10. Calista
10
CALISTA
I left my bedchamber and stormed down the hallway, the guards immediately hot on my tail once I burst through the door. As I stormed down the long passage and headed to the stairs, I saw the extra guards who hadn’t been there before, as if Talon had placed them there in case I decided to run for it again.
If he wasn’t going to kill me, then I didn’t need to sneak out in the middle of the night. I could just walk right out the front door.
I stepped out of the tower and crossed the ramparts, taking a shortcut I’d discovered along my walks. It was a cold, windy winter day, the clouds moving fast over the sky like sailboats with full sails.
One of the guards headed back. “I’ll inform King Talon of her intentions.”
“You have fun with that.”
I had almost reached the door when the enormous black dragon swept across the sky and came in for a fast landing, making the castle shake as he hit the stone ramparts. All the guards behind me immediately backed away in fear.
Khazmuda straightened and tucked in his wings. Going somewhere?
“Yep. Want to give me a ride?”
Where are you going?
“Not sure yet. Maybe open a flower shop. I always thought that would be fun.”
You have the blood of dragons—and you want to grow flowers?
“I want to get away from this asshole. That’s what I want.”
What happened?
I didn’t say. If I did, I would have to relive it, and that would be awkward. “Can I get a ride or not?”
He turned quiet for a while, just staring at me.
“You’re talking to him, aren’t you?”
He dipped his head and looked at me once again.
“Tattletale.”
He’s already been informed . He lowered himself farther, his stomach moving against the stone. I don’t have my saddle, but I’ll keep you safe.
“So…you’re going to give me a ride?”
Yes.
“Great! Let’s get the fuck out of here.” I moved to his side and began the slow climb, not having the ropes from his saddle to grip. I got to the back of his neck and gripped the first spike in front of me.
Hold on, little one. He pushed off the floor and opened his wings simultaneously—and we left the castle and soared in the sky, passing the clouds in less than a second. Then we were on top of the world, above the soaring wind, just flying under the sunlight.
I took a look around, taking in a sight no one else ever got to see.
Well, except King Talon.
The wind blew through my hair and stung my eyes as we soared. I felt like a speck on the enormous dragon, gripping the spike at the base of his neck, which wouldn’t help me if he were to flip upside down. So, where are we going?
My favorite place.
Ooh…that sounds intriguing.
The power of his muscular wings sent us soaring, crossing leagues in just seconds, the cloud bank covering our shadow below. He started to dip from the clouds, lowering so he could see where he was going.
We were near the base of the mountains, several days’ ride from the castle on horse. He straightened his wings and started to soar, slowly making his ascent, turning and gliding, moving over the mountains before gradually making his way down. There were no clouds here, so the sunshine struck the green hillsides.
He descended into a valley covered in orange poppies and then came to a gentle landing, careful that he didn’t knock me off or stop too abruptly and make me impale myself on his spikes.
I stayed on his back and looked at the tall grass, the view of the flat earth at the base of the mountains stretching outward. The castle was so far in the distance that it was a dot from where I stood. If there weren’t a shadow from the clouds, I might be able to see it better.
What do you think?
It’s beautiful. I climbed down and let my boots hit the soil. There were flowers everywhere, and I walked through their stalks and touched their soft petals with my fingertips. The air was cold from the winter chill, but the sun burned my flesh like a summer day. Without the wind, it actually felt nice.
I found a spot in the grass and took a seat, enjoying the view of the valley. It was just Khazmuda and me, along with a few rabbits and a family of deer far at the other end of the valley. They should have scattered at the sight of the enormous dragon, but they continued to graze like there was nothing to fear.
“They aren’t afraid of you.”
Khazmuda came closer before he lay on the grass, crushing the flowers beneath him as he settled on the soft earth. He lay flat and lowered his head to the ground, like a dog taking a nap in front of the fire. I don’t eat deer.
“Why?”
Too cute.
I smirked. “That’s sweet.”
I don’t eat cubs either.
“Because they’re cute?”
Because they’re too small.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing you call me little one.”
I don’t eat humans either.
That wasn’t what I’d heard when he and King Talon had stormed my castle. Khazmuda had eaten the king of kingdoms after he’d cooperated. “You don’t?”
