She raised a brow. “Darling, while I'll admit some of our flirting has been for the sake of seeing you flush, it wasn't all for that purpose.”

I must have looked as dumbstruck as I felt, because she chuckled. “Do you think I flirt this much with everyone I meet?”

I shrugged, choosing my words carefully. “We've only known each other a few days, and I haven't seen you interact with anyone else.”

She hummed thoughtfully. “That's fair, I suppose. I'll let you in on a little secret, though.” Her fingers twined into my hair, brushing my throat and sending waves of tingling awareness through me. “I only flirt with people I'm genuinely interested in. It helps avoid awkward misunderstandings.”

Well, that changed things.

My heart tripped over itself as I tried to breathe through the sudden rush of hormones. Clover was interested in me. It felt bizarre, incomprehensible, and before I could stop to think, I asked. “What all does ‘interested’ encompass?”

She flicked a long look over my frame. “As much or as little as you'd like it to, Darling.” Hunger burned low in her gaze, but alongside that, something else glowed. Something I didn't have a name for.

It was an offer for something I hadn't dared even consider in Dawncrest.

I'd never believed she was serious; that's why flirting had been easy. I didn't have to worry about where it might lead or the ‘after’.

Swallowing around the knot in my throat, I untied my tongue enough to speak. “We're basically strangers. Doesn't that bother you?”

She didn't move away. Instead, she leaned closer and whispered in my ear, “I've known people for years and felt less safe with them than I do you.”

She eased back, leaving my front ice-cold. I sucked in a breath and watched as she returned to her bedroll, a knowing smile on her lips.

“You cut quite the figure out of that armor, as I saw in the cave, and even without that, you're…different from most men. I've known no one who’d go gallivanting off to find an herb for people they've never met. You also seem to have a habit of adopting children in need of homes, something I wholeheartedly support. You're unlike anyone I've met in my travels, and I like it.”

Settling on her bedroll, she finished with a smile. “I'm not shy about my attraction. I never have been. To be blunt, my personality usually chases men off. They can't handle a woman who knows what she wants and has the drive to go after it. You're the first to respond in kind, without judgment or ill intent.” She shrugged. “So, no. It doesn't bother me that we met recently. I could spend tonight entwined with you without a single regret tomorrow.”

Her smile faded into a frown, showing hesitance for the first time since she'd started this conversation. “Is that not something you would be interested in?”

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I barked a laugh, and she jerked back as if I'd slapped her. When her face twisted with hurt, I waved my hands, desperate to explain before she jumped to her own conclusion.

“Sorry, sorry! I'm not laughing at the thought of sleeping with you. I promise.”

She relaxed, but not by much. Her previous ease was gone, replaced with wary tension, and I mourned the loss.

Right, time to fix that. Immediately.

Rubbing the back of my head, I spoke slowly, picking each word with the utmost care. “You're gorgeous, funny and fiercely protective. The idea that I wouldn't be interested in…more is hysterical.”

The last of the hurt faded from her features, and a knot loosened in my gut. Catastrophe averted. Now, to get through the rest of this conversation without saying something stupid.

She didn't interrupt, so I continued. “After dealing with the women of Dawncrest, I haven't thought about intimacy like that. It seemed impossible, so there was no reason to dwell on what I couldn't have. Now you're here, offering that, and it's a lot to take in. Make no mistake, I'm interested. I just need to wrap my head around this.”

There was so much I didn't know. We were in a dungeon, so clearly nothing would happen now, but what about later? Would it just be a one-and-done situation?

The thought of having that with Clover, only to watch her share it with someone else later, tore through my stomach like acid. Was that even what she had in mind?

What all was she offering?

Some of my turmoil must have shown on my face because she reached over and took my hand. “Let's come back to this after we're out of here and the people of Starkfell are healed. The offer isn’t going to disappear if we don't act on it now. The important information is out there now; we're both open to more. The details will have to wait.”

Relief washed over me, and I nodded, squeezing her hand. “Right, we have a mission to do…”

A thought occurred to me, and I frowned, meeting her gaze again. “Does that mean we can't flirt until we're finished?’

The back-and-forth with Clover was the most fun I'd had in years. I didn't want to give that up.

She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, trust me, nothing will stop that. Especially now that I know you're interested. If you thought I was bad before, you've got another thing coming.”

She pulled her hand back and retrieved a book from her pack. “But I should leave you to cook. I'll be here if you need anything.” Just like that, the subject was dropped.

It was surreal how calmly she sat and read, as if we hadn't just been discussing sleeping together.

Shaking that aside, I muttered an affirmative and started setting up the fire, moving on autopilot. It did no good to get caught up in my head right now. She was right; we were still on a quest, and the people of Starkfell needed us to focus.

There was no guarantee we'd succeed or even survive this quest. To top it off, I was the bastard son of the Mad King himself.

My stomach rolled uneasily and I snuck a glance toward Clover. She was fully engrossed in her book, eyes intent on the page. The firelight bathed her in an ethereal glow and I quickly looked away, before she felt my stare.

There were dozens of ways telling her could go, and most of them were not positive. Dawncrest had nearly turned against me, and I'd been with them for as long as I could remember. Clover was nice, but would she still be if she found out the truth? I wanted to believe she’d handle it well, but where would that leave me if she didn't? She could reveal who I was to others, and I'd be met with distrust or even hatred.

If we wanted to venture into more intimate things, not telling her wasn't an option. A secret like that would eventually come out, and then she'd be hurt that I didn't tell her. If I wanted to explore this new avenue, I would have to come clean…and pray she reacted well.