I glance to the left and see Xaden deep in conversation with Garrick. Naturally, the section leader made the cut for Xaden’s personal squad.
Xaden looks my way, our eyes locking for a second, and that’s all it takes to remind my body that I had him naked a few hours ago, the lines of his carved muscles straining against my skin. I’m so damned in love with that man. How am I supposed to keep it off my face?
Just be professional. That’s all I have to do. Though the way I’m hyperaware of each and every thing he’s said and done since leaving his bedroom pretty much makes me a walking example of why first-years shouldn’t sleep with their wingleaders, let alone fall in love with them. Good thing he’s only my wingleader for another week or so.
“Keep looking at me like that and we’ll be stopped longer than a half hour,” he warns without looking at me.
“Promise?”
His gaze whips my way, and I swear I see him actually smile before turning back toward Garrick.
“You doing all right with whatever is going on there?” Liam asks, startling me.
“And if I tell you I’m not sure?” I give him the same answer, my lips curving.
“I’d think you got yourself in over your head.” The look on his face is anything but teasing now.
“For someone who said he owes Xaden everything, that’s not a glowing recommendation.” I drop my pack to the ground and roll the tense muscles of my shoulders. “Don’t turn into Dain on me.”
“You feeling all right?” Xaden asks.
“Fine. Just a little sore.” The last thing I want to be is a burden for him.
“It’s not that.” Liam grimaces. “It’s just that I know his priorities.”
“I’m really sorry you got dragged along on my account,” I say quietly so the others won’t hear. “You should be at one of the midland posts with Dain, not being hauled past the wards. Colonel Aetos is a fair man, but I have no doubt this assignment is meant to ‘give the marked wingleader his due.’” I finish the last in a fair imitation of Dain’s dad, and Liam rolls his eyes.
“I’m not scared, no one is hauling me, and believe it or not, Violet, sometimes my orders actually don’t revolve solely around you. I do have other skills, you know,” he teases with a grin, flashing a dimple as he hip-checks me.
“I’ve never once forgotten how amazing you are, Liam.” And I mean it. He coughs, and I gesture him off. “Now, I need a moment of privacy.”
He bows with a wave of a hand, as though introducing me to the forest behind us, and I head off into their shadowy depths.
When I return to the shore of the lake, Xaden walks away from Garrick and holds out his hand as he approaches.
My eyebrows rise. Is he… No. He wouldn’t. Not in front of the eight other cadets.
He laces his fingers with mine. Guess he would. It’s more than the touch of his skin that has my pulse leaping. He’s breaking his own rule.
I glance pointedly toward where the others are gathered, all in various states of relaxation by the shore, but my hand tightens around his.
“None of them is going to say a single word about you—or us. I trust every single person here with my life,” he says, leading me toward a cluster of boulders almost twice his height on the far side of the lake.
“People talk. Let them.” I’m not ashamed of loving him, and I can handle any mean-spirited gossip that comes my way.
“You say that now.” His jaw flexes. “Did you get enough to drink? Or eat?”
“I brought everything I needed in my pack. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Worrying about you is ninety-nine percent of what I do.” His thumb strokes the back of my hand. “When we make it to the outpost, I want you to rest after we get our scenario objective. Liam will stay while I most likely take the third-years out to patrol.”
“I want to help,” I immediately protest. Wasn’t that why he brought me? For my lightning? Not that I’m exactly winning any accuracy awards, but still.
“You can, after you rest up. You have to be at full strength to wield that signet of yours, or you’ll risk burning out. Tairn is too powerful.”
He makes a decent point, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
Once we’re out of sight of the others, he backs me against the largest boulder and then lowers into a crouch before me.
“What are you doing?” I run my fingers through his hair just because I can. The fact that I get to touch this man is absolutely mind-blowing, and I plan on taking every advantage of the privilege while I can.
“Your legs are stiff.” He starts at my calves, working the knots loose with his strong hands.
“I guess we can’t really leave until the dragons are ready anyway, right?” His touch feels downright decadent.
“Right. We have another ten minutes or so.” He flashes a wicked grin at me.
Ten minutes. Considering we really have no idea what the rest of the day will bring, I’m more than happy to grab ahold of what time we have.
I groan as my muscles melt and my head falls back to rest on the boulder. “That hurts so wonderfully. Thank you.”
He laughs, making his way up to the tense muscles of my thighs. “Trust me, my motives aren’t altruistic, Violence. I’ll take any excuse I can get to put my hands on you.”
The scruff on his cheeks scrapes my palms as I slide my hands down the sides of his face to cup the back of his neck. “The feeling is more than mutual.”
His breathing changes when he reaches the top of my thighs, his fingers kneading my muscles into outright submission. “I’m sorry about this morning.”
“What?”
