Page 94 of Tiger's Curse
He went off in search of more firewood while I bustled about setting up camp, which went rather quickly because I didn’t have the tent this time. All I could do was clear the space of rocks and branches.
After the water was hot, I poured some into both of our dinner packets and waited for the freeze-dried food to rehydrate and become edible. He soon returned, grumbling about the wood, and sat down next to me. I handed him a dinner, and he stirred it quietly.
Between bites of hot pasta, I asked, “Ren, do you think those Kappa things will come after us during the night?”
“I don’t think so. They’ve stayed in the water this whole time and, if the story is accurate, they’re also afraid of fire. I’ll just make sure to keep the fire going all night.”
“Well, maybe we should stand watch. Just in case.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up as he took another bite of his dinner. “Okay, who gets the first watch?”
“I do.”
His eyes twinkled with mirth. “Ah, a brave volunteer?”
I glared at him and took another bite. “Are you making fun of me?”
He threw a hand over his heart, “No, ma’am! I already know you’re brave. You have nothing to prove to me.”
Ren finished his meal, and then hunkered down by the woodpile and threw more of the strange branches on. The fire was bright. The flames licking the wood started burning with a greenish hue at first, then sputtered and crackled like fireworks. The flame changed to a bright reddish-orange tinged with green around the burning kindling.
I set down my finished dinner packet and stared into the weird flames. He sat down beside me again and picked up my hand.
“Kells, I appreciate you volunteering to stand watch, but I want you to rest. This journey is harder on you than it is on me.”
“You’re the one getting all scratched up. I just follow along behind.”
“Yes, but I heal fast. Besides, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Tell you what, I’ll take the first watch, and if nothing happens, we’ll both sleep. Agreed?”
I frowned at him. He started playing with my fingers and turned my hand over so he could trace the lines of my palm. Firelight flickered across his handsome features. My eyes drifted to his lips.
“Kelsey?” He made eye contact, and I quickly looked away.
I wasn’t used to dealing with him when camping like this. I usually got to make all my own decisions, and he just followed me around. Er, or I guess I followed him most places. But, at least when he was a tiger he didn’t argue back.Or distract me with thoughts of being wrapped in his arms kissing him.
He smiled an amazingly white smile and stroked the inside of my arm. “Your skin here is so soft.”
He leaned over to nuzzle my ear. My blood started pounding thickly and fogged my brain. “Kells, tell me you agree with my plan.”
I shook myself free from the spellbinding fog and set my jaw stubbornly. “Fine, you win. I agree,” I mumbled. “Even though you are coercing me.”
He laughed and moved to look at me. “And howexactlyam I coercing you?”
“Well, first of all, you can’t expect me to have coherent thoughts when you’re touching me. Second, you always know how to get your way with me.”
“Is that right?”
“Sure. All you have to do is bat your eyes, or in your case smile and ask nicely, throw in a distracting touch, and then, before I know it, you get whatever it is you want.”
“Really?” he teased quietly. “I had no idea I had that effect on you.”
Reaching out a hand, he turned my face toward him. He trailed his fingers lightly from my jaw, down to the pulse at my throat, and then across my neckline. My pulse hammered as he touched the cord tied around my neck and followed its path down to the amulet; then he skimmed his fingers lightly back up to my neck, studying my face as he touched me. I swallowed thickly.
He leaned in close and threatened playfully, “I’ll have to use it more to my advantage in the future.”
I sucked in a breath, my skin tingled, and I quivered slightly, which seemed to make him even more pleased with himself. He went off to walk the perimeter of our camp one last time while I drew my knees up to my chin, wrapped my arms around them, and let my mind drift.
My throat tingled where Ren had touched me. I lifted my hand to the hollow at the base of my neck and fingered the amulet. Briefly, I thought about Kishan and how formidable he appeared to be on the surface. Inside, he was as harmless as a kitten. The dangerous brother was Ren. Innocent though the blue-eyed tiger appeared to be, he was a compelling predator. Utterly irresistible—like a Venus flytrap. So alluring, so tempting, so deadly. Everything he did was seductive and quite possibly hazardous to my heart.
