expression. He was watching her the way a man watched a woman he desired. Something feminine and vulnerable inside unfurled with the knowledge. Smiling, she widened her stance and stretched again, arching her back a little more than necessary, letting the sun’s early heat flow over her along with his gaze.
“You’re playing with fire, Fei.”
She was, and it felt good. “Maybe I have been cold too long.”
“Maybe, or maybe you’re—”
Reaching back, she undid the bun at the back of her neck and shook out her hair, wanting to moan with relief as the heavy weight spilled down her back. Shadow froze midway off the horse, his eyes locked on her. She didn’t care. She was hot, she was exhausted and he was too complacent about everything that had happened between them for her peace of mind.
Lifting her hair off her neck, she demanded, “Maybe I’m what?”
“Going to get burned.” The warning rumbled from deep in his chest. Without further ado, he got the rest of the way down and calmly led his horse over to the stream.
She hated him right then. For his calm, his proximity, but mostly for shaking up the beliefs she’d built around herself. It’d been six hours since Shadow had kissed her. Six hours in which she should have forgotten the sensation of his mouth on hers, but the imprint of his kiss was as vivid now as it had been when he’d first touched his lips to hers last night. She touched her lips without thinking. His hand caught her wrist. His gaze met hers. In their depths was all the heat she could have wished and more danger than any woman should desire. The step she took toward him was involuntary. His response was not. With a shake of his head, he killed off that kernel of hope she couldn’t control. The one that looked at impossible and thought, Maybe.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m not.”
It was a lie. He knew it was a lie. She could see it in his expression. Narrowing her eyes against the midmorning sun, she dared him to challenge her on it. He cocked his eyebrow at her, but he had the common sense to keep his mouth shut, which was good. Pretending to misunderstand his look, she motioned to the rocky embankment. “We need to go up.”
And that was another part of her problem. Her legs were stiff from riding the horse and the steep climb, which she normally did with little difficulty, felt insurmountable after two nights without sleep. Taking a bracing breath, she took the first step. He took her arm.
“What?”
“I thought you might like a little help.”
“Xei-xei.” Tugging on the mare’s reins, she started up the hill. At least this part was easier than when she rode her old plow horse, Grandfather. He had a hard time with the climb. More often than not, the process involved her hauling him up by his bridle and sheer force of will. The little mare, however, nimbly climbed the slope. Sometimes a bit too fast. Fei jumped to the side as the mare lunged up some loose shale.
Shadow switched his grip to her waist. “Careful there.”
She shoved at his arm, noting he didn’t need to hold his horse’s reins. His horse followed meekly on his own. Of course. That just irritated her more.
“Let go.”
“Just watching out for my finances.”
She shook her head. “You are a liar. You were watching out for me.”
“And that’s a crime?”
She didn’t know. Yes. No. Maybe. It’d be easier to decide if she weren’t so aware of him. “Just tell the truth of what you do.”
“The truth isn’t always pretty.”
“Neither is a lie.”
“Fair enough.” Steering her up the embankment, he said, “We need to get you up to this claim so I can get on our back trail and erase it.”
He released her arm. She turned. Standing above him on the embankment, they were almost eye level. It was surprising how much more confidence the illusion of height gave. “You can do that?”
“Probably not good enough that a professional tracker wouldn’t be able to find us, but likely good enough that
“You’re playing with fire, Fei.”
She was, and it felt good. “Maybe I have been cold too long.”
“Maybe, or maybe you’re—”
Reaching back, she undid the bun at the back of her neck and shook out her hair, wanting to moan with relief as the heavy weight spilled down her back. Shadow froze midway off the horse, his eyes locked on her. She didn’t care. She was hot, she was exhausted and he was too complacent about everything that had happened between them for her peace of mind.
Lifting her hair off her neck, she demanded, “Maybe I’m what?”
“Going to get burned.” The warning rumbled from deep in his chest. Without further ado, he got the rest of the way down and calmly led his horse over to the stream.
She hated him right then. For his calm, his proximity, but mostly for shaking up the beliefs she’d built around herself. It’d been six hours since Shadow had kissed her. Six hours in which she should have forgotten the sensation of his mouth on hers, but the imprint of his kiss was as vivid now as it had been when he’d first touched his lips to hers last night. She touched her lips without thinking. His hand caught her wrist. His gaze met hers. In their depths was all the heat she could have wished and more danger than any woman should desire. The step she took toward him was involuntary. His response was not. With a shake of his head, he killed off that kernel of hope she couldn’t control. The one that looked at impossible and thought, Maybe.
“Don’t even think about it.”
“I’m not.”
It was a lie. He knew it was a lie. She could see it in his expression. Narrowing her eyes against the midmorning sun, she dared him to challenge her on it. He cocked his eyebrow at her, but he had the common sense to keep his mouth shut, which was good. Pretending to misunderstand his look, she motioned to the rocky embankment. “We need to go up.”
And that was another part of her problem. Her legs were stiff from riding the horse and the steep climb, which she normally did with little difficulty, felt insurmountable after two nights without sleep. Taking a bracing breath, she took the first step. He took her arm.
“What?”
“I thought you might like a little help.”
“Xei-xei.” Tugging on the mare’s reins, she started up the hill. At least this part was easier than when she rode her old plow horse, Grandfather. He had a hard time with the climb. More often than not, the process involved her hauling him up by his bridle and sheer force of will. The little mare, however, nimbly climbed the slope. Sometimes a bit too fast. Fei jumped to the side as the mare lunged up some loose shale.
Shadow switched his grip to her waist. “Careful there.”
She shoved at his arm, noting he didn’t need to hold his horse’s reins. His horse followed meekly on his own. Of course. That just irritated her more.
“Let go.”
“Just watching out for my finances.”
She shook her head. “You are a liar. You were watching out for me.”
“And that’s a crime?”
She didn’t know. Yes. No. Maybe. It’d be easier to decide if she weren’t so aware of him. “Just tell the truth of what you do.”
“The truth isn’t always pretty.”
“Neither is a lie.”
“Fair enough.” Steering her up the embankment, he said, “We need to get you up to this claim so I can get on our back trail and erase it.”
He released her arm. She turned. Standing above him on the embankment, they were almost eye level. It was surprising how much more confidence the illusion of height gave. “You can do that?”
“Probably not good enough that a professional tracker wouldn’t be able to find us, but likely good enough that
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