A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles, #1)(79)

Griffin’s free hand settles on my waist before sliding a light, fiery caress along my ribs to the outer swell of my breast. Sensation ripples through me, and I shiver.

His eyes turn hooded. “Or I could kiss the information out of you,” he says, leaning in.

I panic and jerk back, hitting my head on the wall. “It was some blonde woman. She doesn’t like me. It’s not important.”

He straightens, frowning. “Who?”

If he can’t guess, it just shows how insignificant Daphne is to him, despite what she obviously thinks. The knot that unwinds inside me is proof of everything I keep refusing to admit. The realization makes my stomach cramp.

“Don’t worry about it. She looks worse than I do. She won’t bother me again.”

Griffin hovers a moment longer and then retreats. Goose bumps spread the length of my body. The only time I’m ever cold is after being too close to his heat.

His expression turns rock-hard. “Whoever she is, if she touches you again, she’ll be punished.”

His voice is flat and deceptively casual, reminding me of the ruthless warlord I met at the circus fair. Strange how he’s become just Griffin to me, smiling often, the keystone of his family, jealous, overbearing, fun to torment, strong, with an amazing mouth that turns me into a hot, molten volcano about to explode…

I clear my throat. “She’ll be punished? Not by spanking, I assume.”

I realize I just flirted, or teased, or something equally awful, and my face flames kalaberry red.

Humor brightens Griffin’s eyes, and I blurt, “I’m still seriously considering stabbing you in your sleep.”

He smiles. “You don’t want to.”

“I’ll take that bet.”

“You’d miss me,” he says confidently.

I roll my eyes, letting him know what I think of that bit of arrogant absurdity.

“You’d miss this.” He swoops down and kisses me, his lips softly urgent. Incredibly enticing. It’s all I can do not to open for him, to let him invade me, and to conquer him in return. I want to throw my arms around his neck, press myself against him, and tangle my tongue with his so much it hurts.

Need unfurls inside me—a deep ache coupled with a deeper longing. The wings in my chest beat, confined and unsatisfied. I fight them. Fight him. Fight myself.

I nearly melt under the warm pressure of Griffin’s mouth as he tries coaxing me into kissing him back. I don’t. I won’t. I do my best to ignore the hot throb between my legs and the restless tension coiling inside me, and cage a scream of yearning and frustration and rage. He sets me ablaze. He makes me want. If it were only physical, I might just give in. I wouldn’t care what happens to him because of me, or what he’ll think of me once he knows.

After another scalding brush of his lips over mine, Griffin lifts his head. His rough thumbs stroke a burning path along my jaw, and his glittering silver eyes nearly make me reach out with both hands to take what he’s offering. Instead, I steel myself and scrape the back of my hand across my mouth. “That was worse than goat cheese.”

Not really.

Not at all.

Gods, I hate my life.

Griffin laughs, grabs my hand, and drags me out of the barracks.

“Not easily discouraged, are you?” I mutter.

He shepherds me across the courtyard, Athena watching with flat eyes. “Do you think I could have conquered Sinta if I were easily discouraged?”

I glare at him. I guess not.

He deposits me at the table before stalking back to the doors for a word with the guards. One leaves immediately.

My eye must get worse over dinner. By the end of the meal, the women are fawning over me like a flock of incredibly irritating mother hens. I flap my hands to keep them back. “Shoo! Or I’ll give all of you black eyes.”

Kaia frowns. “Are you supposed to threaten us?” She turns to Griffin, flouncing prettily in her seat. “Is Cat supposed to threaten us?”

He nods. “It means she likes you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Kaia smiles brightly anyway. “I like you too, Cat.”

Griffin grins, obviously pleased with himself.

“You’ll pay for that,” I whisper so Nerissa won’t hear.

Griffin arches an eyebrow and discreetly mimes spanking between our two chairs. I seriously consider bolting, binding vow or not.

“I have an herbal remedy for that,” Nerissa says, grabbing my chin and forcing my face toward the lamplight. “Stay in the castle tonight, and I’ll make it up for you,” she offers.

“There’s no reason to return to the barracks every night,” Jocasta says. “You’d be much more comfortable here.”

“That would be lovely.” Kaia joins the campaign with an enthusiastic bounce. “And I have an excess of night garments positively loitering in my dressing room. You must come look at them.”

Kaia has a tutor now. She’s starting to sound like a real princess. It’s annoying.

I scowl at Griffin. I don’t, in fact, have any nightclothes. “You were supposed to take me shopping.”

He looks surprised. “I thought Jocasta took care of everything.”

“I only brought Cat dinner clothes.” Jocasta turns to me. “I didn’t know you needed anything else.”