There was an audible swallow before she inched her face away from his.
“That was a stupid question,” he continued. “I know you feel pain. I know I hurt you.”
Renna breathed heavily against him. “I can’t—”
“I need to explain about the other night.”
Her body stiffened even more.
He hated to be the reason for her distress. “I just want you to know that I never—”
“I can’t do this.” She pulled away from his grasp like she was desperate to escape. If the look in her eyes was any indication, she was desperate to escape.
35
Renna
Renna couldn’t breathe. The tight dress suffocated and squeezed her. Feelings for Trev exploded within, her skin the only thing holding them inside. She hurried for the stairs, Trev’s stunned expression in her wake.
Joniss grabbed her arm, stopping her. “I think you just proved me right.”
She yanked out of his grasp, climbing the stairs as fast as her stupid dress would allow. Someone scrambled behind her, following. Picking up her pace, she made it to the top of the stairs and headed for the second-floor sitting room.
“Renna!” Trev called down the hall, piercing her heart. She kept moving.
“Renna!” he begged again behind her.
She pushed open the wooden doors to the sitting room, quickly making her way to the window. She needed air to help her heaving chest. Furiously, she fidgeted with the lock on the window, but it wouldn’t budge. Tears already streamed down her cheeks when she heard Trev enter the room behind her.
“Renna?” She could sense he was coming toward her—slowly, cautiously.
She stood with her back to him, swiping at her tear-filled eyes. “Please just go back downstairs. People will notice you’re gone.”
“I can’t. Not until I know you’re okay.” His warm fingers gently wrapped around her shoulders, sending chills everywhere, forcing her to turn her body to look at him.
His blue eyes were stormy with sadness and regret. She wanted nothing more than to sink into his arms and let him console her broken heart, even though he was the one who had broken it.
“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you.” His voice was low and genuine. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
His sincerity prompted the fall of another one of her tears. His hands sweetly cupped her face allowing his thumb to wipe the tear away; the intimate touch all but completely melted her willpower.
“You mean too much to me. I hate myself for hurting you.” His eyes were so concerned, twisting her heart like a wet rag. “Last night with Seran—”
“You don’t have to explain.” Renna tried to be brave. She stepped back from him, trying to wiggle out of his perfect grasp. The wall and the velvet curtains were against her back, but somehow he was still just as close—too close.
“I need to explain.” He reached out, his fingers gently playing with the tips of her own fingers. “Seran and I have never—”
Renna placed her hand on his chest to stop his talking, to stop him from getting closer, which he seemed to be doing effortlessly. His chest moved up and down and his heart raced against her palm. “It’s none of my business,” she said weakly.
“You need to know.” His voice was as soft as the velvety fabric behind her. “Besides the festival, that was the first time Seran and I have kissed.”
The way his fingers gently grazed her skin, the way his heart spoke to her, the way his blue eyes seemed to know her, made her entire soul ache with the pain he’d mentioned earlier. It really was a piercing, physical pain.
She wanted him.
Needed him.
“You’re everything to me,” he whispered. “When I found you, everything changed. My heart changed. You made love real, not just an illusion. And I don’t want to kiss Seran for the rest of my life.” An intense emotion radiated from his eyes, an emotion she immediately recognized in herself. “What I really want,” his eyes dropped to her lips, “is to kiss you.”
She wanted that too.
What would it feel like to be in his arms, to feel his chest against hers? What would his lips feel like? Taste like? What would his touch do to her skin? She had wondered these things a thousand times.
The desire in his eyes matched her own. She could see the moment he’d made up his mind—the moment he gave in.
His face slowly inched toward hers. In the seconds before his lips touched Renna’s, he scanned her eyes for permission, and she gave it. Wholly. Completely.
His lips skimmed the top of hers.
Quietly.
With restraint.
It was sweet and sensual, gentle and explosive all at once. Trev’s warm fingertips brushed over her cheeks just as gently as the movement of his lips. There was so much behind his kiss. So much between them that couldn’t be said.
For a brief moment, they only felt.
And Renna felt it all—the longing, the attraction, the friendship, the chemistry, the passion stirring within. It was all in his gentle kiss.
Trev broke the kiss for a moment, searching her eyes again. They both knew what was coming next by the way they looked at each other—by the heavy breaths between them.
In a fiery instant, their lips crashed together once more.
This time it was different. At first, Renna couldn’t even breathe—couldn’t keep up with the hungry demand of Trev’s kiss.
His body pressed against hers, but there was nowhere for her to go. The wall at her back forced her to blend into him. His wild hands clung to the fabric of her dress, grazing over her bare skin, pulling her body impossibly close.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, digging her fingers through his curls the way she had always wanted to. By kissing, they had crossed a line. Renna didn’t know who had pushed who over it, but neither of them seemed to care.
The kiss went on, eager, passionate, endless. Her heart raced, charging her body with explosive fire. Everything intensified. Her desire. His desire.
Surely, no kiss had ever felt like this before.
“Prince Ezra.” Her mother’s confident voice sounded from across the room, interrupting them.
Trev and Renna broke apart, slowly untangling their limbs as they turned to face Queen Mariele.
“We are expecting you downstairs. They are about to sign the marriage treaty.” Her mother spoke smoothly, seemingly unconcerned that she had just found them in each other’s arms. She didn’t even seem surprised, really.
Trev cleared his throat. “Of course.” He pulled his suit jacket down and repositioned the gold crown on his head. The burning fire that had been in his eyes moments ago had turned to embarrassment. Or was it regret? He exited without a glance in Renna’s direction.
Renna dared a look at her mother. She couldn’t read the expression on her face. Was it pity?
“You are done for the night,” her mother said authoritatively. Mangum appeared behind the queen’s shoulder, his face solemn as if he knew exactly what she and the prince had been caught doing. Shame and guilt hung around Renna like a halo.
“Mangum will escort you to your room, and you will remain there until I say you can come out. All of your food will be brought to you and Nora can get books or anything else you require.”