Page 94 of Mirror of Malice
“Well, with all the dancing, I think I need some air.”
What I needed was space from this man before I combusted. The song ended, everyone bursting into applause. Penn bowed, and I curtsied, then spun on my heel without another word and marched toward the balcony.
I pressedmyself against the white banister, looking up at the star-strewn sky above and taking deep breaths of the cool night air.
“Lilypad,” Penn said from behind me.
I turned to see him click the door closed, cutting us off from everyone else. Just me and him. Alone.
“Why did you run from me?” He prowled toward me like a predator about to catch its prey.
“It was hot, like I said.” I backed further into the banister as Penn approached, inches from me.
He looked down, studying me. “I meant what I said inside.” His eyes blazed. “I’d get on my knees, and I’d show you just how much I want to worship you.”
I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. My body thrummed with those words, with the images those words conjured. Before I knew it, I was reaching for him, pulling him toward me, and his lips crashed against mine, my body slamming into his.
His hands wove around my back, roaming up and down as if he wanted to touch all of me and couldn’t decide where to start. I ran my fingers through his soft hair, relishing in the earthy scent of him, the feel of him all over me.
Blood and earth. This was my joy. This was it. Penn Vanderbilt. The king of thieves.
He probed my mouth open further, his tongue slipping inside. Our teeth scraped together, but our mouths never stopped touching, tasting, teasing. We kissed and kissed, and I didn’t know that I’d ever be able to stop.
“It’s a good show we’re putting on,” he murmured against my mouth.
I stiffened in his arms. The words jolted me back to reality.
Penn slowly straightened, confusion flashing across his face.
That was why I couldn’t do this. I’d reminded myself again and again that this was a game to him. Always a game. And soon, I was going to lose.
“Lilypad,” he started, but I held up my hand.
“I’m going to retire to my rooms now that we’ve given a sufficientshowfor the people of the water court. I’ve played my part, and based on your reaction, I think I played it rather well.”
A muscle feathered in Penn’s jaw, and he looked away, planting his hands on his hips.
“Good night, Penn.” I pushed past him and didn’t look back.
Chapter Forty-Five
Iwoke up to see Penn already dressed, ready for the day. He looked like he’d slept just fine, while I’d tossed and turned all night, dreaming of his lips turning into razor-sharp thorns about to cut me, replaying his words in my mind over and over.
It’s a good show we’re putting on.
It hadn’t mattered how many times I reminded myself this was all a game to him, I still let myself feel things, want things, that weren’t possible. Penn clearly didn’t return my feelings. We might have been treading a friendship lately, sharing more with each other, working well together, but that didn’t mean any kind of romance was blooming between us, at least not on his side. I was going to get hurt.
Before he could bring up the kiss last night, the awkwardness that had followed it, I dove right into his favorite topic: work.
“Tell me what you found yesterday,” I said from the bathing chamber, relief flooding me when I spotted my tunic and pants, clean and folded. Blood and earth, I’d missed these.
“A whole lot of nothing,” Penn replied from our room.
He went into more detail, but the gist was clear: the weapon hadn’t been anywhere.
I came out of the chamber, dressed and feeling more defeated than ever.
Penn sat on the couch and patted the spot next to him. “Tell me about your conversation with Gabrielle yesterday, and then let’s go over your first conversation with her again.”
