Page 85 of Kingdom of Today
“You said it,” he croaked.
“And I meant it.”
His eyelids sank low, and his mouth softened. He settled his hands on my hips and spread his fingers to cover more ground. “Marry me.With or without the emperor’s approval, with or without the title of king, I’ll have you and no other.”
I smiled and ran my palms up his powerful body. “You choose me over Astan?”
He fortified his grip, holding me tight. “I willalwayschoose you.”
A slow, burning warmth spread through my veins as I melted against him. “What about the prophecies in our books?”
“Either we’re misunderstanding what we’ve read, haven’t read far enough to see our happy ending, or we’ll find a way to overcome.”
His confidence fueled mine, and I nodded. “Yes, Cyrus Dolion. I’ll marry you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
There is a time to plant, a time to water, and a time to harvest.
—The Book of Soal1.21.3.2
Awe broke over Cyrus as if he glowed from the inside out. “You said yes.”
“I did,” I confirmed, my grin widening.
Motions fluid, he gripped my nape and yanked me higher, closer, while swooping down and claiming my lips with his own. There was no easing me into a gentle seduction. No soft exploration. He ravaged my mouth, and I ravaged his right back.
His fingers fisted a handful of my hair, creating a pressure and pull I relished. Pins dislodged.
He spun us both around, cupped my backside, and picked me up, then tossed me onto the couch. Lips puffed, expression fierce, he tore at his jacket and dropped the garment on the floor. But soon after he began ripping at the buttons on his shirt, he paused, huffed, and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I might hate myself for saying this, but I think we should stop.”
Wait. What? I sat up, panting my breaths. “Is this about Domino?”
“I don’t care about your connection to the librarian anymore. We’ll deal with that.” He collected the jacket and stabbed his arms into the proper sleeves. Bending down, he braced one hand against the top of the couchand cupped my cheek with the other, stroking the pad of his thumb over the rise. “The party. There isn’t time to love you properly. And ...” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “There was a pre–Fall of Nations custom. From what I’ve read, it serves as a way to honor the one you love.”
Oookay. “I’m listening.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he muttered. “But I think we should wait to be together until the marriage vows are spoken.” He arched a brow. “I’m assuming you’ve never been with a man.”
I chewed my bottom lip. “I, um. No, I haven’t.”
The tenderness he beamed at me would’ve knocked me to the floor if I’d been standing. Slowly he lowered his face to mine and kissed my lips with gentle reverence. “Let me make your—our—first time special, as husband and wife.”
His husky words burned a blush of pleasure into my cheeks. “All right. Yes.”
“The wait is going to be torture.” As he straightened, he pulled me to my feet. Smiling at me, he glided his strong hands over my dress, smoothing the material. He even tidied my hair, heart-wrenchingly gentle. “But I swear I’ll make it worth every second.”
Standing there, drinking in his gorgeous, branded face, I could finally see a path to overcome the prophecies written in our books. Tomorrow, I would help acquire Emperor Dolion’s key and reclaim the field of berries. Then, whenever the horn blasted and Astan officially selected Cyrus as a host, Cyrus would refuse, no matter the consequences. He would become king of Theirland, despite this. He didn’t even require the emperor’s blessing. All he had to do? Publicly out himself as a Soalian, lead an army, andtakethe crown.
But would he agree? I thought he might. There was no other way to get everything we wanted without compromising our futures. Once we’d accomplished our goals, we could wed.
Think of it. Me, Arden Dawn Dolion. Cyrus, my husband. Flutters teased my belly. “Let’s not tell people about our engagement just yet. We have enough on our plates.”
Though he appeared disappointed, he said, “We’ll do this at your pace, however you are comfortable.”
“Thank you.” I was about to snake my arms around his shoulders when I caught sight of Domino, his features etched with pain. Except, no. The librarian wasn’t there. Our bond had dulled again.
A knock at the door ended the conversation and my musings. Time to attend the emperor’s “gathering.”
