Nyssa broke free, hands still on Nadir's chest, but she turned, only to find Lex standing in the middle of the hall.
"The hallway?" Lex mocked. "Really, Commander? Are you trying to die?"
Nadir chuckled under his breath, his smile radiating against her throat. Straightening up, he stepped to the middle of the hall, a smirk plastered on his confident face as he lifted his chin smugly at her. "Fuck of a meeting today, Second Sun," he uttered. "I thought for sure that Captain's blood would be over the table and I'd be running with the Princess back to my reef for safety tonight."
"Planning on stealing her?" she asked.
"I might," he said with a shrug.
Lex's lips curled, and she looked to Nyssa, giving her an upwards nod. "Take it back to your room before you're caught, Princess," she instructed. "I'll have the servants bring up dinner," she added with a wink.
A swell of gratitude filled Nyssa's chest, and she moved, slipping her hand into Nadir's and tugging at it. "Thank you, Lex," she managed.
Lex gave her a final nod before turning on her heel and heading back down the hall. Nyssa stepped backwards, pulling on Nadir's hand as he turned and his eyes swept over her body, making her bite her lip at the predatory way he was gazing at her.
"You shouldn't look at me like that in places we could get caught," she said, squeezing his hand.
The right corner of his lip heightened, and he yanked her into his arms again. His hand splayed on her back, the other around her neck. Head bent, the anticipation of his mouth on hers making her heart flutter.
"What are you going to do about it, Princess?" he purred.
She allowed her hand to move from his chest, down to the front of his pants where she slowly dragged her palm against him. She felt him twitch, and she smiled against his lips.
"Get me to my room and you'll find out," she uttered.
She stood on her toes to kiss him, but he pulled back fast. “I only have an hour,” he told her.
“What happens in an hour?”
“Work,” he grunted, hands slipping around her waist.
She groaned in an exaggerated manner as he swayed with her in his arms a moment.
“I suppose I can occupy myself while you’re gone,” she teased.
Nadir smiled crookedly. “With a nap?”
“Definitely a nap,” she laughed.
He kissed her then, hand clenching in her hair, dipping her off balance so that she had to hold onto him. And when he pulled back, she watched as he enveloped over her.
“I want you to show me your castle,” he said. “Later. Show me your favorite place here. Where you go when you need clarity or to feel comforted.”
She could practically feel her eyes dilating up at him as she thought of the high tower and the roofs where she would go sit to watch people. “I’d like that,” she agreed. “But what about right now?”
“Right now…” His gaze darkened, and he stepped back to take in her figure, holding her hand over her head and beckoning her to take a single twirl—which she did. When he pulled her back flush against him, he touched his finger beneath her chin and said, “Right now, I plan to count the freckles on that beautiful ass of yours.”
He moved before she could respond, arms grasping her beneath her backside, and her feet were off the floor. A laugh left her as he hauled her over his shoulder, and he smacked her ass as he stole her down the hall.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“ARE YOU NOT speaking with me?” Bala heard Lex call down the hall.
Bala wouldn’t lie. She’d expected the Belwark at her door the night before and when she hadn’t received that knock, Bala had kicked back the rest of the wine in the bottle left waiting and passed out. She’d spent the morning eating and chatting with Dorian, Aydra, and Hagen while Draven and Nadir went to the market. When she asked about Lex, Aydra had told her she was helping Corbin move into his new room.
Bala turned in Lex’s direction, arms crossing over her chest, and all she did was raise a brow at the Belwark.
Lex’s tongue darted out over her lips, eyes casting down, that stray piece of hair falling to cover her. “You’re mad.”
