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Oh yes, he’s jealous. His own lover is markedly absent, and he doesn’t have all of the prince’s attention and favor anymore.Dash didn’t truly mind the bond between the two men, but he wanted his mate to look to him first in all things, especially if there was danger ahead. He told himself to focus as they set off and took the road south. Whatever lay ahead, he was going to stand by Christopher’s side and prove himself worthy of his mate’s love.
* * *
Christopher thanked the stable boy and gave him a few extra coins. He patted Cocoa on the neck, and she deigned to look up from the water trough for a whole four seconds. He glanced at the stalls where Simon’s horses stood and then walked across the room to where Dash’s stallion was being brushed. The groom said Balor was a beautiful specimen, and Christopher agreed. Balor stepped forward and nuzzled him, and Christopher responded by stroking the stallion’s nose. Dash’s horse had warmed to him immediately and always seemed to remember him.
As he left the stables, Christopher remembered the day he and Dash had spoken about earlier, when three other highwaymen had attempted to rob him and Dash while they were in a compromising position. Balor had kicked up quite a fuss at the men’s approach, and Christopher felt sure the horse would’ve charged their enemies if he hadn’t been tied up. The stallion’s neighing had given Dash time to get to his sword. Neither of them had had time to put any of their clothes on, but in the end Dash had made such quick work of defeating their attackers that it hadn’t truly mattered. He’d laid his two foes out in less than a minute and then jumped in and knocked Christopher’s assailant out with two quick punches.
Christopher paused in the hallway, hesitating between Dash’s room and the room he was sharing with Simon, which was right across the hallway. He didn’t know what to do, but luckily, Simon opened the door at that moment.
“I wondered if that was you lingering,” Simon said, holding the door open for him to enter.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to alarm you,” Christopher said.
“I think we’re safe enough here, assuming your friend doesn’t attract any unwanted attention,” Simon said as he shut the door and bolted it.
“He understands we’re trying not to be noticed. He’d never do anything that would harm me.”
“Then why’d you send him away before?” Simon asked.
“Because he’s a highwayman. Or was.”
“So? Marry him and then he won’t need to make a living at all, honest or otherwise.”
Christopher stared at Simon a long moment, waiting for the man to laugh. When his friend merely returned his stare, Christopher asked, “It’s that easy, huh?”
“If you’re his mate, it should be. I watched him the whole way here. If you asked him to marry you, he’d have priest or magistrate here in five minutes.”
“And they’d refuse to perform the ceremony once I told them who I am.”
Simon sighed in exasperation and sat down on one of the beds. “You know what I mean. I was worried about having him along, but seeing you two together changed my mind. Based on what you’ve told me and what I’ve seen today, that man is yours already. All you have to do is say the word.”
“I care for him. I don’t know him well enough to know if I love him. And for the record, he’s never said he loves me either.”
“He’s older than you. Probably too proud to tell a man who literally runs away from him that he’s in love with him.”
Christopher didn’t know what to make of this change in Simon’s attitude. Before today, Simon had always warned him to be careful any time the subject of Dash had come up. “He’s driven by the fact that I’m his mate. It’s nothing more than that now.”
“You’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other. It’ll take us a couple more days at least to get to Renn. We may have to wait if his ship was delayed.”
“How long did it take for you to be sure you loved Renn?” Christopher asked.
Simon rose and moved to the window. He pushed the curtain aside and finally said, “We aren’t talking about me and Renn, and we aren’t going to.”
Simon never liked talking about his relationship with Renn, and Christopher was tired of it. “But we should. The tension between you two is going to be unbearable if you don’t move forward. Every time he sneaks here to visit me, you two just stare at each other.”
“We do not,” Simon said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Yes, you do. You stare at him until he catches you, and then you look away. Then he stares at you until you catch him, and then it’s his turn to look away. You two make no sense. He doesn’t even use your name—he calls youmate. And you let him. Yet I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two less than five feet apart. You act like you’re afraid of catching a disease from one another. Two people in love should do more than nod at each other in acknowledgment.”
“Restoring Renn to his rightful place is more important than anything,” Simon said, ignoring all the things Christopher had just said.
Christopher walked over to him. “I want to see Renn recognized as the crown prince as well. Ever since the day we met, I’ve wanted to see him on the throne. He is my literal hero—those men were going to go through with killing me if they didn’t get the ransom money. I want every Arizian to see what a good and noble man he is. What a good king he could be one day. But I also want to see him happy.”
“If I agree to stay out of your relationship, will you agree to stay out of mine?”
Christopher frowned. “You’re my best friend. I want to see you happy, too.”
Simon walked away and began rummaging through his bag. “You sleeping in here tonight?”
