She scoffed. “Yet these same people were so quick to accept a bastard witch as their queen?”
Her quip was sharp and honed, much like an arrow, and Kjeld smirked in spite of it. “An excellent observation, Starweaver.”
Caelian didn’t acknowledge the use of the nickname again, but her heartbeat fluttered in his ears, and the corner of her mouth lifted before she pressed her lips into a firm line. She unhooked her diamond brooch and removed her navy cape, laying it gently over the edge of the bed. Then slowly started to take off her dress.
“Well,” she said, eyeing the pile of skirts, corsets, and gowns. “I suppose something from this assortment will have to do.”
Her gown slipped from her shoulders, then over her waist and shapely hips, before pooling around her ankles like liquid stardust.
Kjeld’s heart thundered at the sight of her, his gaze lingering on the scars shredding her abdomen, before jumping to her full breasts, then back to the smooth swath of skin between her thighs. His blood roared, crashing through him, filling him with carnal desire. He crossed his arms, it was even a struggle to breathe at this point. He’d seen her naked before, but not like this. Not in perfect health. Not when she seemed to care less about the fact that he was standing right next to her. Caelian’s complete disregard for his presence and her own modesty sent a hot bolt of lust straight to his cock. His shaft expanded, lengthening and hardening, until he thought it would burst free from his fucking pants.
Caelian stepped out of the gown, sighing a little, as though she was relieved to have been rid of the heavy silver fabric. Her shoulders dropped, sagging with an unknown weight. Heavy. Despairing. She tipped her head back, rolling her neck, expelling a breath so deep it seemed to resonate in her soul. Pressing her fingertips to her temples, she slowly started to massage as tiny lines of uncertainty burrowed across her forehead. Kjeld stared, watching as her composure cracked, as her perfect ladylike exterior crumbled the moment she realized no one was watching.
Except he was still there.
Maybe she didn’t care. Maybe she felt safe revealing this vulnerable side of herself before him, and perhaps it was because he’d already witnessed her on the edge of death. Either way, she didn’t mind him loitering against the bedpost, she didn’t shrivel into herself or hide her scars, and he would forever consider it an honor to witness this pure version of her.
Caelian glanced over at him then, her gaze flicking down to his rather obvious erection before sliding back up to his face.
Her expression never changed.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, pulling the jeweled pins from her hair. “I assumed we were past the prudent awkward stage since we’ve already seen each other naked.”
A grin tugged at the corner of Kjeld’s mouth. “You’ve never seen me naked.”
She stiffened to the point of pain, hardly sparing him a glance as she grabbed a crimson dress from the bed. “I saw you in the forest.”
Kjeld scoffed, knowing damn good and well what shesaw. His cock, yeah, but she had yet to see him fully in the nude. That, however, was only a matter of time. “A glimpse of what’s below the belt hardly counts, Starweaver.”
Caelian pulled on the dress and did a small spin. It was strapless, with a devastatingly low neckline. So deep, in fact, that only a swatch of sheer black lace disguised her rose nipples protruding against the fabric. Lace flared from her hips, and black fur lined the hem, including the slit that ran all the way up to the middle of her thigh. Kjeld was five seconds away from pumping his cock in front of her again.
“I’d say it counts enough, General.” She smoothed her hands over her waist, admiring herself in the full-length mirror propped against the opposite wall. “Now that I know what’s there.”
His chest seized when she called him by his formal title. He always tried to keep some kind of formality between them, but the way she said it this time was different than before. It was alluring. Damning.
“Not interested in seeing the rest of me, then?” he teased.
“Maybe.” Caelian pulled up her hair with both hands and turned, showing him her back where silky red laces remained loose and undone. “Maybe not.”
She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Will you tie my ribbons, please?”
Kjeld shoved off the bedpost, then hesitated. Opening his palms, he glanced down at his hands. They were large and calloused, and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin the fabric or, worse, hurt her.
“I don’t think?—”
“Kjeld, please.” Exasperation lit her tone, and she made a show of fumbling with the delicate ribbons. “I obviously can’t do it by myself.”
Grinding his teeth and silently cursing her name, he reached for the laces with meaty fists, giving them a gentle tug.
Caelian sighed again, this time with annoyance. “Don’t tell me you’ve never done this before, because lying is incredibly unattractive.”
He bit his tongue to keep from lashing out. Of course he’d laced a woman into her dress before, he was just keener on taking them off. But the point of the matter was all the times he’d performed such a task, he’d been a human. Not a fucking fae. And they were getting along so well, he really didn’t want to sour the moment with that not-so-subtle reminder.
Until she decided to let a snarky little retort slip from between her lips.
“If you can’t do it…” She swatted at his hands. “Then I’m sure I can find someone else to help me. Elder Lothaire seems rather capable.”
Kjeld’s temper flared, pent up from too many excruciating hours of tension. “What the hell did you say?”
