Page 121 of The King's Maiden

But his touch commanded a different reaction. One my mind bowed to willingly.

And my heart caved to all too eagerly.

Furious as I was, my body responded to him instinctively. Instead of struggling to get out of his grip, I sank into him. Instead of glaring up at him to tell him off, I dropped my head back against his chest.

And instead of running, I stayed.

“You signed up for The Quest.”

He undid the buttons on my silk pajama top, returning his hand to the column of my throat as soon as he bared my breasts. I leaned back farther, exposing my neck. His hand rested beneath my collarbone before he slowly dragged it down my body.

“Quinn, you chose to be a Maiden, knowing it meant you’d belong to a Knight.”

Kneading my breast. Rolling my nipple between his thumb and finger. And slowly sliding down my belly, he dipped into my waistband and tugged off my shorts.

“Now, you belong to me.”

He brushed his lips along my neck, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses over my skin to soothe any lingering hurt. But the only part of me that ached was the part longing for him.

Desire coiled low in my belly.

Bringing one hand up to my chest, Landon pressed against the swell of my breasts. Holding me tightly. Clutching me to himas he walked us toward the bed. He pressed a kiss below my ear, releasing a low growl that made my whole body shudder.

“That means you’remine.All of you.”

A part of me wanted to fire back at him, put my foot down that, even though I’d signed up for The Quest,no oneowned me.

But the words died on my tongue when he tore my panties clean off.

“Your body is mine.”

He cupped me between my legs and circled his palm over my clit. His fingers thrust inside me, stretching deep. Coming out slick with my desire.

“Your pleasure.”

He brought his fingers up, dragging them across my lower lip before he put them in his mouth and sucked them clean.

His hand circled my throat, squeezing lightly. “And your pain.”

I whimpered, tensing at the thought of him cutting off my air supply. My breathing grew tighter, and panic flared again.

“Allof your pain is mine, Quinn.”

His grip loosened and his hand fell back to my chest, the other splaying across my stomach. Trapping me against him, he leaned my body into his.

“But if you don’t give it to me, I can’t do anything to take it away.”

My lungs expanded as he arched my back. And confusion filled me when he drew in a deep breath. Then, another.

And another.

Until I matched each steady inhale and slow exhale of his with one of my own. He held me against his chest, and instead of stealing my breath, he simply breathed with me, syncing my respirations with his.

The tightness in my airway eased. My lungs expanded and filled with one rush of oxygen after the next. And all my earlier panic faded away.

Tears pricked my eyes.

The way he held me, the way he helped me calm down and catch my breath—no one had ever done something like that for me before. No one had ever forced me to slow down once the adrenaline spiked.

---