Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 384

Chapter 384: Reading faces
Mia bit her lip anxiously, staring up at the place that Ford’s face should be. She tugged on his hand, waiting for him to get the message.

The woman couldn’t–wouldn’t–face her family again until she knew what Ford’s kiss meant. To him.

She already knew it meant the world to her!

To be back with them, completely uncertain of when the next moment alone with Ford may come, was too much, so she had begun frantically searching for a safe place to have a private conversation.

She blessed her magic for finding her a place before they returned to the group, and hoped that the conversation wouldn’t be too…

Ford appeared out of the air, cutting off her thoughts. His dark eyes seemed anxious as they searched hers. Mia hadn’t quite fully appreciated the fact that he would be able to see her, again, the moment they reappeared.

She’d been so focused on seeing his face again, gauging his reaction, that it hadn’t hit her that he would be eager to do the same.

For a few silent moments they stared at each other. The heat of the passion that had sparked between them smoldered, but she hadn’t pulled him here for that… she wanted to talk about it.

Didn’t she?

Words were not forthcoming when he stared at her like that.

What could she even say? It was easier not looking at him! She should ask him to go invisible—no! Then she wouldn’t be able to read his reactions to anything she said, or hear him…

“You don’t hate me, do you?”

His question caught her entirely off guard, and a startled laugh escaped her lips.

“Hate you??” She was incredulous. What could be going through Ford’s mind? He averted his eyes and his neck turned a little red, confusing her further.

“Your father and grandfather warned me that ‘taking advantage’ was wrong, but I didn’t know exactly what they meant by that, and I didn’t want to ask,” He explained, causing Mia’s face to color along with his.

“I don’t think that qualified,” She pressed her lips together, glancing away. Out of the corner of her eye she watched him visibly relax.

“I’m glad,” He sighed.

“Was that… the only thing you wanted to say? To ask if I hate you?” She prompted, forcing herself to look into his face again. He swallowed.

“If I’m honest, there were a lot of things I wanted to say, but I can’t remember a single one of them anymore,” He replied, blinking at her.

The way he said it made her stomach flutter.

“Oh?” She tried to sound steady. In control. That failed.

“I was constructing a sort of speech as we walked, going to tell you how I feel–”

“How do you feel?” Mia’s eyes widened. Her head was clouded with emotion. She wanted to step back, to get a little breathing room to gain her senses back, but the small hiding place she’d led them to allowed barely any room between them.

Ford looked into her eyes, and his free hand came up to rest against her cheek. His thumb grazed her cheekbone, and Mia stopped breathing.

“Like this. I feel like this,” He told her, leaning closer and abandoning the use of words entirely.

As his lips neared hers for the second time, the rock behind him moved. Ford reacted first, spinning and keeping himself between Mia and danger…

Martin’s scruffy face peered out from the darkness of the tunnel that had opened up in the mountainside.

“Your magic run out already?” He asked curiously.

“Ah, no,” Ford said haltingly. “I was afraid that Mia might have been injured by the birds, and didn’t want to wait until we got all the way back to check.”

“So? Is she hurt?” Martin leaned to look around Ford.

“I’m fine,” Mia jumped in. Ford’s words sounded sincere. Had he actually been worrying about her being injured, or was that a clever cover?

“Well, then, let’s get back.” Martin shifted his eyes between the pair with a skeptical light in them. “I guess we’ll have to tunnel through this section to avoid the birds.”

“How did you get through here before?” Mia asked curiously, trying to distract the man from the gears turning in his head. He seemed to suspect that something had gone on between the pair, and better he forget that!

“Tunnelled.” He shrugged. “But it ain’t big enough for horses.”

Mia’s shoulders sagged. She didn’t really want to leave Harper behind.

“How difficult would it be to enlarge your tunnel enough for the horses?” Ford interjected.

“Take a day or two, at least, probably.” Martin shrugged.

“We should talk with the others,” Ford mused. “This isn’t a decision we can make without them.”

“I agree,” Mia said eagerly, wanting the support of her family, and also wanting to not cement the image of her and Ford in this little alcove together into Martin’s mind any more than it had already been.

Martin backed into the darkness, and Mia clasped Ford’s hand as he stepped forward. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t as necessary as it was when he was leading her, invisibly, but the darkness was daunting enough, and it was always nicer touching him so that her power didn’t drain.

He squeezed her hand in return, and cast her a sidelong glance. It was full of unfinished conversation, and she made an irritated face, which he returned with slight amusement.

It felt both better, and worse, to have their attraction out in the open, at least between them. Mia still wanted to know so much more, but of course that would have to wait.

As they entered the darkness of Martin’s tunnel, which he seemed very used to, Mia brought her free hand to her lips, and allowed herself to remember Ford’s kiss for the few unobserved moments she would have until they came back into the sunlight.

Her heart caught in her chest, and she knew that her relatively readable face would not hide her feelings forever. Probably not even the rest of the day, for anyone paying attention.

Too bad she couldn’t warn Ford about it.