I slid down the roof and twisted as my legs plunged off the edge, latching onto the last tiles and shooting my feet through the open window. Landing squarely on the stone floor, I stalked up behind her, taking in the way her leathers molded her lush frame. Leaning by her ear, I hissed. “I told you never to wear clothing like this again in my presence.”
She jumped, whirling around to face me, her eyes flaring. But when a conniving smile curled her lips, my heart seized. “I wear what I want.” Her hands smoothed across her hips. “Merrick gave these to me. He said he adores how my ass looks in tight leather.”
My pulse thundered, and I barely bit back my jealous howl. Instead, I gave into the only release I knew best. The sky opened up and rain drenched down, blasting the roof hard enough to make her eyes widen even further. Her hands left her hips to clasp over her ears.
I shut down my fury, compressing it, clamping control around it before it took charge, and I did something I’d regret.
“At least you showed up,” I purred, stepping away from her overwhelming allure. She smelled too good, and those leathers . . .
“Merrick asked me to do this,” she said sweetly.
Again, I suppressed my urge to bash my way around the room. It was his right as the king and her husband. “Do you always do what Merrick asks?”
“In all things.” She dimpled me a fake smile.
“What about the other night?”
“We’re not discussing that.” Her prissy tone shredded through my feeble confidence. “I’ve already forgotten it happened.”
Lifting her, I pressed her against the wall. “It happened. You’ll never forget.”
She shoved my chest. “Aren’t you the cocky one? It wasn’t that good.”
I pressed my face against her neck and sucked in a breath of pure Reyla before muttering against her flesh. “You’ll never have better.”
Her hands latched onto my hair, and she gave it a good yank, making me lift my head and meet her gaze.
She floundered in the same feelings as me. I could see them in the heat simmering in her eyes and feel them in the way her fingers stopped hauling on my hair and wove through it as if she was unable to resist.
That cooled my ire, and I lowered her to her feet andstomped away from her, only turning back when there was enough distance between us to think.
“Don’t touch me again,” she said. “Don’t breathe on me again. And do not think you’ll get a repeat of what happened the other night. I’m married to Merrick, and I want him, not you.”
She sure knew how to drag my rage back to the surface.
“Not unless you beg,” I rasped.
“Since that will never happen, we can put it behind us where it belongs.” Her hand thrust forward, her golden bracelet with red stones shifting across her skin. She’d worn it since her first morning on the ship, a gift from her husband. “Give me my sword, please. You took it from me when I boarded the ship in Lydel, and I want it back.”
“Do you know how to use it?”
She rolled her eyes and tapped the hilt of one of the blades secured in sheaths at her waist. “I’ve trained with weapons from the time I turned three.”
“Good. You may need them.”
“Keep testing me, and I’ll make sure you appreciate my demonstration.” Her gaze shot to my groin. “You might find it a sharp but solid lesson.”
“Leave my cock out of this, and we’ll get along fine, Wildfire.”
“I don’t care about your cock.”
“You brought it up.”
“No, you broughtitup.”
One touch or one whiff of her scent made it thrust to attention.It—and I—craved her like no other and that wasn’t changing.
“I’ll see that your sword is returned to you, but you can’t wear it with your prissy gowns.”
