“Well,” Lexie said dryly. “This is some of the best entertainment I’ve had in weeks. I assume you had a problem with my magical lock.”
Trew’s attention flicked to her before coming back to me, pinning me more effectively than his magic ever could.
“I heard something from this room,” he said. “A sound I didn’t like.”
“That sound,” Lexie muttered, her smile quivering with humor, “was us making sure the gown fit. And me telling Isi she’s going to cause a scandal.”
His gaze swept over me again, slow enough that the gown felt far too thin. “I had to be sure she was still safe.”
“I am.” I swallowed hard. “We’re fine. You can?—”
“Stay,” he barked out.
Lexie’s eyebrows went up. “Or you could go, Your Majesty. Give her a little mystery before the ball tomorrow. A woman likes to make an entrance.”
“Ball?” His gaze narrowed.
“For the new warriors.” Heat crawled up my neck. “If you want to see me in the gown again, you’ll have to attend.”
That earned me a smirk that promised nothing good. “Oh, I’ll be there.” He rose, the easy grace of it countering the raw power I’d seen when he’d come through the door. Stepping in close, he leaned down, his warm breath brushing across my cheek. “That gown’s wasted on the ball, Minx.” His husky voice curled through my belly in a very pleasant way. “I’d rather take it off you instead.”
My knees went unreliable, and he knew it. I almost forgot Lexie was in the room.
“Alright,” Lexie cut in, stepping between us. She planted her hands on his chest and nudged, though the gesture didn’t move him at all. “You’ve assured yourself she’s safe. Back out into the hall with you. If you want to see Isi again, you’ll have to wait for morning.” She pushed him again, though he only moved back a few steps.
His infuriating, insufferable smirk only deepened as his gaze locked on mine. He braced one broad shoulder against the fractured doorframe, his hand coming up to rest lazily against the other side, effectively caging me in the room.
“You broke my door,” I said. “How am I going to secure it tonight?”
His tone deepened to a low rasp. “I could stand guard. If you’d like.”
“I’ll see if Derren can fix it,” Lexie said.
A flick of his finger, and the doorframe looked as if he hadn’t just shredded it to pieces.
“Construction time is over.” Lexie pushed him harder. “We have women things to do. Out.”
He didn’t look at her. “Make me.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “You can’t stay.”
The heat in his eyes said otherwise. “You sound very sure for someone who’s still flushed from me whispering in her ear.”
Fates. My palm itched to smack him. Pull him closer. And that gave me more trouble than I could handle right now.
“You’re impossible.” I strode forward and urged him backward.
He shifted enough that my hand landed on the center of his chest. His heart beat steady, showing how infuriatingly unaffected he was. “When you wear that gown tomorrow night, Minx, you’ll be wearing it for me.”
My pulse gave a traitorous leap. The claim in his voice snagged deep, a hook beneath the ribs.
Lexie rolled her eyes so hard I could hear it. “We’ll keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”
His gaze lingered on me for another heartbeat before he stepped out into the hall. His warmth went with him, though the echo of his magic still clung to my skin like a second gown.
Lexie shut the door with a solid click. Turning, she leaned against the back, crossing her arms on her chest. “That was dramatic. He really likes you.”
I grinned. “He does, right?”
