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Micah slips through first.

I follow, pulling the door shut behind us as quietly as I can.

We pace down the hallway, keeping our footsteps as light as possible, Micah’s hand clasped tightly in mine. His breath comes out ragged as he tries to keep up with my strides.

“We’re dead,” he whispers, voice edged with panic. “They’re going to catch us.”

“No they won’t.”

“But how do you—”

I cup his face in both hands and kiss him.

For one stunned heartbeat, he goes completely still.

Then he melts against me, surrendering completely.

His hands clutch the lapels of my coat as I press my mouth to his, soft and urgent, hoping it’ll finally quiet that beautiful, anxious mind of his.

I ease him back against the wall, and a soft gasp escapes his lips. I deepen the kiss, slipping my tongue between his parted lips and drawing a breathless little sound from him.

My hand slides between us, slipping beneath his blouse. His skin is warm and soft beneath my palm, his body shifting with every breath as I glide my fingers over him. I trace the contours of his stomach, letting my touch linger as I move slowly upward.

When my thumb brushes his nipple, he whimpers, clutching at my shoulders with reckless urgency.

A sharp voice cuts through the haze of heated desire.

“Hey!”

A palace guard stands at the other end of the hallway, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. His polished armor gleams beneath the golden lanterns. The uncomfortable expression on his face suggests he’s just walked in on something he would have preferred not to see.

“What are you two doing back here?” he demands.

Micah straightens and clears his throat. “We—”

“Guests are not allowed to leave the ballroom.”

I glance at Micah. His cheeks are flushed, his hair is slightly mussed, and his shirt is rumpled from where I’d just had my hands beneath it.

A smile curves my lips. “Forgive us, sir. We were simply looking for a little… privacy.”

The guard’s eyebrows rise. “Privacy?”

I nod solemnly. “Yes. You see, my lover simply couldn’t wait until we got home to ravish me.”

Micah lightly smacks my arm. “Lucan!” he hisses.

I bite back a laugh.

The guard blinks, his gaze immediately dropping to the floor.

“Oh. I, uh…” He clears his throat and shakes his head. “Regardless of your… urges,” he says, visibly wincing. “This hallway is off-limits.”

I place a hand over my chest. “My apologies, sir. We didn’t know.”

The guard shakes his head, still avoiding eye contact. “You’re both guests of the king. You should return to the celebration.”

“Aye, sir,” I say, taking Micah’s hand.