Page 118 of Of Rime and Ruin
My body moves, rising from my desk chair. I do not stop myself. I do not fight. Her sweet melody rings in my ears, wraps around my soul, and I am weak to the sound. I can’t resist her any longer.
I stumble into the dimly lit hallway, down the corridor, and into the East Wing.
Come.
The closer I get to her, the stronger the pull.
Perrin stands guard at her door, wringing his hands nervously. “Your Majesty!” he balks. “I didn’t know if I… Should I make her stop singing?”
I hardly hear him. Her Voice is strong, the only thing that can hold my attention.
I growl, too far gone for words. He steps back and hands me the key. I jam it into the lock and turn it with a satisfying click. The door swings inward, and I inhale her sweet scent.
She’s aroused.
My hand grips the doorknob, suddenly the only thing grounding me in time and place. Nahla stretches out on the rug before the fireplace, propped on her elbows like a fire-lit goddess. Singing her summoning spell with a glorious smile. Completely naked.
Her fingers dangle in front of her pussy, glistening wet.
Fuck.
I clear my throat. “Perrin, leave us.” Stepping into the room, I close the door before he can answer.
She beckons me with a crooked finger. Her alto Voice rolls through my head, low and seductive.Come to me, Beasty.
My cock hardens instantly.Goddess above.Why have I been resisting her so long? Is it that necessary? The Beast hasn’t ruined her beyond repair, as I feared. She’s healthy and glowing. Irresistible.
I stride toward her. Drop to my knees. Crawl. Like the fucking Beast I am.
That’s a good boy.
Her praise lifts my heart, and my chest tightens at its expanse. Why thefuckdid I leave her alone?
“Nahla…” I groan, her name choking me. I don’t deserve to have that name bless my lips. Not after what I’ve done. Still, I straddle her, dipping my nose to her neck. Warm vanilla paradise. Goddess, how I missed her smell. I press a kiss to the soft hollow of her throat. “Nahla, I’m so—”
“Don’t.” Her finger stops my lips. I pull back to study her face.
She watches me with a glint in her eyes, mischief on her mouth. Her song continues, blocking out any emotionalconnection we’ve previously shared and making her unreadable. Warning bells ring in my mind, but I ignore them.
I need her. Now. I need to show her how sorry I am, how badly I fucked up. How much I’ve regretted every minute I’ve spent apart from her. I want to tell her everything—the curse, my plan with Lucas, how I’m doing it for her. How I’m making damn sure she’ll be safe with me.
But her finger is in the way.
I growl, pushing it aside. “I hurt you. And I’m a fucking fool for it.”
Her spell fades into silence, and the quiet crackle of the fire replaces the sound of her siren song. She cocks her eyebrow. Her knees lift from the floor, parting to cage my hips. Hooking around me. Pulling me closer.
Forget explanations. I’ll tell her everything as soon as I’ve pounded her into the floor with my cock.
I groan, heartbeat thundering through me. My erection rests between her legs, prodding her sweet, naked pussy. I can feel her heat through the leather of my pants. “Fuck, you’re so wet. Is this for me?”
Is this how she’ll forgive me? Do I even fucking deserve it?
“No,” she says.
I blink, confused.
Her legs tighten like a vise. Hands slide up my back, fingers twisting into the base of my hair. And then, with a gleeful smile, she flips me.
