Page 70 of A Warrior's Heart

A raspy laugh echoed behind me.

Shar and Nereus stood against the railing on the starboard side, their bodies pressed together. Shar caressed Nereus’ jaw before dipping his head to the younger male’s neck. Nereus softly groaned and tilted his head back, welcoming the touch.

“When will I get to see your face?” Nereus panted, his fingers curling in Shar’s blond hair. “I want to properly kiss you.”

Eavesdropping on them was wrong, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was too intrigued. Ervin had been right. All their banter and pranks had been because they’d secretly liked the other.

Had they bedded each other yet? Was this the first time they’d let go and surrendered to their mutual attraction?

“What if I’m hideous under this covering?” Shar asked, running his hands up the other man’s chest.

“You’re already hideous. So it wouldn’t matter.”

Shar growled and grabbed hold of Nereus’ chin.

Nereus cocked a smile before bringing their foreheads together. “Kiss me, Shar. Please.”

Shar reached up and lowered his covering. Since his back was to me, I couldn’t see his face. But Nereus’ eyes widened. He touched the assassin’s jaw. “I was right. You’re hideous.”

Then, their mouths slammed together, and they rutted against each other, hands pulling at the material separating their bodies.

“Come with me,” Shar said, breathless.

They pulled apart and jumped off the side of the ship into the dark water below, their hands linked between them. I was sure they intended to find a private spot to further discover each other.

Their encounter left a longing in my heart.

I wished I was brave enough to be that way with Malik. To take him by the hand, drag him to the bed we shared, and kiss every inch of his muscled body. To let him kiss mine too. I felt I was ready for that next step. Even if the thought of doing so made my stomach flutter with nerves.

Steps sounded from below deck as someone came up the stairs. My skin tingled as I sensed Malik. As we’d grown closer over the past few weeks, I’d become more aware of him, as if my soul stirred when he was near.

I looked over as he came up through the hatch. The worry lines around his eyes smoothed when he saw me.

“I wished to give you a moment to yourself before following,” he said, his footsteps silent as he approached me. He was a damned mountain of a male, but he was light on his feet. “You’re upset with me because of how I behaved earlier.”

“What? No. That’s not true. I’m not upset with you at all.” I dropped my gaze to my hands. “I’m upset with myself.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m a coward.”

Malik tipped my face up to him. “You are far from a coward.” His orange eyes were just as gentle as his voice. “You fear this world, yet you grabbed your bow and fled the palace to be by my side. That is the action of someone who’s brave. Loyal. Someone I’m honored to stand beside every day.”

My eyes watered. “Keep saying things like that and I might have to kiss you.”

He kissed me instead.

As his soft lips moved against mine, one of my tears escaped its hold and trickled down my cheek. He smoothed it away with his thumb and deepened the kiss. He tasted of lemon and smelled like the sea, the salty scent lingering on his skin from our dip in the water earlier.

“Take me to our bed,” I murmured against his lips.

Malik’s arms came around me and lifted me from the deck, our mouths finding each other again as he carried me to our cabin. He closed the door with his foot and laid me on the bed, his big body settling beside me.

He treated me with the upmost care, putting me first in all things. He knew not to hover over me because it might make me feel trapped, closed in, and cause bad memories to surface. Malik could’ve easily overpowered me, but he didn’t grab at my body or yank at my clothes. His hands only went as far as my waist before stopping.

“Tell me what you want,” Malik said between soft kisses.

“You.” My heart hammered against my ribs as I pushed him to his back and straddled his hips. Trembles racked my body as both desire and nerves took root inside me. “All of you.”