Will it be too much for him?
“Alexis,” Keane exhales softly.
His brown eyes wash over mine in kindness, the full of him watching me and noticing my battle of insecurities. I sigh and shake my head, willing that kindness to go away and hating that he’s looking at me with such compassion.
“Don’t,” I plead.
I don’t deserve that kindness right now, don’t deserve his understanding.
Keane ignores my request and takes a step forward.
“Don’t,Keane.”
That shame creeps up again. It’s harrowing in its desperation, making me feel so unworthy that I can’t even look at him.
How can he be walking towards me right now? It’s not right. I can’t even stand to be near him, not with all this guilt that’s pushing out of me. Troy is nothing compared to Keane,nothing, but I can’t stand the reminder that I was ever with him, that I ever let him touch me.
His touch!
“Keane!”
I lift a hand up to stop him, surprised when the Prince halts his steps to stand directly in front of me.
“What do you know of your brother’s summoning?”
Keane frowns at whatever he sees on my face, “I know that it deals in emotions, similar to my father’s.”
“Yes,” I nod, “he reads emotions from people and can feel them as if they are his. I forgot during our conversation and had to quickly adjust.”
“I gathered,” he says softly, brown eyes narrowing on mine, “what’s going on, Alexis?”
I shake my head, not understanding it myself, “he touched me…”
Keane inhales sharply as I continue, “his fingers grabbed my chin. I felt a pull from that touch.”
I look down at the ground in more shame, “it was something similar to yours. It was as if he was pulling desire out of me and towards him, willing me to engage with him. I’ve never felt that before.”
Keane swiftly grabs me into a tight embrace as I break down in anguish.
“The desire wasn’t real. I swear to you, Keane, it wasn’t real! It wasn’t my own.”
“I know it, Alexis,” he grips the back of my head and runs his fingers through my hair.
“You don’t,” I whisper guiltily, “I don’t…”
I don’t deserve your kindness right now.
I don’t deserve you.
“Stop,Alexis,” he commands.
Keane presses my body so tightly into his that I have to still my breaths, my lungs unable to heave the sobs that want to push out. He holds me in his powerful embrace until I let all of the guilt and shame pass through, until the two of us are breathing in sync and my mind is calmer.
“I need you to know,” I whisper into his bare chest, “I need you to know that he has never been in this room. Hasneverstepped over the threshold.”
Keane exhales and pulls my head back so that I have to look at him.
“You watch me every night at court engaging with the women there,flirtingwhen needed. You watched me your first night in Gaumond when I had my hands and lips on another woman. So do not, Alexis, for one moment, think that I do not feel nor understand the same guilt that you feel right now. And do not think that I will just casually dismiss what we have and what we’ve experienced together over something like this. I know you have no feelings for Troy.”
