Page 114 of A Warrior's Fate

“Kai.”

His name off her lips, breathless, made him shudder. Made him move in a way that Isla wondered…

She dared a look down, not moving her head, only her eyes, to find him hard and straining against his pants. Her fingers twitched, and her mouth went dry as she greedily traced the shape of him. The thought of him inside her…

“Isla.”

She looked back up. His eyes were endless depths of a stormy night, and she imagined the crystal blue had vanished from hers, too.

He leaned in again, and Isla was about to scream, she could hardly stand it.

Maybe she would beg. Just for him to touch her, for Goddess’s sake. Forget fucking her senseless. That would come later. Right now, she just wanted to feel his skin against her own, have the taste of him on her mouth.

One. More. Fraction.

He moved the closest he could ever get without throwing all their efforts away.

“I am the keeper of a burden I was never meant to bear,” he began, speaking near her collarbone, sending hot breath along it and up her neck as he continued up to her ear. “But resisting you, all this time may be the truest test the Goddess has given me.”

Isla couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think about anything else.

She pressed her head to the wall and turned to look him in the eyes again. He was so close. So close. Her fingers constricted around the fabric of her gown. So, she wouldn’t reach. Wouldn’t touch…

She drove her hips backward.

No. No.

But, Goddess, he was…

Just as she was about to brashly throw caution to the wind and propel forward, abandon Kai’s plans and just take him, right there on the floor, the sound of a closing door echoed from far down the hallway.

He pushed off the wall and stepped back, and Isla let out a soft gasp like she’d been drowning. As he focused down the corridor, she brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart thrumming wildly beneath the ruby pendant.

“Maids,” Kai said, turning back around.

“Do you think they saw us?” Isla asked. “Or…heard us?”

Oh, Goddess.

“Maybe saw us—but they don’t know who you are. It will be enough for the staff to gossip, but it won’t go far. No reporting for the columns.”

“Okay,” Isla breathed. “We should get back.”

“Wait.” Kai held up a hand. “Maybe we should take a walk first, and then we can debrief on what you’ve heard.”

“Aren’t they wondering where you are?”

“I told them I needed to step away for a while. No one will miss me—and no one will want to deal with me if I don’t take a walk. Especially if you’re still in that ballroom.”

Isla coughed and smoothed her dress. Judging by how flushed they both were, by the outline of him she was trying her hardest not to look down at, and by how dazed she still was—still drunk on him, on her thoughts—a walk with some fresh air may have been a good idea.

“Where do you want to go?”

Kai shoved his hands in his pockets, pulling them outward a bit, maybe trying to get some relief. He glanced up. “I want to show you something.”

CHAPTER 25

“I’m not going in there.”

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