Too bony.
I didn’t share my memory, keeping those cards close to my chest. “I could start over here. Build a little cabin and bring these flowers to market.”
I knew you would appreciate them.
“I don’t have any clothes or money, but I’ll figure it out.”
You were angry, so I brought you here to decompress your mind. I didn’t bring you here to flee from Talon. I’m sorry if you misinterpreted my intentions.
I should have assumed…because it was too good to be true. “It’s fun to pretend.”
Why are you angry with him?
“I’m always angry with him.”
But you’re exceptionally angry.
“I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.”
There hasn’t been an opportunity to ask. Khazmuda didn’t press me further, sunbathing in the grass, his eyes halfway closed.
“Can you still speak to him? Even at this distance?”
Yes .
“That’s impressive.”
We’ve been bonded a long time. The longer you’re together, the stronger you become.
If they were that close, that meant Talon would tell him, and Khazmuda would get his narrative rather than mine. I supposed it didn’t matter, but right now, the mighty dragon was the only friend I had in the world. “I fell asleep on the couch, and he came in and touched me. I was half asleep and thought it was a dream, so I didn’t know what I was doing. By the time I realized it was all real…it was too late.”
Why was it too late?
“Because…” How did I put this? “Because I was finished.”
Khazmuda was quiet, as if trying to understand what I meant by that. Then that means you liked it.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s not the point.”
Then what is the point?
“He touched me when I wasn’t aware…”
So, when you weren’t aware, you liked it?
“That’s not how I would put it.”
So you enjoy it when he touches you in a dream, but when it’s not a dream, you don’t enjoy it anymore?
Khazmuda was an intelligent creature, but when it came to human sexuality and culture, he didn’t really grasp it. “I don’t want him to touch me, period.”
Even though you like it?
“Okay, stop saying that.”
What?
“Just forget it. You don’t understand.”
He turned quiet. Silence trickled by. A gentle breeze moved through the stalks of grass and traveled higher up into the mountains. There were a few trees, sparsely sprinkled in the valley, and they cast little spots of shade. Birds sang from their branches and worshipped the sun with their song.
I understand now.
I’d forgotten the conversation in the stretch of silence, the beauty of this quiet valley making me forget. I turned to look at him again.
You like it when he touches you…but you wish you didn’t.
I wished I didn’t have to return to that stuffy castle. The place that had no sunlight because wooden planks were nailed over my windows, the place where the enigmatic king crept into my bedroom while I slept, the place where I was a prisoner.
Khazmuda landed in the same spot where he had grabbed me and lay flat so it was easier for me to climb down.
My feet hit the stone, and then I looked up at him, feeling the bite of the chill because the sun had officially set and there was no warmth left in the air.
Get inside, little one. It’s cold.
“What about you?”
The fire in my belly keeps me warm.
I stared at the door to the keep, the door that would take me inside where it was warm…but dark. “I’m just afraid he’ll be sitting there, waiting for me.”
He is.
I gave a quiet sigh. “Thanks for the warning.”
Goodnight, little one.
“Why do you call me that?”
Because you’re small .
“Everyone is small to you. Even King Talon.”
He gave a pause. And you’re cute…
I smiled as I felt my heart melt for this ferocious dragon, the same one who’d come to my kingdom and destroyed it. “You’re cute too, Khazmuda.” I drew closer to his snout then pressed a kiss to his hard scales. “Goodnight.”
Goodnight .
When I reached the door, I heard his expansive wings flap open as he launched into the sky.
I looked up and saw his scales reflect the torchlight for the second he was rising in the air. Then he flew off and disappeared, absorbed into the night instantly. I entered the castle and was immediately cocooned in warmth. The stone was cold to the touch, but it kept the warmth sealed inside the castle walls. I headed back to my bedchambers, passing guards at their stations along the way, not reprimanding me as if King Talon had told them not to.
When King Talon had a fire-breathing dragon patrolling the outside walls, there was no chance for escape, especially when the dragon was so sweet. Even if I had the chance to strike him down, I don’t think I could.
I followed the winding passage and took the maze to King Talon’s section of the castle, which was noted by the increased security stationed there. They stood against the walls with their swords at their hips, watching me cross their line of sight and approach the bedroom.
