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I screech.
He smirks.
“You have to stop doing that.”
With casual arrogance, he plucks a piece of fruit from my plate and holds it between his fingers before shoving the juicy berry into his mouth. A hint of red smears across his lips in the process, which he wipes away with a slow slide of his tongue.
Before I know what I’m doing, I mirror the motion, an echo of the berry’s taste teasing my memories.
His throat bobs.
The air between us is thick with unspoken words, and I have no desire to break it. For one terrible moment, I shove all the warnings in my head to a deep dark place where I can’t hear them. He may be a dark angel, but I’m no saint.
Sigurd leans back on the edge of the table, away from me, and the yearning to rush to him and press my lips against his slips away. His features sharpen back to the steely blades from when he entered as he crosses his arms. “It looked like you made a friend today.”
Galen.
So, I wasn’t mistaken about his fury. Because he doesn’t like him or because I was with him?
I drop into my chair. “We helped each other.” I shrug. “There’s no rule against it.”
“Hecarriedyou.”
“Well, yeah, he’s faster than me. I might not have made it back in time without his help, so you should be thankful.”
“Thankful to see you leave?” he scoffs.
“You did give me the flowers, didn’t you?”
I’d swear his cheeks color before he looks away. He stares across the room, a slight pout on his features. “Don’t human women like flowers?”
“Do you have much experience with human women?” I lean forward in my chair.
His shoulders droop. “Not for a long time.”
The way he says it makes it sound like it’s been an age, but he can’t be more than mid-thirties at the very most, probably younger if I had to guess. Strange for a man of his age and position not to have a string of women to impress.
“I do like them,” I say, tossing him a bone. He takes it, finally staring back at me and emerging from the raincloud he slipped under. “Cadmums. Such a rare and beautiful flower,” I mimic the announcer’s voice. “I thought you couldn’t interfere in the games?”
That devilishly smug smile returns. “I didn’t interfere. I simply gave flowers to the lovely woman in my keeping.”
Lovely. I’m used to compliments. The men at the bar give them with ease, but from him, it stirs something warm and wild in my chest, yearning to break free.
“Yes, well, thank you for them. I thought you didn’t want me to win?”
He snares the seat nearby, tugging it close until his legs almost brush mine when he sits. “I don’t want you hurt, and the games will get more dangerous.”
My stomach tightens. The Prince of Fire hinted at that too. “Well then, it’s a good thing I have an ally.”
His countenance darkens. “You talked to him afterwards. What about?”
I cross my arms and stare him down. “I’m not allowed to talk to others now?”
“Of course you can. I just…” His hand tightens in a fist.
“If you’re so jealous, why not release him from his oath to you? Let him go home.”
“Told you that, did he?” His laughter is dark, and gooseflesh rises on my skin. “They may not want him in the forest after what he’s done.”
