Page 36 of Crimson Mate
“No, I have,” I say. “Mostly to support my friends or the king, but I never paid them any attention. I never really partook in them like I am now.”
“Why?”
I lean down, pressing my cheek against hers, my lips at the shell of her ear. “You know why,” I whisper.
Shehasto know that my present joy is completely linked to her.
I pull back enough to catch her gaze, stunned by the intensity of it.
“You certainly know all the right things to say,” she says. “You always have.”
“They're all true.” I continue to move us to the music, driving myself mad every time she allows me to manipulate her body to the melody.
A mischievous smile shapes her lips. “From the sound of it, it's almost as if I have you wrapped around my finger.”
“You do,” I say.
She grips my arms a little tighter, her nails digging in. “So you're saying you'll do whatever I want?”
“I failed you once,” I say. “I have no intention of ever doing that again. Speak it, and it's yours.”
She raises her eyebrows, shock flooding her eyes. “From someone as powerful as you, that promise packs a lot of punch.”
Worry streaks through me. “Oh, no,” I say, smirking. “You're going to get me into so much trouble, aren't you?”
“Maybe,” she says. “What if I asked you to leave all of your friends here and take me somewhere?”
“I would do it.”
“And if I asked you to go on a hunt with me right now?”
“I have my weapons bag in my car.”
Her grin deepens at that.
She slides her hands up my arms again, resting them on the back of my neck, her fingers toying with my hair there. “And if I asked you to stay here and dance with me until the sun comes up?”
“I'm at your disposal,” I say, moving us around on the dance floor. She goes quiet for a few moments. “Which will it be, Talia?”
She leans closer to me, embracing me in a way that feels so muchmorethan a dance as she rests her cheek against my chest. “It doesn’t matter what we do,” she whispers so softly I almost don’t hear it. “As long as you stay with me.”
CHAPTER 12
Talia
“Your majesty,” I say by way of greeting as I enter the king's study, finding Alek behind his desk. “Lyric said you wanted to see me?”
“Please,” he says, nodding to the seat across from his desk. “Sit.”
I glance around the study, half expecting to find Zachariah waiting somewhere.
The memory of my first night here calls to the forefront of my mind. The way Zachariah had wended to this residence, had dragged me before the king, frantic with panic and worry. That felt like years ago rather than the month it’s been.
So much has changed since then. So many things I promised I wouldn't allow myself to do when I first laid eyes on him.
“I wanted to check in with you,” Alek says, thankfully pulling me out of my thoughts. He leans back in his chair, relaxed in a way that tells me this isn't him about to pitch me another mission. “Are you enjoying your stay in my residence?”
“I am,” I answer honestly. “I adore your mate,” I continue. “As well as the others here. But if I've overstayed my welcome, just say the word and I'll be on my way.”