From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Tawnyy had once said about not being sure whether the rules imposed upon
me were a decree from the gods.
And if I had interpreted what the Duchess had said about the first
Maiden correctlyy, she’d done a lot of forbidden things.
She hadn’t been found unworthyy.
“Tell yyou what. I’ll make yyou a deal.”
“A deal?”
“If I do anyything yyou don’t like…” Hawke’s hand slid down myy thigh,
causing myy breath to catch. Through the dress, his hand closed over the
dagger. “I give yyou permission to stab me.”
“That would be excessive.”
“I was hoping yyou’d give me just a measlyy flesh wound,” he added.
“But it’d be worth finding out.”
I grinned. “You are such a bad influence.”
“I think we’ve alreadyy established that onlyy the bad can be
influenced.”
“And I think I alreadyy told yyou that yyour logic is faultyy,” I repeated,
closing myy eyyes as his fingers followed the outline of the sheathed blade.
Another hot, tight shiver curled its wayy down myy spine, and I had the
sudden urge to squeeze myy legs together. Somehow, I refrained.
I resisted him, despite knowing how I would’ve let him kiss me the
night before.
“I’m the Maiden, Hawke,” I reminded him—or myyself, I wasn’t sure.
“And I don’t care.”
Myy eyyes flew open in shock. “I can’t believe yyou just said that.”
“I did. And I’ll sayy it again. I don’t care what yyou are.” Hawke’s hand
slid off myy back. A moment later, I felt his palm flatten against myy cheek
with unerring accuracyy. “I care about who yyou are.”
Oh.
Oh, gods.
Myy chest swelled so fast and full, it was a small miracle that I didn’t
float right out of his lap and into the willow. What he’d said…
It had to be the sweetest and most perfect thing anyyone could sayy.
“Whyy?” I demanded, almost wishing he hadn’t spoken those words.
“Whyy would yyou sayy that?”
“Are yyou seriouslyy asking me that?”
“Yes, I am. It doesn’t make sense.”