Page 54 of Their Chosen

Baer leaned over and kissed my cheek while holding my arm, purely platonic, but my body didn't agree. Heat shot straight to my core, but before I could move in closer and claim a real kiss, he pulled back.

He held my gaze. “Goodnight, Killer. I need my beauty sleep, and you need to wake up ready to kick some ass in the morning. My money's on you.” He stated all this loud enough for everyone to hear but whispered to me through the laughter, “And maybe tomorrow night you can throw me around.”

The innuendo had me clenching my thighs at the mental picture of him in my bed again, but for a less chivalrous reason. “If you're only so lucky,” I whispered back in challenge.

His eyes flashed with heat, and he laughed, turning away to head to his room. Arryn approached, and we walked to my room together. I was already in sleep shorts and a T-shirt, ready for bed. As I climbed under the blankets, I told him, “Feel free to use the bathroom to change. You can have the side closest to the balcony.”

He seemed surprised by this, saying, “I was planning on just sleeping in a chair. I don't want you to think I'm trying to take advantage of you.”

“Always so honorable. I honestly don't mind. The last thing I want is to be an inconvenience or for anyone to lose sleep. So, please, I don't mind sharing. Really.”

“It's not an inconvenience. Anyone would be honored to be a consort with the privilege of protecting their Chosen,” he replied, seeming a little uncomfortable, but he went to the opposite side of the bed anyway. “But if you insist, I wouldn't argue about sleeping in a bed instead.”

I smiled in triumph, but it froze on my face as he went to pull his shirt off, revealing a truly drool-worthy set of abs with the Adonis belt and everything. The world could be falling apart, and I wouldn't have been able to pull my eyes from his body.

He was muscular but lean, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. I traced all the hard lines of his chest and stomach until his hands went to the waistband of his pants. And when he pulled his pants down, I felt myself getting wet. He was truly a specimen standing there in just his underwear, which sadly disappeared under the blankets too soon.

I pulled my eyes away, barely stopping myself from checking for drool. When my eyes met his face, he wore a knowing look. It wasn't cocky or mocking but told me he was feeling the attraction as well. Which made it even harder for me to keep my hands to myself and not crawl over to explore that magnificent body further.

I cleared my throat, trying to speak, but my voice caught. “Ehem. Well, goodnight, Arryn.”

I didn't wait for his reply as I leaned over to turn off the light. When darkness fell, he said, “Goodnight, my Chosen.”

Not sure how to respond, I decided not to. I rolled over in bed, facing away from him, my body all riled up after both he and Baer had so thoroughly turned me on with words and pretty pictures. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to sleep or not. Usually, I would just take care of myself, but I was sure that would be awkward with Arryn in my bed with me.

Although, he could help... Nope. No. I'm not going there. If I did, I would, without a doubt, be the one making a move, and my brain told me that wasn't wise after kissing Baer earlier. I was certain he wouldn't appreciate me doing anything with Arryn.

Ugh! Why did they all have to be so tempting? I didn't want to decide between any of them. I wanted my cake and to eat it, too, but that wasn't how the real world worked. But picturing Arryn and Baer as cakes for me to enjoy didn't help me either. I huffed out a breath in frustration, deciding to count sheep, but unable to focus in my current horny state. I had never been this wound up and wasn't sure I liked it.

“What's wrong?” Arryn's voice asked huskily in the dark.

Damn. Even his voice was turning me on, all deep and smooth like honey. Deciding to play dumb again, I asked, “What makes you think something's wrong?”

He chuckled softly, and I rolled over to face him in the dark, even though I couldn't see anything. “Considering you've rolled over ten times in as many minutes, I'm thinking that something's on your mind. Maybe talking about it might help?”

Gah! Why'd he have to be so sweet too! “Nope. No. I'm fine. Nothing on my mind at all,” I rushed out, decidedly not wanting to discuss my horny pussy with him.

He chuckled. “Now, why don't I believe you?”

“Sounds like a you problem since everything's so good on my end,” I retorted, my sarcasm on full blast. Anything to divert his attention.

He huffed another laugh, and I could have sworn I saw him smiling at me through the dark. Even if I couldn't really see it, I could imagine it, and just the thought of it put me at ease.

“Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?” he continued to insist, and I knew I had to give him something at least.

I sighed, capitulating to some degree, but I still wasn't going to discuss all my desires with him. Not tonight anyway. “Anyone ever tell you you're annoyingly persistent?” I asked.

“Not in so nice a way. More like being called a stubborn ass. But if you're referring to how I usually get my way, then you would be correct in that assumption.”

I laughed at him. “Fine. If you must know, I'm worried about the trials. What are they like? Are they dangerous?”

It was his turn to sigh. “To be honest, no one really knows what to expect from the trials since they're different every time. I mean, sure, you'll find plenty of people who think they know and will tell you they have some method or another to determine what awaits the Chosen, but they really have nothing more than guesses.

“You see, the land creates the trials dependent on those Chosen who’ve been selected. The trials are its way of determining the true character of those who wish to be queen and possess its magic since the final Chosen will be the one to enter a direct relationship to the land and ensure that balance remains.

“As for what Chosen have faced in the past, it’s ranged from the purely physical with combat and magic trials to the mental and character revelations. And any variation of those. So, you see, there's really no way to know what we'll face.

“My policy has always been to train for the worst-case scenario, and if it isn't, then you'll both be pleasantly surprised and suitably prepared.”

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