What the fuck was wrong with him?
Gods the pleasure of just her mouth threatened to bring him to his knees. There was no limit she couldn’t push. No demand he would have refused. There was no thought. No control. Only Sera.
He lifted his hand higher, laying his palm flat on the exposed nape of her neck, attempting to capture every inch of warmth. She wore a mere chemise, a wisp of cotton. It would be nothing at all to tear it from her body. His other hand clawed into the fabric. One tug and he could reacheverything, drown in the heavenly heat of her bare skin.
This is all a lie.
He kissed harder, pressing her further into the room. Actively fighting the voice of reason in favor of something far morecompelling. The bed hovered just behind her, draped in a dusty cloth to protect the duvet from the years of neglect. The bed…
You can’t fuck her in your brother’s room.
Kieran pulled back, pushing her at arm’s length in one motion. He fought to catch his breath. Sera remained frozen, dazed. Her eyes heavy with lust. Was she that good an actress? He couldn’t tell. It didn’t matter.
“Talk. Or I call the Watchmen.”
Tears pooled in her eyes, but he couldn’t be sure if this wasn’t another manipulation. He gripped her chin, gently turning her head so that her imploring gaze focused elsewhere. Her eyes, when directed at him, were too tempting, but he couldn’t look away from her or he risked the horrors in that room.
“I’m warning you, Sera. No more tricks. No more distractions.”
He was contemplating the risk of kissing her again, just once more, just a little longer. Her touch, her taste, she had felt better than any indulgence. He knew she was dangerous, but he had gravely underestimated the extent of that danger.
“Cole is after something. That’s why he wants me dead. He’s afraid I’ll tell you.” Her eyes darted forward, attempting to see him, though he continued to hold her chin in place. No looking. If he met her eyes directly, he’d do more than kiss her.
“I have nothing he could want.”
“A charm. A necklace of some kind. I only saw the picture once. The…” She sighed. “The Wayward Charm?”
“Waylain Charm?” His grip eased.
“Yes!” She started to turn, taking advantage of his relaxed hold on her. “Yes, he wants the Waylain Charm. He says it belonged to his family, but he left it behind when you banished him. It’s not in his estate. He’s had it searched. He is convinced you took it.”
Kieran pulled his hand away, taking a step to put distance between them. She was not making sense. “The Waylain Charm is a Legendary Artifact.”
“Of course, something powerful. Otherwise, I can’t imagine why he wants it.”
“The powerful artifacts were destroyed centuries ago. Only trinkets with minor magical enchantments survived.”
Sera shook her head. “No, that can’t be right. He wants this. Desperately. He threatened to kill me if I failed to retrieve it.”
“Which you did, that first night.” Kieran observed her, not certain if he could trust his instincts that she was telling the truth.
“Yes, but then you said we needed a way to end this. You thought Wraith was the only way, but if I give Cole the Charm then this ends.”
He studied her for any sign of deception. “You were searching my home at night, again, in secret, to save me from having to confer with Wraith?”
She swallowed. “Yes and no. I… look, I know I’ve been a pain in the ass. You’ve given Seth and me every comfort. But this situation is a nightmare. I figured if I could end it, then problem solved. One less nightmare.”
“And if this artifact was important to me? If I didn’t want it in Cole’s hands?”
“I suppose I didn’t consider that. I’m more of a ‘trust no one cause everyone hurts you eventually’ girl. You’ve been nothing but kind—in your own way—and I still can’t bring myself to trust that you don’t have an ulterior motive for helping me.”
He kept his breathing measured. Her words aligned with his impressions of her so far. “And kissing me?”
Her eyes went wide, color blooming on her cheeks. “I…”
“The truth, Sera. The truth is your only chance of redeeming my trust.”
She bit her lip. “You looked angry.”
