Page 150 of Of Bargains & Betrayal

“I know you aren’t. But this…?” I gestured between us, shaking my head.

Jasper’s expression softened, and he sighed. “We will need to tell Max.”

“Don’t say that.”

“No lies, Nor. Not anymore.” There was not as much conviction in Jasper’s voice as I was sure he hoped. “He’ll understand.”

I scoffed and let my head settle on his shoulder.

So badly, I wanted to tell him how long it had been since I was happy, but I just couldn’t get the right words to form.

My life had turned into an endless line of kings ripping away my only strands of happiness, and that was a gut-wrenching realization.

First, my father exiled Kieran for reasons I didn’t entirely understand.

Then, my brother decimated the life I’d worked so hard to build.

Maksym would come next in that line, I knew undoubtedly.

Jasper comforted me with a healthy dose of silence and the firm wrap of his arms for a long time.

“You know,” he finally said, “I think my bath is plenty big for two, if that would interest you?”

Ah, there it was—a wholly welcome distraction.

I chuckled quietly and straightened up in his lap. “You think? As in, you’ve lived here for years and never actually tested that theory out?”

His mouth opened and closed in clear hesitation before he nodded. “That’s correct.”

“Well, come on then.” I slid off the edge of the bed and grabbed his hand. “Let’s go break it in.”

“Mina help us, Enora; you are going to be so late,” Jasper groaned as he stumbled to the end of his bed, tossing a mixture of his clothes and mine up onto it.

I was hot on his heels, pushing him out of the way to gather my things.

We’d slept in. Egregiously.

I should’ve been back at the barracks an hour ago.

“Thank you so much for reminding me again,” I bit back. “You useless cock.”

Jasper paused with his pants half-laced, staring at me. “Excuse me? My cock is not⁠—”

“Shut. Up.” I couldn’t get my arm through my sleeve to save my fucking life. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Better not be,” he scoffed.

As if useless was a word to actually describe any inch of his body after we’d spent the last day and a bit tangled in a variety of places between the bath and his bed, making full use of our time.

My singular gripe was how little rest I’d gotten and how quickly that bit me on my slightly bruised ass.

“Are you ready? I’ll take you straight there.”

Jasper had grabbed my elbow, but I ripped it out of his grip so fast, I stumbled. “You absolutely will not. My room. Nowhere else. I need to get a change of clothes, and we should not be anywhere together looking like we do right now.”

He swore under his breath, but I’d won that brief battle of wits.

Jasper wrapped his arm around my waist, and my senses shuddered.