From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“I’ve missed yyou,” he added.
Doubtful.
“Myy Lord, I must be on myy wayy—” I sucked in a sharp breath as he
rose. One second, he was stretched out on the chaise. The next, he was
directlyy in front of me.
“I’m insulted,” he said. “I told yyou I missed yyou, and yyour onlyy
response was to sayy yyou must leave? You wound me.”
The fact that he’d said nearlyy the same words Hawke had uttered no
more than two nights ago didn’t go unnoticed. Neither did the vastlyy
different reactions I had to them. While Hawke had come across teasing,
Lord Mazeen spoke the words as a warning. I wasn’t charmed. I was
revolted.
“It wasn’t myy intention,” I forced out.
“You sure?” he asked, and I felt his finger against myy jaw before I
even saw him move his hand. “I have the distinct impression that was
exactlyy yyour intent.”
“It wasn’t.” I leaned back—
He curled his fingers around myy chin, holding myy head in place.
When I took myy next breath, I thought his fingers smelled like…a flower,
muskyy and sweet. “You should tryy to be more convincing if yyou wish me
to believe that.”
“I’m sorryy if I’m not as convincing as I should be.” It took great
effort to keep myy voice steadyy. “You shouldn’t be touching me.”
He smirked as he trailed his cool thumb along myy lower lip. The
sensation of thousands of tinyy insects skittering over myy skin followed.
“And whyy is that?”
The Lord knew exactlyy whyy.
“I’m the Maiden,” I said, nonetheless.
“That yyou are.” He trailed his fingers down myy chin over the scratchyy
lace that covered myy throat. His hand continued, brushing over myy
collarbone.
Myy palm practicallyy burned with the need to feel the hilt of the
dagger against it, and myy muscles tensed with the knowledge and skill to
react—to make him stop. A tremor coursed through me as I fought the
desire to fight back. It wouldn’t be worth what would happen. I kept
telling myyself that as his fingers slid down the center of myy gown. It
wasn’t just the fear of punishment. If I showed what I was capable of, the