Page 92 of The Umbra King

“I can’t,” he said softly. “I would set this entire realm ablaze to keep you safe, and if you think I’m bluffing, you haven’t been paying attention.”

“Let’s not jump to mass murder,” she said, holding a hand up. “I can take care of myself, and I promise you, I will look behind me before I bolt down a set of stairs again.”

His nonchalant shrug set her teeth on edge. “I meant what I said. You aren’t safe here, and it’s my fault. Let me protect you.”

“No,” she said flatly. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

He stepped closer without answering. “Dance with me.”

Her confusion was palpable. “Did you hit your head?”

“Dance with me, Aurora,” he said, his voice low.

Hearing him call her by her full name again made her feel things she didn’t want to acknowledge. It was only a month ago she was planning to seduce and murder him, and when he chased her through the gardens, something shifted between them.

Something they both tried to fight and failed miserably. She knew she could fall into him as easily as she forgave him. It wasn’tlike her, and bit by bit she felt as though she was losing herself and finding herself all at once.

“Did I lose you?” he asked, breaking through her thoughts. His words had a double meaning, and they both knew it.

Instead of answering, she draped her arms around his neck, and he splayed one hand on her back, pulling her close enough to taste her breath, and every place their bodies touched burned in the best way.

As they swayed to the music, barely moving from their spot, he pulled her even closer and bent his head to rest on hers. No words were exchanged, not even as his hand moved lower and rested at the bottom of her spine.

“Do you want this?” he murmured, and she detected a hint of apprehension in his voice.

“No,” she whispered, and he tensed in her arms. “And yes.”

She felt him relax, and after placing a gentle kiss on her hair, he said, “It was inevitable. Your soul calls to mine and mine to yours. We couldn’t fight this if we tried.”

She pulled her head back and met his intense gaze. “You speak as though we are soulmates. I don’t love you, Caius, and if you love me, you fall in love too quickly.”

His throaty laugh made her stomach clench, and when his eyes returned to hers, they danced with amusement. “I don’t love you, but I want you. One way or another, you will be mine.”

Her brows drew together. “You’re speaking in riddles.”

He pulled her close again. “I know.”

She laid her head on his shoulder and let the music take her away. It was the least chaotic her life had been in some time, and she worried he was luring her into a false sense of calm.

She could feel his heart beating hard against his chest, and shadows curled through the air, moving against her skin in a sensual caress, and with each brush of nothingness, her body reacted.

The hand holding hers ran achingly slow down her arm to her side, skimming the side of her breast on its way to her hip. Herbody craved him, and she pushed back, moving her hand to his chest.

The heat in his eyes made her breath hitch. “You’re quiet.”

“Do you miss my voice, Miss Raven?” he asked in a low timbre, making her shiver. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her ear. “I don’t think you could handle what is running through my mind.”

Her pussy throbbed, and she turned slightly, making her lips brush his cheek. “Maybe I can.”

He dropped his head to the crook of her neck and placed a feather-light kiss on her bare skin. “I’m wondering what your skin tastes like.” His warm tongue moved against her pulse. “Better than I imagined.”

Her breathing picked up, and she would have been embarrassed if she wasn’t turned on as he continued, “I’m remembering you in the garden as your knees gave out, and my name crossed your lips.”

His finger slipped under one of her cotton straps and slipped it off her shoulder. “I want to know what your pussy looks like when it’s wet and craving my touch.” She adjusted her stance, needing the friction. “Will your nipple pebble in my mouth, or is it already hard?”

He removed her other strap and tugged lightly. Her breasts were small and unable to hold up her loose top, and when it fell to her waist, Caius looked down and licked his lips. “Already hard, I see.”

“Touch me,” she begged, hating how much control he had over her. His thumb grazed the peak of her breast, and she moved closer for more contact.

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