I paint an extra layer of love in my eyes, pretending there isn’t a frigid arrow protruding from my scorned heart. “I know.”
I’m tugged so tight against his body that my breasts ache. “Do you, though? How far are you willing to go to spite your wounded heart?”
Strong, composed ...
Resilient.
“As far as it takes,” I bite out with all the conviction I can muster.
As far as it takes to secure those ships; to save more little girls from living the same nightmares that ruined me.
His lips curl at the corner again, exposing a deep dimple on his right cheek. “We’ll see.”
And then his lips are on mine, moving with mine—a strike intended to capture, wound, and claim.
The room chills as his tongue digs in and sweeps across my own. As he probes and explores and steals the breath from my lungs.
It’s fierce and predatory, unveiling a fiery wash of masculine want I wasn’t prepared to withstand. It’s like he just sat down for a meal, and something about his ravenous hunger has my body heating. Spine arcing.
There’s fire in my veins but ice at my back, and the two arebattling.
When he pulls away, I’m panting.
Scattered.
The crowd begins to murmur, the tips of my fingers grazing puffy lips tingling from his heated assault. Despite the restless onlookers, a sense of silence encroaches, and I peer out from the bubble of tension embracing us.
I realize we’re the only ones on the dance floor. That we have a dense boundary of onlookers—some throwing hushed words at their acquaintances, some open-mouthed and gawking, some stealing glances at Rhordyn ...
I dare a peek at the man himself, a shadow of seething brawn staring at Cainon with something much worse than death in his eyes.
Deep inside me, something throbs—sharp and painful, as though an internal wound is leaking vital fluids.
His attention drops and I follow his scathing trail to the dark blue and gold cupla now secured around my wrist ...
My heart leaps into my throat.
Barely able to draw breath into my encumbered lungs, I glance up, but Cainon’s not looking at me. He’s looking at Rhordyn with the same menacing glare laden with the same menacing message.
“This is what you wanted, yes?”
All I can do is nod.
“Good. Then don’t look so shocked. Stun the people with another one of those dazzling smiles.”
“How about I stun you with another kick to the kidney?” I bite out through a forged grin.
“Later, when there aren’t so many people watching. Shall I make a fancy speech, too? Declare my love with some ornamental verbiage?”
Gods, no ...
“That won’t be neces—”
“Silence,” he yells, buttoning a hundred pairs of gossiping lips with a single word.
Internally, my palm collides with my face.
He grips my hand and hoists it above my head, like he’s erecting a war flag. “And raise your glasses to the future High Mistress of the South.”
