Page 73 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
Myra burrowed deeperinto the blankets. The comforter sucked her in, as if wrapping her in a snug hug. The pillow was stiffer than she remembered, and she nuzzled against it, trying to make it more comfortable. She inhaled, and notes of cinnamon and pine enveloped her. Her fingers curled into the fabric, and the blanket tightened around her?—
Her eyes shot open, her entire body stiffening.
She wasn’t lying on a pillow but Laurince’s chest.
In her sleep, she had grabbed the blanket and dragged it closer to her, leaving Laurince’s chest bare. From his muscular pectorals to his sculpted abdominals, every inch was perfectly toned. Unable to stop herself, she glanced down.
A squeal of horror nearly slipped from her lips.
The blankets were twisted around Laurince’s legs, and one of her legs was thrown high over his. Her nightdress had risen dangerously high and kissed the tops of her thighs.
Embarrassment heated her skin.
She had been cold during the night. That’s all. That was the only plausible explanation for their entangled bodies.
Slowly, she uncurled her fingers from the blanket. She tried to untwist her limbs from his, but he squeezed her closer to his chest. Myra’s eyes threatened to pop out of her head as she stifled a gasp.
Laurince mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as sleep held onto him with a deathly grip.
By the gods.
Maybe Myra would be lucky, and a storm would roll in and lightning would strike?—
She grimaced. That would only make him wake up faster.
She had to get out of the bed.Now.
Myra peeled Laurince’s hand off her. She crawled out of bed, doing her best not to disturb him. It was bad enough that one of them knew their limbs had been entangled, but both of them? That would be a nightmare?—
An amused snort sounded behind her.
She snapped her head toward the window.
Rian was lounging in a green barrel chair. One leg was folded over the other as he leaned back in the seat, an arm lazily draped over the chair’s arm. Rian took a long sip from a mug. "Did I mention he’s a cuddler?"
Myra tugged on her nightgown. "We never talk about this, got it?"
He lowered his mug, revealing a devilish smirk.
"Talk about what?"
Myra stiffened at Laurince’s groggy voice. She silently cursed herself when her cheeks burned redder. How was his voice making her skin flush? It was too early and much too bright for this nonsense.
"Oh, nothing," Rian answered in a singsong tone, his mischievous grin widening.
"Do I have drool on my face or something?" Laurince asked.
Myra looked back and immediately regretted the decision. Propped up on one arm, Laurince wiped his chin and then scratched his chest. Myra’s attention snagged on his collarbone, and she immediately caught herself. Feeling much too exposed, she snatched her bag in search of something to throw on herself.
A flash of silver sparkled as the sun hit the contents of her bag. She rolled her eyes at the small blade, though a small grin poked at her cheek. Moving it aside, she grabbed the first pair of trousers she could find.
"We should get going," she said, shoving her feet into the pants, one after the other, as she fought the fabric of her nightgown.
"What about food?" Rian asked, not bothering to hide his amusement in his tone.
"We can get something on the way out. The longer we wait, the more daylight we waste. The last time we made this journey, you couldn’t stop stressing the importance of using the daylight to our advantage. Right, Laurince?" she asked, fully aware she was rambling. She quickly swapped her dress for a simple blouse.
"Uhm, right," Laurince said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with his fist.
