Stars-damn him.He had a point, not that I was going to say that aloud. But since his job involved being a member of the RSG, it made sense that he would be in the court more frequently. Only . . . I hadn’t seen him before these past few weeks, and for someone to rise up in rank that quickly was fairly surprising.
Not that I consider myself an expert on all of the guards in the Solis Court, but I could say that I had met a fair share of them, and he certainly wasn’t one of them.
Because by the stars, I would remember a face like that. A body like?—
“Well, seeing as I seem to have stunned you into silence, I suppose we will just have to agree that we both just crossed each other’s paths by the luck of the stars,” he replied with a slight grin.
I stared at him in disbelief. “Luck?Really?” The words nearly squeaked from my lips in a mortifying way. “That’s what we’re chalking it up to? All right, then. If you say so,” I replied. “Perhaps you could run out of luck in that case, and see me a bit less,” I said, with a forced grin.
He took another step closer, his frame towering over me as the heavy scent of amber and leather wrapped itself around mefor the third time in one week. Tilting my head up, I studied the angel before me. His presence was foreboding and daring as he filled my personal space, consuming the very air around me. He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear in a movement that had everything in my body focused wholly on him . . . onhistouch. I could only stand there, hardly daring to breathe as his fingers lingered for another second, before his hand dropped. Amber eyes twinkled with dark amusement as he held my gaze, and I felt my cheeks heat.
Stars-damn the male.
“The name’s Blackwood.” His voice was a low whisper in the crowded throne room.
“W–what?” The word stuttered from my lips, my thoughts clouded as I found myself trapped in his space.
“We haven’t officially been introduced.” A soft chuckle sounded as he spoke. “Figured I’d take it upon myself to do so since you’re so insistent on stalking me.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, the delusional fantasy I’d been painting in my mind vanishing at his words.
“Raelyna,” I stated, giving him my name.
“Raelyna.” My name rolled from his lips in a husky tone, and every fiber of me was centered around this male—fixated on my name falling from his lips. Gods, he could say my name like that anytime.
A loud laugh sounded in the distance, followed by the rapid flash of a camera, and I remembered where I was.
What are you doing, Rae? Get it together . . . he’s just another stars-damned angel in a uniform.
“Well, as thrilling as this has been, I’ve got to go,” I stated once words decided to reform in my head.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around,Raelyna.” His eyes lit up as he spoke, the golden flecks brightening toward me.
“Don’t count on it,Blackwood,” I stated as I whirled on my heel and started to walk away.
Isodid not have time for royal guards.Nottonight,nottomorrow night, anddefinitelynot anytime in the foreseeable future. Not even the really attractive ones who made my insides melt and had no business sneaking into my dreams. I absolutely didnothave time for those.
12
RAELYNA
“Dance with me.”It was a command, not a question. My lashes fluttered up and I caught the gaze of the one male I’d least wished to see taking up the space before me.
“Luc . . .” His name was a faint whisper of surprise on my lips as he took hold of my wrist, his grip bruising while he led me onto the dance floor.
“What can I do for you?” I asked over the music, which had picked up. I felt his hand tighten around my waist, fingers digging into my sides while he pulled me closer to his frame, our bodies moving in time to the beat.
The scent of whiskey and sandalwood flooded my senses as I stared at the male across from me. Rippling onyx wings were visible as they flared out from his back, fluttering with each turn we made across the floor. His light brown hair was combed back, with the slightest tousle at the front, and his brown eyes were stark as they fastened on me. Demanding, searching through the depths of my soul, as though he owned me.
I suppressed a shudder as his gaze raked over my body, focusing on the velvety material of the thin dress I wore. I wasdressed for dance performances and drinks at a downtown bar with my friends after our shift, not for staying in Solis Court to celebrate the festival. The soft emerald green material hugged my upper body, the cut of the dress creating a clear dip down toward my navel, before the dress loosened at my hips. The material hung low on my back, the barely visible straps pulling their weight as his gaze lingered on the material.
I should have worn a different dress.
“Eh-hmm,” I cleared my throat, nonchalantly. The noise was just soft enough that Luc’s gaze flitted back to my face as we stepped in time to the music playing across the throne room.
His wings flared wide, onyx feathers rustling at the movement, then they circled us, shielding us from onlookers as he spoke lowly. “I thought I’d use this time to ensure you were following through on our bargain, seeing as you seem to think you have room to play in this arrangement of ours.” His smile was tight, the hard grin of someone who held all the power.
His hand traced lower then, as the music played on. A crescendo of sound, yet every part of me screamed to stop as his fingers trailed down the bare expanse of my back, drifting lower . . .lower. . . then fanning out on my hips. His hold tightened, a punishing brand as his hands spanned along my abdomen, stealing the air from my lungs.
