Kian twists me around and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Try again, love.”
I back away, following his every move. He looks like a cat ready to pounce. Hoping to catch him off guard, I rush him, going straight for his chest. As if he expected it, he braces himself for impact, but I swerve at the last moment and try the move I saw him use on Alex, sweeping my leg out to knock him off-balance. The look of shock on his face as he hits the ground is so incredibly satisfying, I crow in celebration as I pin him with my knees. It reminds me of the night I knelt over the vigilante. When I hold one of my blades to his throat, the deja vu is so strong, it almost shocks me out of the moment.
“Got you,” I say as I lean down and stare directly into his beautiful smoky eyes.
The grin on his face is contagious, and I can’t stop the answering one on mine. “That you did, love.”
In a split second, he pushes himself up to a seated position, and my eyes widen in horror as the dull blade I held to his throat slices into him.
“Kian!” I shriek, immediately dropping the knife and fumbling to put a hand on his throat to stop the bleeding. What if I nicked his carotid?Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. If I accidentally murder the prince, the king will surely have me killed.
Kian winces but tries to shush me. “Don’t panic, love. It’s just a small slice. Trust me, I’ve had way worse.”
I pull my hand away, and sure enough, there’s no blood gushing out of his throat, merely a small trickle. Relief and anger well up inside me.
“Kian!” I scream at him again. “What in the ever-loving hells is wrong with you? I could have really hurt you!”
“But you didn’t. I’m fine.” He smiles reassuringly, but there’s a flash of something like disappointment in his eyes that I was not expecting to see.
I take a deep breath, and my nose is assaulted by the scent of his blood.Damn it.I realize I’m practically on Kian’s lap, but as I go to pull away, needing to put distance between the tantalizing smell and me, Kian’s eyes darken, and he leans in toward me.
What is he doing?
Chapter Thirty-Three
KIAN
This isn’t going to plan. If she is directly descended from the gods like I suspect, why isn’t she lunging for my blood? Have I completely miscalculated?
Suddenly, I realize just how close we’ve gotten and how all her soft parts are lined up just right. An unquenchable hunger for her lurches in my chest, and all I want is to capture her mouth with mine and taste her again. I can almost remember the softness of those pillowy lips if I try hard enough. But here she is, my strong, beautiful wife, looking at me in a way I can’t quite decipher, her mouth so temptingly close to mine.
“Rae . . .” A strained whisper leaves me as I lean in closer.
She scurries away from me, landing on her ass on the training mat. A soft “oof” leaves her as she hits the ground. I will not touch her against her will, as much as I want to chase after her in this moment.
The fear in her eyes instantly makes me feel regret. I didn’t mean to scare her. I’d only hoped to awaken the little goddess inside of her.
“Rae,” I say again, a little louder. “Are you all right, love?”
She shakes her head as if coming out of a daze. “I’m fine. Sorry, I just . . .”
“You don’t have to explain,” I reassure her.
I stand and go to her, offering a hand to help her to her feet. Thankfully, she takes it, and I pull her up and into me, steadying her while also enjoying the soft feel of her body against mine.
“Are you sure you’reokay?” she asks. Her concern for me makes me feel like the worst man.
“I told you, it’s just a scratch.” I put my hand up to my throat and wipe the blood away with my thumb. “It’s probably closed up already, right?”
She looks up at me and sighs. “You’re right.”
I might be mistaken, but I think I detect a hint of need in her eyes as she stares at the spot where my blood was flowing.
She reaches for her jaw and massages it.Interesting.
Perhaps I need to be more direct.
I hold up my thumb with the smear of blood. “Would you like a taste, love? I see that hunger in your eyes.”
