Page 66 of Crown of Iron
I reach the section of the palace dedicated to the king and his daily duties and slow my steps. This passageway is darker than the rest, with heavy crimson drapery and rich wood trimmings. A storm rages outside, pelting rain against the windows and setting my nerves on edge. With trembling hands, I reach inside the last sconces mounted to the wall before Micah's study and pull out a key.
“Thank you,” I whisper to the Statera. It was a gamble, but Leif's plan to distract the palace steward and take the master key somehow worked.
The skeleton key slides easily into the keyhole and releases the lock with a loud click. I pause for a moment, and when no one comes, I walk inside. Sandalwood lingers in the air, and the fireplace pops and crackleswith hot coals from the day's fire. I lock the door behind me and hurry to the curtains, pulling them closed. After lighting the oil lamp on Micah's massive desk, I survey the books on his shelves. It's doubtful he would leave the journals with valuable information in the open, but I check anyway.
After I've read the binding of each book, I move to the middle of the room and place my hands on my hips, slowly turning in a circle.If I needed to keep something safe, where would I put it?The cabinet in the far corner of the room draws my attention. It's just like the one my father keeps his weapons in. The doors even have a small keyhole. I gently tug on the handle, but the cabinet doesn't budge.
Rushing to Micah's desk, I pull open the drawers. My hand pats around top and bottom, feeling for any compartment where he could hide something small. I squeeze my eyes and hold in a squeal as I touch a tiny wooden lip. It slides back and a key drops into my palm. I've never been so happy that my father and his best friend are so much alike.
In a matter of seconds, I'm swinging open the cabinet doors. I scan the shelves until I reach the bottom. Neatly standing side by side are several leather-bound journals.
I grab as many of the books as I can and drop the pile on the desk. The material to look through is plentiful. I have to sort through years of thoughts in the matter of a single night, making the chances of me finding what I'm looking for slim to none.
I set to work flipping through the pages while using my finger to guide my eyes. I skim for anything important, but most of the pages are filled with Micah's personal struggles to keep our kingdom safe and prosperous. Just glancing at his words has my chest tightening with concern. I would have never guessed what a toll ruling has taken on his mental health. Thankfully, every exhausting event is followed up with one that counters it. Borin always sits in the middle of those healing moments. Their love has held our kingdom together many times.
I push the first journal aside and start the next. A light flashes through the sides of the curtains, followed by a crack of thunder so loud it rattles the floor. My heart pounds in my throat and every hair on my body stands on end, making it difficult to focus.
The air around me turns electric, warm, uneasy, and a tap near the door captures my attention. I stop breathing, waiting for someone to burst in. Warmth spreads along my spine and dark clouds curl over my shoulders.Every muscle in my body coils and just as quickly relaxes as the shadows dissipate to reveal long tan fingers trailing down my arm.
Goosebumps rise from my elbow to wrist and breathlessly I ask, “Are you following me, General LeFur?”
He sweeps my hair away from the side of my neck and presses his lips to my racing pulse. “It wasn't my original intention. Leif told me your plan. I just needed to know you were all right.”
My eyes flutter shut, and I lean my back into his chest. “You were watching out for me?”
“Always.” His hand slides inside of my robe and across the satin covering my stomach. “I was going to stay back and let you handle things, but when you passed me in the hall, I couldn't stop myself from sneaking in behind you. You've been on my mind all day.”
“It must have been difficult to share your military expertise with the king when your thoughts were somewhere else.”
“Very.” He places another kiss under my ear.
I turn in the circle of his arms and sigh when I find the colored glass missing from his eyes. Every worry and rational thought vanishes into their obsidian depth, leaving behind pure joy that matches their amber sparkle.
Kyron wasn't the only one who was distracted all day. Our kiss at the Omnis splintered my resolve. Even as I searched for important answers, my thoughts wandered to him. I can’t stop thinking about the caress of his calloused hands, the warmth of his body, the soft kisses he placed on my lips. But it was my best friend's words in the library that decimated the last of my defenses.You can fulfill all your commitments and still be in love, Elle.
Brushing a rogue strand of hair from Kyron's forehead, I say, “Tell me, what were those thoughts that kept you distracted.”
The power between us sizzles as he runs his fingertip along the lace starting at my collarbone to the top of my breasts. “My hands and mouth on your soft skin.”
I place my hand over Kyron's, flattening it against my chest and guiding his palm down. As his warmth penetrates the thin material over my nipple, my fingers grip the hair at the back of his neck, pulling him down until I can brush my lips against his.
“Like this?” I ask.
“Raelle.”
“The door is locked, and you can shadow us before anyone sees,” I say.
His hand at my lower back presses me into his body, and he covers my mouth with his. Our kiss is urgent and needy. It’s all the things I was too afraid to unleash last night, but so desperately want to show him now. His taste invades my senses, and my hands ache to touch more of him. I yank on his black tunic, pulling it from his trousers, and moan when I reach his hard, ripped abs. His skin is hot and smooth, and I want to know if all of him feels like this.
His nimble fingers work loose the knot holding my robe together, and his hands skate over the silky fabric of my nightgown. He moves over my hip and down the hill of my ass, until he holds me so close his hard cock presses into my lower stomach. I kiss from his jaw to his neck to the open V of his shirt, taking extra care to drag my tongue over his skin. He tastes exquisite, and I want to sample all of him.
The hem of my ankle-length nightgown tickles the back of my calves as it slithers up. Kyron's hands roam over my naked thighs, and he lifts my leg over his hip, steadying me on the edge of the desk. I tremble as the hard length of him restrained in his leather trousers meets the juncture of my legs.
“Statera help me,” I gasp.
“I want to give you what you need,” Kyron whispers in my ear, and his hand slides between us. I roll my hips, but he doesn't move his fingers. “Tell me you want me to touch you, Raelle.”
“Please touch me.” I place my hand over his and press his fingers to the place where I ache for him the most.
