“One step forward,” he whispered, then tugged me to his mouth.
Soft, full lips enveloped mine, warm, tender… smoky.
Losing myself, I kissed back, shocked at the easy way our mouths worked together. It wasn’t disgusting. In fact, it wasperfect.
Wedging myself between his legs, I deepened the kiss as his fingers tangled in my hair, and he kissed me back with as much urgency as I did him.
What was happening?
How could I want this?
And yet I did.
The goblet of wine he had been holding fell to the floor and a soft groan left his lips, signaling how much he wanted me and making my entire body tingle. Was this because of the bonding ceremony? Were we connected because of the tattoo?
A tiny spark of guilt tugged at my mind, but it was drowned out by the need now coursing through my entire body.
Kane stilled, his mouth stopping on mine.
Did he remember how he was supposed to hate me? Because I was slowly forgetting the list of reasons I couldn’t stand him.
When he stopped tugging against my neck, I pulled back. “Kane?”
He coughed, his brow scrunching together, and he held a hand up to his throat.
Suddenly, I remembered what Gideon had done.
The poison! How could I be so stupid?
“Deirdre,” he gasped, before falling back onto the bed.
“No, Kane!” I scrambled onto the bed
His lips paled, and he hit the mattress with a dullthump. My hand trembled as I pressed two fingers to his throat, searching for his pulse. It beat slowly as his gaze locked onto mine in wild confusion.
What have I done?
I pulled away in horror, my hands trembling.
I just poisoned the King of the Fae.
How could I have forgotten about the balm on my lips?
“He's alive. Don't worry.” Gideon appeared in the back of the room. “Well done. I almost believed it myself.”
I blushed, knowing that kiss between Kane and me had been very real. I hadn't meant it to be, but it was. “What's wrong with him?”
“He's just paralyzed. He's aware, but he won’t be able to move for hours.”
“He can hear us?”
“Yes. He can hear and see everything that's happening.”
Sitting on the bed, I stared at Kane, his gaze focused on the ceiling, unblinking.
This isn’t what I wanted. Not anymore.
I stared at him, feeling helpless, desperate for the past few minutes to have been an awful nightmare, one where I’d wake up and not be the villain.
