Then, without needing a command, the caravan guards naturally fell into motion. Some gathered dry branches and twigs to start a fire, while others began preparing the vegetables for cooking.
Addison sank down beneath the shade of the great tree, letting herself relax at last. Hours of riding, with her body tense from both the journey and Zion’s constant presence, had left her muscles stiff and sore.
She leaned back slightly, massaging her legs, especially her thighs, which had been pressed tightly against the horse’s sides the entire way.
"Need some help?" Zion’s deep voice broke the quiet as he appeared in front of her, holding out an animal-skin flask. Without waiting for her answer, he offered it, and Addison accepted, tilting her head back to take a long drink.
By the time the cool water slid down her throat, Zion was already crouching before her, one knee bent to the ground. Without a word, he carefully slipped off her shoe, his touch deliberate but gentle. Addison said nothing, only watching his every move through lowered lashes as she sipped again from the flask.
His hands moved to her calf, fingers kneading with a slow, steady rhythm that worked the tension from her muscles.
"Hmmm..." A soft, satisfied moan escaped her lips before she could stop it, her head tipping back against the tree as her eyes fluttered shut.
"Feeling good?" Zion asked, his voice low and rough, a husky rasp that betrayed his restraint. His gaze lingered on her, drinking her in, even as he swallowed hard against the dryness in his throat.
"Yeah... you’re hitting the right spot," Addison admitted honestly, unable to deny the relief coursing through her muscles. He was far better at this than she was, and how could he not be, when he used to knead the soreness from his own legs after grueling battles on the front lines?
But her body wasn’t like his. Her soft, delicate skin yielded beneath his calloused fingers, supple as if he were pressing into a warm marshmallow. Zion couldn’t tell who was enjoying it more, her, with the bliss painted across her face, or him, intoxicated by the feel of her.
His thumbs dug deeper, slow and steady, but his hands refused to stop, drifting higher with each stroke until they brushed the edge of her thigh.
Addison’s breathing turned uneven the moment Zion’s warm, calloused hands slid higher up her thigh. Every inch his long fingers traveled left her hyperaware, hypersensitive that her muscles quivered with a mix of tension and anticipation.
Heat coiled in her core, winding tighter with each second, until his voice broke through, low and husky.
"How does it feel here?"
The question vibrated against her skin like a touch of its own. His tone was dark, magnetic, so intoxicating it was as if his voice alone seeped into her, filling her ears and sinking into her bones.
And yet, what truly made her shiver was the way his fingers lingered, so close to her most sensitive place, it felt like her body was about to unravel.
"Hmmm..." Addison whimpered softly, her hips shifting almost involuntarily. Thankfully, she had chosen a spot beneath the tree that wasn’t too conspicuous, a place meant for her to rest, though it might also be the very reason Zion dared to be so bold with her now.
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