178
~Lisa’s POV
I stood frozen for a heartbeat after Damon agreed to take outside, my chest still rising and falling faster than it should. The relief that swept through was so powerful it almost brought tears to my eyes. I hadn’t realized how much the palace walls weighed on until I heard him say, "Fine."
Without wasting ti, he turned toward the door and called for one of his guards. His voice carried authority, deep and unwavering, even though I could feel the tension still thrumming in him.
"Prepare the palanquin," Damon ordered. "And make sure food is packed, fruits, bread, and wine. Enough for a picnic."
The guard bowed low, fist pressed to his chest. "At once, my lord."
As the guard hurried away, Damon closed the door, and suddenly the chamber felt smaller, quieter, filled only with the sound of my own heartbeat. He turned back to , and his sharp gaze softened just slightly.
"You really want this?" he asked, his tone low, almost like he was giving one last chance to change my mind.
I nodded. "Yes, Damon. More than anything. Just for a little while."
On impulse, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. I buried my face against his chest, inhaling the faint scent of cedar and steel that always clung to him. For a mont, he stiffened, as though my sudden closeness had caught him off guard, but then his arms ca around , firm, steady, anchoring in a way I didn’t know I craved until now.
Before I could stop myself, before I could even think about what I was doing, I tilted my head up and pressed my lips to his.
The kiss was brief, soft, almost trembling, but it was mine. I kissed him first.
The instant our lips touched, I felt the shock ripple through both of us. My own heart nearly leapt out of my chest. The realization of what I had done hit like a storm, and I pulled back quickly, my breath unsteady.
"Oh..." I whispered, my hand flying to my lips. Heat flooded my cheeks. What had I done? I wasn’t supposed to...
Damon’s eyes were wide, his lips parted in surprise. But then, slowly, a smile curved across his mouth, a smile that carried both amusent and sothing deeper, sothing that made my stomach twist.
"Well," he said softly, his voice like velvet laced with mischief. "I like this side of you."
I blinked. "W...what?"
His hand was warm beneath my chin, firm yet gentle, and I could feel the strength in his touch as if it could hold steady no matter how much I trembled inside. My breath hitched, sharp and shallow, when his words sank in. He said it like a challenge, like he was daring to keep proving him right.
Then, before I had the chance to think, his lips touched mine again. Not rushed this ti, not stolen, it was deliberate, slow, and lingering, as though he was tasting sothing he had been waiting for. My whole body stiffened at first, shocked that I had allowed this mont to happen twice, shocked that it felt even more consuming than before. But his mouth was warm and steady, not greedy, not forceful. It was the kind of kiss that told he wanted to feel it, to rember it, to admit it.
A sound escaped , unbidden, a tiny gasp, caught between surprise and the dangerous pull of desire. I hated myself for it, hated the way it betrayed , but I couldn’t stop. My fingers, traitorous and trembling, clutched at the front of his tunic, balling the fabric tight in my fists as though holding onto him could anchor against the storm raging inside. I hadn’t ant to draw closer, but my body leaned into his of its own accord. For a heartbeat, maybe two, I let myself drown in the heat of him, in the softness of the mont, in the wild fluttering of my own heart.
And then I realized what I was doing. A jolt of panic shot through . This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to let him in, not this far, not this easily. Yet my lips lingered, my eyes fluttered shut, and for that stolen heartbeat longer, I allowed myself the selfishness of surrender.
Then...
"My lord," a voice called from behind the door, urgent yet respectful. "The palanquin is ready, and the servants await your command."
I flinched, my heart lurching as though I’d been caught doing sothing forbidden. Damon pulled back but didn’t release . Instead, he chuckled low in his throat, his forehead resting lightly against mine.
"Saved by the guard," he murmured teasingly. "Or maybe not saved at all. What do you think?"
I pushed lightly against his chest, though my face was still burning. "Damon!" I hissed. "Don’t tease ."
"Why not?" His grin widened as he finally let go, though his eyes never left . "I rather like seeing you blush like this."
I turned away quickly, my hands twisting together, trying to regain my composure. I didn’t know what shocked more, that I had kissed him, or that he seed to enjoy it so much. Either way, the room felt far too warm, and my heart was still racing.
Damon straightened, his expression smoothing back into the calm, commanding mask he wore so easily. "Co," he said. "Let’s not keep them waiting."
But as he reached for the door, he glanced back at one more ti, his voice dropping so only I could hear.
"And Lisa... next ti, don’t run from what you want."
The corridors of the palace echoed with the sound of our footsteps as he led out, but my mind was still caught on his words, on the kiss, on the way my lips still tingled with the mory of his. My heart warred between sha and sothing I didn’t dare na.
When we stepped outside, the sun was just beginning its descent, casting golden light over the palace grounds. Waiting for us was the palanquin, draped in fine cloth, with sturdy bearers already in place. A woven basket rested beside it, the aroma of fresh bread and sweet fruit drifting through the air.
The sight filled with a strange mix of excitent and nervousness. Damon gestured for to step inside first, his hand steady as he offered it to . His grip was warm, strong, and reassuring.
As I settled into the palanquin, I couldn’t stop replaying the mont in my mind. The hug. The kiss. His teasing words. And though I tried to scold myself, though I tried to rember that I was supposed to be cautious, careful, distant, my lips still curved into a smile I couldn’t suppress.
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