I steadied as I grabbed the doorknob, knowing exactly what lay on the other side. I stared at the shiny handle before I turned it and stepped inside. A fire that I didn’t make was in the fireplace, the glow of the flames casting shadows in the corners. This time, I was prepared to see his face, but even then, I wasn’t truly ready for it.
He sat in the armchair in just his trousers, his chest bare with little shadows behind the mounds of muscle. Cords underneath the skin popped and had their own shadows tucked just behind their paths. He lounged with one elbow on the armrest, his closed knuckles propped against his cheek. His eyes were on me the moment I walked into the room, like he’d already been staring at the door because Khazmuda had warned him of my approach.
I stood there and stared at him, his dark hair slightly messy like he’d taken a shower and quickly scrubbed the towel through his damp strands. It was the same color as his eyes, midnight black, foreboding.
I’d kissed that mouth…but couldn’t really remember it. I couldn’t remember most of it, just aware that an earthquake had happened between my legs that sent shivers up my spine. Once the pleasure had passed, my mind stirred and came to reality, and I understood what had transpired. I was horrified…and embarrassed. “Waiting for me to go to sleep so you can make your move?”
He gave no reaction to the insult.
I moved to the corner of the couch, the spot farthest from him, and sat with my back against the armrest. After the bitter cold of the outdoors, this room was so warm and cozy, the flames strong like he’d just started it in the last half hour.
He continued to stare at me, fingers curled under his jaw, his stare subtle but ruthless at the same time.
“What do you want?”
“I’m the king of this castle, so I don’t need to justify my presence.”
“Alright. When are you going to leave?”
His eyes bored into mine.
Sometimes that stare was too much. Sometimes I had to look away before he sucked me into his soul.
“Did you enjoy Khazmuda’s company?”
“Yes, he’s lovely.”
“What did you think of the valley?”
“You’ve been there?”
“Of course,” he said. “It’s our place…or at least, it was.”
It was hard to imagine the two of them spending time together in a field of flowers flooded with sunshine.
“But I don’t mind his sharing it with you.”
“It was nice to have some fresh air. It was nice to be away from this place.”
“You’ve been treated more like a royal guest than a prisoner.”
I turned to him. “So that’s how you treat all your guests? Sneak into their room and slip your fingers down their underwear?”
There was no shame or remorse in his eyes. “Just you.”
“Oh, I’m flattered.”
“That wasn’t my intention when I walked in here. But the blanket had fallen to the floor, and your dress had risen up your thighs and exposed your white panties underneath.”
I pictured myself lying there, knees parted, my bottom half on display. I felt a twinge of embarrassment that flushed my cheeks, but I swallowed and bottled it deep inside. “That doesn’t make it an invitation.”
“I didn’t need one.” He hadn’t moved in all this time, his fingers still against his jawline, his eyes still wide like he didn’t need to blink. His muscular body looked even more defined in the firelight. If I’d walked in here under different circumstances, it would be hard not to stare. “I told you I’m not sorry, so don’t hold your breath for an apology.”
“Then why are you here?”
“To remind you how much you liked it.”
I held his stare but felt the embarrassment and shame course through me. This was the man who’d taken my home away from me, who’d sent me to the desert to work until I collapsed. And after the situation I’d just left, how could I possibly want anyone?
“And it’s okay that you liked it.”
My eyes shifted away, uncomfortable by the ring of truth to his words.
He didn’t say it with arrogance. Not a hint of gloating.
“I was dead asleep. We do weird things when we’re asleep?—”
“You opened your eyes, looked right at me, and kissed me.” His gaze hardened as his annoyance frothed to the surface. “Asleep or not asleep, it doesn’t matter. I made you come, and you liked it.” He glanced at the bed before he looked at me again. “Imagine what else you would like…”
I looked away again, knowing his obsession for me had only grown after last night.
“Why?”
I refused to look at him.
“Why do you continue to deny me?”
“Why do you continue to want me?” I snapped. “Is it simply because I don’t want you?”
“You do want me—so that’s not the reason.”
“Then why?” I demanded.
A silence so heavy hung across both of us like a curtain. His piercing stare bored into my gaze with the strength of an army. It was quiet for so long, it seemed like he wouldn’t say anything at all. “Khazmuda has grown fond of you.”
