“Y-yes.” She nodded quickly, looking at the polished wooden floor. Anything to avoid the heat of his gaze. “I don’t think I’m very suitable for this whole espionage ordeal.”
When she looked back up, he was smiling, the scar cutting across his bottom lip giving him a tempting yet dangerous appeal. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, my lady. It’s only your first day.”
Then he winked and led her around the corner, in what she could only hope was the opposite direction of the guards.
They walked down another corridor, and Kjeld drew up short, pulling her into his side. He jerked his head in the direction of an elaborately carved doorframe next to them. “In here.”
“What’s in here?” Caelian asked as he glanced around them, then jiggled the knob to see if it was locked.
“This used to be the office of King Marius.” The sleek black handle gave with a forced turn, and he pushed it open. “It seems like the best place to start. Especially if we want to learn what we can about Queen Viktoria.”
“Of course,” Caelian readily agreed and crept inside, peering around the poorly lit room. She squinted, blinking as a single shard of moonlight poured in through the faceted window. “What is it exactly we’re looking for?”
Kjeld shut the door as quietly as possible, slinking toward the desk cloaked in shadows. “Anything that might be considered useful information. Letters. Contacts. Notes. Ledgers.”
“Right.” Again, Caelian nodded, though she doubted Kjeld could see her.
She glanced about the space, uncertain of where to look first. The hearth was cold, as though it hadn’t been used in some time. There was a small settee set before it with a throw tossed lazily over the buttoned arm, forgotten. Each step was cautious. Caelian moved with care, taking heed not to disturb her surroundings. Casting one look over her shoulder, she realized Kjeld was rummaging through the desk, flipping through papers, so she tiptoed toward the shelves of books lining the other wall.
Many of them were worn. Ancient, most likely. The spines were weathered, fraying from age. It was almost impossible to make out the titles, the fine gold stamping having faded with time. A grimy layer of filth had settled on them and just looking at it made her nose itch.
She plucked the first book she found off the shelf and carefully flipped it open to avoid scattering dust all over herself. She skimmed through the yellowed pages, not paying too much attention to the words as she wasn’t entirely sure what she wasdoing. It must have been a research book of some kind, for every few pages were multiple sketches with labels. But then one particular illustration caught her eye.
It was a very clear,very detaileddrawing of a couple being intimate.
Even though it was nothing more than ink and parchment, a distinctive flush blossomed in her cheeks.
And she took a closer look.
The female—a human—was splayed on her back, her wrists bound above her head with rope or twine. She was completely nude, her smaller breasts protruding proudly, her nipples pert. And the expression on her face, the absolute attention to detail, was one of pure ecstasy. The male—definitely not human but something else altogether—was positioned between her thighs. He was on his knees, his hands holding her ankles captive as he spread her legs wide. Caelian’s gaze instantly dropped to where they joined, to where his exceptionally drawn erection speared her center.
Flipping the page, Caelian swallowed her gasp as the next sketch was even more interesting.
Another female, sketched on her hands and knees, except this time she was joined by two males. One stood before her, his hand fastened in her hair, while she took his large shaft into her mouth. And behind her was the second male, both of his hands planted firmly on her hips as he took her from the back.
What kind of book is this?
Caelian didn’t even know such sexual positions existed, much less how some of them were even possible. But she quickly found herself mesmerized, devouring every last detail. With each turn of the page, warmth flooded her. She rolled her lips, squeezed her legs together to alleviate some of that familiar aching pressure building between her thighs. She was slick already, her breasts suddenly heavy, and on the next illustration,she imagined it was her being pleasured by multiple cocks at once—except in her mind, all of them belonged to Kjeld.
The male in question inhaled sharply. Deeply. And a sort of guttural sound reverberated through his chest.
Caelian stilled.
Oh sweet stars, he could smell her. She had no doubt he’d caught the scent of her arousal lingering in the air between them.
“Find something of interest?” he asked, his words hoarse and gritty.
She slammed the book shut and clutched it to her chest, her gaze flying to him.
A scraping sound pierced the silence, and she turned as Kjeld lit a gray glass lamp and shoved something into his pocket. He set the lamp upon the desk, the singular flame dancing and licking the ornate glass enclosure, its sudden brightness playing across half of Kjeld’s face. Through the steady glow and the wash of shadows, his eyes found hers. And held.
They burned through her, the pools of brilliant blue searing her. Like he was peeling every layer of clothing, every layer of her skin, until he reached the pulsing beat of her heart.
Kjeld arched a brow, but his expression remained dark and unreadable. “Nothing, then?”
Caelian’s mouth opened and closed multiple times, but no words came out. Because how in the heavens could she explain she’d discovered a most gratifying book, and that it made her practically desperate to lose her virtue. She could hardly admit such a thing, especially not to Kjeld, but he was staring at her like he was hungry. Starving. And she was his next meal.
“I…it’s a….” She fumbled, licking her lips. A mistake as his heated gaze immediately tracked the movement. “A book.”
