Page 85 of In The Dark

Smoothing my hair away from my face, I glance out my window. It’s still dark. The moon streams in like it did earlier but is now a little farther across the room—a couple hours after midnight.

I rise, reaching for my water as my racing heart calms. A few seconds go by before a faint knock raps at my door. Setting the glass down, I grip one of my daggers, striding cautiously toward it and wondering who could be knocking at such a late hour. Maybe it’s Ezra.

Cracking the door just wide enough to peek out of, I find Rydian panting in my stairwell, out of breath. My stomachflutters at the sight of him. He rubs the back of his neck and faces me, dressed in the same loose plants and dark green tunic from my dream.

My brows furrow at how familiar this feels and his appearance at my door so late at night. I thought he was still gone on his trip with Orin. Perhaps I was wrong.

Without a word, he pushes himself through the door, our lips colliding.

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The forceof it steals my breath as our mouths crash together, leaving my dagger to fall from my fingers and land near my feet as it clangs against stone.

He steps forward, guiding us further in as he kicks the door shut, my back landing against the bedpost. His mouth consumes mine when my lips part on an eager groan, deepening it like he did in that cave. The fabric of his tunic bunches in my hands, pulling him to me as I inhale him like he’s the last breath I’ll take.

A ferocious aching consumes me as my hands reach the back of his head. He releases a soft, hungry groan, and I’m suddenly reliving what my dream was just moments ago.

“Do you want me?” he growls, traveling a scorching path of his mouth to my jaw, then grazes his teeth down my throat. “Tell me you fucking want me, Isa.”

I gasp—fuck, yes, I do.

His hand suddenly squeezes my neck in silent demand for my answer as he works his way to my collarbone. Yet I can’t seem to find the words as I gasp for air.Is this really happening?

Granted, I’ve thought about what he’d feel like between mylegs since our first interaction at the brothel, but I never truly expected…this.Actually, I never expected it to happen given my future role in Aurelia.

“Answer me.”He pushes the thought out, but it’s forceful and icy, pulling me back to reality with a sharp inhale through my lips. I force myself to focus on forming words rather than how his hands are currently lifting my night slip over my bare hips. An unbearable ache grows right between my thighs.

“Yes,”I say finally, eager to feel him as my hands graze the edge of his pants again, grazing the hard length of the king…

Realization runs through me, and I quickly push him off with a gasp, putting distance between us and grappling the bedpost behind me. He growls, shooting me a hungry glare, his tongue flicking over his swollen lips.

“What are you doing?” I get out, but my voice trembles, the words rushing from me.

I know damn well this isn’t a dream. This is real, and the intensity of the moment has me flustered and aching all over. But he’s the king of Aurelia. I can’t?—

“Do you want me to leave?” he asks quietly, studying me.

Do I want him to leave?The question of the century. Now would be the time to tell him to, as it would be the logical thing to do because he’s the king of Aurelia.

And I’m just… an assassin. My stomach drops, dread curling in my gut because I know that’s a lie—I’m a princess. A princess of Aurelia, future queen.

Yet my chest heaves with quick breaths, and against my better judgement, I find myself wanting him to stay. Wanting to feel his skin flush against mine like I wanted the first night we met. My heart skips. I know that if I say yes, I would be opening a door with him that I wouldn’t be able to close.

Still, I hesitate as my thoughts whirl, suddenly realizing that perhaps I want it to open. And for the first time in my life, I’m eager for something more.

His eyes dart to my lips, and he inches forward, a low, throaty chuckle escaping him, as if he can sense my decision. It’s almost sinister, and filled with dark promise.

“I want you to stay,” I say finally.

Agonizing seconds pass, my heart pounding in my chest, when I’m suddenly squeezing my legs together. A growing heat reaches the apex of my thighs. My chest rises and falls in uneven breaths as he stalks forward until there’s no space left between us. Then his hand slides to the back of my neck, forcing me to tilt my head back.

“Good. Because I’ve been wanting to taste you since that damn brothel,” he murmurs, leaning in. “Are you going to let me taste you, Princess?”

Awareness prickles my skin as he peers down at me, a look full of an unyielding hunger. Just the scent of him sends a flood of arousal down my body, leaving my lips to part as a quiet breath of air slips out.

Rydian growls at the sound before our mouths suddenly clash together again, quickly becoming entangled.

Within seconds, he lifts me by the backs of my thighs, my legs wrapping around his waist. He tosses me on the bed, forcing the air out of my lungs as our mouths collide again. I arch into him, and his tongue slips into my mouth.