The journey back to the mansion was painfully quiet.

Rosaline sat alone in the carriage, her spine rigid against the velvet seat, her fingers twisted tightly in the folds of her emerald gown as the wheels rolled over the moonlit streets of the capital. The anger that had fueled her dramatic exit from the royal ball had begun to cool, but what replaced it was somehow worse.

Humiliation.

Not because Seraphine and her petty circle had tried to provoke her.....well, she had handled them well enough.

No.

What unsettled her was the sting of having been left alone.

Left to answer questions alone.

Left to endure curious stares alone.

Left standing in a room full of strangers while her husband...the man who had dragged her into that dazzling battlefield...had vanished as though she had ceased to matter the moment they arrived.

The carriage finally came to a smooth stop before the mansion.

When the door opened, Rosaline stepped down without waiting for assistance.

The mansion was silent.

Its grand halls, usually alive with servants’ quiet footsteps and distant murmurs, had fallen into the peaceful stillness of midnight. The lamps along the corridor glowed softly, throwing warm amber pools across the marble floor.

The butler appeared almost immediately.

"Your Grace," he greeted with a bow.

Rosaline exhaled.

"Please do not wake Lily."

The older man lifted his head slightly.

"My lady..."

"She has done enough today," Rosaline said, gentler now. "Let her sleep. I can manage myself tonight."

The butler studied her for a brief moment, perhaps noticing the exhaustion behind her carefully composed face.

Then he bowed again.

"As you wish."

She nodded once and continued toward her chambers.

By the time she closed the heavy doors behind her, the silence felt personal.

She stood there for a long moment, letting it settle.

Then, slowly, she reached behind herself and began undoing the tiny hooks of her gown.

It took longer than she expected.

Her fingers were tired.

Her shoulders ached.

By the time the emerald silk finally loosened and slid to the floor in a whispering heap around her feet, Rosaline released a breath she had not realized she’d been holding.

Freedom.

She stepped over the gown and crossed toward the bath.

The servants had prepared warm water before her return. Steam curled lazily upward from the marble basin, scented with jasmine and rose.

She lowered herself into it with a soft sigh.

Warmth enveloped her instantly.

It loosened the tension in her neck.

Softened the ache in her back.

Pulled away the remains of the evening.

She stayed longer than intended.

Long enough for the water to cool.

Long enough for her thoughts to quiet.

When she finally emerged, she wrapped herself in a thin ivory chemise...something meant only for sleep. The fabric was soft and nearly weightless, clinging to her damp skin as she stepped back into the room.

Her hair hung loose and wet down her back.

Droplets slid slowly from the ends, tracing cool lines along her shoulders and disappearing beneath the delicate fabric.

She stood before the mirror, rubbing her hair with a linen cloth.

Still muttering.....cause she really thought she was going to be okay after the bath....but hell no!.....she was still furious.

"Arrogant man," she whispered to her own reflection.

Her brows furrowed.

"Leaves me alone at a ball he forced me to attend..."

The chamber door opened.

She froze.

Xandros stepped inside.

His coat was gone.

His collar loosened.

The first few buttons of his black shirt undone.

His hair...usually so carefully controlled...had fallen slightly over his forehead.

Did he run?

But it was his eyes that made her stop breathing.

They landed on her.

And stayed there.

Rosaline swallowed.

Suddenly, the room felt too warm.

He shut the door quietly behind him.

Neither of them spoke.

His gaze moved slowly.

Painfully slowly.

From her damp hair...

to the bare line of her shoulder...

to where the wet chemise clung to her skin.

Her nipples that tried to push back the transparent wey fabric.

Rosaline felt heat bloom beneath it.

Still, anger gave her courage.

"Oh, now you remember I exist?"

His eyes lifted to hers.

She kept drying her hair.

"You abandoned me."

He said nothing.

She frowned.

"I spent half that evening defending myself while your former admirer and her flock of peacocks tried to tear me apart..."

He began walking toward her.

Rosaline noticed.

But too late.

"And where were you?" she continued. "Nowhere. Vanished. Gone. Invisible. If this is how you intend to..."

He was directly in front of her now.

Her words faltered.

Not because she wanted them to.

Because his nearness stole them.

"You talk too much when angry," he murmured.

Her eyes widened.

"And you..."

