Tarnished Knight - By Bec McMaster Page 0,57

“Lena, you got any idea what you’re doin’…?”

“I do.” Certainty burned through her. She was so confused about everything else; she wanted to stop this confusion at least. To understand why he could never stop looking at her, why he avoided her.

“You tryin’ to provoke me?”

She leaned closer, sliding her hands up his broad chest. Will sucked in a sharp breath as if it hurt. His hands caught her wrists again, holding her there.

“I’m going to kiss you,” she whispered.

“Fuck,” he breathed, nostrils flaring as his gaze dropped to her lips.

Hardly the romantic utterances she’d dreamed of. But then Will was nothing like the fairy-tale daydreams she’d amused herself with. He felt so real beneath her touch, so much more vibrant. The heat of his body beneath her was nothing like a dream. Real. Hers. All she had to do was reach out and take it.

And so she did.

Lena brushed her lips against his. Will let out a rough exhale, his breath burning her. She breathed it in, his grip loosening on her wrists and his body sinking back into the cushions of the sofa. Slowly she followed, her hips sliding further until her knees dug into the back of the sofa and she could feel the hard rasp of his belt buckle against her inner thigh. Hands sliding over his shoulders, sinking into the luxurious richness of his hair.

She opened her mouth over his, an expert at kissing. Tasting the firmness of his lips. He didn’t quite reciprocate, but a small, helpless growl sounded in his throat and as he opened his mouth to say something else, she licked at him.

Suddenly his hands were no longer pushing at her. One cupped the thickness of her bustle, riding her hips harder against him. Lena’s eyes opened wide as she felt something else brush against her thigh.

She caught a glimpse of the startled amber of his own eyes, then she fisted her hands in his hair and kissed him open-mouthed, her tongue darting against his, daring him to play back.

The tension in his body radiated through her, hands shaking as they raked over the curves of her dress. Will made another helpless sound.

“Lena--” A gasp. A plea.

She didn’t care. It felt so good. Kissing him, yearning for him to kiss her back.

But he didn’t. His hands fisted in her skirts, bunching the fabric up higher and higher, until her calves were bared. Will wrenched his head away, shaking all over, his eyes burning so brightly that she almost gasped. His gaze raked over her calves, over the dip of her bodice and then her mouth. Both of them breathing hard.

Lena reached for him again—

The world upended. She found herself tumbled onto her back on the sofa, her skirts falling all around her bare legs. Will shot her a stark look and threw himself away from her, shaking with some suppressed emotion.

The mood of the room tightened. Lena caught a fistful of her skirts and sat up, staring at him. This wasn’t what she’d wanted. She felt out of breath and all awry and he looked furious.

Her heart fell in her chest as memory flooded into her. Not once had he kissed her back. He’d held her wrists as if he’d endured the kiss, but he hadn’t retaliated.

Will stared at the wall, his back quivering. She sat very, very still, feeling ever-so-cold without his raging heat surrounding her.

“Will,” she whispered.

He turned on her with a snarl, finger stabbing toward her. “Don’t you ever do that again!”

The stark anger made her flinch back into the sofa. Suddenly she couldn’t bear to have her skirts so tumbled around her. She smoothed them out, hot tears burning behind her eyes. She’d be damned if she’d let him see them but--

“I know we got to live beneath the same roof, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t throw yourself at me,” he said coldly.

Then he was gone, leaving her to stare wordlessly at the door, a silent tear sliding down her burning cheek.

***

Will ran through the night, body straining and his heart thundering in his chest. He ran for hours over the rooftops, until he could feel his muscles quivering and exertion start to take its toll. It still wasn’t enough. He was starting to wonder if it ever would be.

Especially now that he knew just how she tasted, just how she felt, writhing on his lap, her arms sliding around him--

Will groaned. The city roofline surrounded him, chimneys lurking in the still night and the