He frowned. “Why not?”
I peered up at him, taking in his inquisitive stare. Noc had changed so much since I’d first met him. He’d once been cold and unapproachable, thanks to the priestess’s curse. And even after he’d eradicated that, he’d been forced to deal with the darkness of Cruor’s Oath. It’d twisted his mind and shattered the control he’d worked so hard to maintain. But now he was entirely free. And all those admirable traits he’d kept hidden away—his unflinching devotion to his family, his compassion, his drive to create a better world—flourished.
He was my partner. Myanam-cara. And he would always strive to do the right thing.
“Because I don’t think you’d let your pain, no matter how great, place your people in harm’s way.”
With light fingers, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You always see the good in me. Every day, I’m grateful you walked through my door. Even if you held Kost hostage at the time.”
It felt like ages ago that I’d strolled into Cruor with Kost as my bargaining chip and demanded Noc lift the bounty off my head. Gingerly, I dragged my fingers along his wrist where that damning black mark used to be. The one that leaked poison into his mind and convinced him to kill me.
Now, we’d moved on to our next impossible feat.
Pulling his hand to my lips, I kissed his knuckles one by one. He sighed before cupping my chin and angling my face toward his, then, he captured my lips and stole the breath right out of my lungs. A shiver of pleasure raced through me, and suddenly I was acutely aware that we were alone. In a room all our own, with no family to keep us apart and nothing but time to kill until we heard Jayla and Elianna’s decision. We’d been told to rest, but…
My hands acted of their own accord, gripping either side of the deep cut of his tunic as I climbed into his lap. His hands went to my waist, anchoring me in place, as he let out a quiet, dark laugh. The warmth of his breath skirted along my neck, and I sucked in sharply.
“Trying to seduce me the moment we’re alone?” His playful accusation was full of heat, and he slipped a hand beneath the slit of my dress, caressing my thigh with barely restrained fingers. I ground into him, pleased to feel the evidence of his growing arousal. He groaned and pressed his forehead against mine.
“We haven’t been alone in…too long.” I bent my lips to his neck, tasted his skin, and reveled in the scent of him. A delicious hiss escaped his mouth, and satisfaction bloomed inside of me. Kissing his sternum, I moved my hands to the waistline of his shirt. With a forceful tug, I removed the garment, and was left with nothing but smooth skin to admire. The grooves and contours of his chest, his abdomen, called to me, and I traced each line with light fingers. A trail of gooseflesh rippled across his skin in the wake of my touch. Before I could travel further south, he captured my wayward hands and held them in place.
“You’re stopping me?” I asked, barely recognizing the whine of my own voice.
His answering smirk did wondrous things to my heart. “No, but I think we should get you out of that gown before I destroy it and we’re left to explain to the royal family why we can’t appear before them tomorrow.” His arm circled my waist, pressing me flush against him. “Unless you’d rather attend naked, but I doubt that’d help our case. Or maybe it would. Couldn’t say.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his reasoning. Reluctantly, I stood and turned my back to him. “You’re in charge of the lacing.” Earlier, I’d goaded Kost into helping me tie up the back of my gown, insisting he was the only one meticulous enough to ensure it’d be done correctly. He’d conceded and, of course, done an excellent job. Which meant it was impossible for me to get out of the damn thing without another set of hands.
Noc stood with me, first sweeping my hair off my neck before dragging his fingers down my spine. I couldn’t help but shudder. The scrape of his nails. The tug of the string as he slowly undid the artful ties. Anticipation ratcheted in me, and I swore he slowed down, intentionally taking his time with each eyelet and teasing my skin. He bent his nose toward the crook of my neck, and his breath tickled the curve of my ear.
Groaning, I nudged against him with my backside.
“In a hurry?” he asked, words gravelly and full of dark humor.
“No, but you’re so colossally slow.”
“It’s fun.” He kissed my shoulder and then nipped at my skin, sending a wave of longing through me. Finally, he reached the final tie just above my tailbone. His fingers dawdled there for a moment before he grabbed the fabric of my dress and slid it down my skin, taking my undergarments with it. Heat flooded me as his hand found my behind and he gave it a firm squeeze.
Thoroughly undressed, I spun around and pushed him onto the bed, then wasted absolutely no time in removing his breeches and drawers, much more eager to devour the sight of him completely bare. Gods, he was beautiful. Hard muscles cut from granite, shock-white hair just begging to be tugged. Endless ice-blue eyes full of love. Of desire. I never felt like anything less than wanted in his presence, and it was intoxicating. I kissed my way up his chest and felt him tense beneath me. By the time I got to his lips, he was just as impatient. He moaned before capturing me in a deep kiss, our tongues brushing against each other. Straddling his hips, I hovered over him. His gaze was full of hunger, and I offered him a coy smile before slowly positioning myself against him.
Grasping my hips, he slid into me and all rational thought fled. Every sensation narrowed to the feel of him, to where we were joined together as one. He angled my hips against him, deepening his thrusts, and stars bloomed behind my eyes. I couldn’t get close enough. Couldn’t possibly touch him enough. My fingers raked along his chest, leaving scratch marks in their wake. His answering growl was anything but a complaint. Need coiled tight in my belly, and I moved in time with him to try to relieve the building ache in my core. My name was a breathless exhale on his lips, full of heat and want. Sweat glistened along our skin as we moved faster, harder.
I called out his name as release shot through me, sending unending waves of heat through my limbs and turning me to liquid. He let out a curse as his own release joined mine. Our bodies trembled as I remained on top of him for a moment, only sliding off after placing a gentle kiss on his lips. Rolling to the side, he snared my waist and cradled me against his chest. His fingers drew lazy circles up and down my spine, and I sighed.
For the first time in days—weeks, even—I was content. And as he continued his progression along my back, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. The steady beat of his heart was a lullaby I didn’t have the power to deny. Slowly, sleep chased away the worries of our world. There was no telling whether or not we’d be successful in our tactic to secure Rhyne’s aid, but at least for now, we were safe. We had a roof over our heads. And Noc and I were together.
Twenty-Three
Noc
Waking beside my still-slumberinganam-carathe next morning was a sight that warmed my soul. It’s not that we hadn’t shared a bed during our travels, but to see her tucked against me in total relaxation was something else. Ruling would demand many more hard nights from us, so being able to find even an ounce of reprieve was a gift. Gently, I brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. Her bare skin was silk against mine, and I resisted the urge to rouse her just so we could enjoy each other all over again. I was content to simply lie there until she awoke when a loud knock on our door shattered the illusion of a slow, lazy rise from sleep.
“Yes?” I didn’t bother to hide the annoyance from my tone. Judging by the faint light slanting through the cream-colored curtains, it was still early. There was no doubt in my mind that Elianna and Jayla had spent several more hours discussing our proposition, which had left me to assume we’d have a later start to our day. Apparently, I’d been wrong.
“Pardon the interruption, but Princess Jayla has requested an audience with Leena,” an unknown feminine voice called through the door. Leena groaned, scooching closer to me and burying her nose in my chest.
“She’s still sleeping,” I said, tucking the sheets tighter around her. “Come back later.”
A minute passed, but the just-visible shadow beneath the door didn’t disappear. Finally, the attendant braved another attempt. “I’m sorry, sir, but Princess Jayla insists.”
