Filed To Story: Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk
Tem felt a surge of accomplishment. Now she was getting somewhere. Tell me more. Are you in the castle?
No answer.
Tem tried again. How can I find you?
Still no answer. The roast chicken was cleared away and replaced with a white layer cake. The butler refilled her wine. Between the conversations around the table and the buzz from the alcohol, it was difficult to concentrate. Tem closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus.
I want to help you. What can I do?
This time, the answer came quickly: Do not trust the king.
Tem’s eyes flicked to Leo. He was listening to the girl on his right, who was alternating between chatting vigorously and biting her lip in a way she clearly thought was seductive.
Why shouldn’t I trust him?
But the corridor had closed; the voice was gone.
It was then that she realized Leo was touching her.
His gaze hadn’t wavered-he was still looking at the girl on his right. But his fingers had begun trailing their way along the slit in Tem’s dress, skimming up the exposed skin of her thigh.
She slapped his hand away.
It was as if she’d done nothing at all; Leo didn’t even blink. But a moment later, his hand returned to her leg, his long fingers gripping her knee with surprising authority.
He turned to her. “Would you do me a favor, Tem?”
His gray eyes were awfully close. For the first time, Tem realized they were flecked with green.
“Depends on the favor.”
“Kiss me.”
“You’re drunk.”
“And you’re glorious. Kiss me.”
“In front of everyone?”
He leaned in. “Unless you’ve changed your stance on baths and champagne.”
“I haven’t.”
“Then kiss me. Right now.”
It wasn’t a request anymore. It was an order, and Tem had no idea what would happen if she didn’t obey. Her eyes flicked to Vera, who was watching their interaction like a hawk. When she looked back at Leo, he gave her a devious smile.
“Unless you’d prefer I kiss someone else,” he said quietly.
A pang of jealousy shot through Tem. She couldn’t explain it, but she didn’t want Leo kissing anyone else. Especially not Vera.
But she also couldn’t give in. Not when he was acting like she owed him this.
Tem pushed his hand away again. “I’d prefer that this evening didn’t run late. I have an early morning on the farm tomorrow.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “I see. Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to keep you.”
He snapped his fingers, and the butler appeared, leaning over his shoulder. “Is it time, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Who would you like to see first?”
Without breaking eye contact with Tem, Leo pointed at Vera.
The butler nodded. He rang a small bell, and the table fell silent.
“His Highness would like to begin the evening’s events.” The butler extended his hand to Vera. “Would you kindly follow me, miss?”
Pure triumph blossomed on Vera’s face. She shot Tem a withering look before taking the butler’s hand and allowing him to guide her to a door at the far end of the dining room.
The butler turned back to Leo. “Your Highness?”
Leo stood, whiskey still in hand. Without a backward glance, he followed Vera into the room. The butler closed the door behind them.
The rest of the girls erupted immediately into giggles and whispers. Tem could only imagine the snide victory Vera must be experiencing now that she was finally alone with Leo. She probably couldn’t get her clothes off fast enough.
And what would Leo think of her? Would he like what he saw?
Tem’s stomach roiled at the thought.
Sixty seconds passed far slower than Tem ever imagined it would. By the time Vera emerged, it felt as if an hour had gone by. The table hushed as she threw open the door, adjusting the neck of her dress with exaggerated emphasis. Her lipstick was smeared. She threw a pointed smirk at Tem before leaving the dining room.
The butler approached the table and extended his hand to another girl, who blushed deeply before taking it.
And on it went.
It was clear that Leo was the one deciding the order of the girls. It was the podiums all over again. Tem had no doubt she would be last. She was an afterthought-only worthy of seeing the prince after he’d had his fill of everyone else. Tem felt suddenly hyperaware of her body-of every curve and divot, of everything nobody but Caspen had ever seen. Was she really about to expose herself to someone who’d done nothing to earn it?
The minutes passed agonizingly slowly.
Girls emerged from the room in various states of undress. The fifth girl was still half-naked-she stumbled out with her dress off her shoulders, shooting Tem a rueful grin as the butler ushered her away.
The sixth girl went in.
What would happen if Tem refused to undress? If she simply stood there silently and waited for time to run out? Would Leo eliminate her on the spot?
And what would happen if she did undress?
Epiphany crashed into her like a wave.
Tem realized she had wasted far too long worrying about her body and not nearly enough time considering the very real implication of what would happen if she got naked in that room. If she was alone with the prince-if she took off her clothes in front of him-Leo would see every part of her. Every. Single. Part.
The claw was still inside her, its smooth point pressed against her clitoris. She had no way to take it out-the butler was standing five feet away. Even if she could remove it, where would she put it? On the table? The thought was impossible.
The sixth girl came out. The seventh girl went in.
Tem had only two minutes left before it was her turn. She closed her eyes, speaking into her mind.
Caspen.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.