I narrow my gaze. “Why should I trust you?”
He flashes me a sly smile. “You make a good point. There is only one person in the entire world who truly can trust me, and I’m staring at her.” His hand smooths over my back again, and I bite back the sound that wants to come out.
Going to make the supremely bad decision to trust this man because why not? I’ve already made fifty other bad choices; what’s one more?
So I close my eyes and let myself relax.
Nero must sense the shift in the room because he hops off the bed then. Several seconds later, I hear the click of his claws against the windowsill, followed by the rustle of the oak tree outside as my familiar flees the current situation. And to think that only a short while ago Nero scoffed at the thought of my bringing boys over. I’d say the joke’s on him, except I’m the one who’s half dead yet still enjoying the touch of my enemy.
So the joke is most definitely on me.
Memnon’s hand continues to move over me, skimming along my back, and it feels so damn good, it should be illegal. Up and down, up and down. The longer it goes, the more restless I get.
Not enough.
“More,” I plead so softly, I’m not sure he can hear me. The truth is that I’m not at all confident in making demands of him. Not after everything he’s already done for me tonight.
His hand stills, and there’s a long pause.
“What was that?” he says.
I’m not going to say it again. I’m not—
“More,” I say again, louder.
After a moment, Memnon’s hand moves again. “More what?” he says, and now I swear there’s a wicked edge to his words, as though he’s toying with me. But I can’t be sure.
I shift under his hand, my skin so sensitive. “I—I don’t know,” I admit, my eyes still closed.
I feel the brush of his lips against my ear. “You should never ask me for things you do not mean, Empress,” he says, his voice pitched low. “But I think you do know what you want more of. And I think it frightens you.”
I swallow, goose bumps breaking out along my flesh.
A second passes. Then two, then three.
“Do you still want more?” Memnon breathes against me.
I don’t even bother lying to myself. “Yes.”
Memnon doesn’t respond, but several seconds later, the bed dips, and I feel his powerful thighs on either side of my own.
His hands return to my back, kneading my muscles. It feels erotic, even though it shouldn’t. It’s just a back massage.
There is no reason why I should be getting turned on by this. But moldy fucking toadstools, I am getting turned on. There’s an ache between my legs. And it’s growing and growing.
“Next time, est amage, I will make you tell me what you want—”
A moan slips out of me. I don’t mean for it to escape, but there it is.
Behind me, Memnon pauses.
“Then again,” he says, “that works too.”
Blood rushes to my cheeks, but I refuse to be embarrassed.
I begin to flip over, and Memnon lifts himself a little so I can finish turning onto my back. I stare up at the ancient king.
From this position he looks impossibly big, his shoulders massive, his torso made from muscle and sinew alone. And that wicked face, with his sharp cheekbones and gleaming eyes.
I draw in a shaky breath. “You want to know what I want?”
What’s one more bad decision?
I sit up, hook an arm around his neck, and pull Memnon to me, and then I kiss him.
He tastes like sin and nostalgia. I thread my fingers into his hair, pulling him down as I fall back against my bed.
With a groan he sinks onto me, his mouth searing against mine. I’ve kissed him more than once, and yet this feels like the first true one we’ve had. His tongue strokes mine, and I remember all over again how much more electric everything is with this sorcerer.
I grind against him, feeling his rigid length trapped between us. He moves against me, and I gasp at the contact, every nerve awakening.
Goddess, how had I not noticed before that this man is pure, unadulterated sex? The muscles, the tattoos, the sheer coiled ferocity that is so tightly restrained.
This is a man who fucks. Hard.
And I am here for it.
Unfortunately, the moment I have the thought, Memnon breaks off the kiss.
His smoky-amber eyes are lust drunk as they stare down at me, and his breathing is ragged. He’s looking at my mouth like he’s about to devour me whole, and I am 100 percent on board with the prospect.
He blinks a few times, then extricates himself from my body.
I want to weep at the loss of his weight and heat. And his mouth. Especially his mouth. I want to kiss him until the sun rises.
“Sleep, my queen. You used a lot of magic and lost a lot of blood,” he says, getting off the bed. “You need sleep, not…” His eyes drop to my mouth. “Not anything else,” he finishes adamantly.
Memnon reaches for the blankets beneath me and tugs them out from under my body.
I catch his wrist. “Where are you going?” I hate that I sound desperate. I hate that this man has gone from my stalker to my savior. But the truth is this house doesn’t feel safe—not since I realized there’s a persecution tunnel that opens directly into this building.
Memnon’s expression turns fierce, even while his eyes soften. “Nowhere,” he vows. “I will stay here, in this room, watching over you and keeping you safe until you wake.”
I don’t let go of his wrist. I want him in this bed next to me. I’m positive that’s the only way I’m going to sleep at all, despite my exhaustion.
Memnon must see it in my eyes.
“Don’t ask me for things you do not mean,” he warns me again.
I do mean what I’m thinking. That’s the real problem. My intuition is telling me that this violent, wicked man is safe, and I’m too tired to disagree.
“Stay with me,” I say, tugging him closer.
Memnon takes the hand holding his wrist into his own hands, and he presses a kiss to my knuckles, closing his eyes. He looks like he’s fighting himself on something, though I cannot say what.
After a moment, he lays my hand on the bed, then presses his palm to my head.
“Sleep,” he says.
I feel the gentle brush of Memnon’s magic and then nothing else.
CHAPTER 30
I blink my eyes open as late-morning sunlight streams into my room. I hear the distant sound of my coven sisters chatting down the hall and in the communal bathroom as they get ready for class.
I stretch, feeling Nero at my back. That’s when the pain awakens.
I groan.
Everything hurts. My arms and back and legs ache from the strain of carrying the shifter girl so far. My muscles are overtaxed, but that is nothing compared to the stabbing pain in my head and the nausea rolling through my stomach.
I overused my magic. And then I overused Memnon’s magic.
I let out another pained sound. At my back, Nero moves, and the arm that’s draped over my waist migrates to my forehead.
Wait. Arm?
I’m drawn back against a broad hard chest, and that hand turns my head so a set of lips can brush a kiss against my temple.