Chapter 68: Sleeping
Thankfully, before they could kiss, there was a knock on the door and a soft voice called out, "Your Highness. Miss Ramona Vye is requesting an audience."
Emira was startled at the sound. The sudden intrusion made her heart lurch, and she instinctively moved to rise from his lap, desperate to put some distance between them again.
But before she could so much as lift herself, his grip tightened firmly around her waist, pressing her back into place so that she was not even able to stand, making it impossible for her to move.
Her breath quickened as she glanced up at Prince Zen in horror. Being a slave and being recognised as one was one thing but to meet someone like this, was too shameful. Did he really intend to receive his visitor with her still on his lap? The idea alone made her skin burn with mortification. Yet he only stared at her as if amused by her shyness.
As if reading her thoughts, Zen tapped the tip of her nose with one finger and arched a brow."Just because someone asks to see me, I should see them?" His tone was light, but the smile curving his mouth was edged with something darker. "Is that what you think, little fire?"
Emira shook her head quickly, lowering her gaze to avoid the intensity of his. She didn’t dare speak. For reasons she couldn’t explain, his casual question seemed to carry a quiet threat. Though his expression looked as easygoing as always, she could feel the sharp undertone in his words as if he was angry.
The knock at the door sounded again, hesitant this time. Prince Zen’s hand tightened on her waist and his thumb seemed to be brushing idly against her hip. But his eyes had already turned cold. Raising his voice a bit, he called out, "Tell her I am sleeping. And you! Do not disturb me again."
Prince Zen’s words lingered in the air and then for a long moment, silence filled the room as Prince Zen stared at Emira and she looked back at him... She wondered if she could ask him about her response to them. He’d told her that she was weak towards them due to her heat. But even now, she realized that she could never fight her body’s reaction to Prince Zen and Prince Kael.
Just then, he broke the silence as he ordered, "Kiss me, little fire."
Emira froze for a moment before nodding hurriedly. She leaned forward and placed her lips against his, closing her eyes... She felt him smile against her lips and moved back to look at him.
His hand moved up from her waist to the back of her neck and he tightened his hold there, pulling her head backwards," Little fire. Are you saying you are a poor student... I am sure Kael and I have taught you better kissing skills than this...If this is your level of learning, then I might have to rethink about teaching you combat..."
Without giving herself time to think, she surged forward again, closing the gap between them with urgency. This time her lips pressed more firmly against his, determined not to disappoint him.
But she didn’t stop there. Her heart thudded wildly as she dared to mimic him. Slowly, almost uncertainly, she parted her lips and let her tongue brush across his lower lip, just as he so often did to her since the time he had met her...
She felt his mouth open in invitation and followed his lead, but as their tongues met, a sharp, cutting voice rang out from the other side of the door.
"How dare you lie to me? You think I am deaf? Do you believe I did not hear his voice? Let me in. Now!"
The demand sliced through the heavy air like a blade. Emira stiffened again. Whoever the lady was, she was angry.
Before either of them could react, the muffled sounds of a struggle followed-guards stammering, someone protesting, the thud of a body shoved aside.
Zen’s hand, still locked around her waist, tightened abruptly, his grip fierce as though he could crush her into him. For a fleeting moment, his eyes burned with something close to fury.
Then, without warning, he shifted. In one fluid motion, he lifted her from his lap, stood up and walked to the bed. Next, he tossed her onto the bed, unbuttoned his shirt.
Emira gasped, bouncing once against the soft mattress before steadying herself on her elbows as she looked at him in shock.
Before she could ask him more, she heard the sound of pleading from outside, as the others seemed to be trying to block the way of the person coming in. But she did not have much time to think this over, because in the next second, Prince Zen was looming over her.
Zen’s shirt hung open, his chest bare as he pulled her to the edge of the bed, his knees on either side of her, while her legs hung halfway off the bed.
Emira’s breath caught in her throat.
But before she could speak, he leaned down, bracing one hand beside her head, and caught her mouth with his.
The kiss was nothing like the hesitant one she had just given him, or even like the soft ones he had always shown her. The kiss was hard, demanding, and left no space for her to think.
Her fingers clutched at the sheets beneath her as his lips pressed firmly against hers, stealing the very air from her lungs. She tried to push him away, but he bit the corner of her lip, as if punishing her for protesting. And then, he finally drew back.
When he finally drew back, his eyes glinted with something unreadable and she could not help but see the small drop of her blood at the corner of his mouth.
Unexpectedly, he leaned closer again and this time, Emira hurriedly covered her mouth. Was he trying to eat her lips off her face?
Unexpectedly, he tapped his shoulder once.
Emira blinked, confused at the gesture. What did that mean? She hesitated, but then he gripped the back of her head again and guided her up until her lips brushed against his bare shoulder as he whispered in her ear," Aren’t you angry that I kissed you so hard that I drew blood? Don’t you want revenge?"
Realisation struck her in a rush, and her face burned for a moment. But in the next second, she actually realised that she was quite pleased and parted her lips, and bit down, letting her teeth sink into his shoulder.
Zen stiffened instantly at the sharp sting of pain and his grip tightened on her for an instant. Emira hurriedly let go, worried about what she had just done... Had she misunderstood?
Then, slowly, his hold on her eased. He released her head and let her fall back onto the bed, as he straightened, his expression unreadable once more. His eyes lingered on her, a strange mixture of amusement and calculation flickering within them, as though he wasn’t sure whether to scold her or praise her for her boldness.
Emira wanted to apologise but her words were caught in her throat before she could say a word.
At last, Zen smoothed a hand over his shoulder, glancing briefly at the faint mark her teeth had left behind. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before vanishing again.
"Wait for me here. On the bed." he said finally before turning around and walking out of the room.