Page 46 of Cursed Crowns
Kai chuckled as he rolled over. “You two are so highly strung. Must be all that repressed desire.” He smirked into his pillow. “Anyone with eyes can see how you lust after each other. Don’t let my being here stop you from finally doing something about it.”
Rose spluttered at Kai’s words, momentarily losing the power of speech.
Shen was looking anywhere but at her, his cheeks redder than she’d ever seen them.
“Elske,” Rose managed finally. “You should—”
“Right. I’ll go now.” Shen bolted from the room like he was fleeing a fire.
Rose sagged against the window ledge as Kai broke out into laughter. “That was so much more fun than sparring with him,” he crowed. “You really should put my cousin out of his misery. Either let him in your bed or tell him it’s never going to happen. You can’t keep him at arm’s length forever.”
Rose stiffened. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. And I’ll remind you,yet again, that I am your queen.”
“Then I’ll save my advice for someone who appreciates it,” Kai mumbled, as he closed his eyes. “Good night, Queenie.” In a matterof moments, he was fast asleep, the rattle of his snores thundering throughout the little room.
When Shen returned a few minutes later, he was cradling Elske to his chest, the snowy wolf wrapped up in his cloak until only her snout and tail stuck out.
“Youcarriedher up here?” said Rose.
Shen shut the door with his foot. “I figured if anyone stopped me, I’d just pretend she was you.”
Rose stared at the cloaked wolf as he set her down. “Me?”
Elske immediately bounded on to the bed and curled up. “Well, my plan was to say you had twisted your ankle on the way to the privy and...” He trailed off.
“Grew a tail?” teased Rose.
Shen rubbed the back of his neck. “Anyway, it’s done now.” He eyed his snoring cousin. “He sounds like a dying donkey.”
“He really must have been exhausted.” Rose yawned as she sat down on the bed. “It’s been a very long day.”
“How are you feeling about Barron? And Wren? And, well, everything?” Shen gingerly sat down next to her, only to stiffen when the springs groaned.
Rose desperately wished there wasn’t a wolf in her bed. Or an annoying warrior witch on the floor. Or a whole chasm of things unsaid—undone—between them.
“I think I’m still in shock,” she admitted. “I can’t think about Wren too much or dwell on what she might be facing in Gevra because it makes me too scared. And I can’t afford to be scared right now, Shen. I have to be strong.”
Shen turned his body toward her, lifting her chin with his finger.“Rose, you are the strongest person I know.”
Rose gazed into his night-dark eyes. Before she could second-guess herself, she pitched forward and pressed her lips against his. Shen froze, surprise stilling the muscles in his body for an agonizing moment. Then he leaned in, his lips parting as he kissed her back. He grew bolder, hungrier, sliding his fingers into her hair as he pulled her against him, sending a delicious shock of heat through Rose’s body.
Rose sighed with pleasure as he slid his tongue into her mouth, feeling like she might burst into flames—
Then Elske growled, and the moment shattered.
Rose pulled away, suddenly all too aware of their surroundings. There was a wolf on the bed and a man on the floor! Snoring! No, wait. Not snoring. He waschuckling.
“Is that it?” said Kai, who was sitting up now, and unabashedly staring at them. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Rose buried her face in her hands. Thank goodness for Elske.
“Rose, you are the strongest person I know,” mimicked Kai. “That’s a line if I ever heard one.”
In a flash, Shen’s knee was on Kai’s chest, his dagger at his throat. “Cousin or not, I will spill your blood all over this floor.”
Kai cocked a brow. “For what? You were the one with your tongue in her mouth.”
“Shen, it’s all right,” said Rose through her fingers. This was her fault. She shouldn’t have kissed him. Not now, not here. “Please put the dagger away.”