Page 52 of Moonlit Temptation

Soon Saint was done reading, passing the book back to the woman as another person, this time a man, stepped up with a black velvet box.

Saint took it as another cloaked person was escorted into the room. The hood around their head was pulled low.

The circle broke formation to let the newcomer pass through, allowing entry to the center.

I pressed as close to the window as I dared.

To see more.

To see everything.

Saint reached out, undoing the belt tied around the waist before pushing the robe off their shoulders completely, revealing a man.

Completely nude. Not even a sock in sight.

My eyes grew wide while Saint barely blinked.

He remained impassive as he spoke to the man. Another question, if I had to guess by the way the other man nodded.

Saint opened the box, taking out a carved knife. Again, his lips moved in rhythmic motion, like he was reciting from memory.

The man nodded again.

Saint extended the knife.

The man took it. Examined it for a moment before slashing it down his palm, cutting deep enough to draw blood. Bleeding before the circle, droplets dripped onto his robe.

Saint took the knife back, saying some more words. A blessing?

Once he was done talking, Saint tilted his head to the side. The man turned to the person closest to Saint.

He brushed off their hood to reveal the woman Saint walked in with. The man stood naked before her as she touched her palm to his heart.

She said something before stretching up on her toes to press her lips to his.

It was over as quick as it started, nothing but a short peck before the man was moving onto the next hooded figure.

This time, it was a man who placed his hand on the naked man’s vulnerable heart.

The process was repeated. Words, then a kiss.

He did the same thing to each and every person in the circle until the naked man found his way back to Saint.

I pressed even closer to the window to see what would happen next. With no idea what was going on, I was more intrigued and full of questions.

What were they doing?

Saint still held the knife, cutting his palm before placing it over the other man’s heart. He said the words, I assumed, everyone else had said before gripping the back of the man’s neck.

Sealing the ritual with the final kiss.

My body grew warm at the sight of their lips touching. There was nothing sexual about it, but the sight alone had my knees pressed tight while a fierce fire consumed my heart.

Those are my lips to kiss.

Now my body grew warm for a different reason…

If I thought I could walk away from Saint unscathed before, I now knew I’d be leaving London with burns and scars.

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