Page 63 of Wild Flame

As he spoke, I vaguely recalled him trying to tell me something before . . . but then we had kissed, and I had gotten so wrapped up in the moment—in him—that I hadn’t remembered until now.

My mind was racing, and I was so angry that I latched onto another thought. “What about Priya?”

He stared at me. “What about her?”

“Oh, please,” I scoffed. “Everyone thought you intended her to be your betrothed. You had to know they were all expecting it.”

He took a step closer to me. “I never had any intention of binding myself to Priya. She and I are friends, nothing more. And I do not care what the court expected. I do not want Priya or any other. I want you.”

His words and the look in his eyes sent a jolt through me, but I pushed it aside. “You tied yourself to me, decided to make me your queen because you want me? You expect me to believe you did this solely out of desire?”

His lip quirked. “You’re not listening, siren. I will not deny that my desire for you played a role in my decision.” He leaned close so our faces were inches apart. “I already know what you sound like as you find your pleasure, the little moans and sighs you make. And I have had the taste of you on my tongue, the taste of your mouth, and I crave to taste all the other parts of you as well. It drives me mad with wanting you. It is all I have been able to think about since last night. All I could think of today when I should have been focusing on everything else, but no, that is not my only reason.”

My heart pounded erratically in my chest. “Then why, Malik?” I demanded.

He searched my face. And at first, I thought he would not answer, but then he spoke. “The night of my father’s funeral, you were the only one whose company I desired. No one else’s.”His eyes burned into mine. And for a moment, I felt unmoored by his confession. The simplicity and vulnerability in the words surprised and disarmed me.

But then Malik pulled back, and the moment shattered. “I have other reasons,” he said, “but you are not ready to hear them. So, I will keep them to myself for now. You will see the wisdom in this one day.”

I had so many things I wished to say to him in response. Anger still boiled in my blood, but I held back. What was the point? What was done was done. My arguing would not change anything.

“Now,” Malik said, “it is late, and I am tired. Let us return to our rooms.”

Awareness pulsed through me at his use of the wordour, which I immediately squashed. And my new resolve not to argue went right out the window. “I’m staying here, Malik.” I was proud of how calm and level my voice sounded.

“No, you are not,” he contradicted just as calmly. He moved to the door and opened it. “You are coming back with me. Even if I have to put you over my shoulder and carry you the whole way.”

I could see by the stern glare he had leveled at me that he meant it. Again, deciding it wasn’t worth the fight, I stiffened my spine and preceded him out the door.

He led the way down the now silent halls. Most of the guests had already sought their beds. In no time at all, we turned down a wing of the palace I had never been in before.

It was just as stately and exotically elegant as the rest of the palace. But, as we walked down another private corridor, passing two sets of Talonar on the way, I fought the sudden bout of nerves that assailed me as we stopped by an ornately decorated door.

I was going to be sharing a room with Malik.This was going to be fine, I calmly told myself.

When we entered the main suite after passing through an antechamber, I was immensely relieved and not at all surprised to see Astrid there, putting away what looked to be the last of my clothes in an intricately carved chest of drawers. She bowed as we entered. “Your Majesty.” She looked at me. “My lady.”

Malik nodded to her and then turned to me.

“I will leave you to prepare for bed.” He left without another word.

I watched him go, puzzled at the consideration of the gesture after he had been so firm about us sharing a room.

Astrid and I said nothing as she moved to pull the intricate pins and braids from my hair, though I could tell by her smile that she was incredibly pleased by tonight’s turn of events. I asked her to leave my hair in a looser braid down my back. I may have to share these chambers with him, but I was not ready for that step quite yet. Astrid helped me out of my gown. The night was warm, so I allowed her choice of a Zehvitian style nightdress. The back and arms were partially sheer, so I insisted on a robe as well. If I had a choice, Malik would never see my scars. I knew that wasn’t plausible, but I was going to delay it as long as I could.

Astrid turned down the bed before she left. I took one look at it and my irritation, and my nerves, got the better of me. Snatching a pillow from off the bed, I moved to a divan in a corner of the room and lay down on that instead. We might have to share a room, but we did not have to share a bed.

A few minutes later I heard a door open, and heavy footfalls entered what I guessed was the adjacent washroom. After a few moments, I heard them again as they grew closer, then stopped.

There was a beat of silence, and then a heavy sigh.

I pinched my eyes closed, praying he would simply go to bed and leave me be. I had rolled so my back was to the room, so Ihad no warning as I was hefted into a pair of massive arms and cradled against a warm naked chest.

I let out a very unladylike squawk. “Malik, put me down!”

“No,” was his effusive reply. “I am your Hassan, and you are my Hassai. Soon you will be my queen. You sleep with me.”

I was about to argue when he set me on my feet before the bed and reached for the ties of my robe.

---