Page 33 of Crownless King

The stifling heat under the thick clouds had finally let go today. The light breeze coming from the gardens felt refreshing against my flushed skin. The clouds had parted enough to let a rare ray of sunshine through.

Voron glanced up at the sky, as if to verify its color. He then looked back at me, popping a grape from the fruit tray into his mouth.

“And your eyes are the color of the forest,” he said.

I shook my head. “But they aren’t green.”

He reached over the table for my hand, but then pulled away, placing his hand by his plate instead. All through the breakfast this morning, he’d been trying to hold back somewhat, to give me some space, but it’d been a struggle for him to keep his hands off me. He seemed restless, shifting in his chair again.

“A forest is never just green,” he replied. “It’s also gray, and blue, and brown, and gold. And you have all of those colors in your eyes.”

I felt flustered, my cheeks warming with pleasure from his words. I hadn’t thought he’d gazed into my eyes enough to notice all that.

There was a new tenderness in his expression. Like he’d lost a layer in the thick walls he’d built around his heart, and now was trying to figure out how he felt about being that much more exposed.

“Sparrow,” he said, putting down his teacup. “That book. Would you read it for me again please?”

In this case, “reading” was me simply turning the pages. But I didn’t correct him.

“Sure.”

He got up from his chair, ready to follow me, but I stopped him.

“Let’s stay here. The weather is too nice to go inside. I’ll get the book. You’ll help Brebie clean up meanwhile.”

“Clean up?” He glanced at the dishes on the table, looking confused.

“You do know how to do that, don’t you?” I teased, leaving him alone with the dirty dishes.

When I came back carrying the heavy book, neither Voron nor Brebie were there. But the table was clean. I set the book down when Voron returned to the patio.

“The dishes have been cleared,” he reported proudly.

“Well done,” I laughed, lifting the heavy cover as he took his seat at the table. “Um…” A scandalous thought came to me. “Will last night be recorded here, now?”

He smirked, his gaze turning lascivious. “Why don’t you take a look?”

“I’m not sure how I’d feel about you pounding into me doggy style being depicted in the magical light for centuries,” I muttered under my breath, while leafing through the book to the very beginning.

Tossing his head back, he laughed loudly.

“Doggy style?How crass and so unladylike from you, my dear Sparrow.” He gazed at me warmly. “I love it.”

The scene of Voron rushing through the corridors appeared above the pages. He ripped his riding cloak off, tossing it aside, then clawed at the ties of his shirt as if his clothes were suffocating him, burning his skin.

“You really, really need to lock your door, Sparrow,”the image of Voron rasped.

“You look pretty desperate here.” I arched an eyebrow, tossing a teasing look his way.

He didn’t deny it.

The scene ended with his“I already have.”The words that had sent tingles down my arms both last night and now.

The light thinned and shifted after that. Then, the picture of us sleeping together appeared. I was lying on my back. My hair was a total disaster, but my face looked ridiculously happy, even in my sleep.

My right arm was under Voron’s neck, his nose pressed to my shoulder. His arm was hugging me under my breasts, and his leg was tossed over my hips. No wonder I woke up all hot and sweaty, with him being plastered all over me like that in the night.

“This is so damn sweet,” I heard him say.

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