Hidden Knights (Knights of the Realm #3) - Jennifer Anne Davis Page 0,78

order to make sure they felt included on the invasion south to oust the king and save their husbands.

“I miss Axian,” Dexter said as he came into the bedchamber he shared with Reid. “I miss my father, my brother, and even the damn dog, Finn.”

She laughed as she removed her tunic. “Has there been any word from Colbert?”

“No, but I’ve sent him several messages.”

“He always struck me as the bookish type.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I don’t picture him commanding the Axian army.” Granted, he had a lot of help. Markis was with him, along with countless other officers.

“Sometimes, I forget how little you know about my family.”

Curious, she turned toward him, even though she only had her shift on.

“Colbert is an excellent swordsman,” he explained as he went over to the fireplace, tossing another log on the fire.

Reid recalled how Colbert had thrown himself in front of the dagger to save Dexter’s life, which meant he had to be brave as well. Opening the armoire, she withdrew her nightdress. On her way to the bathing chamber, she caught a glimpse of Dexter as he removed his tunic and undershirt, revealing his muscled torso.

She froze, heat creeping up her neck and onto her face. He was beautiful.

“Need something?” he asked, his voice husky, matching the dim lighting cast by the fire.

Standing there like a fool, unable to speak, she shook her head and ducked into the bathing chamber. Tossing her nightdress on the floor, she realized she’d grabbed the wrong one. Silently cursing, she picked up the dress and went back into the bedchamber. Stretched out on the bed, shirtless, Dexter wore only loose pants that hugged his hips.

Reid’s eyes widened at the sight. Being sure to keep her mouth shut so she didn’t drool like a damned fool, she forced herself to walk slowly to the armoire so she wouldn’t do something stupid like trip.

“What’s the matter?” Dexter asked. “You seem flustered.” The corners of his lips rose as he fought a smile.

She wanted to punch him. He knew he was making her uncomfortable being half naked. Instead of putting clothes on, he was laughing. Well, two could play that game. At the armoire, with her back to Dexter, she shoved the wrong nightdress back into the armoire. Taking a slow breath, she steeled her resolve and removed her shift, letting it fall to the floor like water. She heard him suck in a breath. Good, now he knew what it felt like. Ever so slowly, she removed her pants. With her back still facing Dexter, she leaned forward and withdrew the correct nightdress. She put it over her head and pulled it down her torso, shimmying so the fabric slid the rest of the way.

She felt ridiculous acting like a harlot. However, she wanted to show Dexter what it felt like to be around someone who was half naked. Turning to face him, she hoped she’d flustered him as much as he did her.

Dexter was still as a statue, his eyes wide as the moon. She smirked. From where she stood, she could see him swallow.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice hoarse.

She raised a single eyebrow. “What? You think you’re the only one who can waltz around here showing that much skin?”

“If I would have known that’s all I had to do to get you half naked, I would have done it a long time ago.” He jumped off the bed. “What will you do if I remove the rest of my clothing?”

Now he was teasing her. She grabbed a pillow from the bed, then hurled it.

He deftly caught it. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He smirked, dropping the pillow. With a devious glint in his eyes, he untied his pants. They slid straight to the floor. He stood there in only his underwear. “Now what are you going to do?”

She was two seconds from throwing herself at him. As calmly as possible, she replied, “I’m going to go to bed.” She quickly climbed under the sheets, pulling them up to her chin. Maybe if she didn’t look at Dexter, the image of him in nothing but his underwear wouldn’t stay seared into her mind.

Chuckling, Dexter crawled under the blankets next to her. “Funny you should say that. I’m going to bed, too.” He reached over, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face. “You’re beautiful.” He propped his head on his hand, watching her. “What are you afraid of? Or are