Page 145 of The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating

“That would be an awful waste of that witty mouth.” His voice was low.

The adrenaline in my veins mutated swiftly into a powerful surge of arousal. If I lifted my head a fraction, we’d be kissing. My thighs parted just enough that his hips settled between them, and I felt his unmistakable erection pressing through his trousers.

“If we never get to have sex again,” I said, only half-joking, “maybe we’ll just need to keep wrestling each other instead.”

His pupils flared. “Is that one of your fantasies, Arabella?” He lowered his voice. “Being wrestled to the floor and taken so hard you forget your name?”

My breath caught. “I?—”

Kazimir’s storm-gray eyes darkened. “I remember how wet you were in the library.” He shifted slightly, and the friction made me bite my lip to stifle a soft moan. “When I was in control. When I fucked your needy cunt against the bookshelf. Youlikebeing dominated.”

I paused a beat before confessing, “I’ve daydreamed about that afternoon more times than I care to admit.”

Dangerous. So dangerous.

I wanted him—gods help me, I wanted him so badly it hurt. My magic stirred with a crackling heat under my skin. The runes on his chest answered with dark energy, and I felt their pull.

He groaned and dropped his head. “If I’m not careful,” he said against the skin of my neck, “I’ll forget every reason why this is a bad idea.”

Instead of waiting for an answer, Kazimir rolled off me with a muttered curse, lying flat on his back beside me. We lay there in silence, our chests rising and falling in tandem as we tried to regain control. The magic in the air slowly dissipated, the connection between us fading to its usual background hum.

After what felt like an eternity, he sat up, extending a hand to help me do the same. I took it, letting him pull me upright. He held me with a smoldering stare, as though he was fighting every cell in his body not to drag me back to the floor.

I broke the trance first, moving to the side of the room where a pitcher of water waited. I grabbed cups and poured water for both of us, then eased down the wall to sit on the floor. Kaz followed, but remained at arm’s length.

“I can almost feel it,” I said after a while. “When we’re taking things too far. There’s this... pressure at the back of my mind.”

He nodded. “I’ve been experiencing something similar. A connection to the Heirloom. It makes sense—our magics are both tied to it now.”

I took a sip of water, using the moment to steady myself. “So... have we learned anything new about the Perris situation?”

Kazimir lowered his cup. “Yes and no. We confirmed Auremar likely wanted him gone, but precisely what Perris overheard is unclear.”

I shivered. “Auremar wants me for my bloodline, right? But he’s part of that lineage. The entire Solandris royal line descends from the same heroic bloodline as I do, albeit a different branch. So why would he need me if he has the same power?”

A shadow passed over Kazimir’s face. “He might not need your blood in the literal sense. Maybe he wants to bind your magic to his. Or perhaps your mother’s branch is stronger. Toomany unknowns.” He swallowed, the lines around his mouth tightening. “But I won’t let him have you.”

Relief bloomed in my chest at his possessive tone.

Silence settled between us, broken only by our steady breathing. Though part of me dreaded whatever twisted scheme Auremar was plotting, my thoughts drifted to something we hadn’t discussed.

I scrubbed a hand across my face. “I barely felt anything when I let Perris die,” I admitted softly, glancing at Kazimir. He turned his head to look at me, and I pressed on. “And that bothers me more than the fact that I actually did it.”

He gave me the knowing look of a man who’d long ago made peace with the shadows inside himself. “He was your enemy, Arabella. Whywouldyou feel sympathy for a man like that?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t know... Old habits, maybe. The naive idea that a ‘noble heart’ should seek redemption for everyone. But I’m not naive anymore. And if that means letting worthless scum die, I can live with it. I just... wonder where I go from here.”

Kazimir’s gaze was still faintly tinted with desire. “I hate to say this,” he teased, voice dipping low, “but your ‘noble heart’ was always questionable. Especially since you started practicing dark magic.” His gaze pinned me meaningfully.

“So I should just embrace this title of ‘Dark Lady’?”

He said nothing for a beat, just holding my gaze. “I can think of worse things than having a lethal, gorgeous Dark Lady at my side.”

My cheeks warmed, though I wasn’t sure if it was embarrassment or simple hunger for him.

Kazimir shifted closer. “You’re uncertain about your future,” he said gently, “but you’re not uncertain about yourself. That’s why you’re dangerous, Arabella. You know exactly what youwant. It’s just that your old illusions of heroism have fallen away.”

“I know exactly what I want,” I echoed. My eyes drifted lower, to where Kazimir’s arousal was still visible through his trousers. An idea formed, reckless and tempting.

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