The Hunter #2
“I’ll bet you are just loving this right now,” she seethed, climbing down to lay beside me. Her skin was icy, and she was still quivering from the cold.
I snorted. “Right. Because enduring a brutal storm with a woman I detest is exactly how I’d want to spend my night.” I bit back a curse when Eira drew closer to me, the chill of her cold skin seeping into mine. Damn, she was frigid. I hadn’t realized just how cold she really was.
When we were curled up as close as possible, I draped the remaining clothes over us, using our packs to tuck them in on all sides to block out the wind. I wrapped my arm around Eira’s shivering form and tugged her close so her back rested against my chest. Then, I pulled her cloak over our faces.
The wind was muffled, and underneath the layers of fabric, the outside world seemed far away. Out of reach. It was only our shallow breaths and the darkness of our makeshift cave.
For a long moment, we lay there quietly, the silence punctuated only by our breathing and the distant sounds of the storm.
“So, what would you have done if I wasn’t here?” she whispered. “What if you had no one to curl up with during the storm?”
I hummed in contemplation as I considered this.
“Ordinarily, I try to get underground. I’ve dug myself completely under the snow before.
On my own, I can dig quite quickly.” I paused before continuing, “But, truth be told, I’m usually a better planner than this.
I try to stay ahead of the weather. This is… a unique circumstance.”
“Because the Snow Princess got under your skin?” I could hear the smirk in her voice.
I exhaled a short laugh at that. “Indeed she did.”
We were silent for a moment. The whistling wind sounded eerie, like the wailing souls of the damned.
“It didn’t mean anything, you know,” Eira said softly.
“What?”
“My flirting with you. It was just the brew.”
I frowned. “I know that.”
“And you were the only person of the same species as me. It was either throw myself at you, or throw myself at…”
“A pixie.”
“Exactly.”
She wriggled against me, and I was acutely aware of every place her legs touched mine. Suddenly, my skin felt too warm. Too hot.
“So, whatever I did,” she said, her voice getting softer. “Whatever I said… You just need to know. It wasn’t really me.”
“I know,” I repeated. “Eira, I was only teasing you before because your reactions were amusing.”
“Right. Of course.”
We both fell silent again. I listened closely to the wind, trying to determine if it was getting stronger or fading out. I had no idea how long the storm would last. But so far, our clothes remained tucked around us. I felt the occasional bite of wind, but Eira’s warmth was cocooned around me.
“So you weren’t at all tempted?” she asked.
“What?”
“You weren’t tempted to… try anything with me while I was drunk on that brew?”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. No, I wasn’t, I thought.
I wasn’t tempted.
Not at all.
But the lie died on my lips. I could think it all I wanted, but it couldn’t be spoken aloud.
I shifted slightly, then froze, painfully aware of how my arm rested against her bare breasts. Blood and ice, she was everywhere.
“I wasn’t going to let anything happen,” I said.
“Just tell me you weren’t tempted, Theron,” she said slyly. “Say the words.”
I clenched my teeth so hard my head began to throb. “You were… very persuasive.” I cleared my throat. “Perhaps, for a moment, I was tempted.”
“Hmm.” The amusement in her voice was clear. “Interesting.”
“Is it?” I snapped. “I mean, it’s as you said—it was either you, or those feral pixies. It’s not outrageous that of every creature there, I found you the most attractive.”
“Yes, well, you weren’t drunk on Winterwing Brew. You had no reason for even thinking about physical attraction.”
I fell silent at that, my nostrils flared and my blood roaring with indignation. I did when you were pushed up against me in that cave, I thought.
But saying those words would only make the situation worse.
“What do you think would have happened?” Eira breathed. “If you had drunk the brew, too?”
I stilled, my heart racing. If I had been stupid enough to drink that foul liquid—which was highly unlikely, as I swore to stay away from fae drinks—then…
I drew in a ragged breath as I let myself envision it for one dangerous moment.
Eira and me, dancing in the crowd of pixies, our bodies entwined.
Stumbling to the caves together, laughing as we shucked off our clothes.
Pressing her against the cave wall, running my fingers along her soft skin.
Kissing her. Tasting her. Thrusting into her so hard that I made her cry out my name, her fingernails digging into the bare skin of my back and shoulders…
Eira suddenly tensed beside me, and I snapped out of my delirious fantasy.
“Um, Theron?”
I didn’t move an inch. In my chest, my heart raged a thunderous rhythm that would put the storm to shame.
“What?” My voice was husky.
“There’s a—I think you—um…” Her leg shifted slightly, and then I knew exactly what she was referring to.
My hard cock was pressed fully against her leg. It would be impossible for her not to feel how erect it was.
“Shit.”
She snorted. “Yeah.”
My eyes closed as my face heated with embarrassment. “It’s like you said, Eira. It means nothing. We’re both naked together. My body reacts in a certain way around naked women. That’s all.”
“Sure.” Her voice was full of amusement. I had the feeling she was trying very hard not to laugh.
Shivering bones, I wanted to disappear into the ground. No, I wanted the storm to blow away our coverings and dash me to pieces. I wanted the wind to carry me away into oblivion.
Eira giggled softly, then covered her mouth. “Okay,” she said between chuckles. “I think we’re even now.”
I groaned, turning my head away from her. “Just… try to get some rest, princess. It’ll be over soon.”