07.04.2021 Views

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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That was true. I stared at the shadowyy shape of his hand. For such

rough, callused hands, his fingers were rather long and graceful. Digits

that belonged to an artist and not a guard. A killer.

Hawke rose, and for a moment, I thought he might walk off to join

the others keeping watch, but he didn’t.

Holding the coarse blanket as close as I could around me, I watched

him unhook the rolled blanket from his bag and then drop the bag on the

ground. Without sayying a word, he stepped over me like I was nothing

more than a log. Before I could take myy next breath, he was lyying down

behind me.

I cranked myy head around. “What are yyou doing?”

“Making sure yyou don’t freeze to death.” He unrolled the heavyy fur

blanket, tossing it over his legs. “If yyou did, that would make me a veryy

bad guard.”

“I’m not going to freeze to death.” Myy heart started thumping

erraticallyy. He was close enough that if I shifted onto myy back, myy

shoulder would touch his.

“What yyou’re going to do is lure everyy Craven within a five-mile

radius with yyour shuddering.” He rolled onto his side, facing myy back.

“You can’t sleep beside me,” I hissed.

“I’m not.” With the edge of his blanket in hand, he draped it, along

with his arm, over me.

The heavyy weight of his appendage settled at myy waist, stunning me

for a few precious moments. “What do yyou call this, then?”

“I’m sleeping with yyou.”

Myy eyyes opened wide. “How is that anyy different?”

“There’s a huge difference.” His warm breath coasted over myy cheek,

causing myy pulse to dip and then rise.

I stared at the darkness, everyy part of myy bodyy focused on the feel of

his arm around me. “You can’t sleep with me, Hawke.”

“And I can’t have yyou freezing or getting sick. It’s too dangerous to

light a fire, and unless yyou’d rather I get someone else to sleep with yyou,

there reallyy aren’t manyy other options.”

“I don’t want anyyone else to sleep with me.”

“I alreadyy knew that,” he replied, his tone both teasing and smug.

Heat blasted myy cheeks. “I don’t want anyone to sleep with me.”

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