both as I stepped back, her face heartbroken and confused. I couldn’t look at her, this shouldn’t have happened.
“Nicholas.”
“I will escort you home.”
That same invisible force begged me to turn back, to look at her to fix the pieces of her heart I was breaking. She’d told me
before how she never believed she was worthy of love, of anything great and I was here showing her how her worries were
true. Even if they weren’t.
“Please talk to me,” her voice impossibly sounded even more broken than before.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
That's all I could say as I tried to step away but felt her fingers wrap around my wrist tightly, urging me to turn back and
look at her.
“You hurt me by not being with me.”
“I am with you every night.”
“No, you’re not. Not as the Nicholas you promised me you’d be. Every night I go to bed next to the king, not my husband.”
I didn’t dare turn fully to see her. I knew if I did, it would break me. She was always the plan to get revenge on her family
for what they did to mine. We may have had our history together as children but after I found where the spy came from, I
couldn’t face her until I was ready. I needed to have all my pieces on the board.
I didn’t plan on falling in love with her in the process.
“Please, if only for tonight, be my husband.”
That line began to pull tighter, suffocating me slowly. My eyes looked up to meet her gaze and in that moment I could have
crumbled at her feet. The loss, hurt and pain on her face was enough to make me rush back to her. To undo everything I had
broken, to beg for her forgiveness, to plead with her until my very last breath.
Pulling her into my arms, as her lips reached mine, that same passion and hunger wrapped around my senses. I lifted her up
and she wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me closer to her.
Turning so my body would hit the rock face behind her, I huffed as the stone hit my back. She let go of my lips, looking me
dead in the eyes while the rain became heavier.
We didn’t share a single word, but as our eyes met, I knew everything I needed to know. Holding her tightly in my arms, her
chest pressed up against mine, there wasn’t a breath of space between us. I desired her as much as she desired me. An ache
sprouted so deep within my soul, I thought I would collapse as it overwhelmed me.
Swallowed me whole.
This may be a mistake. Thiswouldbe a mistake by morning and for that I would face the consequences. My court be