Chapter 29: Aroused & Excited

Esme's dark pupils expanded as she met the king's intense gaze, and she lowered her head, her long eyelashes fluttering in uncertainty. She couldn't fathom why he was requesting a sudden kiss in the midst of such a sensitive conversation, and her rational mind was screaming at her to refuse.

Before she could utter a word, he tilted her head up, leaning in, and their lips touched. Esme's body tensed in reaction, and she could not bring herself to pull away from the gentle, whispering-soft kisses. It wasn't because she desired this, but the touch of his sensual lips had awakened yet another unwelcomed memory – the night at the previous inn, where the stranger had claimed her lips with an all-consuming force.