“Ale, please,” I smile at the woman before turning back to Keane.
“So, how were your meetings today?”
I might as well go straight to the source if he thinks I’m prying.
“Productive,” he angles his body towards mine, eyes still dancing, “how have you taken to Fumagalli?”
“It’s tranquil,” I grab the mug placed on the counter, “tootranquil.”
“I would have thought your self-proclaimed Knowledge heart would enjoy a calm and quiet place like this? You certainly looked in your element at breakfast this morning.”
His brown eyes hold mine as that playful smile continues to grace his lips. I take a heavy drink of ale to still the quick beat of my heart, watching as his gaze dips down to the mug at my lips. When I drop the drink back on the counter, his eyes follow the movement, his brown gaze dipping from my lips to my neck and down to my collarbone. I watch him curiously as he reaches out a hand and let’s his fingers brush over the gold satin cut at the base of my throat, trailing them down the fabric.
“I like this shirt on you,” he murmurs, eyes peeking just barely down the slit in my shirt.
It’s such a small advance but it still makes me flush in my seat. I reach for the mug again and take another long drink.
“You like the color or the design?”
“The design of that deep cut,” Keane nods, eyes dipping back to my lips as he watches me drink, “the color would be better in black.”
Black, I smile to myself. If only he knew.
“I’ve definitely worn something with far deeper cuts around you, Keane, and neither of those nights were graced with any form of compliments.”
Keane leans in with another small smirk, the edge of his knees brushing against mine.
“I was certainly thinking of all sorts of compliments when I saw you those nights.”
“And?”
“And,” he moves his arm over the back of my chair, “they were all too improper to say to a Lady of Knowledge.”
“But not to a Lady of Warrior?”
“No,” he gives me a side smile, “never to a Lady from Warrior.”
“A shame,” I sigh and move my legs away from his, leaning towards the countertop.
“What’s a shame?” he asks, placing his other arm on the counter with me.
I turn to the Prince with a wicked smile. “That you don’t recognize a woman who enjoys that kind of improper talk.”
Keane holds my gaze hard, unsure if what he just heard actually came out of my lips. I chuckle and reach for my drink again, only to be stopped by his hand as it quickly darts out to mine. He grabs my wrist and pulls it away from the mug, flipping it over so that the back of my knuckles rest against the counter.
I watch as he slowly lets his fingers skim over my palm, nails grazing on my skin as he starts to trace small movements that have me shifting in my seat. Keane turns his gaze back on mine and watches as my body reacts, watches how I flush to even his slightest touch. He grins and pinches the inside of my middle finger, that small nip sending a flood of heat straight between my thighs.
“Trouble,” he says softly, though his voice is bit raspy.
“Trouble,” I nod in agreement, closing my hand to capture his, “but fun.”
Keane grips the back of my chair, his gaze staring into mine until I finally release his fingers.
“You still have no idea what game you’re playing, Alexis,” he shakes his head.
Don’t I?
I smile and turn into his body, letting both our legs press into the other’s.
