Vera didn't look up from the ledger, though her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. "I have no idea what you're talking about, your Majesty. I spent my afternoon in the gardens with Sera. The air was very... refreshing."
Kassian was across the room in a heartbeat. He didn't use his speed; he just moved with the unstoppable momentum of a landslide. He caught Vera's wrists, his large, calloused hands encircling them with ease, and pinned them against the velvet cushion of the lounge. He leaned over her, his massive frame eclipsing the moonlight, his heat a physical weight that made Vera's breath hitch.
"Refreshing?" Kassian hissed, his mouth inches from hers. "Is that what we're calling it? I felt you, Vera. I felt your resonance spiking every time I parried a blow. I felt the way your pupils dilated when I shed my tunic. You and the Thorne girl weren't just 'enjoying the air.' You were checking the merchandise."
