Page 97 of The King's Maiden

Closing my eyes as I counted to ten, I exhaled slowly as I readied myself for a second dose. Just as I took a deep breath in, someone knocked on my stall door.

I dropped the inhaler, wincing as it clattered to the ground.

“Quinn?”

My eyes widened at the sound of Landon’s voice, and I hurriedly wiped and pulled up my panties while I counted to ten in my head. The doorknob rattled and his voice came through again, forcing my breath out in a rush.

“Quinn, are you okay in there?”

I dropped down to scoop the inhaler off the ground. “What are you doing here?”

“Let me in. I have a surprise for you.”

Flustered, I reflexively followed his command and opened the door, realizing a second too late I had my inhaler in my hand. I spun around as he stepped inside, stepping on the lever to flush the toilet as I hastily shoved my inhaler in my bag. Whirling back around to face him, I tried to zip my bag as discreetly as possible.

He titled his head and scrutinized me, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“You scared me,” I panted and ran my hand through my hair, tugging on my scar as I righted the mess my curls had probably become. “What are you doing in the ladies’ room?”

“I wanted to give you something.” He ran his eyes over me. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes! I just—You caught me off guard, that’s all.”

He didn’t look entirely convinced, but I breathed a sigh of relief when he let it go. His eyes sparkled with mischief I hadn’t seen before, and I wanted to know what he was up to.

“Turn around.”

“Wh—What are you talking about? Turn around?”

He nodded, twirling his finger in the air to show me what he wanted. “Face the wall.”

My eyes narrowed suspiciously, but despite the playfulness in his eyes, he had that tone in his voice—the one I associated with an order from my Knight. I turned around and faced away from him.

He took my hands and placed them on the wall, splaying my fingers with his own before running them back down my forearms. When he touched my waist, I jumped. Tugging the material of my dress up and over my hips, he bared my ass and the tiny black thong he’d left with my outfit.

I moaned as his palm stroked over my bare cheek.

He groaned, his fingers kneading my flesh before moving to the other side. “God, I love your ass. It’s fucking perfect.”

My breathing hitched.

It was the first time he’d said something like that, and felt like more than an observation. It hung between us like a confession.

His hand cracked against my bare skin.

I shrieked, the slap sharp enough to sting but not to truly hurt me.

“Do you have any idea how tempting you look in that dress?” His palm soothed over my tender skin as he whispered in my ear. “Do you have any idea how hard I would fight to make you give into me…If you weren’t already mine?”

“Show me,” I panted, trying to turn my head to look at him.

He slapped my ass again. “Eyes on the wall, Maiden.”

I instantly obeyed, a rush of arousal building in my core as his hand soothed over the second sting. Biting my lip, I whimpered when his touch slid lower, tracing the underside of my cheek with his fingers.

“Your ass is perfect. But this…” His hand dipped between my legs, and he growled low in his throat when he felt how wet I already was for him. “This might be my new favorite place in the world. I could live between your thighs and watch you come apart day in…” He slipped one finger inside me, making my legs shake before he slowly withdrew it. “And day out.”

“Landon.”

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