Page 39 of Quest for her Knights
“It’s okay. They seem nice but…” she trails off.
“But what?” Arrow asks.
“But I didn’t really feel any spark with them, any connection, you know? Is it stupid to want that?” she asks, her eyes meeting Arrow’s.
“No, I don’t think so. Sometimes you just know.”
Her tongue pokes out to swipe over her lower lip and she looks down at her hands.
“So, where are we headed tomorrow?” she asks after a moment of silence.
“Ravenbrook. It’ll take about a week.”
“Do you think I could ride a horse for part of the trip?” she asks, surprising me.
“You don’t like the carriage?”
“It’s a bit bumpy sometimes and makes me a little nauseous.” Fuck, I didn’t think about that. The roads out this way are pretty bad, and we didn’t feel them so much on horseback.
“Yes, I’m sure we can arrange that.”
“Thanks,” she says with a smile.
After we finish our meal, Blaze collects our plates and stacks them on the cart left by Edger.
“Princess, it’s probably time you headed to bed. You three can go find your room, and I’ll stay on guard out here.”
“What? You’re not all staying here?” she asks, alarmed. I take a second to look at her. She looks… scared. Was she still worried about sleeping on her own?
A man broke into her room at night, of course she’s scared to sleep alone.
“We’ll all stay here,” I decide, and watch as he shoulders drop with relief.
She glances over her shoulder at the bedroom before glancing at each of us. “I—” she cuts herself off, seemingly unable to tell us what she wants.
It’s my job to anticipate her needs, and I consider this part of my job. “Someone can stay in there with you, if that will make you feel safe?”
Her cheeks flush an adorable red before she nibbles her lip and nods quickly. “Okay, get yourself ready for bed, Blaze will join you when he’s ready.”
Everyone moves to get ready to sleep and when Arrow is alone with me by the fireplace, he whispers, “Ranger, why Blaze? Why not me?”
“You’re too close to her, Arrow. It’s for your own good,” I tell him as I remove my sword and chain mail.
“You don’t think all four of us are close to her?” he asks with an eyebrow raised, then his expression changes. “You don't trust me,” he grumbles.
“I trust you with my life,” I tell him honestly. “But I don’t know if I can trust you to lie beside her and keep your hands to yourself.”
“Like you’d be any better,” he scoffs.
“I wouldn’t,” I say, surprising him. “That’s why I don’t lie with her.” Because I know that if I did lay with her in my arms, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from touching her soft skin, and stroking her beautiful hair.
That’s why I had to keep space between us, my control around her was growing much too thin for my liking.
Chapter fifteen
Draven
The road to Ravenbrook is extremely bumpy in the carriage, so it’s no surprise when Ranger keeps his word and lets her ride on a horse instead. I just didn’t expect it to be my horse. I was sure it would be Blaze, or maybe Arrow, hell, even himself, but me? Why would he choose me to ride with her?
