My whole body tingled, just from that one point of contact.

This was a terrible idea. I should put a stop to this right away. Any minute now...I was going to do just that.

I moaned a little as I kissed him back, my hand coming up to curl around the back of his neck, his hair tickling the back of my hand.

I needed to stop.

Really.

I finally pulled back, but Sven didn't stop, kissing his way down to my neck instead.

"We're out in the open," I tried, the protest lacking any kind of real stopping power. It didn't help that my other hand was sliding up his firm thigh, testing the hard muscle there.

"No, we aren't," Sven disagreed. "Everyone is gone. But if you're feeling exposed..."

I gasped as he literally threw me over his shoulder, and walked us into the large tent they'd assigned to him, just a few feet away.

"Sven!" I cried out in a low voice as he dropped me on the surprisingly comfortable bed inside.

"Adara," he mocked, humor in his voice as he settled down next to me, and kissed me lightly. If he had gotten on top of me, if he had kissed me aggressively even, I might have found it easier to push him away, to put a stop to this madness. But he didn't. And the very lack of pressure somehow got to me. Broke me.

Groaning, I rolled on top of him, his hands immediately coming up to grip my hips, his erection long and hard against me. The thought that this wasn't a good idea still hovered in the back of my mind. But it was being pushed farther and farther back by the feel of his lips against mine, by the firm way his hands gripped my hips, slid around to cup my ass. By the hard body under mine, the rapid pace of his heartbeat against my chest, the way his erection kicked up against me in his arousal.

He wanted me.

There was no denying that. And that knowledge was like a kick to the gut, like fuel on the fire that was already out of control inside me.

I sucked in a breath. And Sven used that pause to flip us over so he was on top. I trembled a little under him as he slid his thighs between mine, pushing my tunic up to reveal the plain bra I was wearing. But I didn't have a chance to bemoan the fact that I wasn't wearing something nicer. He pulled the cups down to bare my breasts, the nipples already hard even though he hadn't even touched them yet.

"You're so gorgeous, Adara," he growled in a low, husky voice, his usual measured tone absent.

The words were nice. But the utter sincerity I could see in his face, hear in his voice, was even better.

My hands slid into the rough silk of his hair as he ducked his head down, his mouth covering one hard nipple, his large hand covering my other breast, kneading it a little roughly, his hips pressing into the bed as if he couldn't help rubbing up against something.

I pushed up against him, against that clever mouth and tongue, the sensations sliding down my body to my already throbbing core.

Oh, it felt so good. It had been so long since I'd let myself go like this, since I'd let someone get this close to me.

And my body wanted more.

And more.

Sven slid a hand down my front. Straight to that heat between my legs, cupping me there with a sure palm. Pressing the heel of his hand against me.

I bit my lip at the pressure right where I needed it. But it wasn't enough as he moved to my other breast, the relative coolness of the air hitting my abandoned, sensitized nipple. I pushed against that hand, gripped his scalp, my body moving against his in a clear desire for more.

"No. The king's tent is over there. Let's go this way instead."

My eyes popped open at the low voice. The murmured reply finished bringing me right back down to reality with a resounding crash.

King.

This wasn't just Sven, King Emberich's mysterious right-hand man.

This was King Sven.

The Phoenix King.

And I was...

What was I doing?

"Stop," I said grabbing his wrist where his hand was still working me.

He immediately stilled, his mouth moving off me so he could look at my face.

"What?" he asked, his mouth swollen, his eyes glittering with arousal.

"We have to stop," I said grimly, trying to wiggle out from under him. "I...we...this isn't right."

"It feels more than right to me," he argued, frowning. "Adara..."

"No," I retorted firmly, pushing at his shoulders.

He immediately released me so I could roll off the bed, the tunic falling down to cover me again.

I didn't bother fixing my bra as I stumbled to the exit.

"Adara," Sven called out, rising up from the bed.

I turned to him, shaking my head as I pulled the flap back.

"We can't do this," I said, shaking my head, hating the slight tremble in my voice. "It isn't appropriate."

"Fuck appropriate," he muttered in a low voice, taking a step towards me.

My eyes went from his disheveled hair. To his reddened lips. His hot eyes. That massive tent at his hips. And I felt my resolve weaken.

But then I heard footsteps somewhere nearby.

"I can't afford to do this," I said softly, still shaking my head. "I'm sorry."

"Adara," he called out again as I ducked out of the tent.

But he didn't follow me as I hurried over to my assigned tent, a much smaller one a little bit farther away from the bonfires.

I needed to get away from him. I didn't trust myself so close to what I wanted. I'd already proven how weak I was, hadn't I?

As I entered the quiet darkness of my own tent, I took a deep breath. But it didn't help. I got a lungful of Sven's scent on me.

Moving over to the much smaller, harder bed, I sank down, lowering my head to my hands.

Shit.

Shit shit shit.

I'd made out with the king. Me, who was supposed to be the voice of the people, the person who championed them even if the Crown didn't. I'd literally been in bed with our monarch.

What had I been thinking?

Emberich had made more than a few insinuations that I'd be better able to get what I wanted if I was a little nicer to him.

But I'd never crossed that line, never betrayed myself like that, knowing it was a lie in any case. And he'd never pushed, the political ramifications not worth it. I had a flock who would back me if push came to shove. I'd always found another way to do what I could to help despite his lack of interest in aiding anyone.

But all Sven had to do was look at me and...

I groaned, flopping over to my side.

How the hell was I going to face him in the morning?

How was I going to face everyone else?

Hell—how was I going to face myself?