Page 36 of Cinder's Trial

I reached up to lightly touch his cheek.

He inhaled sharply. “Princess…” He had a warning tone in the word.

“I’m not a royal.”

“Close enough.”

I shifted until I knelt beside him, aligning our faces. “Do you like me?” I asked bluntly, the darkness giving me the courage to ask.

“Of course. You’re a good agent.”

“I’m not talking like me as in work,” I grumbled. “I mean like me, like me.”

“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

I sighed. “I guess that’s my answer.” I slumped and looked away. To my surprise, calloused fingers lightly gripped my chin so I faced him once more.

“It’s not appropriate, but at the same time, I can’t seem to help myself.”

Wait, was he saying?—

Rather than ask for clarification, I chose to be bold and pressed my mouth to his then gently slid them in a soft kiss.

He froze, only for a second, before his arms wrapped around me and he returned the embrace, his mouth hard and commanding. Coaxing as well. My lips parted to deepen the kiss, our tongues twining, as did our breaths.

I found myself in his lap, straddling him, cupping his cheeks and kissing him as if he were the most decadent dessert. In a sense, he was. I’d never tasted something so intoxicating. Kissing him woke all of my nerve endings and had me tingling in a way I’d never imagined.

He groaned against my mouth. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Why not?” I whispered before I nipped his lower lip.

“We’re coworkers.”

“There’s no rule against it.”

He growled. “There should be since I find you distracting.”

“Thank you.” I took it as a compliment to hear the stoic Levi admit I made him weak.

“You don’t want to be involved with me.”

“Probably not,” I agreed. “But I can’t seem to help myself.”

“You’re making this hard.”

I squirmed on his lap and agreed. “Indeed, I am.” His erection bulged against my bottom, and I wanted nothing more than to strip his clothes and see it.

My hands went to his shirt.

“Princess, we really shou?—”

“Oh shut up and kiss me, Levi.”

I’d shocked him. Shocked myself too. But in good news, he didn’t dump me from his lap. He lay me on the bed and covered my body with his, the weight somewhat dispersed by his forearms as he held himself over me, kissing me while grinding against me.

The clothes separating our flesh did nothing to diminish the sensation. He rubbed, and I gasped. He rotated his hips, pressing that hidden erection against the core of me. My fingers dug into his shoulders as my hips thrust.

He uttered a low rumbling noise as he kept a steady thrusting rhythm that had me panting and holding on to him.