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“Shh,” he breathed in between kisses. I didn’t know why I had to be quiet, but I was too distracted to ask.
My breath became shallow. Water droplets dripped down from his wet locks, landing on my face, but I didn’t care. He was overpowering all my senses. I didn’t have room left in me for the water to scare me like it should. I couldn’t think about anything but wanting him, needing him.
My hands worked their way to his chest, feeling his muscles tense underneath my touch. I grinned into his mouth, gliding my way down his abdomen, feeling everything as I went. His reaction made me feel powerful, a feeling I wasn’t used to. I felt in control as my body went out of it.
My fingers lingered briefly over the cut where King Lunder had stabbed him before moving down to meet his towel. Without thinking, I curled my fingers under the fabric, wanting to feel him on my bare skin. My breathing was ragged, my heart racing as he moaned my name into my mouth.
Something snapped inside me. Reality came flooding in as I realized what I was about to do—what we were about to do. Sie noticed my hesitation and stopped kissing me. He looked me over, scanning my face. I quickly pulled my hands off his towel and raised them up in the air. It was a mistake. My fingers caught the edge of the white fabric, causing it to drop to the floor.
I gasped, my eyes flaring wide. He was still holding me up against the wall. But without his towel, I felt every inch of him pressed against the bareness of my upper thighs, my dress bunched over my hips.
He gently set me back down on the ground. My hands flung up to cover my mouth. As if I could take back what we just did. The world stilled as I came back to myself. What we did and what we still hadn’t done racing through my mind. The euphoria of the moment washing away with each passing second, leaving me with an emptiness.
I couldn’t read his expression. Sie’s face was again a blank mask. I looked anywhere around the room, but down. His eyes never left mine as he stood there, naked, not bothering to pick up his fallen towel. His breathing was heavier than normal, his chest rose and fell with every inhale. I knew mine was worse, coming out in raspy waves like I’d just run for hours.
I didn’t know what to do or what to say to him. I turned to get out of the bathroom as fast as I could, but I slipped. A pool of water had collected over where we were just kissing.
Sie stepped forward to catch me, but his foot landed on the extra material of my gown, flooding at my feet, causing it to pull and rip in the back. Before I could catch myself, I landed hard into the puddle, face up on the bathing room floor.
My cheeks were burning as Sie stood over me, the thing I was trying so hard to avoid, directly in view.
A half smile crept on his face. Sie bent down and reached out a hand toward me. “You okay?”
I swatted his outstretched hand and ignored his question as I pushed him off. Gathering the bottom section of my dress in one hand while holding the top that was threatening to come off with the other, I sprinted as fast as my feet allowed.
Once in the hall, I took a deep, uneven breath. I just had my first kiss, and what was more, I liked it. I’d wanted to do more than kiss, and I might have let him. My mind kept replaying the images of his lips moving over mine, claiming me. The feel of his hands roaming over my bare skin. How he’d moaned my name and kissed my throat. I was furious at myself for letting him. That I’d leaned into him. That I’dbeggedhim to continue.
He probably would have done that with any girl who came into his room. It had meant nothing to him. I was just another girl he could add to his long list of conquests.
I shook my head, forcing myself to snap out of it. I swore and cursed myself that I would never let that happen again as I began marching down the hall. It seemed like I had been roaming the castle forever, looking ridiculous, before I finally came across the familiar oak doors to my room.
I stripped out of my torn dress and screamed into my pillow.
NINETEEN
SCOTLIND
The next dayI was awakened by one of my servants.
“It’s time to get up, Princess. You have to get ready for breakfast,” Annabel said with a smile as she opened the curtains, letting the rays shine through. “Quickly jump in the bath, then put this on.” She pointed to a simple tan dress that hung over the sofa. I wished it were my usual pants and shirt, but at least it wasn’t as revealing as last night’s attire.
“It’s just Scottie,” I told her again. I couldn’t stand being called Princess or whatever other names they had for me. “Thank you.” I gestured toward the dress as I made my way to the bathing room. She bowed in response.
After I bathed and dressed, Annabel walked me toward the smallest of the three cafeterias in silence. I briefly recalled Peter telling me it was available only to the royals, council members, and their families.
As Annabel held a door open for me, I couldn’t help but notice the zero burned and healed on her left wrist. Would my life have been like hers if I hadn’t been chosen to be the Princess? Did she know it? I wasn’t any different from them. According to Sie, I was supposed to be one of them. Waiting and doting on those who were the upper rank. Maybe that’s why Roslyn didn’t like me.
Synder found me the moment I finished with breakfast. He directed me into the hall where three males in guard uniforms waited. Their arms were neatly folded across their stomachs, all the same unmoving statues.
Synder waved his arms out, gesturing to the males. “Miss Rumor, I have been given permission for you to be late to your lessons this morning as you are to be introduced to your guards. You are not to go anywhere without one of them by your side.”
Lessons.Goddess above. I never read through my packet. I had no idea what my day was supposed to entail. I should have listened to Peter and studied the information they provided me.
Synder’s lip curled up in the corner. “I took the liberty of selecting them myself. I thought it would make you happy to have someone you are familiar with guard you. A friend from school to make your adjustment to the castle more comfortable.”
That was when I looked up. My jaw dropped as I saw Kole standing among them. Just as still, just as professional as the other two. The twin pink moons were etched into his black uniform, making him look older, colder, scarier than before.
No, no, no, no.
