Page 25 of Fighting for Her Heart

“Hello.”

Leaping to my feet, I spin toward the voice, pointing the stake. It’s Nora. How the hell did she sneak up on me like that?

She holds up her palms toward me. “I can see that I startled you.”

“Caught me in thought, that’s all.” She might have snuck up on me, but no fucking way will I let her know that. Her wavy, flaming red hair is tied to the side in a long braid and her eyes flash with youth that seems to defy her age. Or what I assume must be her age, assuming she wasn’t a child herself when she rescued Ember.

“How does it feel?” She moves toward one of the rocks and sits, letting her knees splay under her gray linen dress.

“Burning your weapons?” I ask. “Feels fucking great.”

She grins. “I meant the sunshine.”

“I knew what you meant.” I bring my leg up hard to snap the long spear over my quads. Then I toss its pieces, and some of the remaining few stakes into the fire, which then flares.

Taking a long breath I let the heat from the flames wash away my distrust of this woman, or rather any outward signs of it. Best if Ipretendto trust her.

I sit on the rock next to her as the heat from the fire joins the sun licking my chest. “The sunlight feels pretty fucking great.”

“I can only imagine.” She leans back from the fire. “Wow, that’s hot.”

Should have kept a long stake to burn her on.

“What are you grinning about?” she asks.

Killing you. “Just enjoying the sunlight.”

Nodding, she smiles at me. “I’m starting to understand what my daughter sees in you.”

Winking, I adjust myself, widening my bare chest and shifting my package under the leather pants. “Nora, are you checking me out?”

Her arms cross over her chest. “You’re certainly confident in yourself.”

I raise my eyebrows. “I know how to please a woman if that’s what you mean.”

She chuckles. “I think you understand what I meant. I admire your confidence. You don’t take no for an answer.”

Maintaining eye contact, I purposefully let my chest expand on an inhale. “When I see what I want, I take it.”

She smiles softly, and her eyes look into mine with so much intensity I have to resist the urge to look away. But this eye contact feels like a battle of wills. One I don’t plan to lose.

Nora caves first and turns back to the fire. “I’m glad Ember’s found someone self-confident, and such a charmer, someone outgoing and fun, but someone who’ll always be willing to do what it takes to protect her.”

“Thanks.” I look into the fire, disarmed by how easily she nailed me.

“I like what I’ve seen of the big one, too,” she says. “Axel. He’d give his life for her.”

I nod.

“And the tall one, Zuben.” She stretches forward one of her legs. “He seems smart, a real thinker. He also seems to intrinsically understand what she needs.”

My stomach tightens. “You’ve jumped to a lot of conclusions having known us all such a short time.” But she’s so fucking right about every one of us.

She shrugs. “Is any of what I said wrong?”

I tip my head to the side.

“It’s not only intuition.” She smiles. “I’ve spoken to Ember about you guys.”