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Nava stopped in front of a black door. The paint had peeled around its edges, and time had faded the gold numbers on the black plate in its center. 211.
The keys jingled inside her grasp as she unlocked the door, feeling Arkimedes’s body pressed against her back as he leaned over her. Her grip trembled when he wrapped his fingers around her hand.
“Let me go in first. I want to make sure the room is safe.”
She met his bright gaze over her shoulder. “How can it be dangerous inside? We just got here.”
“Indulge me,” he pleaded, his tone rough. His grin did little to calm the speed of her racing heart. She dropped her hand from the doorknob and stepped aside on wobbly legs.
That play had left her in a tangle of heated thoughts and immense want. With the reminders of the solstice dance swirling around her head, it was hard to stay focused on their reasons for being here.
Arkimedes soon waved her inside. Nava eyed every corner of the small space, from the cobwebs accumulating in one corner to the lantern hanging from the wall, which lit up as she wandered past it. The room was empty and musty, with a bed that would barely fit both of them.
“It will do for tonight,” Arkimedes said and tossed the brass skeleton key onto the stiff mattress. Dust billowed as it bounced over the edge and clanked onto the wooden floor.
“I guess it’s not too bad, since we won’t be sleeping much tonight.” Her cheeks warmed as her mind caught up with her words. “Because of the night we have planned. I meant nothing else by that—though I wouldn’t oppose it either, I guess.”
Arkimedes’s grin widened as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. “Are you nervous, Bee?”
“A little?” She craned her neck to meet his gaze and pressed her body to his.
“Devon and I will go to the tavern first to make sure it’s safe. You can follow our bond to find me. Once we are settled, I’ll let you know if we’ve found some pirates.”
“How are you going to talk to me in there if we aren’t supposed to know each other?”
“I’ll find a way.” He traced her cheeks with his rough fingertips. “We have our mind connection, too.”
“I like that.” Their mind link didn’t work all the time, but it was an option. She nodded, and her eyelids drooped as his caress traveled to her neck, making her stomach flutter and her insides melt. “If you’ve already spotted our target, then I won’t have to ask the bartender for a ship to take me out of the city. I’m not the best of liars.”
“If they hear a new deserter is offering gold for a chance to leave this kingdom, it will get you noticed.”
“And not all traders are pirates—I get it.”
“And not all pirates deal in magical artifacts. Don’t trust anyone in there. From the bartender to the old hag drinking ale by the bar.”
“The old hag?” She chuckled, pleased that he was trying to ease her worries.
“There is always some crummy-looking woman using her fragility to steal from you. They are the worst of all.” The air of his breath washed over her face, warm and inviting. And now her heart was beating fast, too—not from fear or nerves but with anticipation.
“Are you trying to distract me, Arkimedes?” She walked her fingers up the lapels of his coat and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Is it working?” he asked and kissed her, stealing her answer. His demanding lips and expert tongue were fuel for her desire. Nava dug her fingers into his hair, giving in to the heat running through her veins. The little intimacy they might have for a while.
She trailed her tongue over his lips, rejoicing when he met it with his own in a slow, languid dance.
“You’re going to kill me if you don’t kiss me again,” he whispered against her lips. He sounded drunk on the same desire that churned inside her, his body warm and hard against hers. Gods, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and allow herself to let go.
The background noise from the play seeped through the crevices in the walls. The glass was thin enough that it rattled with the wind, letting in the icy air. Outside, the crowd erupted with laughter, presumably about a particularly funny punchline she wouldn’t have found funny at all.
“Bee.” Arkimedes pulled away, tracing her face with his hand again. “Are you still with me?”
“Yes.” Nava frowned. She hated the people of this town all over again—and herself for allowing them to get under her skin. “But I can hear everything happening out there. And Devon could come at any moment.”
They had informed the innkeeper that someone else from their party would be joining them. They’d left no key behind, so Devon would have to knock on the door to be let in, but Nava really didn’t want to get caught making love.
“We can’t get carried away,” Arkimedes agreed and shrugged off his coat, tossing it onto the bed. Even with him gone, she could still feel the ghost of his lips against her own. “But we need to change out of these fancy clothes.”
“Let me help you.” Her fingers untied the cravat around his neck, and she swallowed against the rock that lodged in her throat. The afternoon had come too fast, and he had to leave first, to make sure everything was safe, whatever that meant. There was no safety out there for either of them.
