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There was only so much skin he could reach, but Pyetar kissed every inch of it, moving methodically along the collar of her shirt. His short beard scratched lightly against her skin.

“I do know some things about myself,” he said against her neck as his mouth trailed down to her shoulders.

“Oh?” she asked, breathless, head tilting back against the wall.

“I love the feel of your skin. I love unbraiding your hair, running my hands through it.” Pyetar dropped to his knees before her, pushing up her sweater and tunic until he could run his hands over her bare stomach. “I love the sounds you make. I love how close to you I feel when I’m inside you.”

Iryana moaned, arching into his touch.

“It’s the only thing I know that feels right.”

Those words brought her as much pleasure as his touch. Her body trembled. Gods, she needed him.

His fingers trailed along the top of her pants, and Iryana cursed at all the layers she still wore. His mouth was hot against her stomach, trailing lower and lower. Iryana’s knees felt ready to collapse.

A knock sounded at the door again, and Pyetar growled against her stomach, then shouted, “What?”

A muffled voice from the hallway said, “We have a few final reports for you to approve before you go.”

“I’ll be there in a moment,” he called back, looking up at her with dark, hooded eyes.

“You’re in high demand,” she observed, voice breathy.

He squeezed her waist, his hands wrapped entirely around her sides and back. “Never a moment of peace.”

He glanced at the door, looking so conflicted that Iryana chuckled.

“Go take care of things.”

For a general who had seemed intent on avoiding the fort as much as possible at first, everyone seemed to rely on him heavily now.

They were about to be alone for weeks, perhaps not in as convenient a place as his study, but there would surely be opportunities to enjoy each other.

He sighed. “And I need to get changed, grab my things,” Pyetar admitted begrudgingly. “Vaneshta and her team are going to head out with us. We’ll move with them for a few days at first, and then they have their own mission. We shouldn’t waste more daylight.”

“I’ll find Vaneshta and the others, catch up, and meet you back here in an hour?”

Pyetar nodded, releasing her reluctantly and standing. When Iryana stepped away from the wall, she nearly stumbled.

“That’s another thing.” Pyetar smirked, righting her. “I love kissing you senseless.”

She shook her head at him, but she loved it too. “I’ve noticed.”

“Don’t be late and don’t forget to eat something.”

Iryana rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me what to do, Pyetar Horvol.”

Chapter Eighteen

Her lips curled into a grin as she saw her old comrade for the first time in months.

There was a sling around Vabihn’s arm and bandages around the side of his neck, but he moved easily as he escorted his pregnant wife down the front steps of their small house. He was huge and barrel-chested, dwarfing the much smaller woman. A thick fur-lined shawl was wrapped around the loose woolen gown she wore.

When Iryana ran into Vaneshta, the captain told her they needed a little more time to get ready, so she had hunted down the small house Vabihn lived in with his family. It was on the opposite side of the fortress from the estate, amidst tight rows of other homes and workshops.

“Iryana!” Vabihn hollered with a jovial laugh. “The fancy guardian heir gracing our doorstop with her presence. What an honor.”

“Don’t be an ass,” Iryana scolded, looking toward the woman at his side.