Page 61 of Wickedly Yours

Goddess, I wished I didn’t like him this much.That would have made all of this easier.

I’d just missed his presence. I’d come here to tell him exactly that. That I missed his touch. The way it felt with his lips on mine. When we connected, it was like everything melted away, ceasing to exist. I wanted that—neededthat. The distraction and the reminder. Especially as my world felt like it was falling apart around me.

“Luna,” he murmured, his golden eyes filled with regret. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize for doing your job. I know you have responsibilities. I just thought maybe I could have you at night.”

“No. You’re right. There’s so many things I wanted to show you.” He pinched the spot between his brows with his forefinger and thumb, rubbing it slightly. “That’s my fault. I wanted to help you acclimate. I did.”

“Lilith and Asura have been keeping me company. They make excellent dinner companions, you know.” I left out that Lilith had flown me up to the roof of the palace, and they’d pointed out things around the radius. You could see for miles up there. Though the library was still my favorite place.

A laugh. “I do. I’ve known them for a very long time. Talon and Thorn, too.”

I hummed in response. “You know, I had a fitting for my wedding dress today.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Oh?”

“Only got stabbed about twenty times, so that’s an improvement on last time.”

Zain’s whole body froze. “You what?”

I placed my hand on his chest. “Relax, handsome. They’re just sewing pins.” I laughed at his expression. “No one’s hurtme. Everyone’s been amazing, really.” Novalie, his advisors, and even the palace staff had all been trying to make this feel like home for me. “But I still feel so alone.”

“Luna…”

Pushing his knees apart so I could slide in between them, I whispered, “I need you. I don’t know how to do this. Not without you. I wasn’t born into this world. I’m not a regal-born princess. I’m just… me. And I need you to help me through it.”

He brushed a thumb over my cheekbone. “I need you, too.”

Shutting my eyes, I leaned into his touch. Letting the rightness of the moment flow through my body, steadying me.

“Fuck.” The word slipped from his tongue, and then he was crowding me in, forcing me up against the wood. “I’ve missed you.” His hand wrapped around my chin, forcing my eyes to meet his. Those golden irises held my full attention, and I couldn’t have looked away if I tried.

“Do you think we can get back what we had? In Pleasant Grove?”

“Yes.” He leaned in, kissing me softly. “I know we will.”

I straddled his lap, already desperate for more.

“Listen, Luna,” he murmured, holding onto me. “There’s something you should know. Something I’ve been meaning to tell you. I wasn’t trying to avoid you. I just needed to figure out how to say this.”

“Okay.”

He looked around, wincing. “Maybe… not here.”

“Should we go for a walk? I still haven’t explored the gardens.” Though from above they looked beautiful, I hoped that he’d go with me. A romantic stroll in the gardens sounded like exactly what we needed.

His tongue darted out over his lips, and then he was standing, holding me against him as I wrapped my legs around his waist. “I have a better idea.”

“Where are we going?” I murmured, my hands curling into the short hair at the base of his skull.

“My room.”

Oh. Heat flooded my system. I liked that.A lot.

Not wasting another moment, Zain transported us back into his bedroom, setting me on my feet. He swallowed roughly as his eyes trailed down my body. Over my hardened nipples, visible through the thin fabric of the dress.

“Luna…” Zain took a few steps past me, moving into the room. “We should talk.” He turned to the door, shutting it with magic before imbuing it with some sort of spell. “So we won’t be interrupted,” he explained. He wrapped a hand around my wrist, spinning me into him. All my bravado faded, and I was left staring into Zain’s magnificent eyes.

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