Page 243 of The Throne Seeker

He kissed her back, still groggy.

She pulled back, guilty for waking him, but Roman’s hand found her thigh, dragging it over his hips while he wrapped his arms around her.

His kisses began slow and deliberate but soon turned hungry as he positioned himself on top of her. Their bare skin pressed together as they played with each other lazily—nipping, stroking, teasing, until he entered her.

He only lasted a few minutes before he reached his breaking point. She smirked with pride when he finished—that was, until he smirked back, turning her over to return the favor, feasting on her like he’d been starved for weeks, his tongue lavishing her most sensitive parts.

Her cry was so loud, Roman had to cover her mouth with his hand as she finished, trying not to wake anyone.

Then, lazily, they caressed each other until they found sleep again.

She’d never been more content.

CHAPTER 84

Rose woke up late the following morning to find Roman was already gone from the bed.

She sat up, allowing the cool morning breeze to wrap around her bare skin. A distressing ache filled her at the empty space next to her, but her worry was all for nothing.

Roman’s broad figure stood on the large open balcony, gazing out at the ocean. His back faced her as he basked in the morning sunlight, wearing only dark trousers that left his upper body bare. His hair was a tousled mess from her fingers’ relentless strokes.

Wrapping the sheets around herself, Rose followed him onto the balcony. She slid her arms around his warm, firm torso from behind.

He took her hands in his own, kissing her palms before guiding her in front of him into the sun’s embrace. His strong arms wrapped around her as he pressed her back against his chest.

His aroma of cedar blended with the crisp sea air, easing her soul into a relaxed state she could only fall into around him.

He melted into her as he rested his head on her shoulder, kissing her neck in the exact spot that made her weak in theknees. Her eyes fluttered at the feathered touch, resting her head against his chest.

They stayed like that as the light breeze washed over them, gazing out over the distant ocean waves.

Through their contact, Rose felt a mixture of emotions. Part of him brimmed with pure joy—reserved for her—while another held a terrible sorrow, growing stronger the longer he held her.

“What time is the passing ceremony?” she asked, not forgetting what today would mean.

What he had lost.

Roman hesitated, placing a feathered kiss on her shoulder. “At sundown,” he said softly against her skin.

She turned in his arms to look at him. “You know I’ll always be here for you.”

He pressed his lips higher on her neck. “You better be,” he whispered, brushing her hair back over her shoulder to place another feathered kiss below her ear.

A comfortable silence fell.

“I’ve been thinking… and I hate to admit it, but Xavier’s right,” Roman said. “We were fools to think we could take them on without knowing more.”

Rose silently agreed. After last night… suddenly leaving didn’t seem so outlandish.

“He had a clear shot at me last night, Roman,” she whispered. “A clear shot, and he chose you. What if that arrow after the first challenge was never meant for Tristan, but for you? I can’t have you or anyone else getting hurt because of me.” She couldn’t lose him. She’d die from it.

Roman seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “We’ll take your mother and go back to Highland Haven. And I hate to say it, but we may need to pay Moretti another visit. Maybe there is more he could tell us.”

A pit formed in her stomach, but he was right. It was the only lead they had. At least if they went back to Caleede, she could sift through the libraries there. Perhaps there was a hidden book there that could shed more light on this Blood King.

“We’ll leave tonight after the passing ceremony.”

He shook his head. “No—we should leave now. It’s too dangerous to stay any longer. With my father gone, we’re more vulnerable than ever.”