Page 66 of Skyshade
His eyes darkened for just a moment at the mention of it. Then, he frowned. “Of course not.”
The music was slowing. The song was nearly over. “Good,” she said, getting close to him. To the crowd, it must have looked like she was leaning close to her husband, to whisper something loving into his ear. “Don’t even think about visiting my chambers tonight.”
Then, the song was over. And he should feel lucky, she thought, that she didn’t reach for her blade.
Drink was served by the barrel. She sipped from a glass and frowned. It would take a while to get used to the thick, strong Nightshade wine. The ones Grim chose for dinner were lighter, more floral.
He did know her. Every single thing she touched or consumed in this castle had been carefully hand-selected by him.
Her people, at least, seemed to be enjoying themselves. She counted all of them. Every single one of her people was invited, but two. Terra and Poppy.
Some small part of her felt guilty not having them there. They, out of anyone, had been with her the most in her life. They had raised her.
She buried the feeling down. Just like Grim, they had betrayed her. They had betrayed her mother. And, more than that, it wasn’t asif this wedding meant anything. The true one had happened many months prior. This was just a show.
Everyone was dancing. The party had moved outside, beyond the greenhouse. Music was played in wild plucks, people swayed in the grass, there was laughter, and smiles, and celebration. Grim had been right. The ceremony would raise spirits. It would foster hope.
He was on the other side of the lawn, speaking to members of his court. She took a long sip of her drink and wondered if she was supposed to be staying by his side. If everyone would believe it was odd that she wasn’t. Somehow, he seemed to sense her gaze, because his eyes met hers. He raised his drink toward her, in a silent cheer. She gave her best attempt at a smile, still angry from the end of their previous conversation.
It must have looked more like a grimace, because a moment later, a voice behind her said, “Very convincing. You look more inclined to murder me in my bed than to lie with me in it.”
She turned to the side, where Grim had portaled, and gave him her sweetest smile. “Really? And I was trying so hard to mask my true feelings.”
He barked a laugh, and the people around looked genuinely concerned. She wondered if they had ever seen their ruler even chuckle. “You’re scaring the guests,” she murmured against the rim of her glass.
Grim looked faintly amused. He opened his mouth to say something, but, just then, a guard frantically rushed over. He whispered something to Grim. He only nodded, not letting a hint of trouble show on his face.
She knew better. “What is it?”
He motioned for her to follow.
She wasn’t the only one who had seen the guard, who had sensed his panic. The celebration seemed to wane. People were watching them, stopping their conversations. Some began to whisper. She didn’tknow what the guard had told Grim, but it couldn’t be good. And this was meant to be a distraction.
So, she grabbed Grim by the shoulders, pressed him against the nearest tree, and kissed him.
At first, he looked alarmed, eyes opened wide.
Then, he seemed to forget all his people were watching, or he just didn’t care, because he threaded his fingers through her hair, cradled the back of her neck, and kissed her ravenously.
His tongue swept into her mouth and his taste—she had almost forgotten. Had almost forgotten how one brush of his tongue inside her mouth melted down all of her emotions and forged them into a single gleaming, unrelenting want. She groaned before stifling the sound, but it only made the act more convincing. His thumbs grazed her throat as he held her, calluses scraping, making her shiver, until he reached her necklace. With a sharp movement, he pulled the diamond and growled into her ear, as if the word had escaped, “Mine.”
In response, she pulled the chain around his neck, forcing his lips back to hers, and said against them, in a voice she hardly recognized, “Mine.”
That seemed to be his undoing. He turned her around in a flash, her spine hitting the bark, and dragged his lips down her neck, toward her chest. Her breathing hitched, ending in a high-pitched sound only he could hear. He rumbled his approval against her collarbone.
There were cheers, somewhere. The music became louder.
This was likely enough of a distraction, but the drink made her bold enough to chase exactly what she wanted, so she moved his hands down her body, slowly, exactly where she had imagined them for weeks, and he made a low sound of pure need. One hand gripped her hip bone, thumb making broad strokes across the thin fabric, inching toward the center of her need. His other swept down her spine, her nerves raw and full of want, before stopping just short of her backside,as if he had finally realized that everyone was watching. No. She didn’t want him to stop. She rose on her toes, so that his hand slid, and he laughed darkly against her lips.
Her own fingers trailed down his chest, exploring, remembering, pressing against muscle like stone. She didn’t want any fabric between them, she wanted to feel him, feel the heat that was currently pressing against her stomach dragging through every aching part of her. She broke the kiss to whisper, “Carry me,” into his ear, and then she was off her feet. He turned—
And they weren’t at their wedding anymore.
No. They were on a cliffside. He was still carrying her. They were both breathing far too quickly.
“That was convincing,” he said. His voice was casual, but his eyes were like two pools of ink, darkened with want. He looked like he was on the edge of his sanity. Like one word from her could snap his control completely.
Part of her was relieved he had known it was an act. The other part wondered what would have happened if Grim had portaled them into their room instead.
