Chapter 65
Sixty-five
Itense, temporarily forgetting my purpose. How dare he? He’s baiting me. “Yeah, it really is such a shame.” I kneel, pretending to adjust my shoe as I reach under my dress and slip the dagger out of the thigh strap. Such a shame that you’re about to fucking die.
Palming my dagger, I readjust the skirt of my dress. Get up and lunge, Zellie. My body tenses as I slowly rise. Adjusting my grip, I propel my elbow back.
Only to be blindsided and thrown off balance as a body barrels into me.
“Zellie, where have you been?” Orion shouts, slurring his words, overly excited to see me.
He presses my body tightly against him as he pulls us further into the darkened alcove, my back flattened against the wall.
Pluto huffs with irritation, likely at the drunken encounter, before moving on—probably to find someone else to terrorize.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Orion snaps at me, gripping my wrist with the dagger, all traces of his slur gone.
“Me? You ruined my plan!”
“You can’t do this. Not here, not now.” His other hand grips my hip. I try to ignore my quickening pulse.
“Why not?” I hiss.
“We have a plan.”
“Well, I developed a new one that you just foiled.”
He leans closer, slowly pronouncing each word as he seethes, “You are impossible!”
My breathing is heavy. From being tackled or from Orion’s closeness, I’m not sure. The stone wall presses into my back as Orion occupies every inch of space in front of me. Refusing to give in, I also dip my head forward, our noses almost touching. “I find you equally oppressive.”
He looses a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. For a moment, our breathing synchronizes, our chests heaving. I see the moment Orion’s restraint snaps. He briefly closes his eyes. When he reopens them, they glow with his fire and a determination that has me rubbing my thighs together.
“Fuck it.”
His lips crash into mine, the world forgotten outside the alcove.
My dagger clatters to the floor as my hands run through his hair.
Orion snakes his arms behind my waist, tugging me against him.
His tongue slips into my mouth, unhurried, as he meets me stroke for stroke.
I unravel, the feel of our mouths melding, making me insatiable.
How can a kiss feel this good? His strong hand grips my thigh, lifting my leg to snake around him and allowing him to press deeper against me.
I feel his hardening length through his trousers, my arousal growing by the second.
I can’t help but raise my hips to rub my core against him.
Orion swallows a moan that escapes me as his free hand wanders, splayed across the side of my ribs.
He breaks away first, softly pressing a kiss to my lips, then my nose, before touching his forehead to mine, his eyes hooded with desire. “Zi,” he murmurs as I breathe him in, getting wrapped in his scent. I’m aching, desperate for more.
What am I doing? I’m emotional. My relationship is over. I tried and failed in my attempt to assassinate the leader of the divine order. And now I’m kissing, wanting, needing my best friend? I’m fucking everything up.
“I have to go.” I sidestep around Orion, his fingers trailing off my body.
I re-sheath my dagger as Orion tries to stop me. “Zellie, wait.”
“This was a mist—”
“Don’t. Don’t you dare. You know it wasn’t.” His thumb moves over my wrist in comforting swipes. “Let me take you home.”
I shake my head, trying to press down the tears threatening to leak. “You’re too good to me.”
“We’re good for each other, Zi. Don’t run away.”
“I’m not running. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Orion runs his hand down his jaw, resigned. “Tomorrow, then.”
Then I run.