Page 45 of Decoy
“Lethal kisses are a rather effective tool for an assassin’s arsenal; you do like your poison.” My weak words slurred.
“As much as I wish to claim credit, this attempt on your life is entirely unintentional, hence I’m retrieving the antidote.”
If not for his fierce desperation, I’d wonder if this was another one of his tricks.
“You’re a terrible assassin. For the sake of your mission, you should just let the poison finish me off and ease your conscience by claiming my death was an accident.”
“I can’t let you die until I’ve uncovered the last of your secrets.”
“And this is your means of extracting them?”
His eyebrows rose. “Might I remind you thatyoukissedme?”
“Only because you goaded me into it.”
He took a steadying breath. “Now is not the time to fight about this. Drink the antidote and then we can go at it again.”
Warmth swelled my chest. “I’d like that.”
Luke created emotions that were far different than any I’d ever experienced—he created purpose beyond living only for the next thrilling hunt or the revenge that had guided my life so far, a unique yet wonderful feeling.
My breaths grew sharp and ragged as the poison slowly spread. Luke noticed and quickened his pace. Upon arriving at his room, he gently set me on the settee near the hearth before he scrambled to his trunk and rummaged through it.
“Is asphyx truly so poisonous that just this little amount is lethal?”My head burned with fever as the poison secured its grip around me more securely.
His lingering panic was answer enough to my idle curiosity, a fluster that rendered him clumsy as he searched with agitated movements. “Whereisit?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, bemusement twitched my lips. “You don’t handle death well.”
He blinked at me, seeming momentarily confused. “My current worry has nothing to do with my aversion to death.” He located the antidote and nearly tripped in his haste to reach my side and shove it in my hands. “Drink it.” Concern he couldn’t quite mask softened the brisk command.
It’d been far too long since I’d been the recipient of such consideration, yet it didn’t lessen my suspicion as I studied the bottle’s contents by its color and scent. If it was poison, it wasn’t one I recognized, giving me reason to hope it was safe.I took a tentative sip of the flavorless liquid.
He perched on the edge of the settee and watched with wide eyes. “Is it working?” His hands twitched in lingering agitation.
I rested a hand over them. “Don’t show your emotions.”
He gave a humorless laugh. “The return of your spunk gives me reason to hope you’re feeling better.”
To my surprise, I was. The antidote caused a soothing wave to seep over me, dispelling the burning heat of the poison searing through my veins. Yet my head remained slightly foggy, muddling my thoughts. “Luke?”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at the sound of his name. “Yes, Princess?”
“Why did you kiss me back?”
He looked like he yearned for nothing more than to deny it. “Only to show you the proper way to do it.” He blushed and averted his gaze. “It’d be best if we pretended that kiss never happened, considering what just transpired wasdefinitelynot part of either of our plans.”
I had no intention of informing the advisor I’d just kissed my prime suspect. “I’m in full agreement.” If only my promise would be enough to suppress the memories that seemed determined to linger.
A hint of amusement pierced the gravity filling his expression. “Though you made a valiant effort, in the end it proved ineffective.” His grin was mischievous as he leaned forward and lowered his voice. “My secrets are still my own.”
For a moment I’d quite forgotten that’d been my reason for doing something as ridiculous askissing him.
I offered him a sweet smile and he stiffened, as if I’d instead drawn a dagger.“I wouldn’t be so certain, considering I did learn something quite useful: you’re not as firmly in control as you try to pretend.”
A look of vulnerability overcame him, similar to when I’d discovered his aversion to blood. To think a simple kiss would be his undoing…though in truth, it didn’t feel simple at all. As reluctant as I was to admit it, he’d destroyed my own careful defenses, making our game all the more complicated.
Which reminded me of another matter. “Earlier you claimed there was a price required in order for you to help me.” Perhaps that was the sole reason he’d been so frantic for the antidote, a thought that stung more than I cared to admit.
