Read Online Rise (Roam Series, Book Three) by Kimberly Stedronsky - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Stedronsky
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“What are you doing down here?”
“She was looking for Logan.”
I scowled at Will, wrenching my elbow away. “I just wanted to see that he was safe.”
His hand replaced Will’s at my arm, and he pulled me up the stairs. “He’s in the hall. Do not ever come down here again, do you understand? I can’t protect you down here. Some of these prisoners are lunatics.”
Like their king. Surprised by his genuine concern, I nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
“Go swim, order your favors and plan your party. I’ve given you something to occupy your time with, so you should be thankful.”
“Thank you, my lord. I am.”
He turned on his heel, Will following him. I took a calming breath, watching his group of advisors walk together from the meeting. They stopped to look at me in the great corridor. At that moment, Logan and two other soldiers entered the hall, turning in our direction.
On a whim, I swallowed and took a breath.
“Wait… Troy.”
He turned a t his given name.
“I would like it to be a masque,” I said, biting my lip to keep from looking at Will. “A costume ball.”
He walked to me slowly. “Like a princess ’s fairy tale,” he tugged me against his body, and I kept my steady gaze.
“Every girl dreams of being … a princess.”
“Ah, but Roam,” his lips hovered over mine. “You are a queen .”
Will ’s words sparked hope in my heart for the first time in months. Hesitantly, I stood on my tip-toes, touching my lips to Troy’s.
My public, voluntary kiss, the first I’d ever given him on my own accord, tightened his grip and quickened his breath. I lifted my arms, wrapping them around his neck, and he groaned, parting my lips in his.
Don’t vomit.
“Thank you for caring about me,” I said, lowering my voice to sound as seductive as I possibly could.
He pulled away, and I fought the shiver at the lustful hunger in his gaze.
“ Will, give her anything she wants for this ball,” he ordered, without turning. “Spare no expense.”
“Yes, father,” he answered, nodding.
I lifted my eyes to meet Logan’s, and he stared at me, stunned. “As you can see, Logan is fine.” Troy gestured to his side, his eyes never leaving mine. “In fact,” he slid the backs of his fingers over my cheek, “Logan, you will join her guard while I am gone. Two on her, two at the door,” Troy ordered to a soldier, who bowed.
His tongue touched his lips. “I wish I had time to properly say good-bye to you… upstairs.”
I remained silent, batting my eyes once, as slowly and suggestively as possible.
His Adam’s apple bobbed before he turned and led his advisors out of the corridor. Will sent me a fleeting, conspiratorial glance before disappearing with them. Logan took a step toward me, and I turned to meet his eyes.
“ Academy Award winner, Roam Camden, ” he murmured. “Looks like I’m on guard duty.”
“You’ve been guarding me for too long, Logan,” I said, morose. “I need to take care of myself.”
“You know, if we were home…you’d be almost nineteen… if my math is correct. But then again, you’ve always helped me with math, so…,”
I backed to a bench along the stone wall, sinking slowly. “ No…, ”
“ Don’t worry, Cam. You don’t look a day over seventeen.” He sat beside me, and I buried my face in my hands. “It’s been almost two years for them. Do you think she… moved on?”
I turned to him. “Violet?”
“Any of them.”
I thought of West and Laurel, as I did during my darkest hours. She was older, so beautiful, and he had loved her… How long would he search for a way back to me before giving up?
“ Do you think West would do that? Move on?”
“Troy sent him your ring and letter for Eva… and included one of his own.”
“What?” I never considered the possibility that Troy would goad him. I should never have asked him to send anything.
“He bragged about it to his men. West knows that you’re pregnant.”
I sat in
“She was looking for Logan.”
I scowled at Will, wrenching my elbow away. “I just wanted to see that he was safe.”
His hand replaced Will’s at my arm, and he pulled me up the stairs. “He’s in the hall. Do not ever come down here again, do you understand? I can’t protect you down here. Some of these prisoners are lunatics.”
Like their king. Surprised by his genuine concern, I nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
“Go swim, order your favors and plan your party. I’ve given you something to occupy your time with, so you should be thankful.”
“Thank you, my lord. I am.”
He turned on his heel, Will following him. I took a calming breath, watching his group of advisors walk together from the meeting. They stopped to look at me in the great corridor. At that moment, Logan and two other soldiers entered the hall, turning in our direction.
On a whim, I swallowed and took a breath.
“Wait… Troy.”
He turned a t his given name.
“I would like it to be a masque,” I said, biting my lip to keep from looking at Will. “A costume ball.”
He walked to me slowly. “Like a princess ’s fairy tale,” he tugged me against his body, and I kept my steady gaze.
“Every girl dreams of being … a princess.”
“Ah, but Roam,” his lips hovered over mine. “You are a queen .”
Will ’s words sparked hope in my heart for the first time in months. Hesitantly, I stood on my tip-toes, touching my lips to Troy’s.
My public, voluntary kiss, the first I’d ever given him on my own accord, tightened his grip and quickened his breath. I lifted my arms, wrapping them around his neck, and he groaned, parting my lips in his.
Don’t vomit.
“Thank you for caring about me,” I said, lowering my voice to sound as seductive as I possibly could.
He pulled away, and I fought the shiver at the lustful hunger in his gaze.
“ Will, give her anything she wants for this ball,” he ordered, without turning. “Spare no expense.”
“Yes, father,” he answered, nodding.
I lifted my eyes to meet Logan’s, and he stared at me, stunned. “As you can see, Logan is fine.” Troy gestured to his side, his eyes never leaving mine. “In fact,” he slid the backs of his fingers over my cheek, “Logan, you will join her guard while I am gone. Two on her, two at the door,” Troy ordered to a soldier, who bowed.
His tongue touched his lips. “I wish I had time to properly say good-bye to you… upstairs.”
I remained silent, batting my eyes once, as slowly and suggestively as possible.
His Adam’s apple bobbed before he turned and led his advisors out of the corridor. Will sent me a fleeting, conspiratorial glance before disappearing with them. Logan took a step toward me, and I turned to meet his eyes.
“ Academy Award winner, Roam Camden, ” he murmured. “Looks like I’m on guard duty.”
“You’ve been guarding me for too long, Logan,” I said, morose. “I need to take care of myself.”
“You know, if we were home…you’d be almost nineteen… if my math is correct. But then again, you’ve always helped me with math, so…,”
I backed to a bench along the stone wall, sinking slowly. “ No…, ”
“ Don’t worry, Cam. You don’t look a day over seventeen.” He sat beside me, and I buried my face in my hands. “It’s been almost two years for them. Do you think she… moved on?”
I turned to him. “Violet?”
“Any of them.”
I thought of West and Laurel, as I did during my darkest hours. She was older, so beautiful, and he had loved her… How long would he search for a way back to me before giving up?
“ Do you think West would do that? Move on?”
“Troy sent him your ring and letter for Eva… and included one of his own.”
“What?” I never considered the possibility that Troy would goad him. I should never have asked him to send anything.
“He bragged about it to his men. West knows that you’re pregnant.”
I sat in
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