Twenty nine
*Rafe*
I was busy examining the budget reports for the palace repairs and renovations when the doors to my office flew open with a bang. Freya stormed in, her face flushed with rage. My eyes widened in shock as I noticed the way she held her side where the bullet had pierced her flesh just hours ago.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, leaping up from my chair. The papers scattered as my hands slammed on the desk. “You’re supposed to be resting!”
She opened her mouth to retort but swayed unsteadily on her feet. fuck! In two long strides I was at her side, scooping her up into my arms before she could crumple to the floor. Her warm breath tickled my neck as I carried her to my desk and set her down gently on the polished mahogany surface.
I planted my hands on either side of her hips, caging her in. She glowered up at me defiantly even as she struggled to catch her breath, no doubt from the exertion of marching down here while still recovering. The urge to shake some sense into her warred with the overwhelming need to press my lips to hers until that stubborn scowl melted away.
“Rafe, I -”
“No,” I cut her off brusquely. “Whatever it is can wait. You need to be in bed.”
Her hazel eyes flashed. “I do not take any orders from you!”
I leaned in until our noses were almost touching, my voice a low growl. “When it comes to your safety, you damn well do.”
The air between us practically crackled with tension as we glared at each other, both too stubborn to back down. Freya’s cheeks were flushed, from anger or something else I couldn’t quite name. Her chest heaved with each labored breath, drawing my gaze to the tantalizing swell of her breasts beneath the thin fabric of her nightgown. I dragged my eyes back up to meet hers, only to find them blazing with barely restrained fury. All I could think of was how badly I wanted to seal her lips with mine. She was driving me butt crazy and she didn’t even know it.
“Why did you punch Connor?” she bit out through clenched teeth. “He didn’t deserve that.”
I barked out a humorless laugh. “Didn’t deserve it? He’s damn lucky a black eye is all he got!” The memory of her lifeless body in my arms, blood seeping from the bullet wound in her side, sent a fresh wave of rage surging through me. My fingers dug into the wood of the desk as I fought to keep my temper in check.
“He was supposed to be protecting you last night, and instead he let those assassins get close enough to take a shot at you. So yeah, he fucking deserved it.” My voice shook with barely contained violence. “I trusted him with the most precious thing in my life, and he failed.” I hadn’t meant to let that last part out but now that it was out, I strangely didn’t regret it for a second.
Freya stared at me, her eyes wide and startled. For a moment, the anger seemed to drain out of her, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable. She worried her lower lip between her teeth. “Rafe, I… It wasn’t his fault. There was nothing he could have done.”
“It was his job to keep you safe, no matter what.” I ran an agitated hand through my hair and exhaled harshly. “Just like it’s apparently my job to make you stay in bed when you’ve been shot.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, a ghost of a smile. “Good luck with that.”
Some of the tension eased from my shoulders at the familiar spark of challenge in her voice. God, this woman would be the death of me, one way or another. But what a way to go…
“But you know you can’t just go around punching people because of me, Rafe!” Freya’s voice rose again, the momentary softness evaporating. “I’m not some delicate flower that needs to be coddled and protected at all times. I can take care of myself!”
“Clearly,” I bit out, gesturing at the blood-stained bandage visible through her thin shirt. “Getting yourself shot is really proving that point.”
She made a noise of pure frustration and shoved at my chest. I caught her wrists, pulling her close until we were nose to nose. “Let me go,” she hissed, eyes flashing.
“No.” I tightened my grip as she struggled. “Not until you get it through your impossibly stubborn head that your safety is everything to me. I will burn this whole goddamn world down to keep you safe, do you understand?”
“You’re insane,” she breathed, but there was no fear in her gaze, only a kind of wondering heat. “You can’t control everything, Rafe. You can’t control me.”
“I know.” The words felt like they were being ripped out of me. “Don’t you see? That’s what terrifies me. The thought of losing you… I can’t…”
I couldn’t finish. I did the only thing I could think of to stop the desperate words spilling out. I kissed her. It wasn’t gentle. I crushed my mouth to hers, swallowing her gasp, pouring all my fear and frustration and wild, reckless feelings from my lips on hers. She stiffened for an instant before melting into me with a soft moan. I released her wrists to bury my hands in her hair, changing the angle to take the kiss deeper.
Freya’s hands fisted in my shirt, pulling me impossibly closer. Her lips parted on a sigh and I swept my tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. She tasted like cinnamon and fire, hot and sweet and perfect. I was drowning in sensation, drunk on the feel of her, the sounds she made, the way she moved against me like she couldn’t get close enough.
kissing Freya was like nothing else in the world. It made everything else fall away until there was only her, this, us. In that moment, I didn’t care about assassins or plots or the damn crown. The only thing that mattered was the woman in my arms and the knowledge, bone-deep and unshakable, that I would do absolutely anything to keep her there.
I wanted to devour her whole, to imprint myself on every inch of her supple skin until she forgot there was ever a time she didn’t belong to me. “You have no idea how badly I want you.” I said in between hot kisses.
“I… I want you too, Rafe..”
Just then, A pointed cough shattered the charged air like a gunshot. Freya and I instantly sprang apart, our chests heaving as we turned to find Rafael standing in the doorway, one sardonic brow arched as he watched us.
“I do hope I’m not interrupting anything?” he asked.
****