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“Marion’s teaching me how to make apple crumble. Since you sograciouslydecided to finally allow me out of my room this morning,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
“Put down the knife,” he ordered. While she was the least dangerous person in the room, Rush wanted her feeling defenseless. Helpless.
Marion patted Aura’s shoulder. “It’s all right, dear. We can make another one later.”
Aura continued to glower at Rush, and he couldn’t help but consider it a delicacy. Those pouty rose-red lips of hers pressed into a tight line as she lifted the knife and slammed the tip into the wooden cutting board. The sound echoed, the blade wobbling from the force of it. “There. Good enough for you, dear King of Sin?” she drawled.
Feisty little vixen.The dragon within him lifted his head. Stared. Parted his mouth and dragged in a smokey breath. Lust stirred, raw and needy, but he couldn’t blame the beast either—shewasbeautiful.
“Elated,” he said sarcastically. “Now come.”
Aura crossed her arms. “Where?”
“Does it matter?” He quirked a brow and waited for her to move. Seconds ticked by, his muscles tensing more and more. Kings did not wait—not for anyone. “Now, kitten.”
“Keep calling me that and I’ll scratch your face off,” she muttered under her breath.
Marion blinked when she glanced at Rush. She gave him a quick bow and plucked the knife from the cutting board. He turned on his heel and strode from the kitchens with Aura, surprisingly, following him.
“You could’ve justaskedme to come with you instead of ordering me around,” she said as they turned down a corridor.
“If I asked, you would’ve said no,” he said in a low voice.
“True,” she mused.
Rush spun to face her and grabbed her upper arm. “You’re not allowed to handle weapons while you’re here.”
She wrinkled her nose, her violet gaze latched onto him. “Excuse me? Are you talking about theknife? That I was using to slice apples.”
“Slicing apples today, stabbing my guards tomorrow,” he growled. She was brave enough to try killing her way to freedom—not that she would succeed based on her poor attempt with afork.
Aura huffed. “Not all of us lust for the sight of blood. You did something to me, and I know you pricked my finger with an object. I canfeelsomething is not right with me at times.”
Rush narrowed his eyes and his dragon shifted slightly in annoyance, although pleased that he could confirm the spell was doing something. He’d killed before, of course. Enemy raiders obliterated by his dragon fire, his hands snapping the necks of assassins, a letter opener to the eye of a spy. But it wasn’t as if he went around killing for the thrill of it. There had to be areason. On occasion, the reason was that someone chewed too loudly, yet that was hardly the point.
“Believe what you want, but my lips are sealed. However, I murder when it’s required,” he said, tightening his grip on her arm.
“And abducting women? Is that also when youhaveto?”
“Hmm.” He smirked. “Would that make you jealous? To know of all the other damsels I’ve locked away in my palace?Ravagedthem when I haven’t given you the same pleasure?”
“If you so much as touch beneath my dress,I’llbe the murderer,” she spat.
“Ah, right. You’re saving yourself for the wedding night with Pax. Are you still refusing to believe he didn’t do the same?” He lifted her hand to his mouth and licked the apple juices from a finger just to fuck with her. His tongue wrapped around the digit, sucking as if he were licking another part of her. Inside him, his dragon purred at the thought of her legs hooked over his shoulders while he feasted.
Aura let out a horrified screech and ripped her hand free. She raised her palm as if she were about to slap him and he tilted his cheek to welcome it.
“You taste sweet.”
“It’s the apples!” Aura blurted, her cheeks burning red with embarrassment. She furiously wiped her finger with her skirt.
“I wonder what other parts of you taste like. My dragon isespeciallycurious to find out.” His eyes flicked down past her breasts to where her core hid beneath her skirts, then back up to meet her gaze. “Tell me, sweet Aura, does Pax like how your cunt tastes? Did he ever bother to lick you to bliss?”
“He’ll come for me, you know.” Her voice was even and calm, as if she had no doubt her prince would save her. “I would prefer it if you would lock me back in my room now.”
“Starnight might come searching, but not Pax himself. Even if he does, he won’t find you here,” Rush added, lifting his chin to stare down at her. No one who worked for him would betray the secret if they discovered the woman inside his palace was the same one missing from Starnight, and, when Starnight came looking—because, eventually, they would—she would be well-hidden, deep in his palace, where none of his staff knew she would be.
She jerked out of his touch. “How are you going to get your ransom if he doesn’t know I’m here?”
