Page 154 of Season Warriors & Wolves

“Because,” I whispered, my voice shivering, “I regret the time I could have learned so much more of you.”

He kissed both my eyes. “There is time for everything. I’ll show you every little thing I know until you are sick of it.”

“I can’t be sick of anything you say or do.”

“I’ll remember this when we argue next time.”

“I wasn’t even angry last time. Wasn’t an argument, really.”

His dark brows pulled together. “What? It wasn’t? But it looked so real?”

I splashed water in his face. “Fool.” Something slimy touched my ankle and I jolted. “Kil. Something touched me.”

“Probably a small fish.”

I gagged and shivered, jumping in his arms. “Take me out. Take me out. Take me out.”

He lifted me up and somehow managed to have me sitting on his shoulders, his head between my legs, all while he laughed himself to tears. “Better now?” he asked, kissing the inner part of my thigh and smoothing his hands over my legs.

At least I could see my feet now. “Yeah, thank you.”

“How does the world look up there?”

“Shinny.”

He tilted his head back to look at me. “Maybe I should carry you like this all the time.”

Even backwards, his smile was so pretty, his face was so pretty, his eyes—oh, his eyes. For some reason, he looked away into the distance, smiling to himself almost shyly.

“What?” I asked, wrapping my hand under his jaw and lifting his face up to me again.

The fool grinned at me, the dimple on his chin deepening. “I like how you look at me.” He spun me off his shoulders so easily to wrap my legs around his waist and pull me flush against his body, my chest pressed to his. The wet silk of my nightgown suddenly became unbearably painful against my hardened nipples as he trailed a hand down my back, and I gasped when his mouth latched on my neck, kissing a path to my ear.

Something splashed besides us, soaking my hair with salt water.

Another splash, drenching me entirely.

Then, screams and snickers ensued.

Kilian groaned. “Malik.”

My brother-in-law swam to us with my little sister following. “Please tell me you’re not swimming naked?”

“Maybe we should have been,” Kil grumbled.

“This is so nice,” Thora sighed, swimming on her back, staring at the skies above.

Kilian glared at his brother. “You better have a good goddamn reason for following us here.”

“I do,” Mal said. “Silas was seen leaving towards Whitebridge with Melanthe. Apparently, your aunt has taken over in his name, claiming the capital as an Isjordian front. Thought you might want to know that.” He jumped from the water, raising his hands up. “Throw her.”

“Throw who—”

Then, I was up in the air, crashing against water. Mal picked me up and then threw me to Kilian who couldn’t stop laughing.

He wrapped a hand around my waist and wiped the water out of my face while I kicked and writhed in his hold. “I’m going to kill you.”

“Thought you were over that,” he said in my ear, making me shiver entirely. “You look adorable all wet, my little hellcat.”