“What does that matter?”
“He’s not fond of many people—and neither am I.”
“And that makes you want to fuck me?” I asked incredulously. “Because your dragon thinks I’m cute?”
His eyebrows furrowed slightly in annoyance. “You’re deflecting.”
“I’m not?—”
“Is it because of him?” He stared and stared, waiting for a reaction or a response. “You know a night with me would be totally different.”
I was cornered with no escape. He continued to pry and continued to push. Even when he didn’t speak, his eyes ripped into me.
“I’m missing something.”
“Maybe I just don’t want to fuck you?—”
“You do,” he snapped. “But you won’t, and I don’t know why.”
Because I fucking despise you.
“Tell me why.”
I avoided his stare.
“Calista—”
“Go fuck one of your whores and forget about me.” My arms crossed over my chest, and I waited for him to leave.
His eyes punctured my cheek as he stared, still lounging on the couch, his knees wide apart, his elbow propped on the armrest with his fingers still curled.
“It’s because I know your face…isn’t it?”
I did my best to keep a straight face, to hide the truth with my stoicism. Our paths had crossed on the worst night of my life, but I would take that to the grave. I would never tell him, because then he would know we were enemies.
“Calista.”
I turned back to him, my expression harder than it’d ever been. “The answer is no. And the answer will always be no after what you did?—”
“After I cut your bonds and freed you? After I made you feel good? After I showed you how a man can make a woman feel? You aren’t upset because of what I did. You’re upset that I forced your hand. That’s what this is really about.”
“Think what you want?—”
“Your answer will be yes,” he said coldly. “I’ll make it yes.”
I left the couch and moved toward the bed. “Goodnight, King Talon.” My arms were still crossed over my chest as I put distance between us, because the coffee table between our seats simply wasn’t enough.
He remained still. “Talon. Only my inferiors call me King Talon.”
“You treat me like an inferior.”
He got to his feet but remained in the sitting area. “We’re both dragonians. You’re my only equal on this continent.”
“Dragonians?” I whispered.
“Both human and dragon,” he said. “You and I are the same—whether you like it or not.”
When a knock sounded on the door, I knew it wasn’t Talon. “Come in.”
The door opened, and one of his servants stepped inside. I’d seen him before because he usually brought my dinner. “King Talon invites you to join him for dinner.”
“No thanks.”
He remained cordial even though his eyes turned slightly hostile. “He said you would say that. And to tell you that your attendance is mandatory.”
“Then that’s not an invitation. That’s a command.”
He stood with his hands behind his back by the door, dropping his eyes momentarily like he didn’t know how to circumvent this awkward exchange. Coercing a woman into dinner was obviously out of his range of duties. “Then His Highness commands your attendance for dinner. What shall I tell him?”
I wanted to deny what he demanded, but I knew where a refusal would lead. The dinner would be moved to my bedchambers, or he would have his men force me into the dining hall. There was no scenario in which I emerged as the winner.
I was never the winner in any scenario. “Fine.”
The servant blinked a few times, clearly shocked I’d actually agreed, when Talon had warned him how difficult I was. “His Highness requests that you wear this…” He stepped out into the hallway and returned a moment later, bringing in a black dress with a low-cut front. He set it over one of the armchairs before he departed.
I stared at the dress then rolled my eyes. “Like I’m wearing that.”
A few minutes later, the servant returned to escort me to dinner. His eyes showed his disappointment when he realized I was still in my plain leggings and tunic. Then his gaze darted to the armchair where the dress had been placed—but now, it was missing. He quickly looked around in search of the dress and stopped when he spotted the fire.
I left the couch and walked past him. “I’ll wear what I want. Thanks.”
He stilled before he turned back to me, his face pale, like the dress had been a prized possession. He cleared his throat before he followed me into the hallway, and as if he was about to be sick, he breathed harder than he had a moment ago.
I followed him down the hallway, headed toward Talon’s section of the castle. There was only one way in and one way out—and that pathway was blocked by guards more heavily armored than the rest.
We passed and then approached double doors. The servant knocked. “Your Highness, Calista is ready for you.” He excused himself and walked back down the hallway.
