Page 64 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)

“Because you fell off a cliff.”

“I did. You didn’t. You shouldn’t have come after me.”

“Someone had to find you.”

Blame the blow to my head, but his vehement statement warmed me. I wanted to believe he cared. More like Konstantin didn’t think. “Anyone could have found me. The one who shouldn’t have is you.”

“Why not me?”

“Because you’re important,” I exclaimed.

“Not really.”

“How can you say that?” I bounced in his lap while holding tight to the cloak wrapped around me. His cloak. The scent of him surrounded me. “You’re the king. You’re the most important person in this country. You shouldn’t have put yourself at risk.”

“There’s nothing in this ravine that can hurt me,” he scoffed.

“Are you sure about that?” I grabbed him in a way that brought a twist to his lips.

“Are you really going to hurt me?”

The things I wanted to do would hurt because I wanted to have my way with him, play with him until he begged me for release. Instead, I squeezed a little tighter until he winced. “You shouldn’t have come down here.”

“You’re just peeved I rescued you.”

A little. But mostly annoyed because I couldn’t help but be pleased he had come to find me. “I can rescue myself,” I grumbled as I released him.

“But isn’t this nicer?” His smile held masculine smugness.

I should have l slapped him. I changed the subject. “How did the fight end?”

“With you falling off a cliff.”

I gave him a slug in the upper arm.

He had the courtesy to pretend it hurt. “Ouch.”

“Faker.”

He grinned. “As if you don’t know what happened. We won, of course. We’ll be eating dragon for weeks.”

“You eat it?”

“Considering how hard they are to kill? It would be a waste of a delicacy.”

I’d reserve judgment until I tasted it. “Where the rest of your horde?”

“Keeping watch.”

We weren’t alone? My eyes widened, and I would have moved off of his lap, only his arms came around me. “Too late, they saw everything.”

I glared. “They’re going to get the wrong idea.”

“Nope. They know exactly what’s going on.”

“Nothing.”

“You keep telling yourself that, my little Yanna.”