“That it is.” Sadness colored her tone, tugging at a part of me that needed to stay deadened.
I lowered my head, noting the catch in her breath as my lips neared hers. “I doubt the need for conversation led you to this room. You didn’t come here to talk about sad things that cannot be changed, Princess.”
Her eyes widened under her mask, and I felt her stiffen under me. I didn’t need to know her thoughts to realize that she was battling what she knew she should be doing versus what she wanted.
That very same battle had briefly raged inside me, except reckless curiosity had won out—as did my selfishness. Would she be the responsible one and end this? If so, I would walk away from this room.
And I would.
I wouldn’t take her tonight, even though that made more sense than leaving this room without the one person I’d come to this kingdom for. What stopped me was some kind of twisted sense of chivalry, as ridiculous as that sounded. But I knew why she was here.
The Maiden wanted to know pleasure.
And that meant many things—things I couldn’t give any critical thought to. Things that would really make me change what I knew, or assumed, about the Maiden. All I could acknowledge was that there was something so…innocent behind her reasons for coming here. Something courageous. Unexpected. I didn’t know what had gone into her choice to come here, what she’d had to do, how she’d prepared herself, or even why. And if I revealed who I was—who she was to me—in a society like the one the Ascended had created, where women needed to hide their faces when they sought pleasure and happiness, it could be seen as a punishment. As if this were what happened when you engaged in such behaviors, and I…I didn’t want to be a part of ruining that for her.
I sensed the moment she made up her mind. Her body relaxed under mine as she drew that lower lip between her teeth once more.
And gods, I didn’t expect that. I figured she would end this. She should have. But hell, I was a bastard because I was…too captivated—too intrigued—not to follow through.
Drawing in a breath that felt strangely shallow, I drew a finger across the satin ribbon of her mask. “May I remove this?”
She shook her head.
Disappointment sparked. I wanted to see her face and the expressions she made, but that mask…it was just a silly piece of cloth. Yet sometimes, silliness fed bravery, and who was I to judge? After all, I was constantly pretending. My life in this kingdom was a façade. Everything about me was a lie. Well, mostly.
I trailed my finger along the line of her jaw and down her throat, over her wildly pounding pulse. My fingers stopped where the cloak was fastened. “How about this?”
She nodded.
I’d never removed a cloak quicker in my life.
The shiver I saw, the sudden rise of her breasts as I skimmed the tip of my finger over the wonderfully indecent neckline, sent a bolt of raw, pounding desire through me. In a flash of heat, I saw that gown of hers in shreds, and me between her thighs, first with my tongue and then with my cock. And that desire was nearly as potent as the need to remain where I was—warm and interesting and alive.
I checked myself then.
Clenching my jaw, I willed the gathering throb to cool it. I was willing to go wherever this led, but not there. That was taking too much, and it didn’t matter if it was willingly given. I was a monster, but not that kind of monster.
But there was so much we could do.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, toying with the small bow between the sweet swells on her chest. “Tell me, and I’ll make it so.”
“Why?” she asked. “Why would you…do this? You don’t know me, and you thought I was someone else.”
It wasn’t like I could answer that question honestly, and it had nothing to do with who she was. Or maybe it did. At this moment, I couldn’t be sure. “I have nowhere to be, and I’m intrigued.”
“Because you have nowhere to be at the moment?”
“Would you rather I wax poetic about how I’m charmed by your beauty, even though I can only see half your face?” I asked. “Which, by the way, from what I can see is pleasing. Would you rather I tell you I’m captivated by your eyes? They are a pretty shade of green from what I can tell.”
The corners of her lips turned down. “Well, no. I don’t want you to lie.”
“None of those things were a lie.” Tugging on the little bow, I dipped my head, brushing my lips over hers. Her fresh and sweet scent heightened. “I told you the truth, Princess. I’m intrigued by you, and it’s fairly rare anyone intrigues me.”
“So?”
“So,” I said, chuckling against the curve of her jaw, “you’ve changed my evening. I’d planned to return to my quarters. Maybe get a good—albeit boring—night of sleep, but I have a suspicion that tonight will be anything but boring if I spend it with you.”
It would be nothing short of a miracle.
“Were you…were you with someone before me?” she asked.
I lifted my head. “That’s a random question.”
“There are two glasses by the settee.”
“It’s also a random, personal question asked by someone whose name I don’t even know.”
Her cheeks warmed.
And I…I could understand her inquiry, couldn’t I? Her concern. “I was with someone,” I answered. “A friend who is not like the owner of the cloak. One I hadn’t seen in a while. We were catching up, in private,” I explained, and it shocked me. I rarely ever did such a thing.
But my response wasn’t exactly a lie. I hadn’t seen Kieran in a few days, and since we’d been together since birth, that did feel like a while. That was the longest we’d been separated since I—
I cut those thoughts off before they could take hold and become something darker, harder to cast off. “So, Princess, will you tell me what you want from me?”
Her breath caught again. “Anything?”
“Anything.” I slid my hand down, cupping the surprisingly full weight of her breast. The white robes I normally saw her in had hidden a lot.
But now, with the thin material of her gown pulled taut against her skin, I could make out the deep, rosy hue, and the oh-so-very-intriguing hardened peak. My thumb followed my gaze.
She gasped as her back arched, pressing her breast more firmly into my palm. My chest tightened with a surge of need.
“I’m waiting.” I swept my thumb once more, thoroughly enjoying the breathy sound she made and the curl of her body. “Tell me what you enjoy, so I can make you love it.”
“I…” She bit down on her lip. “I don’t know.”
My gaze flew to hers as I froze. Her words were a reminder. They were also a spark that lit a fire under the need I felt to show her exactly what she wanted.
“I’ll tell you what I want.” I moved my thumb again, slower, harder. “I want you to remove your mask.”
“I…” Her lips parted. “Why?”
“Because I want to see you.”
“You can see me now.”
“No, Princess.” I lowered my head. “I want to really see you when I do this without your gown between you and my mouth.”