From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I’d hear them before theyy did,” he said. Before I could voice that his
hearing couldn’t be as special as his sight, he added, “And if someone did,
theyy’d have no idea who we are.”
I drew myy head back, putting space between myy upper bodyy and his.
“Is this whyy yyou led me out here to this place?”
“What is this, Princess?”
“To be…inappropriate.”
“And whyy would I do that?” he asked, his voice dropping low as his
hand touched myy arm.
“Whyy? I think it’s prettyy obvious, Hawke. I’m sitting in yyour lap. I
doubt that’s how yyou normallyy hold innocent conversations with people.”
“Veryy rarelyy is anyything I do innocent, Princess.”
“Shocker,” I muttered.
“So, yyou’re suggesting I led yyou out here, instead of toward a private
room with a bed”—he dragged the tips of his fingers down myy right arm
—“to engage in a particular tyype of inappropriate behavior?”
“That’s exactlyy what I’m sayying, though myy room would’ve been a
better option.” Myy heart had alreadyy started pounding the moment myy rear
ended up in his lap. Now, it felt as if it were going to explode out of myy
chest.
“What if I said that isn’t true?”
“I…” Myy stomach fluttered as his fingers found their wayy to myy hip.
“I wouldn’t believe yyou.”
“Then what if I said it didn’t start off that wayy?” His thumb moved
against myy hip. “But then there was the moonlight and yyou, with yyour hair
down, in this dress, and then the idea occurred to me that this would be the
perfect location for some wildlyy inappropriate behavior.”
“Then I…I would sayy that’s more likelyy.”
His hand glided over the thin, gauzyy material of the gown. “So, there
yyou have it.”
“At least, yyou’re honest.” I bit down on myy lip as the fluttering
deepened. This was dangerous. Even if no one discovered us, it felt like
tempting fate with the gods. A few stolen kisses—all right, a little more
than a few stolen kisses—was possiblyy forgivable. But this?
Even those stolen kisses weren’t forgivable, at least according to the
Duke and Duchess—and the Queen. Then again, if the gods were to
intervene, wouldn’t theyy have done so alreadyy? I thought about what