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“If anyone were to find out.” He sunk his teeth into my neck, and I moaned, my fingers pulling his hair.
“Show me.” It almost sounded like I was begging.
I breathlessly waited for his next move as he kissed the now sensitive spot, filling my core with need before he gripped my chin. Every nerve ending launched into overdrive.
He leaned in—so close I could almost taste the cloves on his tongue—when his eye darted to the dark end of the hallway, and he released me. “Someone’s coming.”
My body went cold from his lack of touch like a flower starved for light when he interlocked his fingers with mine.
“We need to go, now.” Without warning, he pulled me along with him and took off down the corridor.
My legs strained to keep up as he made sharp, unexpected turns, ducking into nearby enclaves and secret passageways, all the while keeping me anchored to his side. I’d have tried to memorize the routes for a later advantage, but my mind was clouded with his closeness.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest in fear of getting caught, yet it was exhilarating in the same breath.
Talon was right.
Maybe I did have a penchant for trouble.
Twenty-Five
Talon placed a hand over my mouth, silencing me as he shut the door behind us. A wicked gleam lit his eyes. The heavy thud of boots passed by a few seconds later, disappearing down the corridor, and we erupted into laughter.
“Holy shit, that was close.” Talon chuckled breathlessly. He dropped his head back against the wall, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.
My body hummed along to the alluring melody. I was so engrossed I didn’t notice we were still in each other’s arms until he looked down and his hair tickled my forehead. I should’ve left well enough alone and stepped back from his embrace—put an end to these feelings once and for all. Forget about what happened in my bedchambers and the hallway. But I couldn’t resist the allure of the flame.
I reached up and pushed it out of his face.
The tips of my fingers caressed his jawline, sending a blazing warmth straight to my core, our chests rising and falling together as one. Stars, his skin was so soft, I couldn’t stop touching him. Exploring him.
Neither of us dared blink as I let my fingers drift to his cheek, to his lips. His collarbone.
There was no logical reason for it. No explanation or warning. I don’t even think there was a word to describe it, but something intrinsically shifted inside me. As if he awakened a part of my soul that’d never rest again. It was a dangerous line to walk, and one I shouldn’t cross.
Talon rested his free hand on the center of my chest. “Your heart is racing.” His lips were inches away. Oh, how simple it would be to close the distance and damn it all.
But impulsivity had landed me in this mess in the first place. I knew it wouldn’t be my way out. I told myself it was for the best as I slipped from his arm. I told myself there was no other choice as my body protested every movement.
“Come on.” Talon kissed the side of my head, leading me into the massive kitchen.
My eyes widened at the size of cast-iron stoves and wood-burning ovens. It was the last thing I’d noticed, too consumed with Talon to give a damn. There were hundreds of copper skillets and saucepans hanging from the walls and a barrage of storage closets and chillers. It was magnificent. The amount of cooking I could get done?—
I frowned. My thoughts wandered to my mother alone in our small cottage. If she was eating. How she was fairing. There were only three more trials left before I could go home, and yet it felt more unattainable than it did a month ago. I couldn’t believe so much time had passed, and it was even harder to remember life outside of the castle walls.
Talon lifted me by the waist and spun me around, planting me firmly on top of the wooden cooking station. “I should warn you, I’m pretty good in the kitchen.”
I arched a brow. “Is that so?”
“Mhm. I make a mean sandwich.” He winked, shrugging off his suit jacket and tossing it onto the counter beside me. His dress shirt underneath pulled taut against his chest as his long, slender fingers unbuttoned his cufflinks—pushing his sleeves up his tanned forearms, one by one.
Just as he did last night, Talon looked sonormal. In his element, even. There was no mistaking what a powerhouse he was. No, his tall, lean frame was impossible to ignore. Those hands—his arms—etched to perfection with years of training behind them.
I cleared my throat, averting my eyes to anything that wasn’t a six-foot-something fae guard that dominated my thoughts, and fidgeted with my bell sleeve. “Do you think anyone will come in here?”
“It’s not likely.” Talon rinsed his hands. “Fae balls, parties, any gatherings that include faerie juice and music, are guaranteed to last well into the early morning hours. No one’s going to be leaving anytime soon.” He turned off the water, dried his hands, and faced me. “You would’ve danced until you died if I hadn’t hauled you away.”
I huffed a laugh. “Of course. Why would the king do anything that wouldn’t benefit him?”
