Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
We surfaced together, but the elf moved faster. The rushing water was attempting to sweep us away. Nylian wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me in tight against him while he planted the spear still in his other hand into the rocky bed, halting our progress long enough to get our feet under us.
“Are you okay?” Nylian panted.
“Are you gay?” I shouted into his face, making the elf laugh.
Fuck, the man had reduced my brain to tiny, useless shards.
There was the most wonderfully playful expression on his face. All his golden-blond hair was swept back and sticking to his head, giving me a clear view of those enormous green eyes. Drops of water clung to his long eyelashes and glistened in the light while more speckled his high cheekbones like diamonds. My hands were braced on his strong shoulders, and I couldn’t bring myself to release him. It was as if I’d lost all control of my body.
“I am attracted to men and women. Do you find that strange?” Nylian inquired.
“No! Of course not!” I barely stopped myself from announcing that some of my best friends were gay. Really. Could I be more of an idiot? I just didn’t know what to say. All the people I’d had lined up for his harem were women. How was he bisexual? Or pansexual?
My brain was still frantically trying to digest this information when Nylian’s face dipped closer to my own, snapping me out of my revery. “Does it bother you that I am attracted to men?”
“No! Nope! Perfectly fine with it. Doesn’t bother me.”
“And you? Are you—”
“Women!” I bellowed. When I got control of my voice, I repeated in a normal, non-crazy-person tone, “Just attracted to women.”
Nylian’s lips spread into a slow, wicked grin that kicked my heart into overdrive for reasons I couldn’t begin to explain. I couldn’t look away from his mouth. It was hypnotic. My eyes refused to be torn away as I watched them form each sound. “Are you sure about that?”
My fingers tightened on Nylian’s shoulders, digging into hard muscle while his arm around my waist drew me in even closer. I didn’t know what was happening. There wasn’t a clear thought in my head. Only Nylian and those perfect lips smiling at me.
Was I sure about that?
A loud burst of laughter echoed from the shore, jerking me out of my trance. Our heads snapped up to see Adeline standing on the bank, holding her stomach as she cackled.
“Can’t say I’ve ever seen fishing like that!” she shouted.
Nylian’s eyes narrowed, and his warm look disappeared in a flash. Even the muscles in his jaw jumped as he ground his teeth together. For the first time since we’d joined up with Adeline and Jasper, I was worried Adeline wouldn’t survive the night.
Chapter 9
Fireside Dreams
With a firm grip on Nylian, I got my feet under me and pushed out of his grasp. I waded to the shore, shoving my wet hair and water out of my face as I moved. The breeze that had been so pleasant a few minutes earlier was now a knife slicing through my skin and freezing me to the core as it pressed my soaked clothes against every inch of my body.
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Nylian was coming too and found the elf a few steps behind, his glare still directed at Adeline, who was snickering on the bank.
“Did you have any luck?” I inquired, hoping to move the woman on to topics that weren’t likely to get her killed.
“How about that?” She waved both hands toward the camp. My gaze followed her dramatic motion to where Jasper was sitting in what appeared to be an explosion of black feathers.
“What did you kill? A raven?”
Adeline dropped her hands to her sides, her shoulders slumping as she gawked at me. “We got a turkey. A very large, plump turkey. What about you?”
“I got nothing, but Nylian snagged at least five big fish.”
The thief looked at the ground as I made it to dry land. “I see only four here.”
“A fox snagged one prior to your arrival,” Nylian murmured as he joined me. He lightly placed a hand on my lower back and pushed. “Come. We need to get a fire going before you get sick.”
“Mn,” I grunted with a shiver. No argument there. After picking up two of the fish, while Adeline grabbed the other two, we started for the campsite. “Sorry about ruining our fishing. You could have caught double that if I hadn’t fallen.”
“There is nothing to apologize for. The four fish plus the turkey will be plenty for our meal tonight.”
“Yeah, but I never got to show you that I could be a master fisherman like you.”
Nylian’s expression softened, returning to something closer to a smile. “I’m sure you’ll have another opportunity. Right now, your lips are turning blue.” As he spoke, he lifted a finger to brush my trembling bottom lip. Unfortunately, my hands were full of fish, making it impossible to bat his hand away.