Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)(67)

I observe this process before asking. “What are you doing?”

He nestles his face into my hair, breathing deeply. “It’s been a shitty day. I just want to be here with you,” he says.

The request for him to leave catches in my throat. “It has been a shitty day,” I say instead.

“Mm-mm.” He kisses the side of my neck. “I don’t like fighting with you. Makes everything worse.”

I think on his words. Is that why I’ve been so out of sorts today? I tilt my head up so he can’t access my neck. “Your stubble tickles,” I scold. He chuckles against my back.

“The Outer Rings were bad,” I ask. I remember the first time I walked through them. The moment is seared into my memory.

“I’ve never seen such…” he searches for the right word.

“Carnage?” I offer. He makes a noise of agreement.

“Things are going to change,” he says in a hard voice.

I extract one of my hands and grasp the hand lying over my hip. He twines our fingers together.

“This may be a good time to tell you I arranged self-defense classes for the whores in the Second Sector. Classes start in a week,” I admit. “If it proves helpful, I believe it would be a worthwhile investment for the other sectors.”

He stretches behind me and curls back into position, remaining silent for some time. I don’t blame him.

“I don’t know whether to yell or laugh,” he says finally. “Thank you,” he offers. I twist to peek at him.

“Your kindness has always amazed me.” He kisses my forehead.

“At the risk of you putting me on a pedestal, I should mention the self-defense classes are funded with money stolen from seven whorehounds I killed.”

He stiffens and then kisses my ear.

“That … does put a different spin on it,” he agrees, making me giggle. He brushes his nose against mine.

“That sound,” he says. I smile at him and turn back around, closing my eyes.

“It would be nice if every moment were like this,” he sighs, his breath deepening. The sound makes my own eyes heavy.

“Enjoy it. You’ll be pissed at me again tomorrow,” I mumble. He shakes with sleepy laughter. “Really pissed,” I mumble.

“Have to do with where Rhone is?”

“Yep, and Blaine,” I say, snuggling back into his warmth. I sigh, half-asleep, and squeeze the hand I hold. I’ve never been so comfortable in my life.

When Jovan speaks, I’m so far down the path of sleep I barely recall what we were talking about.

“Consider me warned,” he mutters.





Chapter Fifteen


“Fucking fuck!” a voice says.

I frown and nuzzle into a warm shoulder. At the same time, an arm tightens around my waist. On my bare skin.

A door slams and I jerk awake; the body next to me does the same. I blink sleepily and remember Jovan is there. Some part of me must already know because I’m not particularly worried. In fact, I’m supremely content.

My mind begins to process every observation I’ve made in the last few moments. Firstly, the furs that were wrapped around me last night are no longer there. Jovan lies raised on one elbow and I’m facing him, our legs twisted together. He’s not looking at me. The man I’m lying with is looking straight ahead. I follow his gaze and shriek.

It wasn’t Jovan that spoke.

Ashawn stands at the foot of the bed, gaping through his raised visor.

“Get out,” Jovan whispers. Ashawn’s eyes dip down, and I realize my chest is completely bare at the same moment Jovan does. He throws an arm over my breasts while I locate a fur, face burning. Jovan is vibrating. A sign he’s seconds away from bringing the place down.

“There are other guards outside,” I remind him. They can’t know the king is here. I peek through the furs, watching him take shallow breaths.

Ashawn clangs to the side of the bed in his armor. “So … what I’m thinking is…”

He looks between us and around the room, eyes resting on Kaura and then moving back to me. Jovan’s youngest brother hasn’t blinked in several minutes.

“I don’t know what I think,” he finally admits.

I retrieve my veil from underneath the pillow and hold it up helpfully. Jovan growls and jerks the fur up over my shoulder.

“Fuck,” Ashawn says, removing his helmet. He drops it on the bed seat. “Fucking shit.”

“We have something to tell you, Ash,” Jovan says. For some reason, I’m struggling not to giggle. I’m completely mortified, and it crosses my mind that I haven’t even thought about the fact I’m supposed to be terrified of him seeing my face. Even with that, I can’t help finding the whole situation hysterically funny.

One tiny giggle slips out and I lose it. I cover my mouth with both hands and laugh so hard, and for so long, they both probably think I’m insane.

Jovan pries my hands away, an adorable bashful look on his face. “I apologize, Lina. I was supposed to sneak away before morning.”

“This is so bad,” I say, wiping tears from my eyes and giggling again. Jovan snorts, amusement crossing his features for a moment before he gives his brother a hard look.

“Turn and face the wall while the Tatuma dresses,” he commands. His brother blinks and rattles around to face the wall.