Page 43 of Of the Stars and Sea

“Hurting already?” Grayson chuckles. The sound is a deep rumble that vibrates the air around us.

Opening my eyes, I scowl at him. “You’ve ruined my night twice now.”

“Something tells me sleeping withthatscoundrel was going to ruin your night much more than my interruption of your stupidity.”

“You’ve said I’m not your prisoner, Grayson. Yet, you keep treating me like one.” I step closer to him and have to tilt my head back to look into his face. Midnight black waves fall into his face as he looks down at me. “I didn’t say a word when you made promises to that whore knowing I’d have to watch you fuck her.”

An amused tilt of his lips has me curling my hands into fists.

His voice is low as he says, “I made no such promise. Though a question still remains: whydidyou ready your dagger to throw at her back?”

Huffing a frustrated breath, I look away. When I meet his gaze again, I try not to stare at the swirling flecks of silver floating amongst the sea of his irises. “I didn’t like the way she looked at me,” I mutter.

His hand moves toward my face and I’m not fast enough to evade his touch as he runs the pad of his thumb over the bottom curve of my mouth. “How easily lies slip between these lips.”

“It’s not a lie.” My mind screams at me to pull away from him, but I don’t. I just stay here.

“It is a half-truth,” Grayson says, his voice dropping low. His thumb moves to the edge of my jaw and lower still until I feel the feathering of my pulse along my neck beneath his caress.

“Just leave me be.” The words come out more like a plea than a demand. My mind swims from the alcohol . . . and Grayson’s overwhelming proximity.

“If fucking him is what you desire then I’ll leave you to it.” He clicks his tongue. “Though you might have a difficult timeconvincing him to join you now that he knows who you belong to.”

I tilt my head at him. “Belong to?” I chuff. “Here I was thinking I’m not your prisoner. Or does your word mean nothing?”

With a stroke of his palm moving back up across my cheek, I suck in a sharp breath before his fingers delve into my hair. He settles his hand at the back of my head and I find unwanted comfort in how close he holds me. In the feeling of his fingertips stroking the nape of my neck.

“You aren’t my prisoner, Little Pearl. But I can tell by the way your body reacts to my every touch that you desire to be mine.”

My toes curl in my boots as I breathe in his heady scent. But an ember of memory sparks through the alcohol that muddies my thoughts—reminding me of who he truly is. A monster. Amurderer. Grayson is dangerous, and allowing myself to get close to him will only result in my own demise. I have one mission: to get a letter to Amara and Wells so we might devise some plan for my escape.

“You see what you want to see, Grayson Tyde.” I pull away from him even though my heart aches against it. “The only thing my body is after”—I slowly move to the table nearest us—“is a quick release from whomever is willing to give it.”

He’s still as stone as he watches me move up to one of the men sitting at the table. There’s nothing special about the one I choose with his plain brown hair and simple face. But he will do just fine.

Keeping my eyes on Grayson, I lean over the man’s shoulder, letting my breasts rub against his back. His eyes grow wide for a moment, but then he realizes he’s not about to be overtaken by some other drunkard.

“I want to fuck.” Clear as day, my words don’t carry the slur they did a few minutes ago. Maybe Harrick’s water trick isstarting to work. Or maybe it’s the anger I feel toward Grayson that steadies me.

“Right here?” the man asks and I roll my eyes as Grayson lets out a chuckle.

I shoot him a withering look. “No, you idiot. In my room. Upstairs.”

He rises from his chair and the other men around the table start hollering cheers for their friend. With a smirk on my lips, I loop my arm through his and start walking toward the staircase again. Grayson’s brows narrow slightly, the only indication that he feelsanythingabout what I’m headed off to do.

Fine then. He won’t stop me this time and I’ll finally get what I’m after. An easy lay to chase away the wanting of him.

“What about me, princess?” a haggard voice says from behind me and I look to see one of the other men from the table has followed us over and he’s closing the gap quickly.

“Maybe some other time,” I toss over my shoulder.

“Or maybe right fucking now.”

I jolt forward, nearly tripping over my own feet from how hard the bastard smacks my ass, but before I can unsheathe my dagger and stick him in the gut, a whirl of movement passes to my left and then a loud crash booms.

The tavern falls silent and my heartbeat thrums in my ears as I turn to see that Grayson has thrown the man clear across the tavern.

The man I chose as my bed mate yells, “Hells! What did you dothatfor?”

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