Page 46 of Shattered Throne
"Grandmother…"
"Don't be shy." She waved her hand. "You're among family. Go on, kiss her."
I wanted to, but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. I looked at Kim. She was looking at me, her expression carefully blank. But I could see the tension in her jaw, the slight panic behind her eyes.
I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"What was that? That's not a kiss. Kim, dear, give him a proper kiss."
Kim's eyes met mine. If looks could kill. But I wanted the kiss, wanted to feel her lips slide over mine. It was for show, of course, only because we needed to prove something. It wasn’t because I desired her.
I grinned, settled back in my seat, and faced her fully. "Yeah, Kim. Why don't you give me a proper kiss?"
Her eyes narrowed. A warning. I ignored it.
She reached up, her hand curling around the back of my neck, and pulled me down to her. Her lips met mine.
It was supposed to be simple. Chaste. But the moment her mouth touched mine, something short-circuited in my brain.
She was soft. Warm. She tasted like the wine we'd been drinking, rich and complex. Her fingers tightened in my hair, and before I knew what I was doing, I was pulling her closer.
My hand found her waist. I deepened the kiss, tilting her head back, exploring her mouth like I had every right to. Like I'd been dying to do this for longer than I wanted to admit. She made a small sound against my lips. Surprise, protest, or something else entirely.
I didn't stop. The performance needed to be carried out properly. I had to explore every inch of her mouth, the taste and feel of her. It was very necessary.
When I finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard. Her lips were slightly swollen. Her eyes were wide and dark and furious.
I knew I'd pay for that later.
Aria wolf-whistled. My mother was crying again. Isabelle was grinning. Sebastian looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh.
My grandmother simply nodded. "That's more like it."
The rest of dinner passed in a blur.
I kept sneaking glances at Kim, but she wouldn't look at me. Her posture was rigid, her responses to conversation clipped and polite. The fury was rolling off her in waves.
After dessert, she excused herself to get some air. I found her on the terrace ten minutes later.
She was standing at the railing, her arms wrapped around herself, staring out at the dark gardens. The sapphire at her throat glittered in the moonlight.
"Kim—"
She turned to face me, and her eyes were blazing. "What the hell was that?"
"My grandmother asked…"
"Your grandmother asked for a kiss. Not a..." She gestured wildly. "Not whatever that was."
"I got carried away."
"Carried away?" Her voice was a vicious whisper. "We had rules, Xavier. Boundaries. You agreed to them."
"I know. It won't happen again," I said quietly. Liar. I was an addict now. One taste would not be enough. It’ll never be.
"It better not."
Silence stretched between us. The night air was cold, raising goosebumps on her bare arms. She was shivering slightly.
