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That was a good question, one I’d been pushing away, not wanting to think about it. The problem was that I didn’t think I could take a life. It went against everything I stood for. “I … I don’t know.”
“Therein lies our problem.” He leaned forward, his face crowding mine. “I need you to know and to be willing to protect yourself. I almost thawed today, watching you struggle.”
Sincerity wafted off him, and the way his face softened … I didn’t have the right words to describe him. Handsome wasn’t right… it didn’t do him justice. I breathed the word, not sure he could hear me: “Why?”
He homed in on my lips. “Because,” he answered and lowered his mouth to mine.
Chapter Sixteen
My heart galloped, and I clutched his suit jacket as I stepped back, tugging him with me. I didn’t want anyone to see what was happening, but I also had to know what he tasted like.
When my back hit the wall and flower petals brushed my arms, excitement sizzled through my body. My head spun as his lips barely brushed mine, a jolt searing me straight to my soul. He paused, waiting for my reaction, but he didn’t move away. His minty breath drifted over my face, mixing with his scent and the scent of flowers.
Stomach clenching, I pushed all rational thought away. I needed more; he wasn’t close enough. I’d gripped his lapels to pull him flush against my body when he stumbled away from me.
What the?—
Then I noticed Dallas’s flushed face right behind him. The darkness that had shrouded us vanished, and the faint light of the room beyond the flowers trickled back into view.
Dallas let go of the back of King Kieran’s suit jacket and shoved him away.
“What the frozen summer do you think you’re doing?” Dallas seethed. His hands fisted, and the flowers around me moved as if under his command.
King Kieran’s chest heaved, and his irises turned that frosty pale-blue once more. “That is none of your concern.”
I needed to do something, but I was recovering from whatever Kieran and I had shared. My lips were still tingling.
“She’s the princess of the Summer Court!” Dallas lifted his chin. “Anything concerning her extends to me.”
When Kieran bared his teeth, revealing the ruthless and animalistic side to him, it both petrified me and made me want him to punish me.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
“You’ve been taking a lot of interest in Princess Alina. Are you asking as her king, brother-in-law, or lover?” Kieran snarled the last word.
Dallas smirked. “I don’t have to choose just one of those options, do I?”
Oh, whoa. My body flinched, spurring life back into me. The shock of the words had snapped me out of whatever haze I’d been in.
Kieran’s hands turned a faint blue as they had the first time I’d met him when he’d frozen the wood of the table. “It might be in your best interests to stick to the first two choices. The last one won’t end well for you.”
“So you were trying to harm her.” Dallas reached into his coat pocket and removed a dagger. “That’s low, even for the Winter King … picking off competitors when they’re severely hurt.”
My chest tightened, and my stomach soured. Surely that wasn’t why Kieran had led me away from everyone. He wouldn’t have kissed me if he was going to kill me, right?
The problem was that I wasn’t so sure. I didn’t understand any of the fae except for Maeve, and for some reason, I’d thought maybe Kieran too. But that was foolish. I was acting like one of the girls I’d grown up with. I’d sworn I’d never lose my mind and do stupid shit over a guy.
“Do you expect me to be afraid of you?” Kieran chuckled, not even lifting a hand or drawing a weapon to defend himself.
I was certain he had a dagger on him, just like everyone else here. The fae were squirrelly people, though they wouldn’t get the reference if I said it. Either way, I refused to be spoken about as if I weren’t here. Not wanting to see which one had the biggest dick—I was pretty sure they were both underendowed, given how much posturing they were doing in front of me—I shoved between them.
I looked around to see if anyone had noticed the confrontation. Luckily, the musicians were still playing, and people were dancing … except for Maeve and Orla, who were marching toward us.
This was getting worse by the second. At this point, I should have Hot Mess posted on my forehead. The fae would find a way to make it look bougie and match my dresses because, you know, that was how things worked here.
Maeve removed her sword from her side. The music stopped playing, and the fae who were dancing turned their avid gazes on me. Their eagerness to watch me make a fool of myself seemed to never end.
Dallas snatched my hand and swung me toward him. He pulled me to his side with an ironclad arm around my waist and rasped, “You’re staying with me for the rest of the night. You can’t be trusted on your own.”
