I knew that body and that hold.
“Maddie, what on earth are you doing?” Apollo said in my ear at the same time Élan screeched, “Uncle Quincy!” And after that I heard Christophe shout, “Uncle Balthazar!”
Then I watched the kids run through the snow and throw themselves at the two rough men. The one I hit picked up Élan and gave her a cuddle. The one in front allowed Christophe to give him a brief hug around his middle before Christophe stepped back and the man put his big hand on Christophe’s shoulder to give it a squeeze while he grinned down at him.
Oh shit.
It seemed I’d overreacted again.
I twisted my neck to look up at Apollo, saw his eyes on me and explained in a whisper, “They were skulking.”
His brows shot up (both of them this time) as his eyes lit with humor and he replied, “Skulking? Well, thank the gods you put a stop to that.”
Crap.
I set my teeth to worrying my lip.
Apollo’s arm gave me a fierce squeeze when he burst out laughing.
Crap!
Avoiding the children’s eyes, I looked back to the man I hit, and when Apollo’s laughter waned, I muttered, “Sorry I hit you with a branch. I thought you were a threat.”
“I gathered that,” he replied, his teeth very white against his russet beard and I saw this because he was smiling huge. “Or, at least, I hoped that wasn’t your form of welcome because I can’t say much for it.”
I heard Apollo’s continued soft laughter (though I didn’t laugh, even if the guy was being funny, not to mention nice about me hitting him with a branch) as he let me go but took my hand.
Placing it in the curve of his arm, he tucked it close to his side, bringing me with it, and moved us forward. “Quincy, Balthazar, meet Lady Madeleine.”
I got two chin lifts and two big smiles from the men.
“Maddie,” Apollo’s voice was lower when he went on, “meet my children, Christophe and Élan.”
“Hullo!” Élan chirped on an adorable, wide wave and my heart skipped a beat.
“Lady Madeleine,” Christophe said.
I looked to him to see he was very like his father and at that moment that included his green eyes dancing with amusement and he was fighting back a smile.
I’d totally made a fool of myself. Captain Kirk never made a fool of himself.
I swallowed nervously.
Apollo spoke and I looked up at him.
“Now that you’ve explained your brave but erroneous attack on one of Frey’s men…” Great. They were Frey’s men. “Maybe you can explain why you’re here. Dinner isn’t until later.”
“Loretta, Meeta and I were having a wander,” I shared slightly dishonestly (okay, mostly dishonestly).
“Indeed,” Apollo replied, his voice rumbling with humor, “I saw you three in the forest.” He leaned into me and finished on a whisper that hopefully only I could hear, “Skulking.”
God!
Someone kill me.
His beautiful full lips spread in a smile.
I decided to be pissed off as that was better than mortified so I narrowed my eyes at him.