Page 121 of Truth (Wicked Empire 2)

“Not as lucky as me,” he said as he pulled his arms tight around me.

We settled in the private dining area of a restaurant and enjoyed a meal.

“It’s strange, isn’t it?” he asked.

I paused over a bite and looked at him.

“So quiet,” he said.

I smiled. Nodded. “It is. I miss her, but I like this, and I think we should try to do it more often,” I said.

“You’ll get no argument from me.”

It was true that while I loved my nosey, adorable, heartbreakingly sweet baby, spending time with Davit like this was welcome. We hadn’t had anything approaching a formal courtship, but even still, these quiet times, when we were alone, were nice.

“So what next?” I asked.

He gave me a smile that was full of heat. “I have an idea.”

* * *

Amethyst

“I likehow this idea is shaping up,” I said as I walked into the hotel suite.

“It’s good to hear that,” he responded as he closed the hotel room door behind us.

I eyed him from head to toe, my gaze getting snagged on his.

He walked toward me slowly, stalking, looking so much like the predator I knew he was.

And I was happy, eager, to be captured.

When he reached me, he didn’t touch me.

Not at first.

Instead, he stared at me, his love, and his desire, swelling in his eyes.

And when he brushed his lips against mine, I breathed out.

These last months had been full of lingering looks, his reassuring hugs, and soft kisses, just because.

I loved those, but this kind of connection was something I had missed, something I needed.

I shifted, deepening the kiss, letting my tongue play along the seam of his lips.

I could feel the tension in him, but he didn’t move us any faster, seeming content to enjoy the moment.

I pushed my tongue inside his mouth, tasting the flavor of him, so new, yet so familiar.

Mine.

He kissed me deeper, and I let him take over. Was rewarded by a kiss so thorough, so passionate, that it left me breathless.

I was breathing hard when he broke the kiss, and I stared at him for a moment before reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

I opened them slowly, one, then another, then another, seeing each piece of flesh as it was revealed.

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