Page 58 of The Rejected King
Davin brought his hand up and caressed her cheek, sending chills rushing down her back. “I wasn’t talking about or thinking about Patrice. It was you. I love you.”
Emree’s heart exploded inside her chest, and she went weak in the knees. She hadn’t thought such a thing was even possible. “Weak in the knees” was only some cliché saying authors used in books. Oh, how she had been wrong.
“I’ll ask you again,” Davin said softly. “Is there room in your heart for Peeta?”
“Are you Peeta in this scenario?” she asked, trying to wrap her mind around their entire conversation.
“I think so,” he smiled, and amusement filled his eyes.
Davin loved her.
Emree had convinced herself for weeks that it wasn’t possible. He was the king. He was her boss. He was supposed to be with Patrice. Despite all of that, helovedher.
Her chest heaved up and down, and she blurted out, “I love you too!”
There was probably a better time in the conversation to convey that message, but the words were like a spasm erupting out of her uncontrollably.
Davin grinned. “I’ve wondered about that.”
Heat crept from the tips of her toes to the top of her face, making her want to run away and hide, but she stood there, owning her embarrassment. “Yes...well, I wanted you to be up to speed regarding my feelings.”
“I’m glad we got that cleared up,” Davin said as he smoothly leaned forward, slipping his hand behind her back. “I would’ve really hated confessing my love to find out you had feelings for Darl Bitter or something.”
Emree laughed. “Darl Bitter? The newswriter?”
“Yeah.”
She lifted an eyebrow, relaxing into his body. “Do you think I have a chance?”
He shook his head, pulling her closer. “No.”
Emree got lost in his brown eyes and the intensity behind them. Her breath stilled as she waited for his next move. She pressed her body into him, trying to convey how much she wanted him to kiss her. His eyes dropped to her lips, and instinctively she swiped her tongue over them. The anticipation killed her. What was he waiting for? He loved her. She loved him. In every book Emree had ever read, the characters sealed their love with a kiss. Slowly, his head bent down. The tingling in her stomach roared to life as he brought his mouth to hers. His strong arms closed around her waist and shoulder, wrapping her up in his warmth. She grabbed the fabric of his suit jacket, pulling him closer. A rush of chills flowed from Emree’s head to her toes, leaving goosebumps in their wake. His lips were soft and tasted like mint as they moved back and forth with hers. Then something changed, and everything intensified. What had started as a slow, innocent kiss quickly turned into something deeper, like they depended on each other for oxygen.
Davin groaned, suddenly pulling apart. He clasped his hands behind his neck like they were in time out. “You know how to kiss,” he said through heavy breaths. “We’ve established that many times now.”
Emree bit her swollen lip, fighting to keep her own passion at bay.
He waved his hand out in front of him, gesturing to her. “Would you stop that!”
Confusion creased her brow. “What?”
“Stop biting your lip and looking so attractive. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Seriously!” He paced back and forth, shielding his eyes from her. “I need to focus. I have a significant announcement to make downstairs.”
Emree’s heart plummeted. “What announcement?”
He stopped pacing, looking at her like she was crazy. “That I’m choosing you to be queen.”
Emree didn’t know what to say. Why hadn’t she gone through the consequences of their actions? If Davin didn’t choose Patrice, his approval rating would take a steep nose-dive, and it would be all her fault.
“Can you even do that?”
“The person in charge of granting exceptions to the marriage law is me, so...” He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Yes?”
So he could change the law. At least for himself. Still, doing so would ruin all that they’d done to improve how the people saw him.
