Page 15 of Regal Queen

I looked at him, whispering. "Touch me, Bourbon. Remind me what it's like to feel your skin against mine."

His throat bobbed but his eyes moved behind me, to Coulter. His eyebrow ticked upwards. "Are you sure that’s what you want?"

I nodded, realizing that even though he looked exhausted and maybe even a little bit banged up, he was still dressed impeccably in a suit and white button up shirt, sans the tie.

"Please." My voice was so soft, I could barely hear it myself, especially over the muted ringing still in my ear.

He slowly moved, standing to his feet. He took his time to peel off his jacket and my eyes went to his nimble fingers as he flicked the buttons. I held his gaze as he pulled off his shirt, then his shoes and socks.

He climbed into the bed with only his pants on, and lay next to my side.

We faced each other, staring into each other's eyes, the moment intense and raw.

I could see the worry in his eyes, the exhaustion in the lines of his face. He was so fucking sexy, emanating raw power with just his presence. It buzzed over me, electric and demanding.

He too was taking me in, and he didn't like what he saw. Was I ruined now? Even when my body healed, my soul was dark, full and spilling over with the pain of my time with Dimitri.

We didn't speak for a long moment, an electric tension between us.

Unable to stand the short distance between us, I grabbed his hand and placed it on my face, and he leaned in closer, so close we were only inches apart.

From here I could see the deep blue flecks in his eyes and a soft golden ring around them.

They were so beautiful, and currently so focused on me that I felt the weight of his intense stare like a shield, surrounding and protecting me.

He finally spoke. "Why did he take your finger?"

My throat was suddenly full, the words stuck in them. It felt like I'd swallowed dry paper, everything was thick and obtuse. I still couldn’t say the words out loud, they were too deeply embedded in my heart. I wasn’t sure I would ever say them.

I managed to croak out something. "He wanted information from me."

"Was it…” he hesitated, his finger lowering to my lips to trace them softly. "Was it about your other sister?"

Oh god.So he knew.

He didn't wait for me to answer. "I know that there were three of you, all sisters, sent to live in different families."

"Why?" I croaked. If he already knew about Aster, then maybe he knew more than I did. Maybe I would finally learn the truth, and I suddenly realized that I needed it more than I needed the breath in my lungs. Why was her location so important that Dimitri was willing to carve me, piece by piece, to get it. “Who was our mom, why were we living in different families?"

He gave me a surprised look. "You don't know?"

I shook my head and his lips parted in an exhale. This time, it was his turn to be hesitant but he forced the words from his mouth.

"I want to be honest with you, Rose, okay?"

I nodded, the palm of my hand landing on his chest. His heart pounded against it, that little bird fluttering in its cage again.

“Tell me," I whispered.

His fingers went to my chin, and his eyes drifted to my lips. I wished he would lean in just that little bit and kiss me, my heart ached with the need.

"From what I know, you actually had four other brothers but they were all killed. By Dimitri."

My eyes blinked in confusion. “What? Why?"

"Because," the words were slow to come out of his mouth, dragging and hesitant.

“Bourbon. Tell me.” I needed to know the truth. “What the hell do you know that I don’t?”

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