Page 169 of A Court of Thralls and Thorns

He turned around, and I did as he said, thankful to be out of my wet clothes. The Dark Fire warmed the tent, and I sighed as I closed my eyes and snuggled into my blankets. I must have drifted off for a minute, because the next thing I knew, Zander was slipping into my bed with me.

“Relax,” Zander murmured against my ear, his voice low and warm. “You need to sleep.”

Easy for him to say. His bare chest pressed firmly against my back, radiating heat like a firestone. I felt his arm drape over my waist, his fingers splaying across the thin fabric of my shirt. Theweight of his touch felt possessive—like he was anchoring me to him, holding me steady in the storm of my own thoughts.

His breath brushed the back of my neck, and I bit my lip to keep from shivering.Just sleep,I told myself.Just close your eyes and sleep.But my body refused to cooperate.

I could feel him—allof him—pressed against me, and my heart pounded like a war drum. His fingers slid lower, tracing just above my hip before settling there. Firm. Unyielding.

I exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the rhythm of his breathing, but my mind kept spinning back to the warmth of his skin, the pressure of his chest against my back, the hard muscle that flexed beneath my fingers when I shifted just slightly.

I should have turned around. I wanted to—to meet his gaze, to kiss him until the tension burned itself out. But he shifted closer, his arm tightening around me as if he sensed my hesitation.

“Don’t,” he whispered, voice rough. “Just... stay still.”

His fingers curled against my hip, gripping me like he wasn’t entirely sure he could let go. His thumb traced small circles—lazy and soothing—but each slow pass of his skin against mine only seemed to wind me tighter.

“I’m trying to sleep,” I muttered, mostly to myself.

His lips brushed against the curve of my neck. “So sleep.”

The warmth of his breath sent a shiver down my spine, and my body betrayed me by pressing back into him. He inhaled, and I felt the tension in his body spike.

“You’re not making this easy,” I whispered.

His chuckle was low and rough. “Not my fault you smell good.”

I closed my eyes, ignoring the way his fingers flexed against my waist, ignoring the thrum of heat curling low in my stomach.Sleep. Just sleep.

But as his fingers slid just a little lower, and his breath warmed the back of my neck, I found it very hard to relax.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

Irubbed the lingering sleep from my eyes, but the frustration from waking alone remained. Zander had stayed with me until I’d drifted off, his warmth wrapping around me like a protective shield. Yet somehow, he’d managed to slip away without me noticing.

Bastard.

I dressed quickly, pulling on my flight armor with movements that were a little too aggressive. The memory of his fingers brushing my waist, his bare chest against my back, lingered far too vividly. He’d been naked—naked—and hadn’t done more than rub my hip. Who does that?

By the time I made it to the fire pit outside, I was still brooding. Tae stood over a pot, stirring something that smelled surprisingly good. He sprinkled cinnamon into the bubbling mixture as I approached.

“Breakfast is almost ready,” he said with a grin.

“Great,” I replied, slumping onto a nearby log. “I could eat an entire cow, I’m so hungry.”

“There’s not a lot of meat,” Tae admitted. “We were pressed for time, but I grabbed some sweetbread.”

“Thank Rowenda,” Jax muttered as he sat down across from me.

“The God of Fertility?” Naia snorted, her spoon halfway to her mouth. “She’s thelastperson I thought you’d pray to.”

“She may grant your wish by making your future lovers fertile,” Naia added with a wicked grin. “Could you imagine a dozen little Jax’s running around?”

Riven, Tae, and I burst out laughing. Even Ferrula smiled behind her mug of tea while Jax shot us a “seriously?” look.

“You’re all hilarious,” Jax grumbled. “Absolutely hilarious.”