Once Jhaeros had tucked himself in and refastened his pants, he pulled me gently into his lap and kissed my forehead. He brushed my hair away from my masked face and stared at me with such tenderness. Unbidden tears glossed over my eyes. I blinked them back, but it was too late.
“Thezlina, what is the matter? Was it not good?” His brows sank into his thick lashes.
Hearing him say that name brought more tears to my eyes. I shook my head, not trusting my voice to break.
He stroked my back and waited patiently until I was able to speak.
“It was—”
His hand stilled.
“Wonderful.” I said the last word breathlessly.
I never dreamed I’d give myself to him. Never imagined it would be so beautiful. Never believed I’d want more. Want him the way he wanted Lady Thezlina.
There’d be no winners tonight.
Jhaeros tucked me against his chest and I allowed him to cradle me, pressing soft kisses to my head. I felt lulled by him, safe from all the monsters. Protected, if only for a moment. I rested my head against him, eyes fluttering closed, and breathed in pine and sandalwood—the scent of home.
I felt weightless in his embrace and, without meaning to, I drifted off. I couldn’t have slept long, maybe ten minutes. Confusion clouded my mind like mist when I came to. Before opening my eyes, I remembered arriving at an enchanted castle. I was still there—in a room with Jhaeros.
I no longer felt myself pressed against him; I was lying on my side on the settee.
I pried my eyes apart slowly, afraid I’d find myself alone. But Jhaeros hadn’t left. He sat across from me on the armchair, his suit jacket snug over his broad shoulders and shirt buttons fastened up to his neck. He sat staring at me gravely—holding my golden mask loosely in his fingers.
Chapter Seven
No. No. No. This couldn’t be happening.
I was still dreaming, stuck in a nightmare. I nearly slapped my face feeling for the mask, even though I could see it clearly resting in Jhaeros’s lap.
The lips that had devoured mine earlier were now pressed together in a grim line.
“Aerith,” Jhaeros said, disbelief heavy in his voice.
I scrambled up to a sitting position, hands brushing over my skirts to make sure I was fully covered. My heart thundered in my chest and anger flared in my head.
“How dare you?” I demanded. “How dare you remove my mask while I was unconscious?”
Jhaeros flinched at my choice of words.
“I had to know who you were.”
“You had no right,” I cried out, getting to my feet.
He remained seated, jaw set, brown eyes lifting with me.
“And what right had you to deceive me?” he asked in a deep, probing voice.
“Deceive you?” I asked with a sneer, placing my hands on my hips. “I told you from the start I wanted to be left alone. I wore that mask for privacy—something you’re obviously incapable of respecting.”
Jhaeros’s eyes narrowed. His eyes flicked down at the mask in his hands then back up to my face.
“Does your father know you’re here?”
I dropped my arms and laughed bitterly.
“Who do you think insisted upon my attendance?”
Jhaeros frowned. “Elred made you come—alone? Why?”
“Why do you think? He wants me to find another mate to pay his bills.”
Jhaeros’s eyes squeezed shut when he scowled. He got to his feet, gripping my mask.
“I ought to pound him in the face for treating you this way.” The anger in Jhaeros’s voice sent a thrill of pleasure through me.
I shook my head to clear it. The words “Jhaeros” and “pleasure” didn’t belong in the same universe, let alone sentence, together.
Jhaeros’s chest rose as he took a deep, rumbling breath and released it. “But I suppose I will have to hold back if I am to endure him as a father-in-law.”
Jealous rage cut through me like shards of ice—freezing over then burning away into molten fury.
“You still mean to go after Shalendra?” I spit out. “Good luck with that! I wish you success, Jhaeros. You two deserve one another.” I pivoted on the balls of my feet and stormed toward the door.
Before I could make it out of the room, Jhaeros leaped between the door and me, the color rising in his cheeks. His large frame blocked my escape while his deep brown eyes stripped me bare.
“It is not your sister I mean to mate, Aerith. It is you.”
My breath caught in my throat and my toes curled inside my golden slippers. A surge of drunken joy and hope swirled through me before catching fire and burning to ash inside my stomach. I looked away.
“You are not obligated to mate me,” I said softly.
“I am a male of honor,” Jhaeros said. “I will do right by you.”
Honor, of course. Was that the only reason he’d propose to me?
“Don’t trouble yourself,” I spat. “It’s not as though you took my maidenhood. Besides, what happens at the ball, stays at the ball. Once you’re back in Pinemist, you’re free to forget about me altogether.”
“You think I could forget you?” Jhaeros demanded.
I shrugged and kept my head down, unable to meet his penetrating stare. Out of the corners of my eyes, I saw a flash of gold after Jhaeros released my mask. As it fluttered to the stone floor, he took me by the shoulders and backed me against the wall, head dipping low to meet my lips. His mouth was warm and demanding. Halfheartedly, I tried to push him away, but the moan that rolled off my traitorous tongue didn’t convince him to let go.
He cupped one of my breasts over the corset. My eyes squeezed together as I gasped. His other hand wrapped around my waist and pressed me against his hard length. I reopened my eyes and parted my lips to allow his tongue to probe and devour mine.
Jhaeros broke off the kiss but didn’t pull away. His brown eyes delved into mine from half an inch away.
“I want to love you like this every day for the rest of my life, Aerith Heiris.”
“It’s Elmray now,” I said.
He growled, grip tightening on my waist.
“I want it to be Keasandoral.”
“What if I just want to be left alone?”
“Is that really what you want, Aerith? Do you truly wish to leave the ball and never see me again?”
His body stiffened, and he seemed to hold his breath waiting for my reply.
I could lie, tell him that after tonight I wanted us to go our separate ways and never think or speak of what we’d done again. As though it had never happened. With time, perhaps the memory would fade like the fog clinging to the castle’s grounds. All of this would become nothing more than a beautiful dream.
Stabbing pain lanced through my chest. My heart felt ready to break apart at the thought of giving him up.
“No,” I answered honestly.
Jhaeros’s face seemed to brighten.
“Perhaps an easier question is this, would you do me the honor of a dance?”
I squinted at him. “You dance?”
“Indeed, I do. And apparently you play campaigne quite well.”
“Quite well,” I repeated, raising a brow. “You mean like a champion three worlds over.”
“You never won the game.” Jhaeros lifted his nose.