Page 73 of The Forbidden Fae King

Weaves of air form around his chest, his arms and thighs, colored in golden light so I can see them. It reminds me of the pads Gwyneth uses when she trains me. I lean forward and poke the one at his chest. It is soft but solid under the gentle impact.

“Start with a sidekick,” he demands.

I ready my stance, then kick the side of his thigh, wrapping my shin in a thin layer of soft air padding and building a hard plate of air over the top. I use the same vein of magic to increase the power of my blow.

Aldrin grunts as our bodies connect. “Again. Harder.”

I kick the same spot multiple times in fast succession. The magic increases both my strength and speed.

“A foot jab to the chest now,” he barks and I oblige, moving my shielding without pausing a beat.

He holds up his hands, the air cushioning there expanding. “Strike with your fists.”

I breathe as I throw myself into the motions. One, two. One, two. My muscles burn from the exertion, the pain rippling up my thighs and through my abdomen. I stop and pant, leaning forward on my knees while the blood rushes from my head. There are a few beads of sweat on Aldrin’s forehead, but he looks otherwise unphased.

“If I didn’t know better.” Aldrin gives me a slow smile. “I’d say you’ve had professional training. Strange for a peasant girl who stumbled into this realm while foraging berries. Tell me, Keira, daughter of the Lord Protector of Appleshield, have you had to forage for anything in your life?”

“I guess my end of the bargain is fulfilled then, if you have heard my story from my sister, or Cyprien.” I try to joke to lighten the mood.

He raises an eyebrow, suddenly deadly serious. “I’d rather hear it from you. Every. Last. Detail.”

“Can you blame me for lying to you? I was half terrified out of my mind when I first met you.” The breaths leave me in sharp puffs. “I won’t give you any more until the bargain is called in. Otherwise, I’ll have nothing left to leverage with.”

“Keira, the bargain was never necessary. I was always going to free your sister. She might die of boredom in Cyprien’s clutches,” Aldrin says. “But your lies, they are hurtful.”

“Hold on. You withheld information from me, too!” I poke him in the chest. “You never told me you were the king of these lands!”

Aldrin looks down at me, leaning in with amusement. “What was I supposed to say? Hey, human, you know how you are terrified of high fae and believe them to be slavers, well I’m the worst of them, their king. You would have been running in the opposite direction, screaming.”

“Who says I won’t still?” I ask, heart racing, but not from the exercise.

My hand is flat against his chest and the muscles ripple beneath it as he laughs. The warmth of his body envelopes mine as I gravitate into him, now only inches apart. I cannot help it, as though I am being pulled in by some invisible force.

“I don’t know. You seem to enjoy getting pretty close to me.” His eyes search my face, then settle on my parted lips. A single finger tips my chin up toward him.

My arms snake up his chest, gliding across the firm ridges of his pectorals, to settle around his neck, toying with his hair. He holds me low around my waist, pulling me tightly to him.

I want those roaming hands all over me, touching my bare flesh, teasing and pleasuring.

This is a man who understands how to utterly undo a woman. Anticipation coils deep within my stomach, then lower.

I reach upwards on the tips of my toes as Aldrin bends down into me and his lips gently brush against mine in the most tantalizing way. He does it a second time, probing, teasing, testing.

Testing. Just like last time.

I pull back and slap him across the side of the head, then shove his chest hard until our bodies separate. “This better not be another one of your damned tests!” I spit at him. This man makes my head spin. “You can’t keep playing games with me.”

Aldrin holds a hand to the side of his head and I don’t feel the least bit guilty. “Ouch. Yeah. I deserve that.” He gives me a look that is both coy and appraising. It makes my legs go weak.

I glare at him. “That’s not much of an apology!” I am ready to turn on my heel and stalk away, because I can’t handle making myself a fool in front of this man a second time.

He grabs my wrist and pulls me a step closer to him. “I’m sorry for being an arsehole. It was a cruel thing to do. You kept giving me these heated looks and found excuses to be half exposed in front of me.”

“I did not!” I pound at his chest but he doesn’t let me go and I don’t try to pull away.

A huge, teasing smile fills his face. “And I was afraid you were a seductress from the human realm here to take my baby.”

“I am not!” Indignation roars within me.

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