Page 106 of The Gilded Cage

When Kiva woke the next morning, her entire torso was plastered to Jaren’s, their legs tangled in an impressive feat of flexibility.

Panic hit her, but she told herself to remain calm. She just had to slip away before he stirred. If she could extricate herself without jostling him too much, then —

“Morning.”

Kiva froze, barely having managed to remove her arm, let alone anything else.

“You’re not trying to sneak off, are you?” Jaren asked, his voice husky and yet still bubbling with humor.

“Erm ...”

Moving impossibly fast, Jaren flipped them both over, the breathwhooshing out of Kiva as she found herself on her back and looking up into his highly amused face.

“Let’s try that again, shall we?” he murmured, kissing the hinge of her jaw. “Good morning, Kiva.”

A garbled sound left her, her stomach pooling with heat as his lips moved boldly to her neck and kissed the sensitive spot right beneath her ear.

“Did you sleep well?” he whispered there, his mouth brushing her skin with each word, prompting a delicious shiver to travel down her spine. Another unintelligible sound left her, causing him to chuckle quietly and say, “I did, too.”

Kiva gripped his bare waist, unsure whether to push him away or pull him closer. Before she could decide, he drew back and looked down at her with a soft expression. “Spend the day with me.”

Her mind was so addled by his touch that it took her a moment to respond. “Pardon?”

The word was breathy enough that she would have been mortified if Jaren’s eyes hadn’t softened even further, with him instantly ducking down and placing a feather-light kiss on the corner of her mouth, as if he couldn’t help himself. It happened so fast that Kiva would have wondered if she’d imagined it, if not for the tingling that remained in its wake.

“Spend the day with me,” he repeated.

This time, Kiva ignored everything he was making her feel in an attempt to focus. “Don’t you have meetings?”

“I’ll reschedule.” He leaned in until his face was all she could see. “Please. I need a day off. And I want to spend it with you.”

It would have taken a much stronger person than Kiva to say no, especially when he was looking at her like ... like ... likethat.

“All right,” she surrendered. “But if you mean thewholeday, then you’re telling Caldon.”

Another quiet chuckle from Jaren. “I think you can survive missing one training session.” He tilted his head toward his balcony. “And besides, it’s already well past dawn.”

Kiva followed his gaze and gasped at the bright sunlight, having no idea how she’d slept so late. “He’s going to kill me tomorrow,” she moaned, already fearing the punishing workout.

“Then we’d better make sure today is worth your inevitable demise.” With those mirth-filled words, Jaren lifted his weight off Kiva and pulled her out of bed, his arms remaining loosely wrapped around her.

“How’s this for a plan,” he said. “You go get dressed while I rearrange a few things, and I’ll meet you at your suite in twenty minutes. I know a great breakfast place right on the river that makes the best egg and bacon rolls in all of Wenderall, so we’ll grab something to eat, and then —” He grinned. “Well, then you’ll see.”

“You’re being very mysterious,” Kiva told him.

His grin widened. “You’re one to talk.”

Kiva had no defense to that, so she rolled her eyes and pushed away from him, walking toward the door. She’d just opened it and was about to step through when Jaren called her name, making her pause and turn back to him.

“Best sleep I’ve ever had,” he said quietly.

Kiva swallowed at the look that had returned to his eyes. She wanted to lie, but what came out was the absolute, undeniable truth. “Me too.”

Jaren was right about the egg and bacon rolls. One bite and Kiva nearly inhaled the rest, having eaten so little the previous day. The taste also helped wash away the bitterness of Delora’s potion, which Kiva had downed the moment she’d returned to her room. With only one mouthful now left in the vial, she would have to find her way back to her grandmother tomorrow as agreed, but that, she decided, was something she could worry about later.

“I told you,” Jaren said as they meandered along the river, noting how quickly she finished her roll and graciously handing over what remained of his.

Kiva thought about objecting, but she didn’t have the willpower — like most things when it came to Jaren. It was only after she was done and licking her fingers that both rolls reached her stomach, making her regret her poor life choices.

---