Page 187 of Rebellious Royals

"Maybe a thing we should work through?"

And I scoffed. "I'm not your problem, Keir."

Slowly, gently, he reached up to hook my chin again, making me actually look at him. "You are."

"You're with Rain."

"So? She's with Aspen. Hawke's working up to making a move."

"Wilder thinks you're hot," I offered next.

And he smirked at me. "Nice to know. I'm also not talking about Wilder right now. I'm talking about you, Tor."

"Yeah, and I'm trying to tell you not to worry about it."

I moved to get up, intending to step around him, but he caught my arm on one side. His other hand pressed into my chest. Part of my brain knew he was trying to stop me fromacting like a dick, but the other part didn't give a shit. I needed to get up. I had to break free!

So I yanked my arm away and pulled my feet up. My urge was to go over the side, but I never got the chance. As soon as my body freaked out, Keir jerked back, landing on his ass.

"Shit," he breathed. "Fuck, I'm sorry."

"I - "

He just lifted a hand. "You don't have to tell me, Tor."

"I don't like to be trapped," I mumbled.

"Ok," he said, scooting back on his butt so he could get his feet under him.

Then he headed back to my bed, dropping onto it a little too hard. I locked my face into place, making sure I didn't show the disappointment I felt, but it was there. All that weight I'd been so glad to get rid of had just found me again, and this time it was even heavier because I didn'twanthim to give up.

I wanted this man to kiss me stupid. I wanted to touch him back, exploring the parts I'd never had the chance to experience before. I wanted to close my eyes and just let go, knowing it was with someone who actually gave a shit about who I was, not only how powerful I could be or what I might help them achieve.

"Sorry," I said again, because it was all I really had to offer.

"Come here," Keir told me, crooking a finger to make it clear what he meant.

"Excuse me?"

So he scooted further up my bed. "There isn't a back or arms here," he said just a little too casually. "I mean, I'm ok with being pinned down, but you clearly aren't. So come here, Torian."

Cautiously, ready for the invitation to be twisted into some cruel joke, I slid off the chair and moved toward him. "What are you doing, Keir?"

"I'm trying to convince you to kiss me softly," he said. "Not in place of a punch, or to reassert your control over things. But tokiss me because you want to, and if that means I have to lie very, very still, I'm more than willing to do it."

I made it to the edge of my bed, but stopped. "Why?"

"Because you," he breathed, "are fucking beautiful, and I don't just mean on the outside."

I shoved a hand onto his chest and pushed, guiding him to his back as I crawled up beside him. Before his head even hit the pillows, my mouth was on him. Gentle? No, that wasn't the word for how I kissed him. Desperate fit much better.

But he didn't stop me. He didn't laugh. Keir simply cupped my cheek and let me lead. He tasted like salt and sugar. He smelled like wheat ripening in the field. He felt like stone, ready to be carved into whatever I wanted, so I let my hands move as our mouths danced.

I felt it when his fingers traced the line of my spine through my shirt. I could feel his hardness against my hip, and liked it. I needed to kiss him again, to feel his tongue against mine. Over and over, I claimed his mouth, forgetting to care that I shouldn't be doing this. All the reasons seemed unimportant right now.

"Hey?" he asked, pulling his mouth from mine just to kiss along my jaw, toward my neck. "You decide you hate this yet?"

"Shut up," I told him.