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A hand ran up my spine and I turned to find Emilie looking at me with a kindness I didn’t deserve. I’d treated her so horribly in Renoa. She should’ve hated me, but her compassion was unending.
“Tell me something honest.” My voice came out hoarse.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Ladon.”
It was quiet enough to hear the sound of my swallowing. My mouth and throat felt too dry.
I shook my head and a couple loose strands of white hair fell over my eyes. Emilie drew circles on my back, and goosebumps sprouted on my skin. With her other hand, she traced the vines on my wrists and then the lines of my palm. It tickled, but I liked it.
“I’m nothing special.”
“Take that back,” she whispered.
It seemed as though she were moving closer. Her face appeared nearer than before. The warmth of her body was more encompassing than before.
“Take it back,” she said again. Her hand moved up to cup my cheek. She leaned forward and her forehead pressed against my temple. It took everything in me not to toss her on the mattress and kiss her. Run my lips over her skin softly and slowly until neither of us could keep our hands to ourselves.
“Emilie…”
Her lips whispered against my skin. “You have no idea how special you are, Ladon Castelli.”
I wanted to believe her. To believe that she thought I was anyone worthy of her affection. But I was no one. How could I compare to my brother, King of Osavian? In what world would she ever choose me?
“Tell me,” I said, desperate to hear her say it again. That I was special. I needed to know what she saw in me.
“You’re protective. Loyal. Sensitive.” With each word, she stroked her thumb over my cheekbone. My eyes fluttered closed as I leaned into her touch. “You’re strong. Smart. Charismatic.”
A brief pause and then, “Handsome.”
That last word took my breath away. When I opened my eyes again, she was staring at me with a look so tender, so full of curiosity and longing, I could hardly stand it.
My heart raced, and I was sure she could hear the thundering in my chest. Her hand came to a rest there, and I knew she felt it. It felt like an eternity passed, each of us waiting for the other to make a move. Each of us hoping the other would.
We’d crossed a line. I’d convinced myself that having sex with Emilie was practical; that I was doing her a favor. But I was lying to myself. I’d wanted it even more than she had. And I wanted to cross that line again now.
Her eyes were hazy and filled with lust, and I ran a hand over her hip, wrapping the other around her waist. She was on her back in an instant while I hovered over her, pressing kisses down the center of her chest. Even through her soft shirt, I could feel her body’s response to me, shifting and arching against the mattress.
I lifted her shirt and kissed below her belly button, too. Her soft whimpers and fingers grasping my hair drove me mad.
“Ladon,” she sighed.
My only response was a moan against her skin, and I hitched her legs around my hips.
A knock had us both shooting up straight, rigid and flustered. A moment later, the harpy entered the room. She carried two small glass bottles along with a book in her hand, which Emilie took and expressed her gratitude.
“Daily Defense: An Everyday Guide to Winning.” She smiled at the harpy. “Thank you. This will be incredibly useful.”
I watched her as she examined the bottles next. They each had a blue label with letters too small for me to read from my vantage point. Emilie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and I noticed her cheeks were still stained pink.
Damn that harpy.
If it weren’t for her, I’d be balls deep in Emilie, hearing her moan my name over and over again. I’d be calling her mine.
Mine.
I tried not to make it too obvious as I adjusted my aching cock in my pants. Thankfully, the harpy was more focused on Emilie than me. She didn’t seem to like me much and I could hardly blame her. Everyone in this mountain was facing their own trauma, and it wasn’t a surprise that she’d be so untrusting.
Something about Emilie had managed to disarm the harpy. An experience I understood myself.
