Page 119 of Esperance

Saints, he didn’t care. The need to kiss her burned through his tightening body. His pulse raced. He’d been married to his wife for two blasted months. She’d been a temptation the entire time—even when he hadn’t wanted to admit it.

And she had never looked more beautiful to him than she did right now.

Her tongue darted over her lips, her eyes almost panicked as she slid back a step. “I . . . I should get out of these clothes.”

If she’d said anything else, he might have pressed into her space and just bloody kissed her. But she was soaked and cold, and taking care of her was a job he’d done poorly at. That needed to change.Now.

He bent to snatch up the pack Jayveh had brought earlier. “There are dry clothes in here. Let’s get you warm.”

Her blush deepened, and something low in his gut clenched.

Saints give him strength . . .

He ordered his body tobloody stopand shouldered the pack.

A shiver wracked her. He took her hand, thinking nothing of it until his palm starting tingling warmly.

He led the way out of the tent, taking her to their own. He was grateful when they didn’t encounter anyone.

He released her hand once they were inside. He set the pack on her bedroll and found the lamp, making quick work to light it.

He twisted to face her. “I’ll get you food and water. Do you need anything else?”

“No.” She hesitated. “When we entered the camp, one of the guards mentioned Darrin was killed. Is anyone else . . .?”

“No. Everyone else is accounted for, now.”

“Good.” Her voice was quiet, and he could tell by the way she bit her lip that she had something else she wanted to say.

It took all his self-control not to smooth a thumb over that lip and save it from her teeth. “What else do you want to ask me?”

She eyed him. “How is Marriset?”

“She was wounded, but she’ll be all right. Jayveh said she’s in shock, but that’s to be expected.”

Her brow furrowed. “You haven’t visited her?”

“No.” He thought his tone made it quite clear that he didn’t plan to visit her, either.

Amryn’s throat flexed as she swallowed. “Oh.”

He took a step back. “Change into something dry. I’ll be right back.”

He left her, though he motioned for an Esperance guard to watch the tent. He gathered rations quickly from the cooking tent, stacking a plate with figs, fried eggs, bacon, and scones. Then he filled a canteen and hurried back to the tent.

He slipped inside, just in time to see a flash of pale skin as Amryn dropped the hem of the baggy shirt into place.

His pulse pounded. Blazing Saints, that brief glimpse of her lower back was going to torment him.

Amryn turned to face him, rolling the sleeves of the shirt back from her hands. Everything was too big, since she was wearing a man’s shirt and pants; she’d already rolled the cuffs of the pants, but there was nothing to be done about the length of the shirt that hung nearly to her knees. She clutched the throat of the shirt, though the collar still fell wide, exposing part of one white shoulder.

“If Jayveh thought I could hike in this, she’s overestimating my abilities.”

Divinities take him, if she’d had to walk down a mountain in this, he wouldn’t have been the only man to stare.

The mere thought ofanyonebut him ever seeing her like this made him want to throw a blanket around her.

Amryn’s stomach grumbled, and that snapped him out of his possessive haze. He waited until she sat on her bedroll before he handed her the food.

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