“Where are we going, Nienna?” His breath came quick. He glanced back just as Gyrak and Naneki careened past, yelling as they dove after flickering sparks.
“To the landing!” I called, laughing. My hand dropped to catch his, fingers threading through his without hesitation. His callouses scraped against my skin, his palm rough and warm.
He followed. A king. Older. Wiser. Still suffering my demands, letting me lead.
A crooked smile touched his lips, cautious and fond. But his eyes kept flicking to the corners, the walls, the darkened halls.
He expected betrayal at every turn. Braced for it, even here. Tallon and Eldeiade had carved that fear into his bones.
I hated them for it.
I pulled him into a quiet corridor. Shoved him back against the wall. Kissed him.
He grunted in surprise, mantle slamming into stone. His hands caught my arms, holding me in place. His jaw locked. Whatever emotion darkened his eyes, it wasn’t surrender.
My hand rose to cradle the nape of his neck, fingers sliding into his short hair. I tugged him toward me, rising onto my toes. “We’re alone.”
“For how long?” His words rasped against my lips, wariness flickering and vanishing in a blink.
I smiled into this kiss, teeth grazing his lower lip. His grip tightened around my arms. His hips shifted forward, brushing mine.
“How long do you need?”
A growl escaped, and he spun me around, pressing me against the wall. His mouth claimed me—nothing gentle. No restraint. Hunger devoured every movement—lips parting, tongue slick and demanding.
I melted into him with a moan as my knees gave out. He caught me, hands sliding to grip my thighs as he lifted me from the ground. His hips shoved into me, pinning me against the wall. My head fell back, eyes shut, heat racing through me in a pounding, urgent wave.
His mouth dropped to my neck. The scratch of his jaw teased my skin as he kissed and nipped along the line of my collar.
“You wouldn’t need long,” he groaned, fingers flexing against my thighs.
A whimper escaped. He held me steady with his legs, tapestry bunching beneath us, one hand rising toward my chest.
“Gods, Nienna, I need you.” His voice cracked, dragging back to my lips with unrelenting purpose.
I took all of it. Matched it. Ground against him, chasing the friction I craved. My skin burned. Neck prickling. Nerves flared beneath my scalp.
He tore away with a broken sound. I bucked forward. Desperate. Strung tight and shaking. My pulse thudded in my ears, silencing everything except the rasp of his breathing.
“Please.” One syllable. All I had. He was the only soul I’d ever beg.
“I promised your father.” His fingers dug into my hips, bracing against my need. He nipped my ear, his breath hot and uneven. “I can’t take you. Not yet.”
With a snarl, he dropped me. My legs wobbled. Instinct reached for him, but he pressed his palm to my stomach, holding me back. His touch hovered—so close to where I needed him.
He slumped forward, forehead resting on my chest.
“Have mercy, Nienna.” He gasped, voice torn. His fingers clenched the fabric of my dress. “You don’t know how badly I want to toss caution aside. Take you here. Now. But I gave my word.”
He straightened, lifting my chin. Something wild simmered in his gaze—starving and dangerous, barely restrained.
“We will wait.”
It sparked a challenge in me. A wicked thrill. He could leash his desire in a blink. Lock it down and choose duty. But when he pressed against me, nothing existed except the heat between us.
My body ached. Still, I met the eyes of a king. Controlled, powerful, expectant.
And I wanted to be the one to break that control.
