I squeeze her hand and force us to stop in the hall, pinning her suddenly to a wall. Caged between my arms, she stares up at me, my sweet little bird with glassy green eyes and a somber look on her face.
I feather my fingers down her face, unable to get enough of her. Her eyes flutter closed beneath the touch, lashes flickering against the apples of her cheeks and she leans in to my hand.
“I will always protect you,” I tell her, “You will always be first.”
“Your city comes first,” she breathes, pressing a kiss to my palm.
“Not anymore, little bird.”
Her eyes open and she stares up at my face, checking for deceit in my words but she’ll find none. I never thought it possible. Weakened by a woman, brought to my knees by a single female who started out as a means to an end but became my queen instead.
“I love you,” I whisper against her mouth.
She melts into me, fusing her lips to mine.
When the kiss turns heated and my cock grows hard, pushing against her lower belly I pull away. There could be no distractions with what is to come tonight. I needed to have my head in the game, I needed to protect Wren and get what we both needed to end this once and for all.
Her teeth drag against my lower lip, and she spears me with a glare, “let’s go.”
“After you, little bird.”