Rui blinked with incomprehension, and then delight.
Her Wolfe wasworriedfor her!
He cared about her.
And best of all, he called her “woman”!
She wanted to melt and simper like a lovesick mermaid.
“If anyone is screaming, it certainly won’t be me,” she said. “Worry not, my Wolfe. I can take care of myself. Even unarmed, none of the men here are my match, individually or together.”
“And me?” he retorted, glaring at her.
She looked him slowly up and down, enjoying the detailed perusal immensely. The man was magnificent! Especially when he was all thunder and wrath.
“Most certainly you are my match, warrior,” she murmured, licking her lips.
His cheekbones darkened with color. She just didn’t know whether it was from ire or…
“I am your opponent,” he growled.
Did the man know no other way of communication?
Not that Rui was complaining, because she adored his growls. But she did wonder whether he also purred. What his amusement and laughter sounded like. She loved his voice best when he spoke low and rough in her ear when he held her close.
Unfortunately, Wolfe was in the mood to lecture.
“I could be here to sabotage you. If not do you bodily harm, I could steal your sword without you knowing. I could—”
“Oh, I always know where my sword is,” Rui broke in helpfully. “Even if you or someone else were to take it, I would be able to find and retrieve it at my convenience. There is no danger.”
“No danger—” he started to sputter, while a vein bulged in his temple.
Heavens, but he’d worked himself into a state. This was best handled at close quarters where she could soothe him by touch.
She dove quickly and swam toward the shore. When she resurfaced, she was already at the lake’s edge. She rose from the water and walked toward the bank where Wolfe was now standing with arms hanging loosely at his sides, eyes wide, and mouth slightly parted.
She raked the water from her hair with both hands, pushing it back from her face and squeezing out the wet strands.
Nude, she walked toward the man she wanted most and didn’t stop approaching until he was within arm’s length.
“Now,” she said, close enough to put a hand upon his chest, over his heart, which was galloping like an Arabian thoroughbred.
She patted him to calm it, secretly delighted that he was so concerned for her safety.
“There’s no reason to be so worked up. I’m here. Safe and sound, as you see. And you’re here…”
She tipped her face up to look into his beautiful, glittering, citrine eyes.
“Come take a swim with me, my Wolfe.”
~ * ~* ~ *~ * ~* ~ *~ * ~
Wolfe had sucked in a breath some while ago when Rui began to rise from the lake.
He had not released it since. At this rate, he would keel over from lack of air or die of a seizure from a malfunctioning heart.
Oh, but what a way to go.