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I folded my arms, felt too defensive and unwound them. “It doesn’t seem wise to…encourage you.”
He laughed. Not amused, but with a wild edge. In a flash, he closed the small space between us and grasped me with a hand cupping the back of my head. He liked to hold me like that when he kissed me, but for now—having already taken his kiss for the day—he only stared at me, a crazed look, ferocious and starving, tightening his face.
“There is nothing you do—nothing, enticing Gwynn—that does not make me burn for you more. I will not give up until I have you, in every way. In all ways. Do not mistake that.”
I trembled, shaking with both longing and fear. Did I really believe I could escape him if I needed to? In many ways, it had ceased to matter. He already had me tied to him, binding me in invisible, subtle ways.
“Is this only about the child, Rogue? About whatever you and the Queen Bitch have cooked up?” I asked softly, not really knowing where the plea came from. Probably Starling and all her silliness over true love. I didn’t believe in that, but if I thought I might mean more to him than a means to an end, perhaps…what? I didn’t know.
“I cannot divide out who I am and all the forces that drive me.” His voice was as quiet as mine, but the grip was still hard, nearly lifting me to my toes. “You are not pieces of things to me, my Gwynn. You are the where all my roads lead. Where all the cords knot. Only you can untie them. Let me have you.”
“I can’t.” I whispered.
“But you want to. Tell me that much.”
I closed my eyes against the intensity of his gaze. How could I deny it, with my nipples so tight they hurt, my sex drenched and vulva aching. Even the pores of my skin felt hungry for him, as if only pressing my naked self against him would ever let me feel less than starved.
“I do.”
The confession came out without sound. But he heard me. I felt it in the flare of heat from him. He set me gently down and splayed his hand over my throat, fingers toying with the high collar of the robe.
“Are you naked under this?”
My eyes flew open. “You wish!”
“I do wish.” He replied, a deadly stillness about him. “And you know I can make my wishes come true.”
My throat tightened. “That would be cheating. Against the bargain.”
He looked thoughtful, undoing the catch of my robe. “Not necessarily. I might be able to skate by on a technicality.”
“You wouldn’t risk it.”
He undid another clasp, revealing the equally high neck of my white nightgown. “You would never let Titania take me. You’d cry off the bargain first.”
“I might not have time. Or be able to. Even if I wanted to. You wouldn’t risk her wrath. It’s too much of a gamble for you.” I gasped a little as he undid another clasp and brushed the inner curve of my breast with the back of his hand. “What are you doing?”
He raised an eyebrow at me. “Undressing you for bed. Surely you don’t plan to wear the robe too.”
“No, but I’m still not going to…”
“Let me have my way with you? Take off this ridiculous thing and let me kiss every inch of your delicious skin? Part your legs for me so I can bury myself between your thighs and—”
“Just stop now.”
“Why?” He slid the robe off my shoulders so it puddled at my feet and cupped my breast through the cotton nightgown, his hand so hot it nearly burned me. “Do my words make you want to give in?”
“I can’t give in, Rogue!” I nearly shouted it at him and wrenched myself out of his grasp. “Not without answers to my questions.”
“The main one being what would happen to this child.”
“Yes. Though the other objections still stand. And I want to know what’s up with the Queen Bitch and that tick-tock nonsense. Especially if it’s the same answer.”
He seemed to be thinking. Finding his way around the words. “Castle Brightness is as good a place for you to start as any—for a number of reasons.”
“But you won’t—or can’t—tell me why.”
“You’re clever. I’m sure you’ll figure out the whys.”
