The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King (Crowns of Nyaxia, #2)

by Carissa Broadbent

His fingers danced along my wings again, and I barely even tried to hide my moan this time. My breasts ached, sensitive against the fabric of my shirt. I wanted the clothing gone—mine, his. I wanted his skin. I wanted his breath. Mother, I craved that. I craved it so much that right now, I couldn’t even hate myself for wanting him so much. And yet, I didn’t want it to go any further than this. This touch, his mouth near my throat, and his body close to mine. “When I went into that room,” he murmured, “I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you, Oraya. I thought I lost you.” His voice was far too raw, like an open wound, cracked and bleeding. It touched me in places I didn’t expect. Places more sensitive than his hands on my wings. He was my enemy. He would kill me if he had the chance. He was my enemy. “Would be a relief for you,” I said. “A lot of problems solved.” He went rigid. Suddenly, his hand was at my face, tilting my head back to meet his eyes. They were furious. “Stop saying things like that.” “Why?” I whispered.