Page 128 of A Vow of Embers

Dolion pointed his gaze down toward his feet. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t have to. I understood what his silence meant.

I was suddenly lightheaded and wanted to vomit. I had told myself that I was being silly by imagining the worst, thinking that Xander had bedded Chryseis. To have it all but confirmed by one of his closest friends ...

Although I knew I shouldn’t feel betrayed, I did.

As if realizing the effect his words had on me, he stood up and excused himself. “I should go.”

I stood as well, even though I swayed slightly. I had to grab the back of the chair for support.

“Please know that I am here if you need me,” he said.

“I appreciate that.”

“Lia, I wish that I could ...” Again, his voice trailed off. “I just want you to know that you’re not alone.”

I leaned up to kiss his cheek, and there was this moment where he turned slightly and if I had as well, I could have been kissing him. He was a handsome man, and a strange feeling passed between us. I was curious what it would be like to kiss him. I didn’t feel the same all-consuming desire that I did for Xander, but there was a spark there. I heard Dolion’s sharp intake of breath, felt him move a bit more toward me.

But I couldn’t let anything happen. My husband might have been an adulterer, but I was not.

Xander chose that moment to walk into our room, stabbing us with his gaze. Dolion stepped back quickly.

“I was just leaving.” He hurried out of the room.

“Are you ready?” The prince’s voice was tight, threatening. I didn’t know why he would be angry with me. I hadn’t done anything wrong or inappropriate. Dolion was only being kind to me, unlike the other men in my life. We hadn’t kissed, unlike him and Chryseis. Lifting my head, I went to move past him.

His hand snaked out and he grabbed me by my upper arm, pulling me hard against his chest. His other hand went to the back of my head, tangling his fingers into my hair, and before I knew what was happening, his mouth descended angrily on mine.

I hit my fists against his chest, intending to push him away, but then his tongue invaded my mouth, and when he stroked it against mine, I felt the sensation and pull in the back of my knees. I collapsed into him. He was hot and desperate, hungry and unyielding, and my body immediately responded. Heated pleasure spiked inside me and I made a noise in the back of my throat.

I whimpered when he pulled his mouth free from mine. He attacked my neck, sucking and nipping at my heated skin. My fingers dug into his hair and I leaned my head back to give him better access. It felt like he was bruising me but I didn’t care. I wanted more.

Pulling on his hair, I brought his mouth back up to mine. He didn’t kiss me and instead sucked my lower lip into his mouth. It was unlike anything I’d ever felt—it shot straight to my core and I was melting and panting for him. He scraped his teeth along that lip and that combination of slight pain and pleasure overwhelmed me. He pulled his head back slowly and I wanted to crash my mouth into his but I felt so weak with lust that I couldn’t move. I could only look at him.

“Remember who you belong to.” His words fanned across my face.

I was disoriented, and so it took me a moment to realize what he was saying. This time I did shove him, but it had no effect. “I do not belong to you. I don’t belong to anyone but myself!”

“You are my wife. You are mine.” He growled the words and I felt them deep in my gut. I remembered the last time he had said that I was his and how desperately I had wanted it to be true. My heart was pounding, my chest heaving, my body throbbing. His gaze followed the rapid rise and fall of my breasts and it infuriated me.

“I hate you.” I spit the words out with all the animosity I had for him.

His intense, honeyed eyes locked onto mine. “I can make you hate me more.”

He suddenly released me and strode out of the room. I stood there, trying to breathe and regain control of my limbs.

How could he make me hate him more? That wasn’t possible.

Chapter Forty-One

Since Xander had left me, one of the guards had to escort me down to the dining hall. Why had the prince kissed me? To punish me? Did he think I was cheating on him with one of his best friends? That was not the kind of person I was.

It was the kind of personhewas.

I still didn’t know how he thought he could make me hate him more. I also didn’t know who I hated more at the moment—him or me. When I entered the room, I saw him deep in conversation with someone I didn’t recognize. As I came closer I saw marks on his neck. I put my hand to my own throat. I hadn’t touched his neck, so that must have been from what he’d done to me. I hadn’t checked my appearance before I left the room. Had that been the point? To publicly mark me as his?

Or maybe it had been for the guards’ benefit. They had seen Dolion enter my room and Xander had put on a show for them so they wouldn’t come to the wrong conclusion.

I wasn’t going to let him ignore me any longer. He didn’t get to kiss me like that and then walk away. I remembered his warning that if I played with fire I would get burned, and I was ready to set things ablaze.