A Ruin of Roses (Deliciously Dark Fairytales #1)(51)

“Did your parents choose someone for you before all this?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a choice I would’ve made for myself.”

“What happened?”

“In the end? The curse happened.”

He didn’t elaborate as we reached the steps to the patio. Then again, he didn’t really have to. He was the only noble left. Clearly his intended hadn’t made it.

He slowed, looking at the door. Several glass panels were embedded in the wood, and a bare ass was pressed against one of them. As we watched, the back of what looked like a woman pushed against the glass pane above. Just beyond, two legs faced it, the knees bending before the flesh against the window shifted. Two palms flattened against the glass. They were fucking against the back door.

“Let’s go around,” I said quickly, knowing he’d probably want to force that door open and ruin their time. He clearly wasn’t ignoring these shenanigans like he had the furry situation earlier.

His fingers dug into my hip angrily. A nerve jumped in the side of his clenched jaw. He did turn, though, heading around the side of the castle toward another entrance. Nearly there, he halted. His arm constricted around me, smashing me to his side before he swore softly and abruptly turned.

“What’s hap—”

“Say nothing,” he whispered furiously, moving his hand to my shoulder and pushing me toward the trees.

I hit a rock with my toe and tried to correct, but he caught me first, dragging me upright.

Once in the trees, he whispered, “They’re looking for us. It either means they are suspicious or they want to taunt me. We need to ensure it’s the latter.”

“What do they want to taunt you about?”

He ducked behind a tree and dragged me with him, pushing me against the bark. He stood close, caging me in with his body. Showering me with his heat.

“I take my honor very seriously, and I’ve been celibate since the curse came into effect. There are a few reasons why, but one of them is that I will not allow them to twist me sexually like they have twisted everyone else in that castle. Now you’re here, and they will think I am starting to break. That I have seen my true fate—failure and death—and decided to forgo my duty and let go of my honor. They think I have captured you for stealing and intend to use you sexually until I’ve had my fill. I want to propagate that illusion. They will taunt me to play on my supposed guilt. They want to twist the knife and, in so doing, twist my mind. Once they see that they are having an effect, they will go after you to incite my animal.”

“Why would that incite your animal?”

“Because I do not share, Finley. If I lay a claim on my chosen, there will be no other. Not for me, and not for her. My animal will not stand for it, even if I could. Through me, they will aim to ruin you. But I will not let them hurt you, do you understand? I will not let them touch you. You are here under my protection, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe and whole. Whatever it takes.”

“But you need them to think you’re defiling me, and I need to play along. Otherwise the cover is blown and you’ll get me killed or worse.”

He lifted his hand slowly and ran his thumb along the edge of my jaw. My heart fluttered at that delicate touch.

“The plan was to keep you to your room at night. But your nulling elixir could save lives, and so the plan has changed. I told you I was not a nice man, princess,” he murmured with a bite of gravel in his voice.

He tensed and turned his head to the right just a little.

“They’ve caught our scent,” he whispered. “They’re winding closer.”

My animal prowled in my chest. I chanced tugging on her a little, needing her access to scents. She stepped forward in a hurry, the familiar fire washing through me and a musty sort of funk immediately accosting my senses. I crinkled my nose.

“Yes. That’s the scent of a powerful demon,” he said. “The higher they are on the power scale, the mustier they are to our senses. This might be hard for you to understand, but I need you to act like this isn’t your choice. That I’m forcing the issue.”

“To make them think you’re losing your morals and degrading yourself, thus convincing them they are finally having an effect on you?”

“Okay, maybe it won’t be hard for you to understand.”

“It wouldn’t be hard for anyone to understand. You literally just spelled it out a second ago.”

“You haven’t been in this castle long enough, clearly.”

He grabbed my hands and pushed them above my head, trapping both wrists in one of his large hands. He pushed closer until every inch of that hard body was pressed firmly against mine. He settled his free hand on my hip and dipped his head, running his lips along the side of my throat.

“Make a show of resisting,” he murmured, bending a little and rocking his hips forward. His hard bulge rubbed against my pelvis, not where I needed it. I ran a leg up the outside of his thigh and over his hip. He caught my knee and rocked his hips forward again.

“No, please,” I said in a husky voice and moaned as he sucked in the fevered flesh on my neck. His lips skimmed up to my jaw and ended at the outside of my mouth. He gyrated again, rubbing against my leather-clad pussy.

He chuckled darkly. “You’re not a good actress.”

He moved slightly, adjusting so his lips were right in front of mine but not touching. Our breath mingled. He thrust forward again, his bulge rubbing just right.