Heart Over Sword
Chapter 212: The Temptress

There was no threat, Evanna knew. There was no shiver down her spine, no sixth sense to tell her they were in danger. Whatever that sound was, it had to either be one of the others in their party or an animal. She peeped over his shoulder, noting how the ice that had been walled off to one side had begun to melt.

It still provided coverage, but barely.

Evanna then looked over her shoulder, still clutching at Arawn, whose arms were around her back, keeping her close. She couldn’t see anybody there. The icy wall still stood tall. "Can you see anything?" She asked, her voice low.

"No. It must have been an animal." There was no doubt in his voice; his body relaxed, but that moment of uncertainty, unease and possible embarrassment sobered them up. They looked at each other, sharing the same look.

"Should we.." Evanna pointed over her shoulder, feeling her cheeks heat. She’d let herself get carried away, and if Arawn wanted to bed her or sleep with her here, she would have gladly accepted. Now, she didn’t want that, even if her core said otherwise.

"Let’s." Arawn unwrapped his arms from her and then gently grabbed her chin, tilting it up, so she looked into his eyes. "*I cannot control myself around you, Evanna. I will not take you, though. You deserve more than this lake and forest, and I will give it to you. You have my word, my sweet cherry.*"

He left a sweet kiss on her lips, then pulled away quickly like he might fall back into what they’d been doing. Evanna bit the inside of her cheek, letting him pass her as she wrapped her arms over her chest. "*Could you keep watch until I’m done?" She asked. "*I erm.. need to bathe more now.*"

A rosy blush heated her cheeks when Arawn smirked at her, his eyes glimmering and looking even a little proud of himself. "*Of course. I’d offer my hand, but I don’t think we’d make it through another round of restraint.*" He flashed her a smile and retreated, leaving her stomach to flutter and her heart squeezing tightly from that smile he rarely gave.

Evanna continued to stare, watching him pull on his breeches before throwing a bar of soap in her direction; she deftly caught it and turned back around, sliding under the water until she was fully submerged. She needed to calm down from what had just happened between them, but with her eyes closed, all she could feel was the touch of his hands all over her body. Those skilful hands had mastered her, bringing out a side of her that she didn’t know about.

Her lips tugged into a sealed smile, and she remerged, pulling her hair from her face and behind her ears. She began to wash, her lips tugging into small smiles, with her cheeks becoming rosy occasionally as she thought back to Arawn and his deft hands moments before.

From the shoreline, fully clothed, Arawn watched his girl bathing. She was utterly breathtaking, comfortable, and now confident, not caring that he was there and could see everything. With the moonlight kissing her bare skin, her raven locks falling over her slender back, her breasts hidden from view, he’d felt them flushed against him though, her pink nipples perky.

Those green eyes that glanced at him occasionally left him speechless. There was that naughty, rebelliousness flickering across them, almost luring him back into the water like the temptress she was becoming.

Arawn watched Evanna’s graceful movements, her hands gliding the soap over her body slowly.

He watched, absorbed, enchanted by the motion until his eyes flicked to hers that had been watching him and purposely keeping her movements slow. "*Do not tempt a beast, Evanna.*" He growled and watched with growing interest at the shiver riveting her body and the challenge gleaming behind her eyes.

Evanna responded with a nod and returned to bathe herself. Arawn released his breath and looked away, adjusting himself again. It hadn’t gone down once, and watching her now was just prodding him to do more to her. That delicate touch earlier where she wanted to explore was almost his undoing, and it kept repeating in his mind along with the way she felt, her warmth tightening his finger when she came undone, and how..

Arawn paused, cursing under his breath as he settled his gaze on the forest. He was acting like some lovesick, virgin teenage boy. There was nothing wrong with being utterly under Evanna’s spell, and many would be completely taken, but he was meant to be on guard until the princess was ready. With that, he created a block of ice in his hand and slid it down his torso.

The brutal cold snapped him out of his desire for the woman that had stolen his heart. The prince returned his gaze to Evanna, besotted and marvelling at her as she started to walk out of the lake. He cleared his throat and handed her a cloak to dry herself.

"Thin-era."

Once she was fully dressed, her swords at her back again and her wet hair pulled into a scruffy ponytail, the pair left the lake, the icy walls falling to the ground. Evanna released a sigh; somehow, she expected one of the men to be standing on the other side of the wall, arms crossed and looking at her ashamed. That did not happen; only the forest greeted her.

However, Evanna didn’t feel ashamed of what happened at the lake. She glanced at Arawn, and he met her gaze. She wanted to be with him, and besides the men there, no rumours about her would reach the ears of her father or Arawn’s, for that matter.