Page 210 of The Nightmare Bride
“Okay. Go ahead. It’s not like I have anywhere to be, apparently.”
Heat crept into his eyes. “Oh, but I can think of better ways to spend our time alone.Muchbetter ways.”
I moved to swat his shoulder, but he caught my wrist and held it fast.
A zing eddied into me from the place where his fingers circled my forearm, prompting the very potent realization that I was practically lying on top of him. Which was...probably sending the wrong message.
I tugged my hand away. I might have decided he wasn’t a criminal, but really, what did that matter? This man was destined to marry Amryssa. All that had actually changed was that pesky little detail about me killing him in cold blood.
Which was...fine, really. It would’ve been a shame to let a face like that go to waste, anyway.
“I’d much rather continue last night’s conversation than tell you my deepest, darkest secrets.” His voice took on the consistency of hot, wet silk. “Because I believe we were at the part where you were about to fall hopelessly in love with me.”
“No, we were at the part where I was about to slap you.” I eased off him, though it cost me every ounce of energy and a not-insignificant amount of throbbing pain.
Goddess, why did everything hurt? So much more than usual?
Then I remembered. I’d launched myself from that horse last night. And hit the groundhard.
I looked down. Crusted scrapes littered my arms. Everything ached, though not so much as to suggest I’d broken any bones.
Kyven’s gaze followed mine. “I suppose Icouldshare, if you’d care to join me in the shower. I always do my best confessing while naked. I do most things better while naked, actually. I’d be happy to demonstrate.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring the mysterious response that prompted at the juncture of my thighs. “I already told you my story. For free. No joint showering required.”
He heaved a theatrical sigh. “That’s true.”
“The least you can do is return the favor.”
“Well. My life isn’t actually all that interesting.”
“Somehow, I doubt that.” I held his eyes for a beat, and wow, did he make dishevelment look good. Dried sweat stuck his copper-dark hair to his forehead. Two-day stubble dusted his jaw, just begging to be touched, while scarlet smears adorned his chest.
My blood, not his. Evidence of how close he’d held me last night.
Seeing my own marks on him did something strange to me, so I kicked my legs over the bedside and went in search of mydagger. Best give him space, like he’d done for me over ale last night.
Best give us both space. Much-needed, much-desired, absolutely criticalspace.
Once I had my dagger in hand, I claimed a seat at my vanity. Kyven scooted to the mattress’s edge, his eyes meeting mine in the mirror.
“Would you like to see?” I said. “What it can do?”
He nodded and made to stand, but I waved him back. I’d never shown this to anyone before. Then again, no one had ever saved me from a nightmare, either. Now this would have to serve as my tit for tat, since Kyven wasn’t getting his hands on any other kind.
I went to work, smoothing away a cut.
He sucked in a soft gasp. “That’s...astonishing.”
“Just tell me your story. While I work.”
Eventually, he must’ve come to grips with seeing my wounds knit into fresh, unblemished skin, because he said, “Last night, do you remember me saying I wanted to go everywhere? Do everything?Beeverything?”
I quelled a shiver. Given the circumstances in which he’d delivered those words, I couldn’t have forgotten if I’d tried. “Yep.” I concentrated on a particularly nasty scrape, one that required me to pick out a chunk of gravel, first.
“Well, that wasn’t always true. At its root, my story isn’t all that different from yours.”
I frowned. Whatever growing up as royalty involved, I doubted being dumped in a swamp ranked among the perks.
