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The taste of the punch on his lips.
I swallow hard, meeting his darkened gaze.
"We should talk about last night," he says, his voice rough.
I cringe inwardly, bracing myself for rejection or a reminder of how foolish I was to give in to temptation. But I force myself to meet his gaze and say, "Go on then. I'm listening."
He studies me for a long moment, fingers dancing over the rings adorning his fingers.
“Are you okay?”
I mean, my body aches. I’m perpetually embarrassed about the fact I took advantage of him, and worse yet, he was drugged from the punch I gave him.Xren watched me like a hawk when the chef’s wife gave me my glass. I’d known something was off.Why would Xren not say anything?
“I’m fine, really. I’m sorry about last night, though.”
"There's no need to apologize to me. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. Had Griffin not barged in…” He trails off, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from my face.
It takes everything I have not to lean into his touch. My heart thrums with hope that maybe it could happen again. That it wasn’t just the punch.
"I wanted to make sure you're all right, first and foremost. What happened between us…" He pauses, gaze dropping to the bed. "I never meant for things to go so far. I took advantage of you in a moment of weakness and for that, I apologize. I should’ve had more control."
Silence falls between us. I’m sure of what to say.
But then, before I can gather my thoughts to respond, Asmo's hand moves from my cheek to my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. His eyes search mine, a storm of conflicting emotions swirling within their amber depths. "You don't have to say anything, Valeria," he whispers, his voice laced with a tenderness that catches me off guard.
My heart drums a wild rhythm, threatening to escape the confines of my ribs, awestruck by the vulnerability shining through the usually composed mask he wears. His thumb tracesa featherlight touch along my jawline, sending shivers down my spine.
"I don’t regret it," I admit softly, unable to tear my gaze away from his intense stare.
He opens and closes his mouth, like he’s unsure of what to say. “You don’t?”
I shake my head, leaning into his touch.
Both of us sit here, frozen in place, as my mind wages war with my heart. Reason battles against my instincts, urging me to retract my words. If he felt the same way, he would’ve said so. His hand falls, but his expression gives away nothing.
Gods, what is he thinking? Did I ruin this?
With a sigh of resignation, I cave, dropping my eyes to the space between us. “I… I…” The words tumble out of me. Somehow, I’ve managed to make this worse.
Then his hand wraps around the back of my neck, pulling me toward him. The tray rattles from the sudden movement and he crushes his lips to mine. The shock registers in my mind a moment too late, my arms wrapping around his neck on instinct.
His lips are soft and warm, sweet like the grapes he’s eaten. The scent of nightshade clinging to his skin draws me in deeper.
My thoughts dissolve like mist as our bodies press closer together. This is what I wanted. This is what I've been craving since I left his room.
When he pulls away, I chase his lips. “I’m sorry, as much as I want to, we need to get ready to go. The king and queen are expecting us within the hour," Asmo breathes against my lips, his voice laced with regret and longing.
“The meeting,” I say, nodding my understanding.
As he starts to get up from the bed, he leans in to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. “I’ll come get you soon. In the meantime, eat some breakfast and pack a bag.”
Asmo doesn’t come toget me. He summons me and my bag to the foyer without warning, smirking at me like he’s won some secret bet.
“You could’ve warned me.” I wobble on sore legs, attempting to regain my balance. “What if I’d still been in the bath?” I arch a brow, crossing my arms in challenge.
He kicks off the wall he’s leaned on, prowling toward me. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“Well,” I breathe, “Aren’t you full of smiles.” He’s grinning from ear to ear as he closes the distance between us.
