Page 19 of Fate of the Sun King

“I know,” he says without an ounce of condescension in his tone.

It’s then I realize we’re both practically naked.

I’m wearing only my bra and underwear, and Nadir’s chest is bare but for the swirls of his colorful tattoos. I’m desperately hoping he has something over his bottom half. We both look down at each other and back up, and I shift, trying to determine if there’s a layer of fabric between us. When a predictable awareness blooms between my thighs, I realize that is entirely the wrong move.

With my knees straddling his hips, it would be all too easy to give in to what my body craves. After what happened earlier today with his magic, the tension stretching between us hangs as heavy as an iron wall.

With the dagger still gripped in one fist, I plant my hands on either side of his head, leaning down as my breath tightens for an entirely different reason. I want him. I can’t seem to stop wanting him. That night in Heart when he tried to claim me was an agonizing tease. I know I’m the one who pushed him away, but need squats in my chest, crushing my ribs, and the harder I try to push it away, the more it insists on being noticed. My magic hums softly in my veins as I lower myself down, slowly, so slowly.

Nadir’s large, warm hands land lightly on the creases of my thighs, like he’s afraid of making any sudden movements. His lips part, and I want to bite them. Suck on the bottom one until he’s—

“Lor!” My door bangs open with a crash. Shit. I snap up to find Willow standing in the doorway. She takes in the scene, and her eyes widen before she covers them with a hand and fumbles for the doorknob.

“Oh. No. I’m sorry. I… heard you screaming.” She keeps reaching behind her, trying to find the knob with her other hand clamped over her eyes.

“It’s fine,” I say, scrambling off Nadir and grabbing a robe to cover myself. I turn up the light, blinking furiously as I try to crush the swell of desire pulsing under my skin.

“It’s not what you think.”

I say the words firmly, hoping they sound a little bit true. It didn’t start out the way she’s thinking, but I wonder what might have happened if we hadn’t been interrupted. I throw a look at Nadir, who is also scooting off the bed, relieved to note he’s wearing underwear. However, it does nothing to conceal the effect of what we were just about to do, and he grabs a pillow to cover himself, tossing me a frown.

Willow lowers her hand and looks carefully between us.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” I say, pulling my hair over a shoulder in an attempt to compose myself. “I was having a nightmare.”

“Where the hell did you get a dagger from?” Nadir asks. “And why is it under your pillow?”

“Mael,” I say, and Nadir shakes his head like he should have known. “He’s been teaching me how to use it too.”

Nadir’s expression turns contrite. “I should have thought of that.”

“Hmm,” I say as I retrieve the knife from across the bed and return it to its hiding place.

“Is everything okay?” comes another voice. I turn around to find Tristan in the doorway, also half-dressed, his dark hair mussed from sleep. He looks at me and then at Nadir sitting on my bed, and his eyes darken. I am so not in the mood for this.

“Everything’s fine,” I say, running a hand down my face.

“Then why were you screaming?” Tristan asks.

“A nightmare.” I bite my lip, considering how to approach this. “Tris, do you remember when we were kids, and there was that High Fae in the forest who tried to take me?”

I feel both Nadir and Willow physically react to my question.

“What?” Willow asks. “When?”

“I was about ten,” I say. “The three of us were playing hide and seek, and she offered me a treat, and then she tried to steal me.”

“How did I not know about this?” Willow demands.

I share a look with Tristan.

“We decided not to tell anyone.”

“Why?” Nadir asks, already up, his entire body tight with tension. “Why did she try to take you?”

The tendons in his neck stand out, and I swear he’s ready to hunt her down and tear a hole in her chest. Never mind that she’s already dead. I sink onto the bed, pulling the collar of my robe tight.