Page 28 of Court of Secrets and Flames

“Smart-ass.” Despite his narrowed eyes, one side of his mouth tips up in amusement. “I’ll just have to find out myself.”

He slips a finger inside, indeed discovering just how much my body wants him. He teases me, performing a slow exploration much like he’d done with my mouth. Then another digit slides in.

My gaze darts to the door where guards stand outside. “What if someone comes in?”

“They won’t.” His fingers continue their magic, working me into a frenzy. “The door is jammed with ice.”

This man thinks of everything.

Leaning back against the window, I close my eyes. Sensation upon sensation teases my body, building me higher and higher.

“Stay quiet,” he growls.

What? Did I say something? My brain is so hazy…

The stubble of his jaw scrapes along my thighs. I squirm, but his unoccupied hand splays over my hip and squeezes.

Is he going to?—

His tongue thrusts inside me, joining his very skilled, very naughty fingers to build the delicious pressure inside to me to a breaking point.

“Sterling!” Starbursts dance in the edges of my vision as I shatter into a million glittering pieces.

His fingers slow, then stop, and he withdraws himself. Placing a hand on each bare thigh, he drags his tongue across his lower lip and sucks.

“Mmm, sweet.” His eyes half close, the expression on his face positively wicked. “Every time I eat honey, I’m going to think of you.”

My heart stutters. “I?—”

“In case you have doubts later…that was real.” He rises, pressing a soft kiss against my lips. “Don’t be late for your walk with the king.”

Chapter Seven

Once the pleasure-induced haze wears off, a landslide of emotions comes crashing through. Anger, regret, hope, fear. Too many feelings for me to deal with right now.

Being the mature, well-adjusted person that I am, I decide the best strategy is to ignore them and hope they go away. Instead, I rummage through the armoire to find something suitable to wear. I’m going to be late, and the king won’t be pleased. Maybe I should just go in what I already have on.

One glance at my wrinkled tunic and pants tells me that’s a bad idea. The last thing I need is for the king to speculate on the reason for my disheveled clothes.

I choose a soft periwinkle blue with a faint lavender scent, pulling the garment on and re-braiding my wild hair in record time. After a quick glance in the mirror, I exit the bedroom.

A sharp rap at the door jolts me from my reverie. “Come in.”

The door swings open, revealing Agnar. “Are you ready?”

Not at all. “I suppose.”

He doesn’t offer a greeting or say another word as he leads me down one corridor after another. Not that I mind. I’m too nervous about my walk with the king to hold much of a conversation.

When we get to the same hidden tunnel Hyde and Zale ushered me through yesterday, my stomach knots with fear. Where is Agnar taking me? To another test?

I hold back. “I thought I was meeting the king in the gardens.”

“You are.” He glances around, as if ensuring we’re not seen, then shoves me inside the tunnel before closing the panel. “I wanted to escort you this way so I could talk to you without the chance of anyone listening to our conversation.”

“I’m all ears. Though I have to warn you, if this is a trick and you’re taking me back to that arena for round two of ‘let’s find out if the woman we kidnapped is a dragoncaller,’ I’ll make you regret it.”

He gives a dry laugh, the hint of a smile playing at his lips. “The prince wasn’t kidding. You are feisty. Though I kind of gathered that myself when we first met.”

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