Ashes of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #2) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,113
have a drink. You’re going to need it tonight.” Swallowing the last of his drink, he took his seat across from where I stood, letting his eyes slowly slide down my frame, noting each bruise and scrape I’d endured running from him today. “You can strip once you’ve had a drink to settle your nerves.” he offered, pouring himself another glass, not bothering to hide the heat pooling in his eyes.
“If you’re trying to get me drunk, you should know that there isn’t enough alcohol in this entire camp to achieve that goal, jerk.”
“If I wanted you drunk, you’d be drunk already. I’m trying to calm your nervous trembling, and allow you a moment to gain your composure, woman,” he snapped, daring me to argue more.
Sighing in defeat, I moved to the table and sat in front of Knox, frowning. I considered how screwed I was at that moment. It couldn’t get much worse than being stuck in a tent with my enemy, could it? It could. It so fucking could. I was stuck inside a tent with an enemy that I craved and wanted to do very bad things with, even though I wouldn’t.
He didn’t deserve to have me or use my body for pleasure. There were ways around doing what he wanted or what I craved. We’d just have to get creative, which shouldn’t be a problem.
Right?
Right.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I studied Knox over the rim of the glass I held between my bound hands, his lips turning down slightly into a frown. The glow from fires burning within the camp cast shadows about the tent, making them seem more daunting and larger than what had cast them.
I could hear the muffled moans of women finding pleasure amongst the men surrounding our tent.
My cheeks blushed with embarrassment as the noises grew louder and more urgent. Knox smiled, finding it funny that I was uncomfortable hearing the sounds of the couples screaming their release unabashedly.
Knox stared at me, and then at the dress I wore, still damp and ripped in several places from our daunting climb down and back up the cliff. He stood abruptly, and my eyes narrowed in apprehension, following his movements toward the large chest the men had previously carried into the tent.
Slowly, he undid the belt at his waist, releasing his scabbard and sword, setting it aside. He removed the armor that he had replaced after chasing me through the water and over rocky terrain. My heartbeat increased as Knox bent to retrieve a few items from the chest. I swallowed hard, hating that his enticing scent was playing havoc on every nerve in my body.
Dismissing him, or trying to, I sipped the whiskey, moaning as it exploded on my taste buds. At the sound, he tensed, giving me a dark look over his shoulder before he returned his attention to the trunk, removing his shirt.
I tried not to stare, but I lost the battle, mesmerized by the hard, tapered muscles along his back, caressing each one with my hungry gaze. Tightening my grip on the glass, I fought against the urge to trace the ravens that adorned his side, moving up his spine to his shoulder blade.
His back muscles were amazingly toned, and each curve begged me to explore them with my fingertips, to learn every single edge of his body in explicit detail. His pants hugged his hips low, exposing the globes of his firm ass to my stare, and I caught myself licking my lips absently, recalling the feel of it beneath my hands.
Knox spun, catching me off guard before I could look away. A seductive grin spread across his face as he slowly unbuttoned his pants, shoving them past his hips, and stepping out of them to reveal that he wore nothing beneath. I stopped breathing, greedily staring at the V-line of his abs that led to dark curls cradling his enormous cock. Even soft, it was large and hung proudly between his legs.
I licked my lips again, slowly sliding my gaze over his sinewy abs that tensed at my leisurely examination of his form. Air slowly expelled from my lungs before I lifted my attention to his face, discovering him smiling at my blatant gawking over his body’s exquisitely carved perfection.
“See something you want?” he asked huskily, slowly moving toward me.
“This whiskey’s really good,” I whispered, jerking my eyes from his to stare at the glass like it held all the answers to the universe.