The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash 3)

Heat flooded my veins. “Sounds like that’s your problem.” I grinned. “Cas.”

“Gods,” he said, the word rumbling out of him. He kissed me quickly, nipping at my bottom lip as he withdrew.

Kieran appeared in the archway as Casteel straightened. He’d changed since he left us, having donned fawn-colored breeches and a sleeveless, white dress shirt that he had tucked in. “Did you actually get some rest, or did you spend hours asking Cas question after question?”

“I slept,” I told him as I plucked a chocolate-glazed strawberry from the tray. “After asking a few questions.”

“A few?” Kieran snorted.

“Yes, only—” Words failed me as Casteel caught my wrist. He lifted my hand, closing his mouth over my finger.

A wicked trill flooded my veins. His tongue swirled over my skin, catching the melting chocolate. Air caught in my throat as the edge of his fang pricked my skin when he drew back. I felt the languid tug of his mouth all the way through me.

The gold of his eyes turned to a heated honey. “Tasty.”

Tension coiled deep inside me as I stared at him. A wolfish half-grin appeared.

“Did you two forget I was here?” Kieran asked. “Holding a conversation with you two? Or trying to.”

I sort of did.

“Not at all,” Casteel remarked. “Poppy did have a very relaxing evening. We did some light reading.”

Light reading?

“Is that so?” Kieran’s brows rose.

Wait.

“Yes, from Poppy’s favorite journal, written by a Miss Willa—”

“He was reading that,” I cut in, picking up a piece of cheese. “I woke up, and he was reading—”

“You know, the one I found her with on that window ledge? The scene was about a very dark sort of wicked kiss on a very inappropriate area,” Casteel continued while Kieran stared at us blankly. “And foursomes.”

Slowly, I looked up at Casteel. Oh, my gods. My eyes narrowed as I debated throwing the cheese in his face. I didn’t. Instead, I ate it rather aggressively. He was lucky I loved cheese.

“Foursomes?” Kieran repeated, his gaze shifting to me. “I imagine you had a lot of questions about that.”

“I did not,” I snapped.

“I don’t believe that for one second,” Kieran stated, a half-grin forming. “You probably asked how it was possible.”

I had totally been wondering that, but those words never once passed my lips.

“Would you like to explain it to her?” Casteel asked.

“That won’t be necessary,” I cut in as Kieran opened his mouth. “I have a vivid enough imagination, thank you very much.”

He looked a little disappointed.

Casteel’s laugh teased the top of my head as he fished out another strawberry from the bowl of fruit and offered it to me. “I am very intrigued by this imagination of yours.”

“I’m sure you are,” I muttered, taking the berry. “Want to know what I’m imagining now? I’m currently entertaining myself with images of kicking both of you in the throats.”

Kieran’s gaze swept over me, and still only in Casteel’s shirt, I was sure I appeared as threatening as a sleepy kitten. “Now I’m also intrigued,” he commented.

I rolled my eyes as I shoved a piece of melon into my mouth. “Whatever,” I muttered around the fruit as Kieran dipped out of the room.

“I won’t be gone long. Kieran will be here—and I know you don’t need a guard,” he added before I could say anything. “But he insisted, and it makes me feel better to know that someone else will be here. You should try to get some more rest. I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt.”

I swallowed the urge to tell him that I didn’t need a bodyguard. “Okay.”

His eyes narrowed on me. “That was a surprisingly quick submission.”

“Submission?” I arched a brow as I took a drink of the wine. “I wouldn’t call it that.”

“You wouldn’t?”

I shook my head. “I hate the idea of having a babysitter, but a group of people did try to kill me earlier, and we have no idea if there are more of like mind. So I would call my quick agreement common sense.”

The dimple appeared in his right cheek. “Common sense. That must be a new thing for you.”

“I’m really imagining kicking you in the face now.”

He chuckled, kissing me quickly once more. “I won’t be gone long.”

“Take as long as you need.”

Casteel touched my cheek and then left. I exhaled heavily as my gaze flicked to my half-full glass. I leaned over the platter of food, placing the glass on the nightstand. As I ate a few cold strips of grilled chicken breast, nothing but silence came from the living area. What was Kieran even doing out there? Probably just standing by the archway, arms crossed and looking as bored as ever.

Rolling my eyes, I sighed. “Kieran?”

“Poppy?” came the response.

“You don’t have to stay out there.”

“You’re supposed to be resting.”

“All I’ve done today is rest.” I popped a piece of cheese into my mouth. “But you lurking on the other side of the wall is not at all restful.”