Page 39 of Their Trials

I had done that. I’d given that peace to her. I only wished I could keep her here like this forever, but she was right. I sighed. “You would be correct.”

I ran my hands through her hair, hoping to prolong this moment. “I wasn't supposed to ravish you, only rest in here until you woke. At which point, I was instructed to get the others. We've much to discuss.”

She laughed again. “I quite enjoyed the ravishing. It was my favorite part.” Her hand found my cheek, running her thumb across it with affection. My heart swelled at the gesture, knowing this wasn't a side she showed many people. The one without all the walls, where she was free to just be herself.

“It was mine, too,” I told her on a whisper, stealing another kiss. She smiled into my lips as I teased her mouth with mine in a promise that we were nowhere near to being done.

I pulled away with a groan, flopping onto my back. It was taking all of my self-control to end this moment, but I knew that we didn't have much time. She needed to be updated on what she'd done to me before we prepared for the ball where she would receive the Queen's reward.

“As difficult as this is and as much as I don't want to, we need to get ourselves presentable. Arryn would have my hide if we put this off any longer,” I told her, my arm across my eyes, not daring to look at her. If I saw her sexy body bared before me, I wouldn't be able to resist it. When it came to her, I was shameless, willing to do whatever she asked of me.

She giggled at my antics, and I felt her weight shift before leaving the bed. “Fine. If you insist,” she called from somewhere in the room. I didn't dare look to find out.

“I don't insist. That's all Arryn. Blame him,” I called out to her, the rustling of clothes indicating she was in the closet.

“I'll tell him you said that,” she teased, her voice sounding closer. Her lips brushed mine firmly, her tongue parting my lips to tangle with mine.

I groaned. “What are you doing to me, woman?” I questioned when she pulled away, my arm still over my eyes. My dick was hard and ready for her again. Apparently, my refractory period was shorter than normal with her, too. Fuck my life.

She giggled again, tugging on my arm. I resisted her pull. “If you do that, woman, we'll be stuck here for a lot longer, and I won't be responsible for what Arryn does to us,” I warned her.

Laughing softly, she kept a grip on my arm. “I'm decent. I promise.” I wasn't sure I could trust her, but I had to get up at some point.

I lifted my arm, peering at her from under it to find her standing there, her luscious hair pulled back and away from her face. A tank top and shorts in place, but I couldn't tell if she was wearing a bra or not. This woman would be the death of me.

I sat up, satisfied that I had some sense of control back, despite the fact that my dick was still standing at full attention. I stood, letting the covers fall away from my naked body, enjoying how her eyes heated at the sight of me in all my glory.

“Tease,” she sighed, licking her lips. Fuck me. I needed to get out of here.

“Go wake the others, and I'll be out there shortly,” I told her, rushing to the bathroom, needing a cold shower to calm down before facing reality again. I heard her door open and shut as I turned on the water in her bathroom, stepping into the cold water with a gasp. Shit, that was cold, but it did the trick. That and my thoughts were starting to race again. A part of me wondered if I should have told her about what she'd done to me, even if we weren't entirely sure what had happened.

As if she needed any more trouble on her plate. I'd make sure we made the best out of this situation, no matter what. It was the least I could do after all she had given to me.

Before she had come along, I hadn't truly had a purpose, no connections other than my parents. But since she’d dragged me into her life and back here with her, she'd become everything and more to me. She'd given me that purpose and honor, hope that we could change things for the better for Avalon.

I turned off the water and stepped out, ready to face whatever Arryn had found out, if anything. I dried off and dressed quickly in some comfortable clothes, ready to lounge around until it was time to prepare for the ball this evening. Stepping out, I found Arryn and Lennox sitting at the table with Rhowyn, eating some breakfast, even though it was already past noon. Rhowyn drank coffee, her eyes still heavy with fatigue. She'd have fallen back asleep if I had let her.

Maybe I should have let her sleep. Surely, she needed as much as she could get to recover from using so much magic so soon. Sensing me enter the room, she turned to face me. She smiled seductively behind her coffee mug at the sight of me.

I grinned widely, knowing I looked like a sap and not caring. I sat down next to her and started filling my plate, suddenly starving. Apparently, I had worked up quite the appetite.

“Hungry?” Rhowyn asked with the raise of an eyebrow, her innuendo clear.

“Always,” I said cheekily, shoving a bite of food into my mouth.

She stuck her tongue out at me. I had to admit, I loved this playful side of her. She was so relaxed, and I knew Arryn was about to ruin it all when he revealed what happened after the first trial.

Catching our cheesy glances, Lennox asked, “Have fun, you two?”

Instead of getting embarrassed like I thought she might, Rhowyn turned to him seductively. “Of course. It was an absolute blast. I plan to go on that ride again soon.”

She winked at him, and his gaze heated with desire for her. Arryn shifted in his seat, obviously affected as well, though doing a better job at hiding it. “Are we waiting on Callum?” I asked, needing to change the subject before we overwhelmed Rhowyn with all three of us rushing her.

Relieved at the change in subject, Arryn answered, “Yes. He should be back in just a moment.”

“Where'd he go?” Rhowyn asked, sipping on her coffee again.

“He was looking into some things for me. I'll fill you in once he gets back,” Arryn said cryptically.

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