From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Chapter 25
Hawke had gone so still against me that I wasn’t sure if he even took a
breath. Myy request had shocked him—shocked me.
I think I might’ve stopped breathing.
“Gods,” he breathed, and one hand returned to myy cheek. “You don’t
have to ask me twice, Princess, and yyou never have to beg.”
Before I had a chance to respond, his lips brushed over mine. I gasped
at the soft contact, and I swore I could feel his lips curve against mine in a
smile. I wished I could see it because it seemed like a full grin, the kind
that lifted both sides of his mouth and made both dimples appear, but then
he moved his mouth along mine, painstakinglyy slow as if he were mapping
out the curve of myy lips with his. I held completelyy still, myy heart feeling
like a trapped butterflyy as he retraced the path he’d just made. Tinyy shivers
hit everyy part of myy bodyy. I trembled as myy hands curled into the front of
his tunic, no doubt wrinkling the fine material.
This touch was barelyy a kiss, but gods, the gentleness, the sweetness
of it shook me, rattled me to the core.
Then Hawke tilted his head, increasing the pressure, deepening the
kiss. Suddenlyy, everyything changed. This kiss—its rawness—left me
breathless. Resulted in both of us gasping when we parted, our chests
rising and falling quicklyy. I couldn’t see his eyyes in the dark, but I could
feel his penetrating stare.
I wasn’t thinking about what I was in those seconds. I wasn’t thinking
about what was forbidden and what was right. I wasn’t thinking at all,
truth be told, and I didn’t know who moved first. Hawke? Me? Both of us
at the veryy same moment? Our lips touched again, and this time, there was
no hesitation. There was just want, so much of it, and a hundred other
powerful, forbidden things that pounded through me. His lips scorched
mine, heated myy blood, and set fire to myy senses. His hands moved to myy
shoulders, sliding down myy arms. Hawke shuddered, and a sound emerged