He kissed her.

Not softly.

Not teasingly.

Hungrily.

The force of it stole the breath from her lungs.

Rosaline’s fingers tightened around the towel in her hand before it slipped uselessly to the floor.

His mouth was warm...demanding...impossibly certain.

Every angry word she had prepared dissolved instantly.

Her hands found his chest.

At first to push.

Then...

they stayed there.

Because his other hand had risen, sliding carefully to the side of her face, holding her as though she might disappear if he loosened his grip.

Her knees weakened.

And when she kissed him back...

truly kissed him...

something changed.

The kiss deepened.

It became slower.

More dangerous.

The air between them burned.

Rosaline could feel his breath against her mouth.

Could hear her own heartbeat.

His hand moved lower...

hesitated....

then curved against her waist.

And then higher.

She felt his thumb caress the flesh under her bust and she let out a sigh.

Xandros captured her upper lips while his tongue licked the lower lips and when his hands found her breast....he grabbed it and squeezed it a little and when she opened her mouth to moan his tongue found hers.

His tongue was warm and the intrusion made her stomach frizzle and soon his tongue began to tease hers and when his thumb pinced her nipples.

Her sharp gasp shattered the moment..... reminding him of what was going on.

Xandros stopped.

Immediately.

His forehead rested briefly against hers.

His breathing was uneven.

His eyes....when they opened...were darker than she had ever seen them.

For a long second, he simply looked at her.

At her flushed face.

Her parted lips.

Her trembling hands.

Then his jaw tightened.

"Cover yourself," he said roughly.

Rosaline blinked.

"What?"

"Sleep."

And just like that...

he stepped back.

Turned.

And disappeared into the bathing chamber.

The door shut behind him.

Rosaline remained exactly where she was.

Sexically Stunned.

Her fingers lifted slowly to her lips.

They were still warm.

Her reflection in the mirror looked no less shocked than she felt.

"What," she whispered to herself, "just happened?"

Inside the bath chamber, Xandros braced both hands against the marble sink.

His breathing was not under control.

Not even close.

He stared at his own reflection and barely recognized himself.

All evening he had been proud of her.

Amused by her.

Intrigued by her.

But none of that had prepared him for the sight of her standing there...damp, angry, beautiful, wrapped in something that concealed almost nothing.

His jaw flexed.

And when he looked down at his little brother that was pushing against his pant....he sighed.

He was damn hard.

His hands unzipped his pants as his little d sprung free and he touched himself as he closed his eyes and imagined her with him....her lips, her body, her eyes, hair....SHE.

He continued brushing his shaft up and down as he remembered her nipples.....how badly he wanted to bite it and have her to himself.

He imagined how her warm mouth will feel while his shaft enters there....ohhh gaud....it would be so heavenly.

And with a final stroke.....he came undone in the bath as he took deep breaths.

His self-control had really snapped the moment he entered that room.

And that...

more than anything...

angered him.

Not at her.

At himself.

Because for the first time in years...

he had wanted something recklessly.

And that was dangerous.....and he was definitely going to get it...cause fuck all rules he wanted her.

When he finally returned to the bedchamber sometime later, the candles had burned lower.

Rosaline was asleep.

She had curled onto one side of the massive bed, her white hair spread across the pillow like moonlight.

Her breathing was soft.

Even.

Peaceful.

Xandros stood beside the bed longer than necessary.

Then quietly lay down beside her.

Not touching.

But close enough to hear her breathe.

And strangely....

that soothed him.

Morning came gently.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains in golden ribbons.

Rosaline stirred slowly.

Warm.

Comfortable.

Until she opened her eyes...

and nearly screamed.

Lily was leaning over her.

Smiling.

Far too brightly.

"Good morning, my lady."

Rosaline sat upright.

"What are you doing?"

Lily clasped her hands excitedly.

"I have wonderful news."

Rosaline blinked.

"What news?"

Lily leaned closer, nearly vibrating.

"Tomorrow."

Rosaline frowned.

"What about tomorrow?"

Lily grinned wider.

"Tomorrow is the day you become an adult."

Rosaline stared.

Still half asleep.

"I beg your pardon?"

Lily giggled.

"My lady... tomorrow is the full moon."

Rosaline went still.

And suddenly...

she was wide awake.