Shelaughed,thesoundbrittle. “Trainingmehowtolose? I don’t need that.”
He grabbed her arm, jerking her to a stop.
She ground her teeth. “Let go of me, or I’ll break your wrist.”
“Try,” he challenged.
Clare searched his face for a shred of warmth, any glimpse of the man she’d come to know, but there was none. He was gone. The man who joined her for her first ride because he knew she was terrified, the man who had shared quiet smiles with her, kissed her bruised cheek, reunited her with her family, and held her in a way that almost made her believe . . .
Whatever she’d thought was growing between them, she was wrong, and something inside her cracked.
Bennick’s eyebrows slammed down as he peered at her.“You’re crying.”
“I’m not.” But her eyes burned and she knew she couldn’t blink the moisture away. If she blinked, those tears would fall.
“Clare—”
“I’m the decoy,” shesaidlowly.Noonewasaroundthem,giving her the freedom to speak. “My job is to die for Serene.” Bennick stiffened, but she wasn’t done. “No matter how hard you train me, I’m going to die. You seem to be the only one who doesn’t understand that.” She pulled free and walked away.
Clare reached the corner of the stable when Bennick caught her arm. He towered over her as they stood toe to toe, overwhelming her space and her senses. His body blocked some of the sunlight, but his face wasn’t hidden in shadow. His searing eyes snatched her gaze and stole her breath.
His jaw firmed, his eyes so intent they nearly blazed. The coldness was gone, replaced by raw emotion and heat. “You’re not going to die, Clare. I won’t allow that to happen. I’ll defy the fates if I have to, but I will keep you alive.”
Promise throbbed in every word, making Clare’s heart trip. Tension lined Bennick’s shoulders, and when his focus dropped to her lips, her lungs froze.
He moved slowly, giving her every opportunity to stop him as he cupped her face with both hands. His thumbs brushed the corners of her mouth as he drew her in. His mouth caught hers and Clare’s lips melted against his, absorbing the foreign warmth and feel of him. His lips were a fascinating mix of hard and soft as they slanted over hers. His hands tightened, drawing her closer. Her pulse roared in her ears and she could feel every thump of her heart.
It was over too soon.
Bennick pulled back, both of them breathing thickly, his eyes wide.
Clare’s lips parted, but words were impossible. So she gripped his uniform and dragged him back, her mouth falling across his. He smelled of sun, sweat, and spicy soap.
Bennick’s hands sank into her hair. One hand cupped back of her neck and the other spread the length of her face, his fingertips brushing her temple, and his thumb tilting her head up. She didn’t realize they were moving until her shoulders bumped against the stable wall—Bennick had guided them around the corner, hiding them from the stable entrance and the training grounds.
Clare held him, kissed him, drank him in until she thought her heart would jump out of her chest. She’d barely dared to dream this could happen—she could hardly fathom it was happening now.
She was kissing Bennick Markam. He was kissing her.
His lips dragged over hers, the ball of his thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. Every part of her was warm, but where they touched, she burned. Her palms caught the heat radiating from his chest as her fingers slid over the ridges of his shoulders. He shivered when her fingertips touched the skin of his neck, and a groan came from deep in his throat.
Her mouth curved against his in an unstoppable smile. His lips settled against the raised corner of her mouth, their chests rising and falling furiously together.
“Fates,” she breathed.
His eyes flashed to hers, lit with an intensity that made her stomach twist pleasantly. “Clare.”
Her body thrummed. No one had ever said her name that way, that deeply. She lifted her hands to his face and stroked his stubbled cheeks with her fingertips, watching with fascination as he responded to her touch. Bennick’s eyes fell closed as her thumb slipped over his mouth, the pad lingering on his full bottom lip. “I think we might be in trouble,” he murmured.
He was right. In so many ways, he was right. “No one can know,” she agreed. “If the king found out, there’s no telling what he’d do.”
“There is that,” he allowed. “But I meant the kind of trouble that comes from me not being able to think of anything but kissing you.”
She really needed to stop smiling. The situation was quite serious.
Bennick set his lips against her forehead, a kiss so gentle her knees shook. His mouth glided to her temple, pressing another kiss at her hairline. He exhaled slowly, his breath shooting tingles over her skin. “You’re the worst kind of distraction.”
A grin stretched her lips. “Really?”
He nodded, his bristled cheek brushing hers. “From the very beginning.” He pressed one last kiss against the underside of her jaw before levering back. “I’m sorry for intensifying your training, I just . . .” He looked skyward, neck stretching as his throat bobbed. His hands were braced on either side of her against the stable, tension pulling his muscles taut. “I hate that you’re a target. I can’t stop thinking about every attack, every time I’ve failed to keep you safe.” His voice was strained. “I thought you were dead. You were lying on the floor, covered in blood, with that piece of glass in your chest, and you weren’t moving. And I wouldn’t have even known you were fighting for your life unless I’d come to check on Wilf. You could have died, and I wouldn’t have known.”
She touched his hard jaw, bringing his eyes back to her. “It’s all right, Bennick. I’m all right.”
His head turned,
