Page 158 of Between Two Kings

“Yes, Tem,” Caspen sighed. “He did. And I do not blame him.” His eyes raked over her, and she knew he could smell the sex clinging to her skin. “How could he not like what he sees?”

There it was again: the familiar flare of jealousy, the hint of heat that always entered Caspen’s eyes whenever his brother tried to staked his claim on her.

Tem took a step closer too. “What about you?” she whispered. “Do you like what you see?”

Caspen clenched his jaw. “You know I do.”

Tem’s gaze trailed down to his hardening cock. “Show me,” she whispered.

An electrifying moment passed. Tem felt the temperature between them rise. Tendrils of smoke curled over Caspen’s shoulders, skimming down the curve of his muscles. Pure anticipation shot through Tem as Caspen extended his hand to reach for her, stopping an inch from her skin.

A moment passed. Then another. Caspen frowned.

Fear bit suddenly into Tem. Perhaps he was angrier than he cared to admit—perhaps her seduction wasn’t enough.

“Caspen?” she whispered. “What is it?”

His eyes met hers. There was fear in them. “I cannot touch you.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Tem felt the sudden urge to cry. “Why not?”

He only shook his head.

She reached for him, determined not to let things end like this, but she found she couldn’t touch him either. The moment Tem got near to him, her fingers brushed against something in the air—a barrier keeping her an inch away from his skin. It wasn’t solid, exactly—more like a layer of energy that stopped her from moving any closer. Tem groped at it with increasing vigor.

“Caspen? What—?”

But there were no words for the experience. It was as if an invisible wall had formed between them, keeping them apart.

“I don’t understand,” she cried. “Why can’t we—?”

Caspen only shook his head. A moment later, he was out the door.

“Hey!” Tem ran after him, struggling to keep up with his pace. “Where are you going?”

Caspen stared straight ahead. “We must find Adelaide.”

“What? Why?”

“She has seen this before.”

“Seen what before?”

Caspen didn’t answer. He was barreling through the passageway, shoving basilisks out of his path. He could touch them easily; the barrier didn’t seem to extend to those in his way.

“Why can’t we touch each other?” Tem insisted, already short of breath. “What’s going on?”

“I do not know, Tem,” he snapped, still not looking at her. “I only suspect. That is why we must find Adelaide.”

Tem knew Caspen well enough to know when he was done answering questions. Rather than ask any more, she concentrated on her breathing, trying to match his brutal pace. They were headed toward Adelaide’s chambers, and Caspen didn’t slow down even as the passageway became more confined. By the time they arrived, Tem was nearly doubled over.

Caspen threw open the door. “Adelaide,” he began, “we—” But he cut off abruptly when he saw who else was in the room. Cypress and Adelaide were tangled on the bed, Cypress’s head between Adelaide’s legs. Both of them looked up in shock. As soon as Cypress recognized Caspen, her arm went around Adelaide in a protective embrace.

Surprise, then anger, then determined resolve flashed over Caspen’s face in quick succession. He pointed at Cypress. “Leave us, Sister. Now.”

Cypress shook her head, her arm still thrown over Adelaide. “I am not your pet, dear Brother. You cannot tell me what to do.”