The door opened, and instead of revealing a grand dining room in front of the windows, I looked at royal bedchambers. A large sitting room contained a luxurious rug, couches and armchairs all facing the huge fireplace that had a fire crackling in the hearth. To the right, double doors showed a glimpse of his bedroom, the big four-poster bed against the wall, the details of the rest of the room hidden from sight.
I stepped farther into the room then looked the other way, seeing a set of double doors leading to the dining room, a table that could easily seat six people. The surface was adorned with short vases containing red roses, and white candles were sprinkled throughout. Two plates were covered by trays, and the wineglasses had already been filled.
My eyes lifted to see him seated at the head of the table, elbows on the armrests, shirtless.
His dark eyes were locked on mine like he’d been staring since the moment I’d walked inside. As I examined his accommodations, he examined me.
I was uncomfortable being in his private space, being invited to an intimate dinner like I was a lover rather than a prisoner. The bed on the other side of the chambers felt like it was right beside me, pressing against the backs of my knees.
His hands were together in front of him as he continued to stare. He didn’t beckon me forward with a gesture or speak a word. His angry eyes continued to burn as hot as the fire in the hearth.
I finally left the rug and moved over the hardwood floor into the other room, stepping onto another rug that surrounded the ornately carved dining table. Each of the legs had been carved into the shape of a fire-breathing dragon. A painting was mounted on the wall directly behind him, a flying black dragon releasing a jet of fire that streaked across the sunset sky.
He didn’t seem disappointed by my choice of ugly attire. Must have expected it.
Instead of choosing the seat beside him where my dinner and wine sat, I chose the chair across from him—on the opposite side of the table.
Talon gave no reaction, unsurprised once again.
The servant who stood there glanced at his king, waiting for instructions.
I knew Talon would be too proud to abandon his seat at the head of the table. He would either demand I move…or accept it.
The servant continued to wait for his decision.
Talon finally gave a slight nod, a nod that could mean anything.
The servant grabbed my dinner and glass of wine and brought it down the table toward me. He placed it before me and removed the silver lid to present a meal of roasted chicken and potatoes with sauteed greens. The smell immediately wafted to me, and I couldn’t deny that the meals in the castle were the best I’d ever had.
The servant removed the lid to Talon’s dinner before he departed the chambers.
Talon hadn’t moved since I’d breathed the same air. Hadn’t even blinked. Composed like a statue that withstood the strains of eternity. He should be infuriated that I’d changed the circumstances of the dinner, but his eyes seemed to lose a bit of their edge, like it was hard to be angry when I’d executed the move so fearlessly.
Silence trickled by. Steam from the food rose toward the air, carrying the scent of spices and herbs that made my stomach tighten in hunger when I hadn’t been hungry just a moment ago. It was clear he would never break contact, never blink, so I looked down at my wineglass and took a drink. “You expect me to wear a dress when you choose not to wear anything at all?”
“You’re welcome to not wear anything as well.” Another man would accompany that statement with a playful smirk, but he was so dead serious, he continued to burn me with that hardened gaze.
“I’m good.” I dropped the linen across my lap then grabbed my silverware. I cut into my chicken and watched the juices spread onto the plate. In just a single bite, I recognized the tenderness and the explosion of flavor in my mouth. “I haven’t enjoyed my time here, but I can’t deny the food is exquisite.”
He didn’t reach for his silverware. His hands were still together in front of him as his elbows were propped on the armrests. “I disagree.”
“You don’t like the food?”
“I disagree that you haven’t enjoyed your time here. Because you definitely enjoyed it the other night.”
I was about to stab another piece of meat with my fork when I looked at him instead. “You’re never going to let this go, are you?”
He still didn’t blink—somehow. “No.”
I set my fork down on the edge of the plate. “You’re really telling me all your women don’t satisfy you?”
“All my women?” His eyebrows furrowed.
“I know kings have concubines, mistresses, and whores. I’m sure you have more than average.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why do you assume I have more than average?”
“Because…” He was young and handsome, and he could be a stableboy and still get pussy hand over fist.
His eyes were locked hard on to mine, like he already knew the answer but wanted to hear me say it to savor the victory.
I never finished the sentence, just picked up my fork again to eat.
