Rayne wasn't entirely sure she believed that. Elia had been the perfect little girl from the day they met, and yet it was clear from the look on the king's face that he believed what he was saying.
"She’s a wonderful little girl," Rayne whispered. As if sensing her discomfort, Asher carefully got up from the bed and moved around to stand over her. She was equally surprised when he offered her his hand.
"We should let her sleep," he hissed under his breath, inclining his head toward his hand in a gesture that said, 'let me escort you out'.
Holding her breath, Rayne placed her hand in his and allowed him to urge her up from the bed. They tiptoed silently toward the door, Rayne only pausing long enough to slip the book she’d been reading onto the shelf beside the doorway.
As if with a shared mind, they both glanced back at Elia for one final check, and Rayne couldn't help but smile at the happy coincidence. As she drew her head back around, she found the king was smiling back at her.
"I think the two of us make a good team," he commented even as they stepped through the door and he clicked it shut behind them. Rayne couldn't help but notice the way his fingers still held hers when he turned his full attention to her. It was all Rayne could do to nod and agree. A lump had formed in her throat.
Over the last week or so, she’d felt as though the king had been drawing steadily closer to her. A look here and a brush of his fingers there had left her breathless and sometimes weak at the knees.
She found she was almost entirely unable to breathe now, realizing he stood closer than ever before. Though their fingers were loosely bound now, she felt as though she couldn't release him. When his free hand came up to stroke a strand of hair from her face, she sucked in a lungful of breath, unable to better prepare herself for what might come next.
"Rayne, I have a confession to make," he breathed, so close now, she could feel his breath upon her face. Though he spoke to her, he was not looking her in the eye. Instead, his gaze was fixed upon her lips, and she shivered when she felt his thumb brush over her mouth. The hungry look in his eyes intensified and she was unable to stop herself from quivering.
"What?" she breathed back.
Her voice seemed to shock him as if he’d suddenly been doused in cold water and his gaze shot to hers, their eyes locking in such a way, she felt as if his soul were touching hers. Nervously, her wings began to flutter at her shoulders.
"I believe I was wrong to reject you," he admitted, and now it was Rayne's turn to feel as though she’d been doused by cold water. Though his confession that he felt he’d wronged her warmed her heart, it also reminded her of what he’d done, and her chest began to ache once more.
"My lord, I…" she began, preparing to step away, but when she felt his hands come up to cup her face, she couldn't bring herself to move.
Instinctively, her eyes fluttered shut and she found herself leaning forward, able to feel his gaze still burning into her eyelids. The sensation of him moving toward her told her everything she needed to know. He’s going to kiss me!
Then suddenly his hands were gone from her cheeks and a breeze where they had been made her eyes flash open. Startled to find only the ornately carved nursery door before her, she turned to look down the hallway just in time to see King Asher fluttering away on eager wings.
What the hell? Her hands balled into fists and she reminded herself once again that he’d already rejected her. It made no difference whether he regretted it or not. The damage was done, and she wasn't about to let him live it down. Especially not now that he’d left her lips tingling for his kiss.
Chapter 8 - Asher
Damn it!
Hours later, Asher was still furious with himself for running away like a frightened schoolboy. Rayne had been within reach. He had held her delicately soft face in his hands. Her eyes had closed, her lips had pouted, all but ready to be kissed, and he’d released her, running away like a child.
Ever since, he’d been unable to stop himself from thinking about her.
"I'm such a fool," he announced out loud, though there was nobody in his bedroom to hear him. His hand lashed out, slamming into the bedside table, causing the glass of water that’d been left there to wobble precariously close to the edge. He wasn't sure how he’d been so careless as to allow himself to show his true feelings. Denying them had become harder and harder over the last few weeks and not for the first time, he found he had the urge to write a letter to his brother Ember just to let it all out.
What good will that do? he thought, almost certain there was only one way to get his mind off her. If he was going to get over her, he was going to have to have her.
It was with this realization that he clambered from his bed during the middle of the night, threw on his robe, and began to make his way to Rayne's private chambers.
The guards on duty during the night acknowledged him with bows but made no attempt to question him on where he was going. After all, who were they to question a king? Perhaps if they had, he might have stopped for just long enough to question himself.
Instead, he swept through the door to Rayne's chambers, crossing the living area in a matter of seconds before he pulled back the drapes that were the only thing separating her bedroom from the antechamber. He found her atop her bed, almost hidden by the mountain of pillows she lay in.
As if she sensed his presence, her eyes slowly began to flutter open, her mouth spread wide in a smile as though she were waking from a happy dream. The smile quickly turned to a look of utter surprise when her eyes fell upon him standing at the end of the bed.
"My... my lord!" she exclaimed, scrambling out of bed, dragging the sheets with her to keep herself well covered in her nightgown. "Wh... what are you…"
But before she could get the question out or make any kind of protest, Asher swept around the bed and took her face in his hands once more.
Feeling as though he were wrapped in a dream, he lowered his face to hers and kissed her with all the desire that had been building up inside him since the day she arrived.
For just a moment he felt as though Rayne was going to pull away, protest, maybe even slap him. He wouldn't have blamed her. He deserved it after barging into her room and disturbing her from sleep.