“Keep an eye on our father,” Hart instructs as Nash and Theo reach us. “Calamity and I are done.” He grabs my plate and tugs me from the room we entered only a few tempos ago.
“Where are we going?” I breathe with a glance over my shoulder at the three smiling Stirlings we leave behind.
“You were mumbling about me wanting someone else, so I need to correct that notion.”
I was? Stupid mouth. “How?”
He grins at me, and my heart beats double time.Oh Blazes.
Chapter
Seventeen
Becoming frustrated with my lack of speed, Hart shoves the plate of food into my hand and swings me into his arms without breaking his stride. His body trembles with barely restrained emotion—fear, anger, frustration… who knows? His eyes flick down to me, and his lips kick up in a wicked smile that makes a tremor ripple down my spine.
“Scared, Calamity?”
I shake my head. Not in the way he thinks, anyway. These knights would never physically hurt me. It’s something I am sure of. He swings the door open to their mini castle and kicks it closed, sealing us inside the round room which connects their bed chambers. We haven’t discussed whose room I’m sleeping in. Maybe it’s a test—to choose. If so, I’ll sleep out here on the sofa.
My eyes drop to his mouth as my lips tingle from his kiss.
He bends and places my feet on the floor, in a move so gentle it is shocking. Then he stares at me like he’s trying to dissect my soul.
“So, Felicity?” I whisper, trying to break the building tension. I assume his brothers will be along shortly. Hart normally avoids being alone with me.
He unbuttons his jacket and tosses it over the side of the sofa before tugging his shirt free of his breeches. “What about her?” he asks as he works his shirt buttons free, revealing a toned, tanned chest.
I lick my lips to check for drool. Nope, all good here. “You are supposed to marry her?”
He stalks closer, and I back up, astounding us both that I remain upright while walking backward. It must be the red dress I’m owning this diurnal.
My back hits the cool wall, and Hart grabs my plate of untouched food before placing it on a tall sideboard. “Hey, I haven’t eaten yet,” I protest.
His arms come down on either side of my head, caging me against the wall. He runs his nose along my forehead, into my hair, and down to my ear. “You have to earn it, remember?”
I swallow as heat flushes down my body and settles low in my belly.
“You haven’t explained about Felicity,” I whisper.
“They groomed her from birth to be a perfect wife,” he starts as his tongue flicks against my ear. Perfect? Something I will never be. His teeth scrape down my neck, stealing my breath. “She will walk around the castle, commanding the staff with poise and grace.”
Again, two things I cannot offer.
“Never causing trouble,” he continues as his words wreck my heart. “Felicity won’t make me worry by doing crazy shit. She won’t walk into a room and cause destruction and chaos. She will do her duty and the kingdom will have no choice but to love her perfection.”
My stomach twists in pain. Why does this hurt so much? Somewhere along the line, I became theirs, but they aren’t mine. I could never satisfy them when women like Felicity fall over themselves to kneel at their feet.
“You will never be her,” he adds, landing the last and perfect blow. But they have toyed with me, my heart, my soul enough to cause damage. I am not a pet to pass the damn time.
My hand lashes out, and the slap reverberates in the air, making my palm sting. Hart growls before grabbing both hands in his and slamming them against the wall above my head. He pulls away enough to stare into my eyes, and I force mine closed. He doesn’t get to see my pain, even though he inflicted it.
“Let me go,” I snarl.
“Felicity and a thousand other women have been trained to select the correct menu for feasts. They know when and how to start polite conversation, what fashion is acceptable in the kingdom, and how to toe the line between alluring and regal.”
My hands ball into fists, but he tightens his hold around my wrists, keeping me hostage.
“You made your point, Hart. Not even Charming is this cruel. Let me go.”
