Page 122 of Avalon Tower
Raphael shakes his head slowly. “No, but maybe that’s the problem. They know honeymooners are staying here. We’ve had the lights off the entire night, which might be a bit weird. Look like you’re getting ready for bed. We’re going to need to add a bit of realism.”
I drop the spyglass, and Raphael lights the candle. I turn away from the window and pull off the dress I’ve been wearing all day. I’m wearing a silky camisole and underwear beneath it. The air is absolutely frozen in here, and goosebumps rise on my arms.
Raphael turns to look at me, and his silver eyes burn like cold flames. He crosses over to me and presses his hands on either side of my head, against the glass. Heat from his body warms my skin, and his gaze lowers to stare at my lips. “I’m going to need to kiss you.”
“For realism,” I whisper.
He brushes his thumb over my lower lip. “For the mission.”
“For England.”
He presses his lips against mine, claiming my mouth. There’s hunger in his kiss, and molten desire slides through my belly. He reaches under my ass, lifting me up to rest on the windowsill, and his kiss deepens. I run my hands down his abs, even though I don’t think Silver Fox can see the movement. Raphael threads his fingers into my hair, and I wrap my legs around him.
As his fingers tighten in my hair, he pulls my head back, kissing me more deeply. He presses between my thighs, and I feel him growing harder. My hips roll against him. He smells like rainwater and musk, and I can no longer remember exactly what we’re doing here, only that I ache for him, and I have since the first time he kissed me. A thrill shakes me to my core.
He pulls away from the kiss, his eyes heated, breath heavy. One of his hands is still on my ass, the other in my hair. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time.”
“But it’s not allowed,” I whisper.
He looks half in a trance and shakes his head.
“And Ginevra?” I ask casually. “She was coming out of your room, and you weren’t wearing a shirt.”
His eyebrows rise. “When was that?”
“When you got me my new wardrobe.”
He hasn’t released me from the windowsill yet, and his fingers flex slightly on my ass. “That was six months ago.”
I shrug. “You remembered the cake from six months ago.”
The candlelight gilds his perfect features. “Ginevra has no boundaries,” he says quietly. “That day, she was delivering a report from the field and burst in when I wasn’t ready for her. I suspect she did it intentionally. She’s shallow and irritating.”
I nod. “Oh, you noticed that, too.”
He lets out an agonized sigh. “I think that was a persuasive enough show for the guard, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
He lets go of me, and I slide off the windowsill, already missing the warmth of his strong body. I blow out the candle, and when I turn to look outside, I see Silver Fox lowering his spyglass with a disappointed expression. He wanted more of a show. Honestly, so did I.
In my camisole and underwear, I crawl under the covers and pull them around me. Rain hammers against the window.
There’s a thin blanket on top of the bed. With a little stab of guilt, I watch as he pulls it over himself on the hardwood floor.
“There’s no heat in here,” I say.
“I’ve certainly slept in worse conditions.”
I sit up in bed, and my gaze slides down over his broad shoulders, his powerful biceps.
“I can’t sleep in the same bed as you.” His voice sounds husky. “Perhaps your friends were on to something when they destroyed my letters. After all, Tana does see the future, and after what happened to Alix…” His gaze rakes down my body, lingering at my breasts, peaked beneath the silk. “Fuck.” A line forms between his eyebrows, his pale eyes burning with the heat of stars.
“What’s wrong?” I let the strap of my camisole fall down.
“You look fucking perfect.” He drags his hand over his mouth, then pulls his thin blanket over himself and turns to face the other way. “I’m going to sleep.”
Outside, the cold rain and hail are thundering down.