with barely a wince, and maintains eye contact the whole time.
“I think you’ll find that I can be very dirty.” His voice has deepened, almost into a purr as he brings his face closer to mine. I drop my hand to avoid touching him, not because I don’t want to, the exact opposite, I want to touch him, and not in the way a healer would.
“Shirt,” I demand again, but the order loses its authority when my voice breaks. He holds his position, his face so close to mine that I can feel his breath on my cheeks. Desire starts to ignite within me, and my breath hitches as his eyes drop to my lips.
“Of course,” he finally answers, sitting back with a wince as he pulls the shirt over his head. His muscles in his chest and arms bulge as he removes it, and I won’t lie by saying I don’t admire the sight. As he lowers his arms, he catches me watching him, and a rare, cheeky grin flashes across his face. For a moment, I’m stunned. I’ve never seen him smile like that and it completely changes his whole face.
“It’s okay to find me attractive, it’s only natural,” he comments with a slight shrug, his now cocky smile still in place.
I stare at him, dumbfounded for a second. “Wha—” All desire I had for him quickly evaporates, and I stand up and take a few angry steps away before turning and glaring at him. “You think awfully highly of yourself!”
“All high elves are attractive, it’s part of the reason we’re so deadly,” he reasons, his smile falling away as he watches my angry pacing, until he’s wearing a confused expression.
“Let’s go, we need to find somewhere to camp before it gets dark.” Embarrassment fills me as I start stuffing the pack with our scattered belongings.
Of course he doesn’t find me attractive, he basically just said that it’s part of his nature, and I just fell for it.
“You’re mad at me.”
I walk over to him and hold out my hand, offering to help him stand without saying anything. He stares at my hand with a considering expression, like if he accepts it he will be signing some sort of contract. Making a noise of frustration, I shake my hand. “Come on, we need to go.”
His eyes move up to my face, and something that looks like sorrow flickers in his gaze for a second before he locks it down and takes my hand. Grunting in pain, he gets to his feet with my help, grimacing as he steadies himself against the tree. Grabbing the water flask, I thrust it at him, holding it out until he takes it from me. He removes the lid and takes a gulp, and I turn away to grab the pack.
“I didn’t realise when we escaped together that you were such an insufferable flirt.” I hate the bitterness that coats my words, but I hear him splutter on his water, and as I turn to face him with a raised eyebrow, I see he’s pushed away from the tree and is taking a few unsteady steps towards me. He has to be hallucinating or something, this is so out of character for him.
“You knew next to nothing about me, why has this upset you so much?” He frowns, stepping into my space again. Usually, I would just back away, but right now my anger is building again, and I’m tired of being pushed aside and buried.
“I’ve been locked up for a hundred years without a fuck, can you blame an elf for trying?”
My thin control over my bubbling anger snaps, and as I take a menacing step forward, and I swear his eyes flash with excitement. “Is that all I am to you? Some human tail? Are you going to go back to your elf buddies and tell them about how you slept with the foolish human who betrayed her country and followed you back to your home?” I don’t raise my voice, but my outrage is clear as I let my fears, insecurities, and heartache flow out of me. I see the moment he realises he’s crossed the line—his cockiness dies and a flash of concern enters his expression. Taking another step towards me, he holds out a hand, as if he’s going to touch my shoulder, but I jerk out of his reach and start to walk away.
“Clarissa—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I interrupt, shouldering the pack and picking a