Page 40 of Peasants and Kings
I hadn’t expected to feel arousal for a man in this setting. But maybe it would be easier this way. My first time…with a man I already wanted. A man who already knew I wanted him.
A Rex girl could choose who she gave her key to, and at that moment it was all I could control.
“How old are you, Eden?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Christ,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I knew you were young, but I didn’t realize how young.”
“You’re awfully condescending, Hadrian.” I rolled my eyes. “Are you afraid this crowd will corrupt me?”
“Say it again.” His voice was low, demanding, and his brogue slid over me like mink on naked skin.
“Say what again?”
“My name.”
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “Hadrian.”
His gaze darkened with heat and promise.
“Spend your night with me.”
My breath hitched.
“You’re safe with me, Eden. Pretend it’s the night we first met and that we aren’t here in this place. I won’t demand anything of you that you don’t want to give.”
He waited, not making a play to coerce or convince me further. His body was taut with alertness and his gaze was unwavering as he waited for my answer.
I’d already committed to becoming a Rex girl. Wouldn’t my first time be better if it was with a man I would’ve gladly slept with for nothing in any other time and place?
He was more arrogant than anyone I’d ever met, yet he wasn’t wrong about his pronouncements.
This man standing in front of me was not like any of the other men in the ballroom. He elicited something inside of me that I’d never felt before. An emotion I couldn’t name. Some strange combination of desire, fear, and safety that I couldn’t rationalize.
I wanted to feel the weight of him against me, I wanted to know how his lips tasted.
There was no point in weighing my decision any longer. Sometimes, you just had to go with your instinct.
I reached up behind my neck and unclasped my key necklace. I took his hand and turned it over. His skin was warm, rough. I gently placed my key into his palm, and when I did, his fingers curled around it.
With his other hand, he grasped my hip and tugged me flush against his body.
My fingers splayed across his chest, feeling the muscles beneath his tailored, crisp shirt.
“Let’s find Genevieve, aye?” he asked, his voice raspy with desire.
I nodded, unable to speak. He released me and then laced his fingers through mine. He stalked out of the library, his strides long and confident. I stumbled in an attempt to keep up with him. Hadrian had a purpose and he clearly wanted the business side of this arrangement dealt with.
Genevieve was standing in the corner of the ballroom, conversing with Annika. We approached them immediately.
Without a word, he showed my necklace to Genevieve.
“Eden?” she asked me, but without removing her eyes from Hadrian.
“I’d like to give my key to Hadrian,” I said.
“All right.” Genevieve’s gaze slid to mine. She waited for a moment to see if I was sure, and then nodded. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
