Page 140 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

How did he know that was the right thing to say?

There was no way Merrick would approve, but at least then she could blame her guard, and even if she could feel that Loche wouldn’t fault her regardless, she didn’t have to be the one to let him down.

His large hands stroked her back, and when she pulled away, he brushed his lips against hers before lifting them both off the table.

As he set her down on the floor, Loche reached out a hand, and she didn’t hesitate as she took it and allowed him to lead her out of the library.

The soldiers who had followed her there still stood guard outside, and while they shared a look when they noticed their joined hands, neither said anything.

They remained quiet as they all followed her to her chambers, and outside the door, Lessia hesitated.

Loche didn’t.

Without a glance at the guards, he pulled her to him, kissing her until her breath caught in her throat. When he finally pulled away, her lips ached, and a deeper ache burned in her core as he remained outside until she opened the door, slipping inside.

Leaning her back against the door, she caught her breath.

Lessia trailed her fingers over her lips, and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face.

“Where were you?”

She tensed, and her eyes rose to the brightly lit room.

Merrick sat fully clothed on her bed, his bent-down face paler than usual but his back straight and shoulders squared.

No sign that he’d been grievously wounded earlier in the evening.

For the first time, a twinge of envy tightened in her chest at his full Fae blood.

While half-Fae healed quicker than humans, she wouldn’t have survived if it had been her.

Fear crawled up her spine as she realized that getting more involved with Loche would likely put her in more situations like that of tonight.

When Merrick cleared his throat, she opened her mouth to speak, but he was faster.

“I can smell him on you. Spare me the details.”

Face burning, she opened a window, letting the winter breeze cool her skin.

And hopefully diluting whatever Merrick could smell on her.

With her back to him, she said quietly, “He wants me to go away with him for a few days. I said no, of course.”

It was quiet for a moment, and she turned, pulling the chair by the window around to face Merrick.

The Fae gripped her blankets tightly, his face strained as he spoke. “Why did you say no?”

She shrugged, biting her cheek at the guilt threatening to take her voice. “Because I can’t do that to him. It’s not fair to him when he doesn’t know everything about me.”

“But you want to go?” Merrick’s voice was barely carrying over the strong wind roaring in the room.

Shrugging again, she glanced down at her hands. “It doesn’t matter what I want. I can’t.”

He drew a shaky breath through his nose, knuckles gripping the blanket blanching. “I think you should.”

Lessia’s eyes flew wide.

“You think I should?” she echoed.

---