Page 55 of Bonded Chaos

I thought about the way her lips wrapped around my cock and how her tight little body fit against mine.

“Yes.”

“Do you ache at the prospect of being separated from her?” Eamon added.

The thought of her slipping through my carefully woven web or some other bastard taking my Temptress away from me made my blood boil with fury, almost to the point of pain.

“Yes.”

“Do you find yourself needing to touch her, to be close to her, anytime she’s near?” Malesh asked as though he was recalling a fond memory.

Fuck yes, I did.

My cock agreed as it strained against my trousers. “Absolutely.”

“Then you love her,” Eamon declared.

Riordan snorted. “Or his dick does.”

The three men began bickering, but their voices faded as my mind drifted to my Temptress.

She had crawled under my skin, into my blood, into my very soul.

With a growl, I set my waterskin down. Now that Cadence had invaded my thoughts, there was only one thing I wanted to do.

Claim my mate.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cadence

Something had shifted between me and Ryker, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Somewhere along the way, we’d fallen into a semblance of cooperation. It wasn’t a truce exactly, more like a cease-fire.

Which was why I found it odd that Riordan, not Ryker, would be my escort for the ball that night.

To be honest, my invitation caught me by surprise.

Ryker hadn’t taken me to any formal events since I had arrived in the Unseelie Kingdom almost a month ago. In fact, he seemed determined to downplay my presence here at every opportunity.

Then, unexpectedly, I received an invitation to a prestigious ball celebrating an alliance between the crown and a prominent family on the governing council.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the gown Ryker had gifted me suggested the event was for the kingdom’s elite.

I studied my reflection in the mirror. My long brown hair cascaded in gentle waves over my shoulders, and I could make out the rich chestnut hues that captured the light from the candelabra.

The deep navy-blue dress that I wore shimmered with each subtle movement, and it flowed around my feet like liquid midnight. The fitted bodice hugged my form, pushing up my breasts until I thought I might very well topple out of it, before flaring elegantly at my waist and flowing to the floor.

Trust Ryker to choose something that was borderline scandalous.

Intricate silver patterns adorned the top of the gown, and they sparkled in the light like a constellation of stars against a cloudless night. Delicate gossamer sleeves billowed from my upper arms, drawing attention to the graceful curve of my collarbone.

My gaze snagged on the rose gold collar around my throat, and my mood soured.

Despite the relative peace Ryker and I had found as we coexisted side by side, he still didn’t trust me enough to remove the damn thing.

His instincts were correct. The moment he took it off, I’d try to escape.

A small pang erupted behind my ribcage when I thought about fleeing Ryker. The intrusive feeling left me gasping, and I clutched the table for support.

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