Page 88 of Song of the Shadow Prince
He pinned my wrists with one hand, and with his free one he gripped my face and forced me to look at him. “Maybe I haven’t made myself clear yet, Cat, so let me clarify something right now. You are not allowed to show your body toanyone. I’ll gouge their eyes out if they so much as glance at your body.”
I tugged at my wrists and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it only pressed my chest closer to his. “You don’t own me, Damien!” I shouted. “Just because we happen to share a mark doesn’t mean anything. You can’t—”
“Yes I can, and yes I will, Cat,” he growled as he pressed himself against me, making me feel every bit of him. I gritted my teeth, but I couldn’t stop the blush that covered my face. His eyes held a dangerous glint. “You may not know this because you’re not from my world, but that mark means you’re promised to me and me alone.”
“Fuck off!” I yelled, trying to buck him off of me. “The minute I figure out how to get back home, I’m leaving! So whatever twisted fantasy you have, I suggest you forget about it!”
He chuckled but kept quiet. And that silence worried me. When he didn’t argue, I wondered if he was planning to hinder my return home. Nah, he wasn’tthatcrazy. It was just a mark. A freakin’ tattoo I dreamed about. It wasn’t that serious!
I stared at my image reflected in Damien’s obsidian eyes and wondered who he was. We’d gotten close during my time here, but at the end of the day, he was still a prince, a freakin’ dragon prince, at that. One I couldn’t afford to trust. And I was just a girl from SoCal.
“Damien?” I whispered, our lips brushing. “What do you want?”
He watched me for a moment, his gaze dropping to my lips before he mumbled, “You.” Before I could respond, his lips crashed against mine.
I sucked in a breath before he cut off my air supply. His soft lips pressed against mine and slowly opened my mouth and I… I let him. His tongue slid into my mouth and a moan escaped me as I tilted my head, giving him better access.
With desperate hunger, he kissed me like a man in need of water in the middle of the Sahara. Releasing my wrists and face, his hands roamed my body. When they touched skin, his calloused hands sent shivers through me, eliciting another moan.
What the hell was going on with me?? Was I just super horny or was I attracted to this man? My thoughts were too muddled to know the answer, but one thing was for sure… I needed to stop this before I crossed a line I couldn’t come back from. Before I lost myself in the darkness known as Damien, the Shadow Prince.
I pressed my hands against his chest and pushed him away. He released my lips with a gasp of air, and I stared up at him wide eyed as if I couldn’t believe what I just did.
I kissed Damien, and I liked it. Alot.
“I can’t do this.” I struggled to breathe. “Dude, I don’t even know you!” I pushed him up to sitting and edged away from him.
“Dude?” he repeated with furrowed brows. “And youdoknow me.”
With a sigh, I rolled my eyes and ran a hand through my messy hair. “No, Damien, I don’t. Maybe Arya did, but I, as in Cat, don’t. I just met you a couple weeks ago when you pulled me out of the river and almost beat me to death.”
He glared with a hint of remorse as he watched me. “That was a misunderstanding.”
I laughed. “Yeah, okay, buddy. Anyway, I can’t handle doing this with you. I have too much on my plate as it is. What you want from me… I can’t give you.”
“Yet. Not yet,” he said knowingly. In a blink, he reached for me and pulled me back onto his lap.
“Damien!” I shrieked.
“It’s my time to ask questions.” He wrapped his arms around me.
I groaned. “Shoot.”
“Why were you spying on me, Cat? Better question is, what in the name of the immortals are you doing in The Gilded Serpent?” he demanded. “Are you alone?”
I cleared my throat and straightened my back, doing my best not to show an ounce of fear. “Yes, I’m alone. I don’t need a chaperone everywhere I go. And I was… curious when I saw you enter the brothel, so I followed you. Sue me.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
He shook his head. “I told you it’s dangerous for you to be here,” he growled. “If Lysandra finds out you’re—”
“You’ll protect me,” I said quickly. “Won’t you?” I tilted my head and offered a coquettish smile.
Damien opened his mouth to speak and then froze. His eyes widened slightly and he stared at me in a daze.
“Won’t you?” I pushed, trying to snap him out of his stupor.
“Y-Yes… I will,” he stammered.
I gave a wide grin. “Good. Now, why didn’t you tell me you were such a good singer?”
