Page 141 of Kneel Before Me

“That would be nice.”

“But only if you tell your friend Ella that I’m mending my ways.”

“I’ll be sure to let her know.”

“Good.”

Maximus gathered the courage to ask his next question. “Don’t you want to ask me something of substance in return?”

He said it in the same teasing tone he’d used with her before. But the question was genuine. Part of him was terrified that Daphne didn’t care. Her ambivalence would hurt far more than any negative opinion she might have of him. Maximus wanted nothing more than to have an opportunity to be vulnerable with her. The silence dragged on.

Just as he was losing hope, Daphne said, “Are you ready to be king?”

It wasn’t the question he expected. No one had ever asked him that before. Not even his own father. “Yes,” he said automatically.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I have to be.”

“Just because you have to be ready for something doesn’t mean you actually are.”

She said it gently. Maximus knew she was right even if he wasn’t willing to admit it out loud. There was no option but to be ready for what was to come. Rather than respond, he asked her the thing he truly wished to know. “Do you think I will be a good king?”

“I don’t know,” Daphne said slowly. “I think…you’ll try.”

Maximus wanted a different answer from her. It wasn’t enough to simply try. He had a reputation to protect, a legacy to live up to. It was up to him to shepherd the kingdom into a new era of power. The responsibility was not something he could fail at.

Yet here in the presence of Daphne, he wondered just what kind of legacy he wanted to build. Certainly not one like his father’s. A better one. A kinder one. So he said, “For you, I will be a good king.”

“That would require you marrying me.”

“That is the plan.”

She shook her head. “Your father won’t allow it.”

“My father is not in charge of me.”

Daphne laughed.

“He isn’t,” Maximus insisted.

“You,” she said, tapping her pointer finger against the arm that encircled her waist. “Are scared of him.”

Now Maximus laughed. He wasn’t scared of Augustus. He just wasn’t used to acting against his father’s interests. It hadn’t been until Daphne entered his life that he’d felt brave enough to finally take a stance.

Silence fell, but it wasn’t heavy. Maximus focused on the beautiful woman in his arms, at the way the wind lifted her curls. He had never held anyone like this before. The women he took to bed did not stay the night. Usually he made them a drink and then had a butler usher them out. For Daphne, it would be different. If she ever deigned to be in his bed, he would let her stay as long as she liked.

“I’ve never seen the village from this far away,” Daphne said presently. “Do you come here often?”

Maximus glanced at the crypt to their right. “Sometimes. When I need it.”

Daphne nodded. A moment passed. Then, to his complete surprise, she leaned back against his chest. Maximus froze, positive he must have imagined it. To his delight she remained in place, her head tucked just beneath his chin, her hair tickling his cheeks. Tentatively, he wrapped the reins around the pommel. Then he placed his other arm around her waist, pulling her completely against him.

They sat together in silence, looking out over the village. Daphne was right; the view was spectacular, even if Maximus could barely see it through her curls. He resisted the urge to bury his face in her hair, instead focusing on the way she felt in his arms. Her body was relaxed, her breathing steady. It was a vulnerable position for her, to have someone at her back. Maximus didn’t want to abuse it, but he also desperately wanted more. She was practically sitting in his lap; surely she could feel that he was already growing hard. Before he could stop himself, he dropped his lips to her neck. He did it slowly, terrified she might stop him or try to pull away. She didn’t.

“Are you ever going to let me fuck you?” Maximus whispered against her skin.

Daphne matched his whisper with hers. “I haven’t decided yet.”