Page 107 of Cursed Crowns

“Yes, thank you.” Rose closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation of his fingers brushing against her bare skin.

Shen’s fingers stilled just above her collarbone. “I think it’s loose enough now.”

Rose’s eyes fluttered open. She held his gaze as she unraveled the knot, the fabric slipping down until she caught it just above her chest. Her heart beat wildly against her palm, and suddenly she wasn’t tired at all.

Shen’s fingers lingered on her skin. He traced the edge of her collarbone and then the column of her neck. Rose’s cheeks began to prickle,heat flaring inside her. She closed her eyes and felt herself sway.

“Rose.” He caressed her jaw, brushing his thumb over her lips. “You need rest.”

“I needyou, Shen.” The words were out before Rose could regret them. His breath hitched as she tugged him toward her and met his lips with her own.

Shen kissed her back with a hunger that made her gasp. She opened her mouth to him, winding her arms around his neck and letting the bodice of her dress fall between them. His hand skimmed her bare back, sending a shiver down her spine. She moaned into his mouth, and he pulled her closer, kissing her deeper.

In that perfect moment, with Shen Lo in her arms in the darkness, Rose didn’t care that she was a queen, that he was the ruler of a long-lost land, or that there were plenty of people who wanted them both dead. All she could think about was Shen’s mouth against hers and his strong hands roaming her body.

She broke the kiss, pulling back just enough to stare into his eyes. “Shen,” she said, her voice ragged, “I know there’s a lot going on right now...”

He kissed the shell of her ear. “There is only this, Rose.”

She pressed her forehead against his. “Can we pretend we’re back in the desert? Just for a little while?”

He smiled. “We are in the desert.”

“I mean like before...” she said, smiling, too. “Can we be just Rose and Shen?”

“We can be whoever you want us to be,” he murmured, against her skin. “It’s you and me, Rose. No crowns. No kingdoms. Just us.”

“Just us,” said Rose, falling back onto the bed.

Shen leaned down to kiss her, and as their lips met once more, the rest of the world melted away until nothing else mattered but the two of them.

Time, too, slipped away. After an hour that felt like a fleeting moment, Rose sighed as she sprawled out on a mountain of pillows, feeling more at peace than she had in days. Weeks. Months. She was deliciously tired, her skin still tingling from his touch. They still had so much to figure out, butthis—what she had with Shen—was perfect. She turned onto her side, smiling like a satisfied cat. She’d just close her eyes for a second. And then they would come up with a plan to deal with Kai and Feng. Together.

Shen slung his arm across her waist, hugging her body to his. “Get some rest,” he said, pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. “I’ll be here when you wake.”

Rose woke to the sound of torrential rain hitting the roof. Outside, the sun was setting behind a veil of dark thunderclouds. She bolted upright, looking for Shen.

He was standing by the window, studying the heaving sky.

“It’s raining,” said Rose, pulling the blanket up to cover herself. “It never rains in the desert.”

“I asked Lei Fan to brew a storm.”

Rose frowned. “Why?”

Shen turned around and held up a letter bearing the Anadawn royal seal. “This arrived for you. The starcrest nearly took my eye out when it barreled through the window with it.”

Rose crawled across the bed, taking it from him with tremblinghands. She ripped it open, immediately recognizing Thea’s handwriting.

Rose,

I pray this letter finds you. Word has reached us that Barron is building an army in the south. He intends to march on Anadawn within the week. Hurry home. I fear the worst lies ahead of us.

Thea

She looked up, dread draining the heat from her cheeks. “Shen.”

He took the note from her, his jaw clenching as he read. “You should get dressed.”

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