Chapter 82

Kit and Jate walked down the hallway together in silence, only the sound of her guards’ heavy boots on the marble floor making any noise at all, other than Kit’s heart thumping in her chest. Wrenbrook Castle was an enormous structure, so vast it could take up to a half an hour to walk from one side to the other, depending upon which halls were used, and walking from the ballroom to the hallway where Kit’s chambers were located—both her regular chambers and her room specifically for pleasuring—took a few minutes, even though they were on the same side of the castle. She thought about how exuberant this trip had been when it was Cassius taking her away from the ballroom. This was much different.

The door became visible in front of them. They’d already passed her other room, and she’d considered letting him off the hook, sending him on his way, and ducking in there for the night. Clearly, he didn’t seem ready for this. She’d had the same fear with Reeve, though, and once she’d gotten him into the room, he’d come to life. She’d had a wonderful experience with him, both the night she’d asked him to come in and the next morning. Jate would be the same way, she told herself. He did care for her. She could tell by the beads of sweat on his upper lip and the way he kept biting his lower one that he wanted her. Kit knew she was missing something, though, as she had overlooked Reeve’s self-consciousness about his scar. She would have to find out what it was that had Jate unsettled so that they could move past it.

Before she pushed through the door, she turned to face him, glad the guards were giving them plenty of room. “Is everything well?” she asked, placing her hands on his chest. She could feel his heart thumping through his crimson jerkin. “You seem... leery.”

Jate wasn’t looking directly at her as he drew in a few deep breaths. “I’m fine, Princess Katrinetta, thank you for asking.” His tone was not convincing, and neither was the fact that he wouldn’t look her in the eyes.

“I believe we agreed that you would call me Kit, and I would call you Jate, remember?” They had discussed it when he’d first arrived at the castle. He’d been different then—more confident, easy going. Not the tangle of nerves she saw before her now.

Her remark got a smile out of him, and he did look up at her then. “Yes, my princess. I remember.”

“Good. Well, then, are you still sure you want to come in? If you want to bow out for some reason, I won’t hold it against you.” She wanted her words to be true, but she knew it would be difficult not to be offended if he ran away right then without an explanation. There were dozens of other men who would give anything to be standing in his place right now.

“No, I want to be with you, Kit.” He nodded and held her gaze for a moment. “Forgive my anxieties. It’s just... you’re you, and I’m only a simple miner from a far off province, that’s all.”

“For a simple miner, you sure an amazing archer,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. Kit ran her hands up his biceps so that her palms were resting on either side of his neck. The feel of his taut muscles against her palms had the eagerness welling up inside of her again. “If you can handle a bow that well, it makes me wonder what else you can handle.”

He was still having trouble meeting her gaze, but he did let out a soft chuckle. Without a word, he motioned toward the closed door with the crown of his head, and Kit reached behind her to find the knob.

Once again, the chamber was prepared. She assumed her ladies had taken care of that earlier, or left the ball for a bit to make sure everything was in order. Both of her cousins, Avinia and Isla, who also served her, were fond of Jate. They had taken care to pull the royal blue and gold bedcovers down, set the sheath he was required to use on the nightstand, as well as the lubrication the Royal Physician, Armant, concocted to help further ensure no unwanted pregnancies interfered with Kit’s Choosing, and the ladies had left a dim lamp burning as well. The curtains were pulled tightly on the window near the bed, but a stream of moonlight still found its way in. The room looked inviting, but when Kit returned her attention to Jate, she could tell he was even more apprehensive than he had been before.

Clearing her throat, Kit took a step toward the bed, pulling him along behind her. His footsteps dragged after hers, but Kit tried to ignore it. Once again, she placed her hands on his chest and smiled at him, trying to ease his concerns. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable, Jate?”

“No, Your Majesty.” Even his voice was quaking slightly. His breathing was labored and shallow.

In an attempt to put him at ease, Kit slid her hand around to the back of his neck and pulled him toward her, leaning up slightly on her tiptoes to reach his lips. She didn’t press him to part them, only held her mouth against his, hoping he would loosen up. But just like after the archery contest, he was rigid.

Her impatience was growing, but Kit was not one to give up so easily. She kissed him again, this time running one hand down to smooth his chest while the other went to tangle in the back of his hair. This time, Jate softened slightly. He set his hands on her hips but didn’t move them at all as Kit continued to explore his pectorals beneath his clothing.

Slowly, she opened her mouth, hoping he’d follow suit. It took pulling down slightly on his jaw with her thumb to coax him into doing so, but when he did open for her, Kit’s heart began to race. Jate pulled her closer so that her breasts were flush with his firm chest. He tasted of sweet wine, and as her tongue darted against his, she began to think perhaps he would come around after all.

Kit pulled back for a breath, but when she leaned in to kiss him again, he tipped his head back slightly. Frustrated, she asked, “Is everything all right?” not for the first time.

“Yes, Princess. Pardon.” This time, he leaned in to find her mouth and caught only the corner of it. Kit fought a chuckle and adjusted so that their lips were square again. For a moment, she was reminded of a guard she’d known long ago, Dullen, who had been inexperienced and clumsy. She’d been fond of him anyway until he’d disappeared one day—like many of the men she’d become close to during her Exploration.

Kit wouldn’t allow herself to think about them at the moment as Jate’s kisses became more forceful but not any less sloppy. Deciding she’d had enough of this for now, she wanted to go ahead and see if he was any better with other activities.