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I hesitated. “Not permission, no... But it is night and...”
“I swear to protect you.” Vesper put a hand to his heart, his expression solemn, and my heart skipped a beat. “Not that you need it. You could probably protect both of us easily.”
I looked around. Draven had vanished. We usually didn’t stray far from the camp. Never out of earshot. I wondered if he’d be alarmed when he returned and Vesper and I were both gone.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Vesper said softly. I realized he was still holding out a hand to me.
I took it, letting him pull me up. His grip was strong and sure.
He led me into the woods without letting go of my hand, the moon our only illumination.
I felt light-headed and dizzy as he pulled me along.
I knew I was walking into danger. Not the sort that carried a crossbow or a sword. No, this was another kind entirely. One which might set me aflame rather than the other way around.
From the first time Vesper had looked at me in the inn, there had been a wildness and a pull in his gaze that made my heart race. Tonight he was looking at me with something more. A hunger. A longing.
I recognized it because I felt it in turn.
There was something about him that drew me. A strange power. Was it because we saw something of ourselves in one another?
Or was this simply a superficial attraction? I thought of Lancelet and all of her conquests. Why shouldn’t I indulge in one myself? I’d be careful to keep from getting my heart broken, of course. I remembered the embarrassing dream I’d had of Draven. Maybe that had simply been my body’s way of telling me to stop ignoring my desires. After all, if I was daydreaming about my assassin guard, something must really have been amiss.
As we walked, I couldn't help but steal glances at Vesper. It helped that he not displeasing to look at. His hair glowed like embers in the darkness. I found myself admiring the lean lines of his body.
I felt a twinge of guilt at leaving without telling Draven. But I couldn't help myself. I knew he would never have said yes. And by the Three, I wanted to know more about this man, to see where this strange and dangerous attraction would lead.
Above us the moon and the stars shone down, illuminating the woods. Vesper held my hand firmly, guiding me through the twisting trees. I could feel my heart pounding with anticipation.
When he stopped and turned to me, he was smiling. His eyes were soft and gleaming with starlight.
Still holding my hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed my palm.
"Do you know how beautiful you are, Pen?" he murmured. He took my hand and placed it over his heart. I could feel it pounding beneath my palm, the steady rhythm echoing my own.
My breath hitched in my throat. I took a step closer, letting his scent fill my nostrils. Fragrant pine, campfire smoke, the pungent leather of his boots.
“When I first saw you in the tavern in Grimhold, I could hardly keep playing my lute.” His grin was almost shy.
I felt as if I were in a dream. Was this really happening? To me? To Morgan Pendragon, the gray-haired princess who would go to the Temple of the Three unkissed, untouched by any man? Was I really standing in this woodland at night with a heart-wrenchingly handsome man murmuring poetic praises to my beauty?
I thought of Florian and something wrenched inside of me. Vesper was everything Florian was not. Everything I had always wanted but had never thought I could possibly deserve. Yet here he was.
There was a heat simmering and sparking inside of me. I looked into Vesper's eyes and what I saw reflected there was sheer desire.
Vesper moved closer and I took a step back into the darkness, my body brushing up against the trunk of a tree. I breathed in his scent. I felt his warmth, reveled in his presence, so tall and lean and wonderfully masculine. The heat was stoking, building, like a flame feeding off kindling.
He leaned forward and I felt his lips tickle my ear. “Do you know what I want to do, Pen?” he murmured. His hand came up the side of my neck, stroking my skin gently.
I could barely find the strength to shake my head.
“Your lips are a temptation I can't resist. I want to claim you, Pen. Make you mine. I have since the moment I first saw you.”
His lips fell against my neck, brushing across my skin with a slow, stunning lightness that left me breathless.
He kissed down the column of my nape, sending a scorching heat radiating through me. I longed to wrap my arms around him, pull him even closer.
“When you were in danger the other night,” he whispered against my skin. “I thought I might never see your face again. My blades flew through your enemies, but not fast enough. When I arrived there you stood. Burning. Glowing. Utterly transformed. Utterly gorgeous.”
