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There was a slight twitch of his lips, but the smile didn’t form. “That is your name.”

“But that’s not what you call me,” Scarlett replied.

“You have told me several times in the last two days not to call you Lady or Love or Princess,” he countered.

“And you have repeatedly ignored such requests,” she pointed out. She waved her hand dismissively. “That’s not the point. The point is that something is off. You are…” She shrugged. “It just seems like something is wrong is all.”

Scarlett made the move past him, but he suddenly caught her arm. Her eyes snapped to the contact and then dragged to his golden ones. “I thought you weren’t touching me without my invitation,” she purred.

“Unless it was a necessity,” he said, his voice low and rough.

Her brows rose. “How was this a necessity?”

“Because if you continue to walk away, we would be on our way to crossing the border.”

“I’m missing the necessity part of this.”

“Everything will change when we near the border.” There was a twinge of agony in his voice, and Scarlett found herself stepping into him. “This is my last chance to have you all to myself for a good long while.”

“Still missing the necessity portion,” she whispered.

Sorin reached up and pushed her hood back while his hand slipped into her hair that was still unbound and a complete mess. His other hand came to her waist and pulled her against him. He held her eyes for a second longer, giving her time to stop him, before he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.

When his lips met hers, she shoved down all the reasons she shouldn’t be doing this. She shoved down thoughts of Callan, who would likely come looking for them at any time. She shoved down thoughts of Sorin’s betrayal, how he had withheld such vital information. She shoved down all the emotions she had been struggling to keep at bay for days, and she let need rush to the surface. She let want drive her hands into his dark locks, and she felt him shudder against her.

She moaned against his mouth when his tongue flicked against her own, and his teeth dragged across her bottom lip. Then he was kissing down her throat, and she arched into him while his hand fisted gently in her hair, tugging her head back to allow better access. Wet warmth pooled in her core, and she could swear Sorin sensed it because the hand moved from her waist and slipped up her tunic, finding her breast and her peaked nipple. He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, and she gasped.

His other hand slipped from her hair and down her back. Then he was spinning her, and she somehow found herself backed against a tree. The hand that was on her back slid further down until he was cupping her rear, and his mouth had found its way back to hers. He kissed her like he expected never to do it again. It was rough and desperate and full of need.

His hips pressed into her own, and she shifted slightly to avoid having pressure put on the wound in her side. Shifting through had lined her up perfectly with him. She felt his hardness grind into her as his hips shifted again, and she moaned at what that did to her. His hand under her tunic was working her breast while his other hand had worked its way around to her front, and his fingers were grazing the band of her pants.

Scarlett leaned her head back into the tree as he trailed kisses down her jaw. “Do you understand yet, Love?” he murmured onto her skin. “Youare my necessity.”

She whimpered as she ground her own hips into his and his mouth was back on hers, devouring the sound. A dark growl escaped from him when she lifted one of her legs and hooked it around his hips. His hand came to her raised thigh, holding her in place as he pressed against her again, and his tongue dragged down her neck.

A few minutes later, when he started to slowly withdraw his hand from her tunic and his hand stilled on her hip, she groaned. Her breathing was as ragged as his. She could feel his chest rising and falling rapidly against her own.

“We need to go. In about an hour, we will reach the outskirts of the border. We should be with the others when we reach it,” he whispered,his hands coming to her face. His forehead pressed against hers as he held her gaze.

She swallowed. “That seems like it would be a necessity.”

A half-smile appeared. “That it is, Love.”

“I still hate you,” she whispered.

He brushed a kiss to her lips. “I know.”

CHAPTER 47

SCARLETT

When they came back to the clearing, they found Eirwen tied to a tree. The others had apparently gone on, assuming they would catch up. Sorin helped Scarlett up into the saddle, swinging up behind her. His hand once again rested on his own thigh, and she gritted her teeth.

“Something wrong?” he asked casually as he urged Eirwen into motion.

“No.”

“You seem tense.”