Page 69 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"Apologies, good sir," Laurince said, bowing dramatically again, forcing Myra to look away and stifle her laughter. "The lady and I were simply passing by."
The man’s lip curled. "Do so quieter, why don’t you?" He slammed the door shut with a disgruntled groan.
Myra mouthed an apology at the door. And when she looked at Laurince, he was struggling to contain his amusement. Laurince grabbed her hand, pulling her away, before they nearly combusted and the stranger came out of the room to chastise them again.
As they quickly padded down the hall—as quietly as possible for two drunk people—he asked, "Which room did Rian say he and I were in?"
Myra cleared her throat, the laughter finally fading. "The fifth door on the left."
Laurince looked back and counted the doors. "Ah," he said, finding it. "I’ll ask him which room is yours. Just wait here, all right?"
Myra nodded, and Laurince cracked open the door. He peeked inside as if checking to see if the innkeeper had stayed longer than expected. She must not have been because he dipped inside, leaving the door cracked behind him.
As she stared after him, the hall spun around her. Myra leaned against the wall. Pressing her palms flat against the floral wallpaper, she steadied herself, letting the buzz of the alcohol wear off as she waited. A yawn poured from her mouth. She shut her eyes as a wave of exhaustion came over her.
As she hummed a song she had heard earlier, eager dreams knocked at the edges of her mind. She wanted to fall into them, to let the strong arms that awaited her carry her away. She imagined gentle hands slipping up her waist, higher and higher.
Heat bloomed in her core, and she pressed her thighs together. Her hand brushed her hip, skating over her curves.
Hinges creaked, and she ripped her hand away, folding it behind her back. She blinked, the fog slow to fade.
Laurince slipped out of the room, and the lit sconces in the hall kissed his sharp line. He reached up and scratched the backof his head. The fabric shifted around his arm, morphing to his muscles.
Gods, he was attractive.
She held back a gasp and released her bottom lip, realizing she wasn’t dreaming. She prayed she hadn’t said that aloud.
Thankfully, she must not have.
"Slight problem," he said with a grimace.
"What is it?"
"He got only one room."
"Are you sure? Should we go check with?—"
Laurince was already shaking his head. "Apparently, there was only one room available."
"Oh," Myra said, shifting on her feet. "Are there at least two beds?"
Laurince nodded.
"That’s good at least."
He chuckled nervously, warmth flooding his cheeks. "There’s one other issue." He pushed the door open and ushered her inside.
She cautiously stepped into the room, unsure of what to expect or how to prepare herself. A crack of moonlight seeped in through the drawn curtains, a dim glow spilling across the space. One bed was completely empty. Then her gaze landed on the second. Rian was lying across the bed diagonally, his limbs spread out like a starfish. There was no way two grown men were going to sleep comfortably with one of them taking up the entirety of it.
"I’ve tried moving him, but…" Laurince whispered behind her as he shut the door. The lock clicked into place with a thunderous finality.
It was as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown over her, sobering her up immediately. Her heartbeat was in her throat. Her palms grew slick with sweat.
"He sleeps like a log. He barely responded to me when I asked about the rooms. But I’ll sleep on the floor. It’s not a problem."
And maybe it was because of the mead or because Myra was a foolish woman who wanted to pretend she was confident for a night, the offer slipped free before she could think of the consequences. "No, no. Sleep in the bed. It’s big enough."
Although as she looked at it, she wasn’t sure that was true when she considered Laurince’s build.
