Page 16 of Luna's Forgotten Vow

The hair on my skin prickles as his dark eyes shift from the man he speaks to, landing on me immediately like he can feel my gaze.

He stops speaking, lips pulling tight as he appraises me from head to toe.

His gaze shifts when it touches the flare of my hips—no longer just an appraisal but something more. Something heated. Frustrated. His nostrils flare, like he can't decide if he likes what he sees or if he hates that he does.

Soren and I look away from each other sharply. I don't acknowledge that the temperature seems to have risen suddenly and blame my dizziness on the baby.

By some stroke of luck, the ladies find a much more interesting target after seeking out more information of where I come from, my parents, my life before now and my highly sought after love affair with Soren.Not. In truth, I ran from them with a lame excuse of needing to use the bathroom while I tried to hunt down a servant, suddenly thirsty for something chilly and tangy.

My fingers close around a pinkish-yellowish looking glass just as a deep voice creeps in from behind me. "It's alcoholic."

I jump at the sudden closeness, the heat that surrounds me, even if he is only behind. The server looks at the space behind my shoulder and smiles a little before bowing and scurrying away.

Sucking in a deep breath through my nose, I start to turn to give Soren my best I'm-so-in-love-with-you-I-melt-like-butter-when-you're-around look, for the purpose of the watching crowd, of course, but I freeze when his chest hits my back and he leans over so close, his lips graze the shell of my ear. "If you keep jumping every time I touch you, no one's going to believe I married you because of our desperate, undying love."

My breaths are suddenly uneven, his scent of winter and cologne teasing my nostrils. "We agreed you would keep your hands to yourself."

As if to spite me, he brushes his thumb against the bare skin just above the low back of my dress, throwing my pulse about a million rates higher. "Did we now?"

The crowd bleeds into the background. Their prying gazes, their laughter, the music...It all ceases to exist and for a whole second, my mind is thrown into befuddlement.

Help? I don't even like him.

I step out of his touch, my body, the betraying bitch craving more of his delicious heat. It must be the hormones. I've heard pregnant women get hot and bothered on the days they aren't overly irritated.

Turning to face him, I am struck by the sheer size of him towering above me like a...towering tower. "The written agreement clearly stated we would be wed in name only—what? Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I snap when he won't stop smirking.

He takes one step forward and I shuffle back, needing to put some space between us, but he easily catches me by my waist,tugging me closer. His gaze is dark and unreadable, resting on my mouth. "Do you trust me?"

My answer is immediate, even as my fingers rest on his large arms. "No."

His lips kick up. "Good."

I barely have enough time to register the scent of alcohol and something sweeter before his lips crash into mine. My eyes widen as he catches my bottom lip between his teeth and nips, hard.

Heat...aching and nearly familiar spreads through me immediately, and I push my fist against his chest, trying to shove him off, but I have no idea what is wrong with me because my fingers are tangling in his silk shirt instead and...and...

Soren's fingers clamp on the back of my neck, hot and urgent, and I gasp when they travel into my hair and tug.

The sound that rips from my throat isn't mine and his tongue plunges into my mouth immediately, stroking against mine in an obscene glide that I feel all the way to my core.

I clench, hard.

Hell no.

Soren breaks away suddenly, eyes wide and raw with emotions I don't know him well enough to understand. And like a fucking coward, he stumbles back a step. "I apologize. That was out of line."

And then, he leaves me standing there like he didn't just assault my lips and my senses.

CHAPTER 6

SERAPHINA

I'm late. I'm never late.

I break into a swift run as I note the darkness through the windows. Mother always keeps the lights on. She hates the dark, makes her see things that aren't there.

My fingers tighten around the parcel in my grasp until I can't feel them anymore. I should've been back hours ago, but working an extra shift was the only way to complete the cash for the meds. She's gone too long without them because I couldn't find a better job and the pharmacist couldn't give me anymore on credit without paying off the debt I already owed.

---