Page 11 of Queen of the Crimson Throne

But now—all of that went out the window. All I wanted was to lay my eyes on her.

A flash of honey-colored hair snagged at the corner of my periphery as I rounded the corner into the hallway.

She stood facing away from me. Her hand resting on the doorknob. Her gown was made of the color a crimson so deep it reminded me of blood. It hugged every dip and curve of her luscious body. The body I had explored every inch of with my hands and mouth and had been dreaming about for months. As she shifted, her gown revealed a slit up the side and the gleam of metal hid there. My mouth dried.

“Lennox.” The words came out a sigh—a plea almost.

Turn around. Look at me.

I watched as her shoulders lifted before she turned towards my voice.

Her luscious lips parted in a perfectoas those emerald eyes met mine.

Fuck, I had missed those eyes. My body relaxed as her lips tilted upward.

I took a step towards her. I needed to touch her. I needed to feel her—to know she was truly here and happy to see me and this wasn’t all a figment of my imagination.

“Lennox.” I sighed.

I saw the moment she remembered—when the shock of seeing me wore off.

She clamped her lips together, her gaze turned icy before she turned back around—reaching for the door handle.

“Lennox wait!”

But I was too late. The door slammed shut in my face.

6

LENNOX

I pressed myself against the closed door—balling my hands into fists to try and grasp some semblance of control as my magic pushed and pulled painfully against my skin.

In the weeks we’d been apart I couldn’t keep my mind from wandering to what would happen when I saw Luka again.

I had imagined it would be in a large group of people—that I would be able to anticipate the scenario.

I would have my mask of High Queen on. I would be prepared. There would be other people around I could use as distractions.

Never in all my planning did I account for running into him on accident.

Or the impact the sound of his voice would have on me.

Or that seeing him again would steal the breath from my lungs as his eyes pierced into my soul, lighting up at the sight of me.

When I heard his voice—I forgot for a moment everything that had transpired between us.

That he had broken my trust.

That he had shattered my heart.

That I was supposedto marry him.

At that moment he was simply Luka again.

My friend.

My heart clenched. My friend. My lover.My Luka.

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