getting a chance to rest at this rest stop.
Ethan pulled me a little closer, his chin nuzzling the top of my head. I tore my gaze away from the lake and looked up at him, meeting his eyes. I had come so close to losing him forever, and I’d promised myself that I was going to savor every moment we had together from now on. His head bent toward mine and his lips parted. I closed my eyes and held my breath in anticipation of his kiss.
Someone cleared his throat behind us. I jumped like a startled cat, although Ethan didn’t seem surprised at all. I tried to pull away, feeling guilty and embarrassed about our near public display of affection. Until I turned my head and saw who had just interrupted us.
“You should get something to eat,” Keane said, holding up a shiny red apple and then taking a bite. “This is as close to a lunch break as we’re going to get.”
I saw that he had a second apple in his other hand. He tossed it to me, and I impressed myself by catching it one-handed. (I had to catch it one-handed because Ethan was squeezing me so tightly against him my other arm was trapped.)
“Thanks,” I said warily. I was pretty sure Keane hadn’t come over here just to give me an apple. I didn’t think it would take much for this to turn ugly.
“You didn’t bring one for me?” Ethan asked with exaggerated outrage.
Keane took another bite of his apple, the fruit making a crisp crunching sound that would have made my mouth water if I weren’t so aware of the rising testosterone level. I’d known from the start that having both of them traveling with me was a recipe for disaster, but which one of them would I have told to stay home? Not that it would have mattered, because neither one would have listened to me.
“Sorry,” Keane said around his mouthful of apple. “Only have two hands.”
Yeah, he sounded really sorry. Looked it, too.
I think Ethan was about to say something scathing, but I gave him a poke in the ribs with my elbow. “Can we skip the posturing and chest-pounding, guys?” I asked, trying to put some distance between myself and Ethan. I liked having his arm around me, but not when he was doing it just to piss Keane off. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d tried to kiss me only because he knew Keane was watching. I wouldn’t put it past him. I knew Ethan was really into me—I was over suspecting his motives every two seconds. Well, mostly over it. But I’d seen his darker side, and I knew he was capable of some world-class scheming.
Keane grinned at me. “I promise not to pound my chest, though I’d get a kick out of it if Ethan tried a Tarzan yodel.” He took another bite of his apple, his eyes alight with hard-edged amusement.
My skin prickled with a hint of magic, and I figured things were going from bad to worse. Ethan had lost his easygoing manner and was staring daggers at Keane. I didn’t think Keane had said anything all that bad—at least, not for him—but apparently Ethan was touchier.
“Maybe you should demonstrate the yodel,” he said, the magic around us growing thicker.
Keane had to feel the gathering magic, too, and had to know what it meant. Keane was a great fighter, but I seriously doubted he had the chops to go up against Ethan in a battle of magic.
“Ethan,” I said in a warning tone, “you’d better not be thinking about casting any nasty magic.” Of course, I already knew he was more than thinking about it.
Keane raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think he’s about to cast something?”
Dammit! Keane didn’t know I could sense magic, and I couldn’t afford for that to change. I’d been so annoyed at the boys and their machofest that I’d forgotten to be cautious.
I shrugged, hoping my chagrin didn’t show on my face. “I know Ethan,” I said, giving Ethan my sternest look. “Don’t do it.”
He blinked and tried to look innocent. Considering the air still prickled with magic, it wasn’t a very convincing act.
“I’m not a
Ethan pulled me a little closer, his chin nuzzling the top of my head. I tore my gaze away from the lake and looked up at him, meeting his eyes. I had come so close to losing him forever, and I’d promised myself that I was going to savor every moment we had together from now on. His head bent toward mine and his lips parted. I closed my eyes and held my breath in anticipation of his kiss.
Someone cleared his throat behind us. I jumped like a startled cat, although Ethan didn’t seem surprised at all. I tried to pull away, feeling guilty and embarrassed about our near public display of affection. Until I turned my head and saw who had just interrupted us.
“You should get something to eat,” Keane said, holding up a shiny red apple and then taking a bite. “This is as close to a lunch break as we’re going to get.”
I saw that he had a second apple in his other hand. He tossed it to me, and I impressed myself by catching it one-handed. (I had to catch it one-handed because Ethan was squeezing me so tightly against him my other arm was trapped.)
“Thanks,” I said warily. I was pretty sure Keane hadn’t come over here just to give me an apple. I didn’t think it would take much for this to turn ugly.
“You didn’t bring one for me?” Ethan asked with exaggerated outrage.
Keane took another bite of his apple, the fruit making a crisp crunching sound that would have made my mouth water if I weren’t so aware of the rising testosterone level. I’d known from the start that having both of them traveling with me was a recipe for disaster, but which one of them would I have told to stay home? Not that it would have mattered, because neither one would have listened to me.
“Sorry,” Keane said around his mouthful of apple. “Only have two hands.”
Yeah, he sounded really sorry. Looked it, too.
I think Ethan was about to say something scathing, but I gave him a poke in the ribs with my elbow. “Can we skip the posturing and chest-pounding, guys?” I asked, trying to put some distance between myself and Ethan. I liked having his arm around me, but not when he was doing it just to piss Keane off. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d tried to kiss me only because he knew Keane was watching. I wouldn’t put it past him. I knew Ethan was really into me—I was over suspecting his motives every two seconds. Well, mostly over it. But I’d seen his darker side, and I knew he was capable of some world-class scheming.
Keane grinned at me. “I promise not to pound my chest, though I’d get a kick out of it if Ethan tried a Tarzan yodel.” He took another bite of his apple, his eyes alight with hard-edged amusement.
My skin prickled with a hint of magic, and I figured things were going from bad to worse. Ethan had lost his easygoing manner and was staring daggers at Keane. I didn’t think Keane had said anything all that bad—at least, not for him—but apparently Ethan was touchier.
“Maybe you should demonstrate the yodel,” he said, the magic around us growing thicker.
Keane had to feel the gathering magic, too, and had to know what it meant. Keane was a great fighter, but I seriously doubted he had the chops to go up against Ethan in a battle of magic.
“Ethan,” I said in a warning tone, “you’d better not be thinking about casting any nasty magic.” Of course, I already knew he was more than thinking about it.
Keane raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think he’s about to cast something?”
Dammit! Keane didn’t know I could sense magic, and I couldn’t afford for that to change. I’d been so annoyed at the boys and their machofest that I’d forgotten to be cautious.
I shrugged, hoping my chagrin didn’t show on my face. “I know Ethan,” I said, giving Ethan my sternest look. “Don’t do it.”
He blinked and tried to look innocent. Considering the air still prickled with magic, it wasn’t a very convincing act.
“I’m not a
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