He groaned and wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed me into every hardened muscle of his body.
I gasped as my feet left the ground, but his mouth chased mine, stealing it once more.
Fucking Four, I wanted to be stolen.
His kiss was as demanding and desperate as mine. I clung to him as if my life depended on it, afraid I would shatter if our lips ceased to touch. My hands flew over him, tunneling into his silky hair, yanking on his shirt collar, raking over the stubble on his jaw, clutching his face to mine.
The tip of his tongue kissed mine before stroking into my mouth.
Gods, he tasted like apples and cinnamon. Like sweet wine that blurred my thoughts and quenched my thirst.
Like chaos and destruction.
A strangled whimper rose from my throat. He answered with a hungry growl, wrapping my legs around his waist and pinning me against a wall with his hips.
A deep, pleasant warmth coated my insides like honey.
But then something small and hard bounced off my leg.
Aiden growled again, as if ordering me to ignore it. But it happened again.
My eyes blinked open the same moment our lips parted. His panting breaths soothed my swollen lips. My heart thundered in my ears.
Another projectile bounced off my shoulder.
I tore my attention from his gold-streaked mouth and found a sweaty Maz standing in front of the closed vault with the loaded cart, a handful of gold coins, and an expression somewhere between elated and exasperated.
“Gods damn it, you two,” he said, shaking his head. “I will personally donate twenty of my gold coins to rent the best room in Aquinon for you to devour each other. But can wepleasefinish stealing the coins first?”
A high-pitched giggle burst out of me, and I slapped a hand over my mouth.
Aiden glanced down at me with such a smoldering grin that I would’ve melted to the floor had he not been holding me. He lookedwrecked.My gold paint was streaked over his face and neck. Gold flecks winked at me from his tousled black hair.
Slowly, he eased me back on my feet and picked up one of the coins Maz had thrown at us.
He flicked it at Maz, hitting him in the chest. “Only if you stop throwing them at us like we’re your entertainment for the evening.”
“Do forgive me,” Maz said dryly, picking up the fallen coins as he wheeled the cart toward us. “But I thought that’s exactly what you were doing—putting on a show for the two servantswho walked by. Or did you forget about them? And me? And the heist? And?—”
“Enough!” Aiden cuffed him on the back of the head as he passed.
Maz ducked away, whistling and wheeling our stolen treasure down the hall.
But it was like a cloud had passed over, dripping cold rain into our warm bubble.
“Was he right?” I whispered. “Was that just for show?”
Aiden’s face turned solemn, but his touch was gentle as he stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Not for a single moment.”
Relief coated me like his clawberry paste—sealing the wound that had already begun to hurt.
He kissed me once more. A tender, heart-wrenching kiss before he ripped himself away with a harsh sigh. “We have to go. I have to get the guard before he wakes up.”
“But... but your face.” I tried to dab off some of the paint from his lips with my silks. “Everyone will know?—”
He caught my wrist and leaned into my palm. “Let them. If I had my way, I would end the night wearing every speck of your paint.”
My blood hummed with desire until the realization hit me. “Gods! My paint! I’ll have to fix it before... before...”Going back to Asher.
