Page 24 of Gilded Locks

“I’m glad you approve.” He grinned. “Now me.”

She stilled, and understanding dawned.

Pinching another delicate cluster between her fingers, she slid it into his mouth. He caught her wrist the moment she tried to pull away, forcing her hand to stay there as he sucked them clean, his eyes watching her response closely.

When he released her, she continued to stare. No one had ever licked her hand like that.

“Keep eating, printsessa. It’s getting cold.”

To her, it felt warm. She tried to eat slowly, to maintain some dignity, but hunger won out. Within minutes, the plate was empty, and she was licking her fingers much like he had.

“Better?” Ash asked, his voice warm with approval.

“Much.” She felt almost human again. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” His smile held shadows that quickened her pulse. “It’s time to test your commitment.”

Before Marigold could ask what he meant, he took the plate from her hands and pressed her shoulder, forcing her to lie down on the countertop. “What are you?—”

“Relax.” He slid a dishcloth under her head. “I want to see if you’re strong enough to follow through on your promises.”

“Why?”

“Because we always do.”

Her back flattened onto the cool marble countertop, and her heart thundered in her chest. All sense of safety gone.

Chapter 6

Reluctant Submission

Eyes wide, Marigold watched as Ash rounded the island, coming to stand behind her head. His thumbs found the knots of tension at the base of her neck, pressing with just enough pressure to make her gasp with relief.

“You’re wound tight as a spring,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear as he leaned close. “When’s the last time you truly let your guard down? Really let go?”

His fingers dug into her tired muscles, finding every sore spot and working it loose with careful precision. She’d been carrying tension for so long she’d forgotten what it felt like to let go of the pressure. But this was not the time.

“That’s... that’s not necessary,” she managed, her voice breathy and weak.

When she tried to sit up, he pressed a stilling hand to her shoulder. “Isn’t it?” His touch moved beneath her back, working muscles between her shoulder blades that were screaming for attention. “You’re tight. Unrested. Running from something. Living on adrenaline and fear. That’s no way to exist.”

“You don’t know anything about how I exist.”

“I know you smell like desperation,” he said quietly, the words sending electricity racing down her spine. “I know you sleep like someone who expects to be hunted. You flinch when anyone moves too quickly. And you lie to protect yourself.”

His accuracy was terrifying. How could a stranger read her so easily?

“I wish you’d stop,” she said, but the next muscle he pressed made her close her eyes and moan.

“Stop lying to yourself. You’re not going anywhere. You know it. I know it. Hunter and Stone know it.”

The mention of his brothers made her frown. His hands stilled on her shoulders. “That’s the second time you tensed like that.”

She couldn’t make herself relax when she was so unsure of their true intentions. “Please… I want to sit up.”

He released her, and she swung her legs around, not just enough to sit, but to hop off the counter. She thought distance would make her feel safer, but once on her feet his height only reminded her how much bigger he was.

“What are you running from?”