Page 61 of To Wake a Kingdom

Ronan leaned down, speaking into my ear in a gravelly voice. “Thorne, I can’t knock you to the ground when I can still feel you hot and wet and squirming in my hand. When I can still taste the sweetness of your pussy on my tongue.” His words were meant to disarm, and it nearly worked, because something equally hot and wet lashed through me. But I was also furious, and I pushed it away.

“Yes, you can! Why does this change anything? You said you’d teach me to fight. That was our deal from the first day I let you stay here. You don’t get to back out on me now because we—” I looked at Em and Noah, who were finding the ground to be intensely interesting.

“Leave us,” Ronan ordered, his eyes focused on me.

They practically tripped over each other in their eagerness to get away. After they disappeared into the castle, I retreated several paces and ran for him, swinging down my sword with every bit of strength I had. He blocked it but remained still.

“Ronan! Stop this! Fight me! You have a woman as your third in command, for gods’ sake!”

“It’s different,” he snapped.

“Why? I need this! You promised!” Another wave of guilt crossed his expression, but he didn’t seem inclined to budge. So I tried a different tactic. I lowered my sword and cocked a hip, offering him a small smile. “Fight me or I won’t let you kiss me. Ever again.”

I was bluffing, but he didn’t need to know that. Regardless, the empty threat did what I intended because he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Did you blackmail me? With kissing?”

“I’m pretty sure I did,” I growled, adding, “and more than kissing. There’s plenty more where this came from.” I swept my hand over my body, and he followed it, hunger flaring in his eyes. He wasn’t the only one capable of disarming.

“If you recall, you owe me a favor.” His smug smile suggested he thought he’d taken the upper hand.

“Ifyourecall, we did not agree upon the terms of said favor.” I pretended to check my nails. “I’ll brush your horse for you.”

His green eyes went dark, jaw hardening. Finally, he stepped forward and took a proper swipe at me.

“Ah-ha!” I said, leaping out of the way. I swung again, and he blocked it, but this time he countered and hit me in the ribs with a dull thwack. I grunted in satisfaction.

“Better.” I graced him with a feral smile, launching myself at him as we became a blur of movements. His training had been impeccable, and I had been a motivated student. I still couldn’t beat him, but I could at least hold my own for a few minutes.

He knocked the sword from my hand and swept a leg behind my knees, sending me flying onto my back. Ronan landed on top of me, pinning my wrists over my head.

“Was this what you wanted, Little Lion?” His gaze was full of fire and heat, and I was a spitting viper of fury, but I also kind of wished there were fewer clothes between us.

“Yes!” I willed myself to stillness, intensely aware of every place he was touching me.

Face lowered to mine, he said, “Don’t you dare blackmail me again.”

With my heels, I drew him close, wrapping my legs around his waist. Smirking, he stretched over me. But I used the distraction to flip him on his back, straddling him under me, wrists trapped over his head. He could have freed himself from my grip in a heartbeat, but I could tell he was very interested in where this was going.

Tracing the curve of his throat with my tongue, I ground my hips into his, feeling the thickening length of his cock and letting him think he’d won. Ronan shivered under me and moaned as I sucked on the tender spot behind his ear. When I felt the hard proof that I’d gotten to him, I lifted my head and conjured my fiercest look. Though I desperately wanted to continue what I’d started, he needed to be reminded of something.

“Then don’t you dare treat me like some delicate flower ever again. I’ve had enough of that in my life, and I won’t accept it from you. I have no problem with you wanting to protect me, but don’t you dare stop me from learning how to protect you or anyone else I care about. If you think I’d ever be okay with that, then you don’t know me at all.”

I pushed myself up and stood. Dusting my pants off, I turned and stalked away, leaving him lying in the snow.

I stood with Gideon in front of my parents, studying them closely.

“Do you think this will work?” I asked, looking at the vial of dark liquid in my hand and then at their peaceful, sleeping faces.

“I hope so, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for this. You’ve all been so kind.”

He tipped his head, giving me that comforting smile I’d come to trust. “It was no trouble, Your Highness. Would you like some help?”

Holding the vial to my heart, I took a deep breath. If this didn’t work, then I didn’t know what I would do. “No, I’ll do it.”

At that moment, Ronan entered the room. He was as beautiful as always, dark hair hanging around his shoulders, the top half tied back. His tunic stretched over his frame in a way that left me breathless. Hands stuffed in his pockets, he gave me an apologetic smile that almost shook my resolve, but I wasn’t quite ready to forgive him yet. Instead, I scowled and returned to my task.

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