The King's Obsession ✔️

THIRTY THREE

I tense, feeling Marek's grip on my hand tighten. If she finds out who I am, it will surely get reported back to Tai, and although I hardly care what he thinks, I'm trying to keep a low profile, to get him to trust me. This would throw me ten steps back, after I've made such good progress this week, with my purposeful touches of him in innocent moments, to the lingering stares.

"Oh...No, I've been told I look like her, but no, I'm not her," I scramble. I hope it's enough for her to brush off. Usually I'm seen by the public wearing royal garments, and now, my hair is pulled back and I'm wearing gear Marek provided.

"Right, sorry." The girl shakes her head, flushing with embarrassment. "I'm so jealous of her, aren't you?"

I flinch. "Jealous?"

She leans forward over the counter, grinning. "Married to a King. And so the hottest King in all the land, aside from Tyrien, obviously."

I blink, stunned. As much as I hate Tai, I'm not going to deny that he is an attractive man, and doing so to this girl wouldn't benefit me in any way. Thankfully I don't need to, as Marek approaches from behind me,

He drapes his arm over my shoulder, leaning into me. "I heard she's having an affair with a far hotter man."

"Really?" The girl asks excitedly, likely ready to go share the scandalous gossip with her friends. I would be mortified, and I probably should be, but there is something amusing about Marek confident tone that makes me want to play back.

"I heard that too, although the looks part is debateable," I tell the girl, nudging Marek in the side. The girl looks thoughtful, believing it, considering how gorgeous she thinks the King is.

Marek's eyes narrow on me, his fingertips drumming impatiently against the countertop. "We are going to need that room urgently."

The woman wastes no time once I pay her. "Here's your key."

I can feel Marek staring at my back as we walk up the creaking steps and into the musty hotel room, which looks more like it's been tidied, and not so much cleaned since the last person was in here. But it doesn't matter, because this is the exact room from my dream.

It's not exactly a beautiful room, but this means my dream wasn't just that...It was a vision, having come back to me from my past.

Before any words can pass my lips, Marek grabs me, kicking the door closed before pressing me against the wall.

"Are you going to take back what you said, or do I need to make you?" he asks, body pressing against me in a way that has me gasping, not expecting his sudden turn in attitude.

"Marek!" I protest, although it's so obviously half-hearted. I writhe against him, trying to pull my wrists away from where he has them pinned against the wall, but it's no use. He isn't going to let me go any time soon.

He tilts his head, smiling deviously down at me. "What's it going to be?"

"We are here for a very serious investigation," I remind him, although my attempts to evade him have fallen short.

It's far too hard to be away from Marek, and I spend each night wishing he was beside me in bed. When I realise all I'm left with is my imagination, I allow myself to fantasise about Marek climbing through the window at night to join me in bed.

He leans forward, gently kissing my neck. "Let me enjoy you, at least for a few moments."

I pause. We probably shouldn't, at least right now. And yet I don't know when we will get a chance to have a moment alone like this...

"Or..." I taunt, finally slipping out of his grip, pushing at his chest, forcing him to back up toward the questionable looking bed. "I could enjoy you."