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“No.”

“Then, you’ll come screaming for me in this dusty storage room, and I’ll keep you here until you collapse.”

“I have shit to do!”

“You’re right. You have to come for me.” His hands moved off of my hips and gathered my skirts up, pulling the bulk of them from between us so my slick pussy was bared to the friction of his thigh. Then his gloved hands found purchase in my delicate flesh as he dug them in once more.

“Fine.”

“Swear it.”

“I swear I will come to your chambers this evening.”

“For dinner.”

I rolled my eyes as my hips rolled against him. “I swear I will come to your chambers this evening for dinner.”

“Good girl.” He purred and slid his hands from my hips. He didn’t let me up from the wall, though. The slick leather of his gloves slid up the front of my bodice to wrap around my throat while the other held me in place. He tipped my head up and back so that I looked up to him, glassy-eyed and drunk on my need for him. “If you touch yourself between now and then, I will know. And we will have dessert in the Maw. Am I clear?”

“Fine, you asshole.”

A grin of victory spread across his beautiful face like the dawn spreading across a meadow frosted with winter dew. His thumb caressed my pulse, squeezing enough to darken the edges of my vision. I melted against him, my body loosening into the construction. “Mmm, like butter made with razor blades.”

I snorted a laugh and pushed away from him, and he let me. I felt his eyes on me, burning holes into my back as I made my way to Goose who was cleaning his paws. “You suck.”

Goose raised his head from his paw, looked between me and The Raven, then back at me before innocently rising and moving out of the way of the door.

The day slipped away like ice on a frying pan, evaporating into the ether with barely a sizzle to herald its disappearance. Silver came to find me to escort me back to the warrens, and I sighed with exasperation.

“I’ve been summoned to The Raven of the Dawn’s chambers for dinner.”

Silver was polite enough to hide his amusement with both my annoyance and my cooperation with the “request.” Not very well, but he at least tried. “As you wish, Miss Cricket. The Captain is currently otherwise engaged, but I can take you to his chambers to await him.”

Otherwise engaged.

I didn’t have the stomach to ask with what, and as we wound our way through the corridors to his little sanctuary, images of him fucking The Oaken Rose filled my head one after another until I was nearly simmering with rage by the time we came to the door I had memorized. Silver drew up to a halt at its doorframe and eyed me reluctantly.

“Plan on sweeping the room to ensure there are no assassins inside?”

“Miss Cricket, I wish I could, but this room is one of the safest in the entire palace. The Captain paid a hefty price for its security. No one can enter.”

He had mentioned that. I thought it was merely a bluff, though. “No one?”

Silver nodded.

“Not even his betrothed?”

“Least of all her, miss. To be truly frank, I’ve never seen anyone enter that room but the Captain. I’m very curious as to whether or not even you will be able to enter without him.” Silver shifted, the leather of his uniform singing its creaking song as he did so.

I reached out and pushed open the door. “Supposedly, I can. What happens if I can’t?”

“Not entirely sure, ma’am. I’ve never personally seen anyone try, but I’ve heard stories that incineration is the price.”

“Well, at least I’ll be cute barbecue.” I slid my eyes closed and stepped forward into the room. I paused on the other side and opened one eye when no flames began licking at my skin. “Well . . . that answers that.”

Silver, the curious man he was, slid the toe of his boot across the threshold. The moment he did so, it caught fire, and he began hopping around, trying to put it out as he hissed in agony.

“That’ll do, miss. No fears of your safety with that. If you excuse me, I need to go nurse my foot. I trust the Captain can escort you back?”