Chapter 260

Alaina’s stomach had been squirming all day.

Longer than that. Ever since that incident back at The Kraken’s Hearth. But it had grown much worse since joining Natalie for the celebration. Being in her presence was intoxicating. Frankly, Alaina was surprised by just how much she was taken in by the other girl. She hadn’t ever been this interested in someone before, much less a woman.

She’d been fascinated by Natalie since the start, since their introduction, really, but her stomach hadn’t started squirming until that mishap where she’d caught a peek of something she shouldn’t have. Some switch in her brain had toggled on when she had overheard those things happening inside Natalie’s room. And when Natalie had answered the door in just a towel.

The sight of that had seared itself onto her brain. It was scandalous how often she’d been thinking about it. Had she imagined how big it was? Or had it been a trick of the light or fabric? Somehow, she didn’t think so.

Whatever the case, based on the sounds she’d heard, Natalie had been thoroughly entertaining her guest regardless of size. To think something like that was hiding beneath Natalie’s skirt ... she tried to shake her head clear, but it didn’t work, like usual.

She hoped she hadn’t been caught stealing glances at Natalie’s skirt throughout the evening. Natalie didn’t seem to have noticed, at least. Alaina thanked the heavens she had been raised to be composed and discreet, else she wouldn’t have stood a chance.

The park they detoured to was mostly empty. Most people out and about at this hour were at the celebration. There were a handful of people scattered throughout the greenery, but not many, far fewer than usual. Compared to the bustle at the celebration, it was practically a private space. Which had been the goal.

On Alaina’s prompting, Natalie continued to regale her with stories from the dungeon runs she’d been on. And while those weren’t the real topics of her interest, she was nonetheless enraptured. Both by the content, the dangerous fights and exciting escapades she got up to beneath the surface, but also simply by Natalie. Watching her speak with such passion, it wasn’t surprising that she had ended up at Tenet.

With how much she found herself hanging on Natalie’s words, Alaina wondered whether this infatuation was something more than lust. Certainly, she found herself absorbed in Natalie in a way she hadn’t been in a long time, if ever. Alas, even if it was more than Natalie’s pretty looks and ... interesting secret ... reeling her in, Alaina wasn’t so irresponsible as to let her interest take hold too solidly. She had duties at Tarenhelm, and Natalie had Tenet. A relationship between them would be completely untenable. No, if anything were to happen, it would be a brief fling.

And time for even that was running out.

Alaina chewed her lip, mulling over her strategy.

“What is it?” Natalie asked suddenly—or what felt sudden to her.

“Hm?” Alaina asked.

The red-headed girl seem amused. “There’s something you want to ask. You drifted off.”

Alaina’s cheeks colored. Had she? She realized she had; the end of Natalie’s story had passed right by her.

“Well,” Alaina said. “I suppose there is something.”