”
“Nicolette,” he started.
But I only grinned and held up a finger. “Faith, Farrow. Have faith in the mark. It did not steer us wrong. We are meant for each other.”
11
Farrow
Faith?
In a fucking tattoo?
The girl really was soft in the head, after all.
I sniffed and moodily shifted onto my side, punching at an annoying lump of sand through my bedroll that had been digging into my rib cage for hours. This ridiculous quest just kept getting stranger and stranger, and I had no idea how to deal with it.
And all Nicolette had to say was to have faith; it’d all work out.
I snorted. What a bunch of codswallop. I had a bad feeling her naïveté was going to land us both in some serious trouble before this was over.
So certain of it, in fact, that I’d gotten basically no sleep throughout the day, worried about what was to happen with her.
Now, the sun was beginning to tip back toward the horizon, and I knew I should get my tired ass up, wake Nicolette, dole out some rations to eat, and pack away our camp, but I just lay there, trying to devise a plan that saved both her and Sable.
For there was no way I could lead this woman into any kind of harm. Innocent kittens should be protected. Not strangled.
“I take it you’re ready to get back on the trail,” her voice, rusted with sand, said from the other side of the horses.
Surprised she was no longer asleep, I sat up and checked on her.
“You’re awake.”
&n
bsp; She sent me a drowsy smile as she sat up as well and stretched her arms above her head, making her breast strain against the silk front of her dress.
My mouth went dry. I hoped she’d packed different traveling garments. I wasn’t sure my sanity could handle seeing her like this for long. She was too beautiful for her own good.
“Your impatience woke me,” she explained before pushing to her feet and immediately rolling up her bed. “Not that I blame you. If my mother’s life depended on my immediate return, I’d be anxious to get back to her too.”
Once she had her bed packed, she began to rouse Caramel and load everything onto the horse’s back.
“You’re really willing to help me, aren’t you?” I surmised, still sitting there and watching her. “You’ll come with me, across a land where people hate you just to provide a single tear for my ailing mother, even though you abhor magic?”
“Of course,” she said. “I know there’s good magic out there. Plenty of it. And I would never begrudge it to a person in need. I just don’t trust myself personally handling the stuff.”
I nodded. “You are a rare and kind creature, princess. Thank you.” I finally stood to assist with preparing everything.
She sent me an odd look. “I would do anything for you, Farrow.”
My eyebrows lifted. Anything? I couldn’t help it; my mind went there.
“Especially that,” Nicolette added, her voice heavy with desire as she winked.
