Page 154 of The Throne's Undoing

"But do you want it to be?" Graeson asked, his eyes searching her face for an answer she did not have.

Only a couple of months ago, she had been standing in the Frenzian temple about to marry a man she barely knew. And while Kallie felt like sheknewGraeson, she did not wish to be tied down. She did not wish to be paraded around at another man's side.

Kallie had just gained her freedom; a freedom that may or may be taken away once they arrived in Pontia. But she still wasn't willing to give that up.

Even if she didn't think Graeson was like the others.

He lifted a hand to her face, and with his knuckles, he gently brushed the side of her cheek. Without intending to, Kallie leaned into the soft touch. She closed her eyes and inhaled.

This. This was what she wanted.

To forget and get lost in something other than her own mind.

She loosened the knot securing her robe, letting it fall open and revealing the short, silk slip underneath.

His gaze dipped down, his eyes catching on the thin ribbon of black lace on the top hem. He swallowed, hard.

"I do not know if I can only give a piece of myself to you, Kalisandre."

Kallie dug her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. "Please, Graeson."

He placed his hands on either side of her face, his thumbs running across her cheeks. Back and forth, back and forth. His gaze was heavy, and his eyes bounced between hers.

Then, sighing, he pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "You never need to beg me."

He stepped closer, his chest against hers. Until finally, he gave her what she wanted.

He kissed her.

At first, his touch was soft, a mere whisper. A gentle embrace as if he did not trust himself, as if he still questioned whether he should be giving in to her pleas.

But Kallie had never been more sure of anything. Because for the first time in a long time, Kallie was not thinking about the strife between the kingdoms or the lies she had been fed her entire life. She didn't think about what was going to happen to her when they inevitably arrived in Pontia. Nor did she think about the ramifications that would come from this night.

All she could think about was how intoxicating Graeson's presence was. How everywhere he touched, an untamable fire followed in its wake that only urged her to step closer.

She let the robe fall to the floor in a puddle. She gripped the back of his head, pressing his lips closer to hers.

She felt the ground disappear beneath her feet, but she didn't check to confirm because she trusted him not to drop her. She tightened her legs around Graeson's waist and kissed him as if this would be her last chance to do so.

Kallie didn't just want this, sheneededthis. She neededhim.

Her back hit the bed, her body jostling as she bounced slightly atop the mattress.

When she looked up at Graeson standing before her, the flame of the candle sitting on his nightstand cast dancingshadows across his face. She could see the monster within peering out from whatever cage Graeson kept him locked up in.

But Kallie did not want him to be gentle. She did not want him to be kind.

She wanted everything he was--monster and all.

"I need you, Graeson," she whispered.

The moment she uttered those four words, it was as if a spark had been ignited. His gray eyes brightened, becoming luminescent in the dim room. His knees sunk into the bed, and he crawled toward her.

Kallie swallowed as he hovered above her. His features were masked in shadows, yet his eyes still glowed, like a beacon in the darkness.

He shifted his weight onto one arm and tucked a loose strand of hair away from her face. His hand moved to the nape of her neck, and his fingers dug into her hair, his touch strong yet tender.

"Mine," he whispered, his voice husky and low. His eyes widened almost immediately, and Kallie wondered if he had meant to say it aloud.

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