After a moment of silence, he spoke again. “Concubines, mistresses, and whores are unremarkable. You are not. You’re a dragonian, with the blood of dragons in your veins, with their fire in your eyes. How could I possibly want them once I’ve looked at you?”
My eyes remained on my food to reject his words. I felt the heat of his emotions hit me in the face like the smoke from a warm fire. It infected my lungs and squeezed them tight, cutting off my ability to breathe. I’d lost my virginity to my tormentor and had been tied down and forced for an entire year…but Talon spoke about me like I hadn’t been soiled and defiled.
I could still feel his stare on my face. Like the hot sun on a cold winter day. “I’m a dragonian like you are. So what does that mean?” I pushed his desire away like a boulder up a hill before I looked at him again.
Silence passed, his eyes locked in place like he wanted to focus on the conversation I wanted to avoid. If he thought a private dinner in his chambers would open my legs, then he was an idiot. He probably had no idea how to woo a woman because he’d never had to do it before. Women were given to him. They were never earned.
“We aren’t going to fuck, so let’s move on.”
His eyes didn’t show disappointment, but he finally broke the contact and drank from his wine. “It means we can fuse with dragons—and we have the strength of dragons. Ordinary men fall to our swords in battle. Once I train you, you’ll fight beside me.”
“Fight whom?” I asked with narrow eyes. “You won the war you brought to our shores. You usurped our king and enslaved our people. There is no one left to defeat.”
He stabbed his fork into the piece of chicken and took his first bite, the muscles of his arm shifting with the simple movement. The cords from his neck to his wrist were like rivers on a map, long and winding. “I’ll teach you the blade. You’ll fuse with a dragon. And then you’ll fight by my side.”
Fuse with a dragon? I didn’t focus on anything else he said because that statement was all that mattered. “Fuse with a dragon? But there are no dragons…”
He moved his elbows to the table and ate over his plate, his eyes on me as he chewed his bite.
“If there are dragons, where are they?”
He didn’t answer me, and I suspected that was intentional.
“Where are they?”
He continued to eat.
I knew I wouldn’t get an answer. He would guard that secret with his life.
“I’m not much of a fighter.”
“You’re wrong.”
“I mean in a traditional sense. I’ve never wielded a blade against an opponent.”
“You will soon enough.”
“I’m not interested in killing people—especially my own people. I’m not going to serve you like General Titan and make innocent people work in the desert until illness or age claims their bodies. I won’t serve the dictatorship that destroyed my life.”
Once he finished chewing his bite, he stared at me and ignored his dinner. “You won’t fight your people. You won’t supervise prisoners. You’ll fight my enemies—the evil that took everything away from me.”
The food in front of me was forgotten as I stared at him, feeling time slow down as reality came into a sharper focus. A hand gripped my heart and squeezed for a second, stopping it from beating before the hold loosened. “Who are your enemies?”
Now his eyes were hard on me, just as they’d been in the beginning. Piercing. Hard. Angry. Always angry. “Serve me, and in exchange, I’ll grant your freedom.”
“Who are your enemies?” I repeated.
He stared hard like he wouldn’t answer.
“How can I agree when I don’t know what I’m up against?”
“If you don’t agree, then you’ll never be free. There’s only one choice to make.” He continued his hard stare. “I ask for your alliance. I ask for you to watch my back while I watch yours. I ask you to use your abilities to right the wrongs of my past. It’s a fair request, considering what I saved you from.”
“You’re the reason I was there in the first place.”
“Not by my hand. You’re the one who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t blame me for that.”
“You’re just never going to take responsibility for the trauma you’ve inflicted on this land.”
“I don’t care what I’ve done to this land or your people, just as no one cares what’s been done to me and mine.” His eyes flashed with harshness, the soot from his burned soul visible in his gaze. “Accept my offer.”
I had so many questions, but I knew those questions would never get answers. Like a champion poker player, he would never show his hand. But I wanted to be free of this king, be free of his rule once and for all. Once I had my own dragon and skills with the blade, I would be able to flee.
And he wouldn’t be able to stop me.
By the time I finished my food, it was cold. I polished off the wine, having my own bottle on my side of the table. I felt a numbness in my fingertips and my toes, and it wasn’t until after I’d drunk too much that I realized just how much I’d had. Perhaps that was why he’d had his servant place an entire bottle in front of me.
