Page 20 of Fated to the Wicked King

He was still half inside the secret doorway, one hand braced against the hidden panel. The dim light of the passage cast shadows across his face, sharpening the angles of his jaw, the familiar line of his brow.

There had been a time when I was immune to his particular set of charms. When I mocked every companion he ever took to bed for having such poor judgment. Those days when he had been the one trying his utmost to seduce me. He’d failed every time—much to the amusement of Chez and the Duchess.

But ever since I had taken on this borrowed heart, it had become close to impossible not to notice how ridiculously handsome he was. Impossible not to be drawn in by his charming aura. Impossible to resist his logic-defying magnetic attraction.

Even more impossible when he stood so close to me.

The intoxicating fragrance of his soap overwhelmed my senses.

The king’s brown hair was damp, droplets hanging delicately from the tips. He hadn’t bothered to tie the deep blue dressing robe, which flowed like silk around his broad, tall figure. It allowed a privileged view of his chest, sculpted abdomen, and the trail which naturally led one’s eyes down to the matching silk pants which hung low about his hips.

The sight made my stomach flip.

Stop it. I forcibly dragged my gaze up and away from his body. I wasn’t here for this, wasn’t here for him. The last thing I wanted was to be all caught up in his seduction spell.

Clearing my throat, I tried to regain some dignity. “Ah, of course, there’s a secret passageway.”

He took another moment before speaking. “You are here.”

I couldn’t read his tone.

My eyebrows rose expectantly. “Where should I be?”

He shook his head. “Not here. This is my private study.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I jumped in alarm. “I didn’t realize. I thought this was…the library.” I gestured at all the bookshelves all around us. “Am I…not allowed to explore the castle?”

He glanced at the towering shelves around us. He stepped forward, the paneled wall sliding shut behind him with a soft click. He seemed to be trying to construct a response—struggling to.

I couldn’t blame him. We hadn’t really seen each other or spoken casually in months. Given the terms of our bargain, I couldn’t imagine what sort of petty conversations we could possibly have.

Fancy seeing you here in my nightmare of a castle… How have you been since that one terribly cold night many moons ago when I left you forever?

Nope.

I, for damn sure, wasn’t willing to discuss our past.

I was intent on cultivating my anger toward him. He was the one who had abandoned his old life with no word, no explanation. It was a fool’s errand to attempt to reconcile. I was merely here to work, not to mend fences. I wasn’t planning on reminiscing about memories with him.

I wasn’t even entirely sure whether he still remembered any of it. There was nothing so far to indicate that he still cherished anything at all before that crown was put on his head.

Really more irate than anything else, I turned to leave. “I should go.”

“Wait.” The word came out rougher than usual, like his voice had briefly forgotten how to work.

He took another step forward, almost towering over me. Up close, I could see the faint crease between his brows, the subtle tension in his shoulders—as if my presence had disturbed some carefully balanced order.

I couldn’t help but study the depth of those eyes. There was a storm of questions in them, but he voiced none of them. “Was…was there a question you wanted to ask?”

Slowly, the surprise faded from his expression, and the careful mask of the tyrant king slid back into place.

Sneering. Arrogant.

A smirk laced his lips. “You are the one who came into my chambers. Is there perhaps something you wanted from me?” He ran his hands through his damp hair, his silk robe shifting across his chest and his muscled shoulders.

I swallowed hard at the obvious shift in his pants where the fabric strained against his growing need. I willed my heart not to race. “It looks like you are the one who wants something from me.”

Turning away, he scoffed. “That’s nothing any other courtier in the kingdom can’t take care of.”