Chapter Four
I woke with a jolt, sitting up so fast my head spun. When did I fall asleep? I had planned to wait them out and try to sneak away. How was I even comfortable enough to sleep surrounded by three strange men?
“Good morning. Hungry?” Sky’s blue eyes twinkled at me with humor. There was no sign of Saber or Whist.
“I’m fine.” The morning air held a chill, and I eyed the fire with longing.
“Stubborn one, aren’t you?” He quirked a smile at me.
“I ran out of supplies. I was planning on restocking today in the next village.”
“We have plenty of supplies. Eat something. You’re too thin.” His eyes flicked over my body. Judging from the heat in his gaze, my thinness didn’t bother him too much.
I glared at him. “I said I’m fine.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Whatever you say. But Whist makes really delicious campfire eggs. We even have a little bacon.”
My mouth watered. I’d only had tinned food and stale bread and dried cheese recently. But no. I refused to accept anything from them. It would put me in their debt and that was a place I couldn’t afford to be. I pulled my precious bottle of brandy from my pack and took a swig. The smoky liquid warmed me from the inside and made some of my tension bleed away.
“Can’t say I disapprove of your type of breakfast.” Sky stretched his arms high above his head, making his shirt ride up and giving me a glimpse of toned skin. I studied him in the morning light. He had a dark mop of curls on the top of his head and his eyes matched the color of the summer sky perfectly. His skin was sun-kissed and spread over rippling muscles. Lean, but not an ounce of extra padding on him. How did someone so gorgeous make a decent assassin? How did he hide in plain sight? From what I saw in the darkness the night before, the other two were just as attractive. Did the king like to surround himself with beauty?
I shoved the bottle back in my pack, not liking the way he eyed my brandy. Or me. I was certainly not sharing. It was the one luxury I allowed myself. “Where are the others?”
“They went to scout the area and make sure there aren’t any guards around.”
I folded my blanket and returned it to my pack. “You three should really return to the palace and just forget you ever knew me.”
“Not going to happen, doll.”
“You can’t force the kindred on me.” I whipped my cloak around my shoulders and tied my boots.
Sky smiled. “True, but we can follow you around and be generally annoying until you give in.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “That’s called stalking.”
He shrugged with careless grace. “I prefer to look at it as wooing.”
“I’m headed to the next village. You’ll have to kidnap me to stop me.” I raised my chin, daring him to try.
“We aren’t going to kidnap you. Well, Whist might consider it, but I won’t let him. But you really should reconsider. It’s dangerous.”
“Is it? The king sent you three for me. How is he supposed to know you already found me?”
“We weren’t the only ones sent to find you, doll. If the royal guard finds you first, they’re to bring you to the palace.”
None of it made sense. I wasn’t a revolutionary leader, I was just a traveling bard who played controversial music. “What I’m doing isn’t illegal.”
“No, which is why he sent us. To make you disappear. The royal guards will bring you in for questioning and then there will be some tragic accident in the dungeons.”
“And you three always do his dirty work for him? Take out innocent citizens for daring to disagree with the royals?”
“Usually, our jobs are a bit more... specific to national security. We take out spies and assassins from other countries, threats to the royals. This was a first for us.” A hint of deadly seriousness peeked from behind his mask of humor. It didn’t look like their mission sat well with him. Which was something I could work to my advantage.
“You were still going to go through with it before you realized I’m your kindred. Why would I want to join myself with people like that? Who obey without question even if it’s unlawful or immoral?”
His mask of humor returned as he shot me a silly grin. “Because we’re dashing and mysterious and no one will make you as happy as we will.”
“That’s not enough for me.”
He moved close, so close the heat from his body seeped into mine, his lips a breath away. “Because no one will make you feel like we can. The pleasure we can wring from your body will have you begging us for more. Anyone from your past will pale in comparison from just a simple touch from one of us.”
I swallowed hard as shivers raced up and down my spine. My nipples tightened at the dark promise in his eyes, in his voice. I leaned towards him a little, unable to fight the draw.
He wasn’t grinning like a fool anymore, his expression filled with want. His hands reached for my waist and drew me even closer until I was plastered against him. We fit together like he was one of my missing pieces. His scent surrounded me — sunshine and blueberries. My body sang out with triumph and bliss at being in his arms.
He pressed a kiss at the junction of my neck and shoulder. I bit back a whimper as heat pooled low in my belly. His lips trailed up my neck and along my jaw, working me into a trembling state. I should’ve pulled away. I didn’t want to give in to this connection. But my body had more than given in, it reached for it.
“Kiss me.” His voice was a rough command, hardening my nipples farther, making me gasp.
Unable to disobey, I brought my lips to his, and he devoured me, consuming each moan, whimper, gasp. He nipped at my bottom lip, his tongue warring me mine, conquering me.
Against my kindreds, I lost my free will. Which was one of my major problems with kindreds.
His hands slid up my waist and his thumbs grazed the underside of my breasts. I arched against him, craving his touch higher, rougher.
A growl rumbled in his chest and his hands cupped my aching mounds, plucking at my nipples through the fabric of my clothes. I rubbed my legs together, desperate to relieve the ache at my center.
It had been such a long time since anyone had touched me like this.
My brain restarted, and I jerked away from him, almost falling on my ass, breathing hard. I brushed my fingers against my swollen lips. I was no prude, I had nothing against a little fun with a pretty fellow I’d never see again, but this was different. I wouldn’t be able to simply rid myself of these assassins. If I gave in, the connection would be complete and they’d never let me go. And I wouldn’t be able to hide from them for long.
Sky stared at me with dark eyes, the light blue color darkened with his lust. I grasped at the rock my hand brushed against and without thinking it through, I swung my arm as hard as I could, the stone connecting with Sky’s temple with a sickening crunch.