Warning: Mature Content Ahead.
Suddenly, Kaeren dropped to his knees, the weight of his body sinking into the plush rug as he buried his face against my lap. The shock of it paralyzed me. This was the man who commanded armies and terrified Council members, now seeking shelter against the thighs of a girl who owned nothing but a borrowed name.
"The pressure," he muffled against my skin, his breath hitching. "It's too high, Waverly. The walls are closing in."
"Stroke him, you fool," Pia hissed, though for once, her voice lacked its usual bite. "Even a king needs a place to bleed."
My fingers moved of their own accord, threading through the dark, silken strands of his hair. It was an instinctive, grounding gesture. "Take things slow, Kaeren. Just for tonight."
He lifted his head, his silvery golden eyes burning with a weary, ancient fire. "A man like me doesn't have that luxury. If I stop moving, the vipers bite."
