Page 49 of The Last True Hero
Fourteen
ADAM CUPPEDHIS palm in the basin of water, then poured what he'd captured over the back of his bare neck. He'd scrubbed himself clean and it felt good, but hell, he was tired. Three days of hard riding, a fight or two, and no sleep would do that to a man. It didn't help that Jake knew his secrets, and Mia kept pushing... pushing against those walls he kept trying to put up between them.
You're not invincible.
You're also not a saint, he thought, as he smelled her coming.
And now they were sharing a narrow bed in a small room, and everyone watching thought Mia belonged to him—or the other way around. There was no escaping her, or the thoughts she aroused.
Just when he needed to put as much distance between them as he could.
"You parade around like that in front of Vex, and Jake and I might be able to steal the others back right out from under her nose," Mia said.
Adam let the washcloth fall into the basin. The small bedroom Zarina had led them to was in a different compound to Vex's stronghold. Nobody stayed under the warlord's roof, but some reivers rented rooms to newcomers—for a hefty price. There went five more gold coins, but at least the rooms were clean, and separate from the main building. Jake and Ellie shared the other one.
Adam made sure his towel was tucked in, and turned to find Mia in the doorway to the small washroom, looking fresh and clean. He'd let her wash first and the smell of his soap on her skin made something possessive sit up and take notice inside him. "Real funny."
Amusement lit her whiskey-brown eyes. "I'm not going to lie. You and Jake nearly tripped over your shoes in there. I could have sworn the pair of you were rugged bounty hunters with a bit of experience under your belts...."
"Yeah, well, she didn't have her hand on your cock," he growled, and snatched up a small towel to blot his face dry. His cheeks felt ridiculously sensitive after that shave. "And while I don't usually complain, there was a possibility she'd have used her knife to remove it. I wasn't quite sure which way she was going to go. Makes a man nervous."
Mia leaned her hip against the door, crossing her arms over her black tank. Her gaze slid down his bare chest and hooked on the towel. "You don't look nervous right now."
No. His cock was partially erect. The side effect of having her here in the room with him when they were talking about cocks. "I think you almost like playing a female reiver."
Mia arched a brow. "Is that an insult?"
"No. I just meant that you're a little more open like this." Adam tossed the small towel aside.
Mia frowned. "The take-what-you-want attitude... it's wrong when it affects other people and their freedom," she admitted. "But maybe there's something to be said for admitting what you want in life, and going after it."
"And if you could take what you wanted?" Instantly he wanted to take the words back. This was not helping the situation.
Mia looked up slowly, those dark eyelashes shading her eyes. "I don't know. I think I'm still figuring that out, but I've been thinking... about what I'd regret if I died tomorrow."
"You're not going to die tomorrow," he growled. Not if he had anything to do with it.
Mia rolled her eyes. "Way to bypass the subject, McClain."
"Adam."
"What?"
"My name is Adam." For some reason, he desperately wanted to hear that name from her lips.
"Adam," she said, and there was the Mia he knew. Gentle, wary, and full of shy warmth. "And what about you? No regrets?"
A lifetime of them. He groaned. "Mia, we're not starting this."
"You're about a month too late with your warning."
"Reivers," he pointed out. "A psychotic warlord. Your sister."
"We're one step closer to Sage." Mia looked away though. "And you're right. I shouldn't even be thinking of this. Not right now. But...."
"But?"
"Nothing." She shook her head. "Just something Jenny said to me. I can't stop thinking about it." She stepped closer, making every muscle in his body tense. Mia tugged playfully at the towel around his waist. "And you never answered the question."
