Page 136 of Deadwood
His hands flexed before I shoved off the wall. He didn’t want to have restraint when it came to me, and I was right there with him. I wanted to live in a world where I could ravage any man I wanted, to be free to kiss whoever I thought fit just because I could.
But instead, I lived where not only a castle was my prison, but my mind as well.
Walls didn’t just hold me back from my desires. It was the thoughts—the consequences—that would surely follow.
We walked back to the house in silence so thick, I thought I might get lost in the fog. And when he left me at the door without a word, I wished my mouth had never opened, and my lies had never been spoken.
CHAPTER 42
AURIA
As soon as I stepped past the threshold, I knew I wasn’t alone.
I silently closed the door behind me, walking farther into the house. I paused in the opening to the living room, my heart nearly stopping.
Paxon sat calmly in one of the chairs much like before, but as soon as he stood, the tight line of his mouth told me he was anything but serene.
Gods, not right now. I wasn’t in the mood. Though, was I ever when it came to him? “What are you doing here?”
“Where were you?” he asked.
I scoffed, heading for the kitchen.
There had to be some sort of alcohol in here. Rifling through every cabinet, I finally found a decanter shoved in the far corner on a bottom shelf. Rich, amber liquid sloshed in the glass as I grabbed it.
“I won’t ask twice,” Paxon warned, but I didn’t give a shit.
I uncapped the bottle and took a swig, but as soon as the liquor hit my tongue, the glass was flying out of my hand and onto the wood floor. I barely had time to swallow before Paxon had me shoved against the counter, a firm grip on my upper arm. “You reek of alcohol and smoke.”
“Bowen’s outside,” I said hurriedly, the liquor burning my throat as I nearly choked on it.
A menacing smile spread across his face. “That man can’t protect you.”
“He would against someone like you.”
He leaned closer, and I arched back, the edge of the counter digging into my lower back. “Someone like me, huh?”
My words were strained, my eyes slits. “Someone who touches me without permission.”
For emphasis, he yanked on my arm, bringing my chest to his. I suddenly regretted wearing the revealing dress. “Remember my little warning? I don’t think you’ve listened.” His other hand raised, and he jerked as if to slap me. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut to brace against the oncoming sting. The pathetic act alone made him chuckle as he released his grip on my arm, not laying a hand to my cheek. “Be careful, Auria. I wouldn’t put so much faith in a man that may not be all that he seems.”
As he stepped away, my body stayed guarded, stiff with the fear that he was letting me believe it was over, but it was anything but. Like a lion toying with its prey.
“Bowen isn’t a liar like half this continent is,” I defended.
He straightened the sleeves of his jacket, adjusting one of the buttons, as if I’d rustled them purposefully. “Oh? I overheard them talking about a little plan they have for Amosite.”
My brows pinched together. If he was baiting me, I couldn’t tell. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged like it was just a simple conversation between two friends. “They want to destroy the entire kingdom.”
Blood froze in my veins. “No, they don’t.” They couldn’t. Bowen wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t destroy an entire kingdom. Not with innocent civilians in the crossfire. I knew him well enough to be sure of that.
Satisfied with the state of his sleeve, Paxon looked at me. The glint in his eyes was anything but settling. “If you want proof, I’m sure you can find some in his house.”
With that, he headed for the door, leaving me standing there with alcohol flooding the floor and the fragile state of my mind threatening to shatter like the glass among the mess.
He couldn’t be telling the truth. But if he was…
