Page 65 of Rise of a Fallen Man

“Well...” He smoothed his hair with both hands, then adjusted his shirt. “Sleep was not my intention when coming here. But Your Highness has been absent from your rooms for so long, I’m afraid, I’ve dozed off.”

I remained standing by the door. “It’s late. You should get some sleep. Please, allow me to walk you back to your rooms.”

He pursed his lips stubbornly. His bottom lip slid out a little, making him look like a petulant child.

“Once you walk me to my bedroom, will you stay there with me?” he asked. “Will you spend the night?”

I inhaled deeply, leaning with my back against the door. Tonight was not a good time. But neither had been any other night prior. I couldn’t keep avoiding him forever.

He quickly filled a glass from the bottle.

“Have a drink with me.” He came closer, offering the glass to me. “Please forgive my intrusion. But Your Highness is a very busy woman. I have a hard time finding even a minute in your schedule for me.”

Guilt ballooned in my chest. I had asked him to marry me. I had made him my husband. He was just trying to spend sometime with his wife. The least I could do was to meet him half-way.

“Thank you.” I accepted the glass with what smelled like an almond liqueur—a little stronger than what I usually drank, but I took a sip anyway as a peace offering.

“Do you like it?” Leafar beamed, hovering over me. “Almond liqueur is very popular at my mother’s court.”

“It’s...um, sweet.” I licked my lips, wishing he’d move away a little and give me some space.

Instead, he moved even closer, leaning over me with a hand propped on the door above my head. He was taller than me, likely significantly stronger, too, but I’d never felt unsafe in his presence before.

Not until now.

The way his smile slipped from his face as he ran his eyes over my face then down my chest unnerved me.

“Leafar...” I tried to sound calm, even as my heart leaped to my throat in alarm.

“Kiss me,” he croaked, hooking his arm around my waist.

His almond scented breath hit my face as he yanked me to him. The cloying taste invaded my mouth as his tongue slipped between my lips.

Panic jolted through me so violently, my mind blanked for a moment. Darkness rushed in. Pressed against the door, I had no way to escape. I jerked my head sideways, breaking the kiss with a smacking sound of his lips disconnecting from mine.

“Don’t.” I said firmly, my pulse echoing in my ears with the power of a cannon.

“Well, since you’re not coming to me—” he started, but I didn’t let him say whatever twisted reasoning he’d conjured up as an excuse.

Bending my leg, I kicked up, hitting him in the crotch as hard as I could manage in this position.

He coughed a breath and doubled over, his hands cupping his cock.

Using the moment, I jumped aside and scurried behind the couch for safety.

“Why did you do it?” he groaned, staggering to the couch, then falling backwards on it with a tortured moan.

“I could ask you the same question.” I panted hard, my heart beating high in my throat somewhere. “Only I think I already know the answer. Did your aunt put you up to this?”

“No.” He rolled his head on the couch, tousling his golden curls. “But she is getting very impatient too.”

I took another step to the side, making sure to keep the back of the couch solidly between us.

“I thought we had an understanding, Leafar. I thought you agreed with me when I asked you to wait.”

“But how long can we wait?” he moaned. “If nothing happens, my aunt has already arranged for a public consummation next week.” He looked up at me from the couch, his handsome features crumbling in misery. “As a woman, you may not care about it as much as I do. But men have an inherent modesty, and it’s just...” he whimpered. “If I’m forced to go through it publicly, the shame would consume me.”

Desperation brought him into my room tonight. But it didn’t need to be that way.

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