Page 26 of Burn Bright
I awoke to crackling flames,lying wrapped in softfur.
Fire licked at the pile of wood in front of me, burning so hot it was almost white.Where was I?I groggily sat up, the fur slipping from my naked shoulder. I grabbed it before it could fall too far, my fingertips gliding over the silky softness. The fur was dry and soft, the fine silver ruff of a wolf'spelt.
A shadow finally resolved in the darkness, and a set of stark yellow eyes met mine. "I went back for the packs," Casimir said, sitting with his back to the tree across from me. "There's no sign of the others, but I found the volgur's blood trail. Looks like it retreated back the way it came. And Evaron's no fool. He knows I'll find him, when I can. He'll have set up campsomewhere."
"I'm naked," I blurted, noticing my shirt, leather leggings and boots all propped nearby to dry by the fire. Steam curled off mytunic.
"I didn'tlook."
That didn't make me feel any less bare. I wrapped myself in the fur, only just noticing he wore his still-damp tunic, and little else himself. The shock of seeing his bare toes and hairy legs captured my tongue, and he slowly smiled, as if amused by the sudden furious heat in my cheeks. The tunic hung halfway to his knees, but there was more than enough thigh revealed for myliking.
"You still undressedme."
"Should I have let you freeze?" He snorted. "It's nothing I haven't seen before, and I made sure the fur was covering as much of you as possible. You wouldn't wake. I didtry."
Fine. Common sense dictated he'd done the right thing. The miller's son fell through the ice when we were skating once, and it wasn't as though I'd been thinking anything untoward when I strippedhimbare.
"Besides, if Iwasactually trying to get you naked, I'd have asked first," Casimir said, and his voice came out rougher thanusual.
My cheeks burned for another reason indeed.Insufferable wolvren. "The answer would be no. Just so you'reaware."
He snorted. "As if I'dask."
"As if I'd—" I'd already said no. Grr. My mind was still working slowlytonight.
Cas arched a brow. "Come, slay me with yourwit."
"I'll slay you all right." I growled, reaching for my slightly dampshirt.
He looked away once again, smiling to himself, as I smuggled the shirt beneath the furs. I usually bound my breasts, but there was no sign ofthatconvenient strip of linen, I noticed. And I wasn't about to go searching forit.
"Here," he said, reaching toward my damp clothes and tugging itfree.
I grabbed it, and then contemplated the logistics of trying to manage everything while I hid beneath his fur. "Can you turnaround?"
He sighed, and did, the firelight highlighting his back. "I'm not going tolook."
I made short work of dressing, trying not to look at the way his shirt clung to his broad back and kissed the curve of his ass. Maybe he didn't want to look my way, but I couldn't help looking his. “I’mdone.”
Stupid. He was the prince's man. I was a village girl. Ahunter.
He didn't even likeme.
Or so itseemed.
And Icertainlydidn't likehim.
I couldn't help picturing the gentle way he stroked his horse's neck, murmuring under his breath to her. Nope. Not likable. Not at all. An image of his lashes guarding his eyes last night, when he told me about his past sprang to mind, as if to negateme.
"Are you all right?" he growled, as he turned around. "You lookconstipated."
I swear to Vashta's holy entrails I’m going to drown him the next time we came across a pool ofwater.
Casimir laughed, as if he had a direct connection with mymind.
He could have leftyouto drown. "Thanks. You saved my lifetoday."
"Twice," he pointed out, and took his seatagain.
