Page 149 of Bride of the Midnight Prince

Mary, ever practical, merely picks up the jar of fae salve and motions for me to hike my nightgown and give her my calf. I listen to the pattern of footsteps, trying to determine Rahk’s destination as the they grow fainter, and then louder. They come down the hallway. Mary’s hand freezes just before she sticks it into the salve. A knock sounds on the door.

I swallow hard. “Come in.”

Rahk’s silver head is the first thing I see. His black eyes fall almost immediately to the exposed wound on my calf. My mouth goes dry. I’m suddenly very conscious of how dark it is, the fact that I wear only a nightgown, and I wonder if this is the night he decides to spend with me instead of at his desk.

“Thank you, Mary. You may go,” Rahk says with a nod.

Mary’s eyes find mine for only a half of a second before she sets the open salve down on the quilt, curtsies, and leaves. Rahk shuts the door behind her.

“You’ve been gone,” I say to fill the silence.

It takes him only three strides to stand in front of where I sit on the bed. He takes up Mary’s spot, sitting beside me. With one hand, he picks up the container. With the other, he takes a creamy dollop and lightly dabs it across my scar. It tingles against my skin.

“I was at the edge of the Long Lost Wood again,” he tells me. He sets down the container and places his palm over my kneecap, holding my leg still as he gently massages the salve into my scar with two fingers. The pressure, though light, is enough to sharpen the remnant of the pain. I brace against it. Rahk’s eyes flick up to me briefly before returning to his work.

“What did you find?”

“The queen still refuses to meet with the troll. The forest continues to recede. I had to intervene to keep Ymer from killing someone who tripped in their efforts to escape him. I am also concerned by how close the humans get to the edge of the Wood. They’ve discovered that the closer they are to the source, the better and faster their crops grow. It would not be difficult for an accident to happen, and one of them to trip over the border. A few thieves have also appeared.”

“This isn’t good,” I say, chewing the inside of my cheek to stay focused on his words and not his touch. As he nears the edge of the wound and the cream works its magic, the pain disappears, and all I’m left with is the sensation of his warm fingers working against my skin.

“No, it isn’t.” Rahk finishes his ministrations and wipes his hand on his trousers before screwing on the lid and returning the salve to its place on the vanity. He takes up his seat beside me again, so that we’re both watching the candles flicker in front of the mirror.

I rack my brain for something else to say on the subject and come up short. Instead, I ask, “Are you tired?”

He sighs. “I am.” Then he glances sidelong at me. “You must be too.”

At this moment? I’mwideawake. “It was a very full day.”

“I shall leave you to your rest, in that case.”

I blink, surprised, as he stands. He’s not staying? I expect relief, and all I find is disappointment. He pauses in front of where I sit.

Slowly, he leans down, planting his hands on the bed, flanking either side of me.

I stare up at him, wide-eyed, forgetting to breathe.

His gaze travels over my face, lingering on the faint scars on my temple, then my freckles, and then, finally, my lips. He brings his gaze back up to mine and pins me there with the force of his endless black eyes.

“Would you like a kiss goodnight?” he asks softly.

“I know you’re being careful”—Mary’s voice echoes into my thoughts, completely unbidden, reminding me exactly what reply I ought to give my husband in this moment.

“Yes,” I breathe, hating myself for my weakness, hating myself for revealing so much to Rahk in one word.

His hand lands on my neck, his thumb stroking beneath my chin as his mouth presses against mine.

How can his lips be so soft? All thoughts scatter in the wake of that question, because when I assume his kiss will be short, it lengthens and slows. I don’t breathe for a single second, terrified for the moment he pulls away. But he lingers, kissing me sweeter and longer.

When he does finally pull away, candlelight flickers across his bright eyes, highlighting the color in his cheeks, the intensity of his focus. His touch remains a moment longer. His fingers move slightly on the back of my neck, his thumb tracing my jaw.

“Goodnight.” His voice is a low rasp as he withdraws.

My mouth has fallen open, and I only realize it when he releases my hand and strides out of the room.

He’s gone. I catch my breath, pressing my hand to my heart and staring into the darkness. I wonder how much longer I can lie to myself. I wonder how I will ever be free of him, even after he returns to Nothril.

“Ihaveasurprisefor you,” Rahk tells me several days later over breakfast.

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