He’d finished his dinner before I did and spent the rest of his time staring at me. A word hadn’t been spoken since we’d come to our agreement. He seemed to prefer the silence to conversation, or perhaps he just understood I was unreceptive to questions about my life and my past.
“Well…thanks for dinner.” I left the dining table and headed into the sitting room where his bedchambers began.
His footsteps were audible behind me.
I glanced across the room into the open doorway of his bedroom, the made bed visible from where I stood. As if I hadn’t seen it, I turned to the entryway and prepared to depart.
But then his hard chest obstructed my view as he stepped in front of me—blocking my path to freedom.
My eyes were glued to his broad body for a second, the strength in his distinguished pecs impossible to miss. The lines that separated his muscles were so dark because they went so deep. The fire behind me cast the light on his skin perfectly, his muscles like mountains with shadows trailing behind.
I forced my chin up and pretended not to notice the details that shouldn’t have caught my eye in the first place. General Titan was thicker and bulkier than Talon, but not once had I looked at him the way I’d just looked at Talon. I never felt a hint of a desire, not even a whisper of it, just deep-seated rage.
Talon’s eyes were dark but burned with fire at the same time. He seemed to have caught the thoughts I tried so hard to hide because I noticed a newfound confidence to his stare. With his arms by his sides, his trousers low on his hips, he stared at me with a dipped chin, burning me with the heat of his gaze.
“You’re going to force me to spend the night?” I was determined to leave those bedchambers and return to my empty bedroom. I was determined to forget the warmth that filled my body at his flattery. I was determined to dismiss the way he made me feel…desirable. This man was my enemy, no matter how handsome and articulate he may be.
“I’m only suggesting.”
I took a step to move around him.
He stepped in my way.
“Feels like more than suggesting.” I stepped back and glanced at the door behind him.
“Look me in the eye and tell me you haven’t stared at my bed more than you should have.”
Embarrassment shot through me, and I prayed it didn’t reflect on my face. Tinted cheeks would show the hand I would give my life to hide.
“And I’ll let you pass.”
My eyes were locked on his, and I felt weak, unable to do anything, even though all I had to do was say the magic words.
“Tell me you haven’t pictured yourself on your back on those sheets. My hips between your thighs. My mouth where my fingers have been. Feeling an explosion better than the last.”
I didn’t even understand what that meant…his mouth where his fingers had been. But I kept a straight face and pretended not to wonder. I looked to his other side and tried to step around him.
He blocked my path once again. “Tell me—and I’ll let you pass.”
“I haven’t thought about any of those things,” I snapped because I wanted his interrogation to end, to escape the tension and the suffocation. We’d been alone together in my bedroom, but this felt far more intimate, and I didn’t know why. I guessed it was because it was in his chambers…or because this was the most receptive I’d ever been. “Now, let me go.”
He continued to block my path as his eyes shifted back and forth between mine, peering into the depths of my gaze like there was an open diary lying at the bottom. Instead of stepping backward or sideways, he stepped closer. “ Liar .”
“Fuck you, I’m not a liar?—”
He swooped down on me like a dragon from the sky, his hand sliding into my hair and cupping the back of my neck to ready my mouth for his kiss. His mouth planted firmly against mine and forced my lips apart to accept his aggressive embrace. He got a hold of my upper lip and caressed it before he tilted his head and kissed me again, keeping me close with his hand at the nape of my neck.
My eyes closed in reaction, and I felt my mouth respond to his automatically, just as it had when I was half asleep, like it was the most natural thing in the world, even though I’d never kissed a man before. General Titan had tried to kiss me, but I’d bitten him until he bled. After that, he never tried again.
But I didn’t bite Talon.
I didn’t push him away either.
Just like I was asleep, I let it happen.
If I didn’t stop it, there would be dire consequences. He would know my desire, and that would compromise my distance. I would never be able to halt his advances again, and I would be swept away like a ship in a storm.
But I let the kiss continue.
Once he knew he had me, his harshness and desperation decreased and his kisses slowed, turning gentle rather than barbaric, slowed down like there was no rush to get where he wanted. His other arm circled my back, and he pulled me closer, completely wrapping around me because I was petite and he was large.
