Lyn was tired but in a very satisfying way. She hadn’t used her magic this much in a long time and, while it was physically exhausting, it was also invigorating. Getting a plan together and coordinating with Kieran had been rewarding as well.

  She was in her cabin washing up when her stomach growled, reminding her it was time for dinner. As she stepped out, she heard movement in Kayden’s cabin and knocked on the door. Maybe they’d finally have time to sit down and talk?

  When he opened the door, she asked, “Would you like to have dinner with me?”

  Kayden nodded. “Come in. I ordered dinner for two because I’m not feeling social tonight and I have privileges.”

  Lyn hesitated for a moment; this differed from the other times she’d been alone with him. He wasn’t consoling her after a demon attack and she wasn’t tending his wounds but his offer was enticing. It would be nice to have a quiet evening talking to him; there were so many things on her mind and she really wanted to know more about him.

  He sat back on his bed, his wounds covered by clothes and looked at Lyn with appreciation. “You were amazing out there today.”

  She blushed slightly under his perusal and situated herself on the only chair in the room. “Thank you. Once I gave him my plan, I think Kieran did more than I did but really it was the efforts of everyone there that got the water where we needed it to be.”

  Lyn looked up at him. “How are you doing, Kayden? You did a lot of work today and you’re still healing.”

  “Tired,” he said simply. “I can put up with some discomfort instead of dying here.”

  “I have a question, Kayden. I’m not disagreeing with your actions but…” She considered how to put it before saying, “are you at all concerned that your warlock will retaliate?”

  Kayden chuckled and lit a cigarette. “If he hurts me, he’s dead. If he kills me, he’s dead. He’s an idiot but not stupid.” He shrugged. “Probably he’ll get a job at one of the Eight.”

  “One of the Eight, what does that mean?”

  “One of the eight most powerful noble houses of my country. A bunch of spoiled, influential, privileged bastards, trying to gain even more wealth and power.”

  Thankfully, there was a knock at the door to distract Lyn. She stood and accepted the tray with their meals on them and thanked the young woman before setting it on the only table. There were two plates, a bottle of wine, and two glasses. She busied herself getting Kayden’s plate ready so he could eat it in bed and then handed it to him. “Would you like some wine?”

  “Thank you.” He took the tray and nodded.

  She served him the wine and then settled down with her wineglass and food. They ate in silence for a few moments, then Lyn asked, “What are you looking forward to when you get home?”

  Kayden smirked at her, but his eyes betrayed him and she knew there was more than he was letting on. “The perfect massage from one of my chatelaines.”

  Lyn nodded. It must be different for him because she missed her children the most. Before she went down that depressing road, she took a chance and asked, “Will you tell me about your daughter?”

  “Her name is Phoebe, she’s eleven. Those who know about her are sworn to secrecy, and I’m trying to keep her hidden.” Kayden ran his fingers through his hair. “I only found out about her three years ago. I thought Sophia left me because of who I am. But she left me because she was pregnant and I told her I didn’t want children. My grandfather kept her and my daughter hidden, then they both moved into the Academy when Phoebe was three.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Lyn watched, wondering what she was missing. Why didn’t he want children? Or maybe that was obvious? His country seemed harsh, and his relationship with his brother was tinged with something she didn’t understand.

  "What else do you want to know?"

  Lyn chose her words carefully. It was a difficult subject for him to deal with and she didn’t want to make him appear soft because she knew that bothered him.

  “You care about your daughter’s future and worry about what this will mean for her.” She paused for a moment. “I don’t want to be insensitive but you’re the king. Is there anything you can do to change things? The arranged marriages, the training?”

  Kayden smiled but it was tainted by sadness. “I already changed a lot, and those changes weren’t taken lightly either, but they were a must if we want to thrive as a nation. If no one follows the law, there is no point in making it.” He shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do right now. Not without losing political stability. If I lose that, common people will rise.”

  “As for Phoebe, I’ll try to marry her to a foreigner to keep her safe.”

  Lyn hated the idea of marrying his daughter off to a foreigner just to keep her safe. People should be able to love but she needed to know more about this world. More about expectations and more about what he was doing. “I’m trying to understand this. Aren’t chatelains like wives?”

  “A chatelaine isn’t a wife. We avoid marriage because of… the consequences. Most marriages in my country are political and not for love. We choose our women based on looks, maybe a conversation or two.”

  Lyn listened to him. It seemed like a sad existence and bothered her more and more the way they viewed women. Except it didn’t align with the things she was learning about him. He said he had other influences so she had to wonder how that affected his personal views but didn’t want to ask just yet. Right now, he was telling her about his people.

  The problem with that was, she wanted to know more about him, about his daughter, about his feelings. She brought the conversation back on track, saying, “You care about her well being, that’s what’s important, at least to me anyway. Thank you for sharing that.”

  "I do." Kayden half-smiled. "She is my daughter. My blood."

  He’d said most men didn’t care but he did. This only confirmed her notion that deep inside, there was a kind, compassionate man. It wasn’t a conscious decision as she moved to him. Sitting on the bed. Reaching out and touching the side of his face. Her lips parted slightly but she didn’t move, she didn’t speak. She wanted to kiss him but wasn’t sure if he’d appreciate her being so forward. At home she wouldn’t have hesitated but this was different.

  Lyn looked into his eyes and saw his surprise but that wasn’t unexpected considering she’d been denying her attraction to him. Still, she held his gaze, looking for something to show she should press forward.

  Desire? Anticipation? Permission?

  Then he leaned in, leaving a hair’s breadth of space between their lips.

  She whispered against his lips. “I want this, I want you.” Then she closed the distance. At first brushing her lips against his, then she moved closer, her body melting into him as she deepened the kiss.

  Kayden pulled Lyn into his lap but, to her disappointment, kept his hands strictly on her hips. Her body pressed closer against his as she opened up to him, letting his tongue slide into her mouth. He tasted of wine and cigarettes and something more enticing.

  She touched his face and the roughness of his beard. She ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of the strands as they slid through her fingers. Lyn moved as close to him as she could get, letting him deepen the kiss but not being passive about it either. She toyed with his tongue, stroked and sucked it. A parody of what she wanted to do the hard length of him that was pressing against her center.

  Her hands moved down, over his shoulders and his arms, she wanted to touch more of him. Feel his bare skin against hers but she was disappointed when he didn't move his hands from her hips.

  She broke the kiss. "Touch me. Please touch me, Kayden."

  Thankfully, that was all the prompting he needed to move. Maybe he'd just been waiting for permission but Lyn couldn't think right now because he deepened the kiss, letting more of his passion out with each passing second.

  "You can say no." He kissed her jawline to her ear and her head fell back, giving him easier access.

  "You can say stop." He sucked on her earlobe. "Any time you want to."

  She moaned, between the whispered words and his lips on her ear, her body became tight with arousal.

  Kayden’s lips traveled down on her neck, to her collarbone, then back up. His hand roamed her body, caressing her ass. To her frustration, he didn’t move under her shirt yet. Her nipples were hard points. She wanted out of the bra she was wearing; she wanted his lips covering them instead of the teasingly soft fabric.

  Lyn moaned and when she thought he was going to pull away, she said, "If you stop now, I just might hit you."

  Kayden smiled. “You can try.”