Page 40 of The Crownless King
‘Nope.’
Bas chuckled but left him and Amaya in the area to guard the front.
“Levi,” Amaya sighed.
“Quit stressing, baby doll. Consider it a chance to get out and get some air.”
She eyed him suspiciously, but then nodded, conceding to his point. Levi hid his smile. This was the perfect setting to see how far he could push his mate.
Chapter fourteen
Maybe I’m the problem.
That thought circled Amaya’s brain as she stood on the balcony of one of the most exclusive clubs in Black Hollow. Although she’d never been inside, she’d heard about it, and from the stories her cousin told her, being here with Levi was a terrible idea. If she were smart, she would demand the king take her back to his compound where she could pretend that he was holding her hostage and continue being mad at him.
She was still mad at him…right?
Her mind drifted back to the meeting they’d just left. She’d instinctively moved to lower the temperature in that room, and for what reason? It wasn’t her business how Levi conducted his affairs, and yet…she’d stepped in without thought to quell the violence.
Now if she could only remember how she did it. Maybe it would help her later when she inadvertently popped off on the king. It certainly would’ve been beneficial when she’d been trying to leave the compound. Sucking her teeth in disgust at herself, she shook the thoughts of escape loose from her head.
“A drink, baby doll.” Levi slid behind her, handing her a glass of wine over her shoulder.
The press of his body against her back and his firm, possessive touch on her waist sent a shiver down her spine. His cologne wrapped around her and seeped into her senses. Even taking a shower would not rid her of the smokey tempting scent. He was too close, and too…too…everything!
Fuck, this was a really bad idea.
“Levi…” She tried to move, but his hand tightened on her waist.
He leaned into her neck and her nipples tightened in the most torturous way.
“Stay still, beloved.”
The rough command stiffened her body. Clutching the stem of the glass in her hand, she worked to regulate her breathing. She could do nothing about the pulse drumming beneath his lips. He didn’t even kiss her, simply laid his soft lips against her neck, the warm air from his breath bathing her skin. As much as she wanted to fight him, her body was betraying her.
“I need to feed, Amaya,” he said softly.
She scoffed. “I knew you brought me here for a reason.”
He released her and stepped back. She hated the loss of his weight on her back, but she was glad for the space. It allowed her to come back to her senses.
“I would never force you to do something you didn’t want.” There was a smirk on his face that told her the king thought he could talk her into it.
Amaya shook her head and turned from him. “Get someone else to do.”
Irritation spiked through her at even the thought of him feeding from someone else, but she would stand her ground about that. If she allowed Levi to feed from her, then every wall between them would crumble and the shifting sands of her fight against him would give way. He would win, and while a part of her was starting to become resigned to that, she would not give him the satisfaction.
If she thought her words would offend the vampire, she was sorely mistaken. He chuckled and pulled her back into his chest.
“What do you need from me, baby doll? I thought we had a truce?”
She shrugged. “You need to apologize for kidnapping me. But even then, I’m still not feeding you. I don’t belong to you.”
That.
Those words seemed to piss him off. He stepped back from her and Amaya couldn’t resist peeking over her shoulder. What she saw in his gaze had her pulse racing. With a little fear, yes, but the fierceness of his gaze and the chaos magic lighting his eyes drew her closer. Her magic responded, reaching out for a taste of that madness.
This wasn’t like what she’d felt during his meeting. There, she’d wanted to calm the turbulence, but now…her power wanted to ride it. To egg it on and bask in the ensuing turmoil. Amaya took a shuddering breath, scared for the way the king called to her body and magic. It felt wild and unruly. She placed her free hand over her beating heart, as though she could stop its hard thumping with her palm.
