Page 50 of Invidia

“The in-between?” she suggested hopefully, looking up at me.

I grimaced. “Not with that portal open. Besides… I want to do this right this time. I want to lay you down on a mattress and worship you properly.”

The idea of doing that in my tiny single bed in the barracks was appalling. If nothing else, there was nowhere near enough privacy.

If anyone else smelled the scent of her desire, I might go on a rampage which wouldn’t do wonders for my career.

I’d been worried that Tallulah would take my words as a rejection, but her scent was the happiest it had ever been. “Okay. We can do that. I can be patient. Maybe.”

“Can you?”

She grinned mischievously. “I guess we’ll find out. But I want a kiss first.”

I immediately cloaked us in shadows, lifting Tallulah off the ground as she pressed her lips to mine, her hands gripping my shoulders. Her blunt teeth bit teasingly at my lower lip before she ran her tongue across it, and my knot ached in anticipation of being inside her again.

“You’re a tease,” I growled, the sound mingling in oddly with the purr that had rumbled out of my chest.

Tallulah laughed, shimmying down my body before pressing a kiss to my chest. “I can’t really stay, anyway. I wish I could, but Meera and I have been summoned to a meeting this morning.”

“With?” I asked, straightening.

“I don’t even know really—I’m guessing the king and queen, and a bunch of Shades. It’s for the negotiations with Sebastian and Lochan.” She sighed wistfully. “I really don’t want to go now.”

I checked that I wasn’t squeezing her too tight, desperate to hold on to her, to this moment, for as long as I could.

“Do you have time to walk me up to the palace? Or do you need to start your shift?”

My instinctual reaction was to say no. To protect Tallulah’s reputation as much as I could. But she’d said she wanted this, and this wasn’t going to work if I didn’t put my trust in her the way she had repeatedly put it in me.

“I’ve got time.”

I didn’t think I could deny Tallulah anything when she was looking at me like that.

Chapter 18

While I was playing it cool on the outside, walking arm in arm with Evrin up to the palace, I wasn’t totally naïve.

This was a big deal for him, and he was trying for me. I was extremely conscious of not pushing him past his comfort level with each gasp or stare we received.

The brazenness of the Shades we passed was blowing my mind a little, though. Had Evrin always had to deal with this kind of thing? His entire life?

I exhaled heavily before I start rage perfuming the air around us.

“Good?” I asked, glancing up at him through my lashes.

“I’m not worried about me, Tallulah. I’m worried about you.”

“And I’m worried about you. Look at us, being all cute and thoughtful.”

He almost succeeded in suppressing his smile.

“There you are,” Meera said, giving me a serene smile as she waited on the front steps. “I didn’t see you this morning.”

“Sorry—I had to go have a long overdue conversation.”

“I can see that. Hello again, Evrin.”

“Meera.” Evrin inclined his head before gently disentangling his arm from mine. “I should start my shift. Will you be okay from here?”

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