Page 7 of The Sweetest Lies
“Watch my eyes? Really? Do tell how one accomplishes such a feat.”
He flicks his annoyed glare away for only a moment before pinning it right back on me. “Stop glaring at the queen.”
“It’s wrong for me to glare but a-okay for you to want to sink your little cock into her?”
“I’m sorry,little?”
Ah, his complex just can’t take it, can it?
“Stop making a fool of yourself and flirting with a woman who’s clearly only using you as her guard.” My arms fold hard, but he takes an even harder step forward, his chest suddenly pushing against my arms as I stare up at his insufferable face.
Even his beard is pretentious. No one’s beard is that nice. Stop grooming so hard. It’s embarrassing.
“Listen. She’s skeptical of you. You were nearly the king of Hell’s bride. Everyone here is watching you, Cersia. Avian and Rome can’t always be around to protect you from yourself.”
“No one needs to protect me. I manage just fine, thank you.”
His eyes widen, and his head dips low, his voice growling against my flesh as he speaks once more, “Then why did I hear the word dragon following me around this morning as you whispered behind my back?”
“Why aren’t you afraid of what’s to come? Why do you trust her? Why?” I don’t understand the pain that shoves into my chest as my voice shatters over that last word.
I guess... I guess it’s because I know he doesn’t treat me the way he treats her. He’ll never hang on and believe every word that I feed him. I’m not... I’m nothing to him.
I was a means to an end. That end has come.
But I’m still here.
“Get inside. Go to your room and calm yourself down. Take a fucking nap or something.” Sharp teeth snap against his lips and he has to breath slow exhales to get the beast inside him to tame. With another slow breath, he turns on the heels of his boots, and his back is to me as his big paw grips the door handle to head back inside.
But I just can’t take it. The pressure within me feels like it’s ready to blow. The anxiety is turning too quickly into something else.
Something weak.
I won’t let it.
I’ll fight it.
Just like I’ll fight this fucking infuriating man before I ever let him disregard me ever again.
My nails sink into his wrist, and I push my way between him and the door just to fully look into his shining green eyes.
“I’m not something you can use and toss aside. I fucking live here now, Zilo. I’m going to be around. You can’t just send me to my room whenever you’re fucking tired of looking at me!”
“I’ll never grow tired of looking at you,” he whispers suddenly.
My heart stumbles.
His eyes widen just as mine do, as if he himself is just as surprised he let those words out of his traitorous mouth.
I’m all too aware of how little space there is between us. His chest is warm against mine. His arm brushes my side with every apprehensive breath he takes. And the way he’s looking at me, it feels like he sees all the flaws I keep hidden away. He sees those nasty traits within my flawless features.
And he’s still gazing at me like he might kiss me.
Oh. My. Goddess.
Zilo wants to kiss me.
Does he—does he even know how that interaction works? Would he really allow himself to kiss someone without murmuring obscenities between tongue strokes?
