The Glass Queen (The Forest of Good and Evil #2) - Gena Showalter Page 0,110

heat, turning my bones to molten gold. The magnified aches.

“Sax,” I breathed.

His eyelids popped open, amber irises aflame. “I want to kiss you. I need to kiss you.”

Yes! “Kiss me,” I commanded him.

And he obeyed.

He pressed his mouth over mine and slid his tongue inside for a quick taste, the connection electrifying me. I melted into him, somehow remaining upright, letting my tongue chase his. More.

With a groan, he gave me what I wanted. At first, I didn’t know how to return the force of his passion, but he didn’t seem to mind and it wasn’t long before I got lost in the throes, my body taking over. He kissed me faster and harder, and I instinctively followed his lead. Again, my aches magnified. The pulse at the base of my neck didn’t just throb; it galloped. My cells didn’t just buzz; they burned. The flutters didn’t just dance in my belly; they spread all over.

He tasted like he smelled, all the delicious honeyed whiskey teasing my tongue. A special scent and taste just for me. Because I’d made him happy. A fact I would forever cherish.

When a shadow fell over us, we broke apart, both of us panting. I glanced up to see the dragons swooping past, and I would swear they both blushed before they disappeared in the trees.

I moaned, my cheeks scorched. “They saw us. On the plus side, I think we’ll get a little privacy now.”

“That’s good.” His voice dipped. “There are things I want to do to you.”

I shivered as Saxon carried me out of the water and laid me on a moss-covered rock. Cool air nipped at my overheated skin, steam seeming to rise from me.

“Saxon,” I whispered, the interruption already forgotten. I wanted more of what he’d given me in the water. Needed it.

He loomed over me, gloriously naked, water dripping from his hair. Flaring his wings, flinging more droplets in every direction, he blocked out the rest of the world. Just then, we were the only two people in existence.

“Touch me,” he rasped. “Touch my wings again.”

I stroked the feathers, and he returned his mouth to mine with a groan. This kiss was frantic, edged with desperation.

When he settled his heavy weight over me, I thrilled. He covered me like a shield—the most beautiful shield in all the world. He touched me as I touched him. He kneaded me, and he played with me, making me moan, mewl, and beg. But what was I supposed to do for him? How did I make him feel this good?

A bomb of fury hit me with such force, I gasped. Leonora didn’t like that I was enjoying my time with the avian. “Her” time.

Saxon lifted his head, his brows knitted, his lips kiss-swollen. “Ashleigh?”

The heat drained out of me, leaving me ice-cold. He might be Cinder’s fairy-tale prince, but our circumstances hadn’t magically changed. I was still possessed by his most hated enemy. I could become her at any moment. And what would happen if—when—Saxon won the tournament? And he would win, no matter what he had to do. He and his people prized strength; he wouldn’t return to his kingdom in defeat. So. He would become Dior’s betrothed. Dior’s.

Not mine.

I was kissing a man who would soon marry someone else.

I wheezed my next breath. While my stepsister believed we could let the winner choose his bride, I knew better. My father rendered the ultimate verdict, and he would select Dior. And maybe he should. Saxon wouldn’t have to deal with Leonora anymore. He could be free. He could have his happily-ever-after.

And me? I wouldn’t get to enjoy his sweet taste ever again. I wouldn’t get to make him happy and smell his intoxicating scent. I wouldn’t get to feel his soft skin pressed against mine, or enjoy the softness of his feathers. Dior would.

No, I would spend my days crafting and selling weapons and my nights corralling Leonora. Her fury... One day, she would decide to murder Saxon for a third time, punishing him before they started over. She would murder his wife, too.

My newfound merriment crumbled around me. I had to kill the phantom. I had to kill her soon. Until I did, everyone I loved, liked, or encountered would be in danger. I wouldn’t be able to remain at the palace—that option had just gotten swept off the table. I certainly wouldn’t want to travel to the Avian Mountains with Saxon and his new bride. I’d have to move far, far away