His hand left my neck and glided through my hair, feeling the soft strands before he cupped my cheek, his mouth still embracing mine with a gentleness I didn’t expect from someone like him. He tilted his head the other way and kissed me again, his eyes opening long enough to look at me and witness my reaction to his touch. He must have seen the same desire he felt because he continued to kiss me, feeling my lips with his, breathing his air into my lungs. And then he gave me his tongue, swiping it over mine in a precise motion that made my nerves tingle differently.
I’d never felt anything like it.
When he’d made me come, I’d never felt anything like that either, because another person had never made me feel good before. It was up to my hand when General Titan left the room. He always knew I’d done it when he returned because I was wet rather than dry—and there was always a punishment for that.
Talon grabbed both of my arms and hooked them around his neck because up until that point, I hadn’t touched him, just letting him touch me. His hands were immediately on me again, and this time, he gripped my ass and squeezed hard as he released a heavy breath of desire into my lungs. He started to maneuver me backward, wanting to lead me to his bedroom where he could undress me and fuck me.
Once I realized this was more than a kiss, that it would lead to getting naked and sweaty, I snapped out of the spell he’d cast over me. I turned my cheek and felt our lips break apart like a snapped twig.
He grabbed my cheek and forced my lips back to his, kissing me again like I hadn’t tried to escape.
My lips automatically took his again as if it was the most natural thing in the world, but my mind broke the spell quicker than the first time, and I stepped aside altogether. I turned away and didn’t look at him, wanting the haze to vanish, the clouds to part, for my mind to be clear once more.
He was on me again, this time pushing me up against the wall next to the door, hooking my leg over his hip, and kissing me harder than he had before as he ground his dick against me. “Don’t fight it.” His mouth sealed over mine, and his tongue danced with mine as he dug his hand into my hair, kissing and touching me in a way a man never had. “Don’t fight me.”
A knock sounded on the door right beside us, and the sound and the vibration made me gasp into his mouth in a jolt of surprise.
He kissed me as if there’d been no interruption, determined to get me to the finish line. His hand squeezed my cheek as he held up my leg, and his other hand kept my hair from my face as he pinned me in place. His kiss was vicious and demanding, desperate to keep the fire going before it was snuffed out for good.
Then they knocked again.
“Fuck off,” he broke our kiss long enough to snap. Then he dipped his head back to me.
My hands planted against his shoulders. “Stop…”
Instead of diving for my lips again, he stared down at me, the restraint written in the hardness of his face.
I thought I would have to push and shove myself free, but all I needed were my words. “I—I just can’t…”
He breathed hard as he looked at me, like he wanted to violate my request more than anything…but couldn’t.
The knock sounded again.
He finally ripped his gaze away from mine. “For fuck’s sake, what is it?” He yanked on the handle, the now-open door hiding me from the person who’d come to visit his chambers. “Yes?” His tone implied all his rage, all his ferocity, without even raising his voice.
“I—I wanted to speak with you.” It was a woman.
“At this time of night?”
“That’s when we always speak.”
“Natalie, I’m busy. Don’t bother me again.” He slammed the door shut and released a sigh that came out as a growl.
I didn’t know who Natalie was, but I had a hunch.
The heat that engulfed us both had evaporated within the snap of a finger. Now the fire was cold—and there was nothing but smoke left behind.
Talon seemed to feel the same way because after the door was shut, he paced in his sitting room, his muscular back to me, his arms rigid with anger at his sides. He released a heavy sigh as his fingers dragged across his mouth.
I remained against the wall, paralyzed by embarrassment and disappointment. My eyes left his back and moved to the floor, feeling the mark his lips had left on my mouth. They felt swollen from his bruising passion. I finally left the wall, my legs feeling weak like shafts of wheat that folded in the breeze, and I turned to the door to leave.
Talon didn’t ask me to stay. He left the sitting room and walked to his bedroom before he slammed both doors behind him.
I stayed put with my hand on the doorknob, listening to the silence that had replaced the heated kisses and the heavy breaths. It had all happened so fast, and no matter how wrong it was, I’d just let it happen. I finally opened the door and walked out, leaving the haze of scorching memories behind.