I crossed my arms. “I’m fairly positive I don’t like you right now. No amount of groveling is going to help you. Don’t even try it.”
He grunted. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
Not. An. Easy. Lover.
“You never answered my question.” His blue eyes narrowed once more.
I swallowed down the childish retort I wanted to say. Instead, I answered with a chilling bite in my tone, “Like I said earlier, I was mortified by what happened. I was a teenager then. It’s not something I’m proud of, nor was it anything you needed to know.”
A black brow lifted. “Don’t ever presume to think you understand what I need to know. That was your first mistake.”
All right. Enough was enough.
I took a large step back from him. “This conversation is done.”
He ran his tongue over his teeth again, not appreciating my command. But he didn’t contradict it either. His voice was gruff. “I don’t like when you pull away from me.”
“Then don’t act like a first-rate asshole.”
Lord Belshazzar snorted, not arguing that statement either. He lifted both his brows slowly and took a step forward, closing the space between us. His head of long, black hair tilted to the side, while his attention held all of mine. His blue eyes flicked back and forth between my eyes and searched my features. The Overlord questioned quietly, “Has anything changed between us?”
My nostrils flared in irritation. “Do you mean, am I going tomove along? Like you suggested I do if Ican’t handleyou?”
He hesitated, and then said, “Yes. I’m asking that.”
“Nothing has changed.” I shook my head. “Calm the heck down. You’ll know when I get really pissed. You won’t even have to ask if I’m leaving. I’ll already be gone before the thought crosses your bullheaded mind.”
He stared, quiet for a second. “Don’t fall for his shit, Gwen.”
I lifted my eyes heavenward and sighed at the ceiling. “You should get going, my lord. Master Niallan’s first Challenge awaits.” The Overlord still felt threatened. There wasn’t much else I could say to him right now though, not with an eavesdropping portrait watching over us.
He gripped my chin with gentle fingers, lowering my head so I could look into his eyes again. Then he dropped his hand from my face and balled it into a fist. “We’ll be back before nightfall. Do as Lord Xenon ordered. Don’t roam alone, and do not leave the castle.”
“Yes, my lord.” I knew a royal demand when I heard it. And I didn’t disagree with it, either. Even if I would be bored out of my goddamn mind. “I’ll see you before nightfall.”
Lord Belshazzar dipped his head, and his hair fanned down around us—hiding us from anyone else’s view. He stopped when his lips were a breath away from mine. His blue eyes flickered with worry before he quickly dashed the show of emotion away, replacing it with his normal stony expression.
He waited. For me.
I crossed my arms and lifted a brow.
I held his hard gaze head-on with one of my own.
Then I angled my chin up.
And pecked his lips really fast.
That was all he was getting from me right now.
The Overlord grunted. A tiny smile flirted with his mouth. He mumbled quietly, “Well, after the way I acted, that was better than nothing.”
Damn straight, it was.
I’d been tempted to deny him. I would have, too, if I hadn’t seen the uneasiness he was hiding away. The Overlord didn’t want to lose what we had together.
Lord Belshazzar slanted his chin up and pressed his plump lips to my forehead, kissing me there once. His mouth was soft and sweet. The caress squeezed my heartstrings, precious and fine, with how delicately he touched me. He lifted his hands and ran the pads of his fingers over my cheeks softly before he pulled back. His eyes searched mine afterward and his lips quirked up on one side. He pecked the tip of my nose quickly.
He rose to his full height and turned to face the mute Overlords, who weren’t even bothering to pretend not to listen in on our conversation. All were staring and silent. The lord’s eyes narrowed on them. He griped, “You fuckers are becoming a nuisance.”
