23|| Deal With The Devil

My body froze, I couldn’t even remember how to breathe, terrified that if I moved the wrong way, I’d shatter into a thousand pieces right where I stood. He looked down at me, curving his lips, as if daring me to make the next move. In this game of love, war and secrets, he was winning.

But I couldn’t let that happen, I had to do something, something that would knock him off his high horse and spook him, something that would show him that I wasn’t as simple as I appeared, something that would make him obsessed with me.

At that moment, I decided I would do it. I had to.

So I fucking did.

I did the one thing he couldn’t possibly expect.

I kissed him.

I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck, and before he could say a word, I pressed my lips to his. It was slow at first like I was hesitant and scared, totally out of my element and his body froze in surprise, even his eyes widened. For a moment, the world paused around us. Then I leaned in deeper, tilting my head to fit against him, refusing to give him time to think or take control.

He snapped out of his daze so fast it was almost impressive. His arm locked around my waist, pulling me against him with a force that felt possessive. A low growl slipped from his throat, and before I could think, my feet were off the ground.

I clung to him, my body reacting before my mind could catch up, legs wrapping around his waist as our mouths collided again. The kiss was wild, desperate and intense like we’d both been starving for this and finally stopped pretending otherwise. The world disappeared to the heat between us, and the only thing I could think about for a second was being in his arms.

He tilted me back, trying to pin me under him, but I refused to give in. My nails dug into his shoulders, challenging him, and that only made him laugh against my lips. His hand slid under my dress, finding every inch of skin and rubbing them like he owned it.

We didn’t even realize we were losing our balance until we crashed into the lake. The cold water snapped me out of it like a slap to the face. I gasped, fear clawing at my chest. For a second, I thought I was going to drown—then his arm found me, pulling me back to him, and I held him tight, unable to let him go.

My dress clung to me and I didn’t need to look down to tell that it was transparent under the moonlight. I could feel his heartbeat against mine, steady and wild all at once. I looked down at him, breathless, wanting to hate the way I wanted him.

I didn’t care about the water. Or the cold. I still had questions burning at the back of my mind.

“Why did you help me?” I whispered.

“What?”

“Why do I keep meeting you? Why can’t I stop thinking about you? Who are you?”

The words tumbled out all at once, my breath uneven as he stared back at me, silent.

“There are some questions better left unanswered,” he said finally.

“Not in my world,” I shot back. “I’d rather know everything so I know where I stand. I don’t have the privilege of being oblivious. My life…” I bit my lip, trying to stop the tears in my eyes from falling. “In this palace, it’s a war. And I intend to win. But to do that, I need to know who’s against me and who’s with me.”

“Against you or with you…” he repeated, as if testing the words. “And if I’m neither?”

I froze, then pushed him away gently, creating space between us. “Then I have no need for you. I have no need to be with you.”

My hands trembled as I grabbed the hem of my soaked dress and started walking toward the edge of the lake, shivering. Disappointment burned in my chest, so much I wanted to burst into tears. A thousand thoughts rushed through my head all at once.

Deep down, I knew he could be my strongest ally—the ally. I needed his connections if I was going to survive in the palace. He was my only link to the king. And if that meant letting him take what he wanted from me, every part of my body, I was willing. I didn’t care. But it was a dangerous game for both of us.

Being caught with the king’s woman would mean his death. And yet, I thought he wasn’t the type to be afraid of danger. Maybe I was wrong.

I covered my face with my hand, my steps heavy as I walked away. What was I going to do now? My plan to deal with Naomi hinged on having someone to back me, someone quiet but powerful. Without that, where would I even start? Should I go after her alone, without a safety net?

I was still lost in thought when a hand grabbed mine and pulled me back.

I turned, shocked, and found him staring at me. There was something different in his eyes this time, something raw, unstable, terrifying, and yet fascinating.

“You want me to help you?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yes.”

“You want me to make you untouchable in this palace?”

Even though it sounded like a question, I knew from the way he looked at me that he’d already made his decision. If he hadn’t, he would’ve let me go. But here he was choosing to stay.

My heart went crazy. Under the king’s roof, in this dangerous place, I had just made a deal with the devil.

But I wasn’t afraid, oh no, I was confident.

I fell to my knees, ignoring the slight pain from the tiny stones on the floor. Never in my life would I think I would be the kind of person that would make the first move but now I felt like I could rule the rest.

His smirk softened as he raised an eyebrow, curious as to what I was about to do. He reached for my face and cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin like he was worried I was going to get uncomfortable. That slight worry made me feel like my heart was going to burst.

“Easy now,” he murmured. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

But I didn't want to go easy. The need in me, to prove myself and make him crazy with desire had overtaken me. I lowered my head and locked eyes on the obvious bulge straining against his black trousers. I bent forward, but instead of my fingers, I used my teeth.

The metallic taste of the zipper filled my mouth. I bit it gently between my teeth, and I smirked as I heard him take a deep breath, a hiss that was like pure music to my ears. Then with a tug of my head, I pulled it down.

And then… oh.

My eyes widened. My confidence aura completely evaporated, replaced by pure shock and awe. He was… magnificent. Thick and already fully erect. The moon casted over him, highlighting his impressive length and the vein tracing his side. My brain had short-circuited. I was so overwhelmed I almost gasped out loud.

He chuckled “See something you like?”

I snapped out of it and the next thing I knew, this desperate aching feel consumed me suddenly. Yes. I thought. Yes, I like it. And I want it in me.