Page 79 of The King's Maiden

I gulped, bringing my hands between our bodies and reaching for the first button. With shaky fingers, I pushed it through the tight hole and felt it release. One by one, I undid the buttons until his shirt fell open.

I drank in the sight of his bare chest like I’d gone days without water. Running over the hard planes of his pecs and the light smattering of hair covering his nipples, he said nothing while I took him in. But his muscles tensed as my eyes traversed the deeply defined ridges of his abs. Following the trail of light hair that dipped into the waistband of his black pants, it lured me down its path.

I gulped, and my heart raced as I tugged on his belt. Unbuckling it, I slid it from the belt loops, ready to toss it off the bed. Landon’s voice stopped me.

“Leave it on the bed.”

My fingers flexed over the leather, fist clenching reflexively at the dark promise laced in those words. I hesitated after setting it down.

“You’re not done, Maiden.”

I trembled as I undid the top button on his pants and slowly dragged the zipper down. Pushing his pants past his hips, I forced them as far as I could before laying back. He didn’t move, waiting for me to finish.

Brow furrowing, I stared up at him—a question and a plea dying on my lips when I saw his eyes. Dark, unfiltered desire stared back at me.

“Use your legs.”

I tried without thinking, jerking my leg against the tight restraint. The movement created friction between my legs that nearly drove me insane.

“Whoops.” He grinned wickedly as I squirmed beneath him. “My bad.”

“Asshole,” I hissed out between clenched teeth. “I’m not giving in to you.”

“Not yet.”

He straightened his legs out between mine, planking over me in a way that tightened every muscle in his body. Kicking off his pants, he rested his knees inches from the satin scrap of fabric covering me. He sat back on his heels and rested his hands just above my knees.

His fingers brushed my skin, and that slight touch sent an undercurrent of desire straight to my clit. I groaned, pressing my head back into the mattress. Biting my lip, I trapped the words on my tongue, begging to be released.

They werenotthe safe ones I planned to give him.

And he knew it.

Slowly, painstakingly, he undid the cuffs of his sleeves and removed his shirt completely. I fought hard to keep my eyes on his, sure that if I let my gaze wander, it would be even harder to resist.

He knew that, too.

“Look at me, Quinn.”

“I—I am.”

“Allof me.”

My heart thundered so loudly in my ears I swore he had to hear it. Like a drum, it rapped out a frenzied beat as I lowered my gaze. Over his chest and abs to the dark lines of ink curving over his right hip. I’d been so focused on where the light hair below his belly button led, I hadn’t seen it.

But it, too, forced my eyes down.

The design, half hidden by the black briefs hugging his body, called to me like a siren waiting on the rocks etched into his skin. White-capped waves crashed into them, the crystal blue water disappearing beneath the fabric.

I tried to keep my attention on his right hip, but Landon’s hand distracted me, pulling my focus to where he and I both wanted it.

He palmed his erection through the thin layer of his boxers, and my hips lifted instinctively. I forced them back down and stilled. Landon watched while I battled with my basest desires, studying my features like a puzzle he desperately wanted to solve.

“Give me your hands.”

I unclenched my fists from the bedsheets, drawing in a shaky breath as I tentatively held them out to him. He kept his eyes on my face and reached for his belt.

“What are y?—”

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