Had she surprised and confused Bane, too? Maybe even...impressed him? She wanted to ask, but didn’t. I prefer warrior women. Okay, so, no need to ask. One small act wouldn’t prove her mettle. Although, there was a chance it would help her sneak past his defenses.

“I might be a princess,” she said, “but I’m not a queen. I’ve never hurt Drogo, or you, and I’m tired of being punished for the crimes of other royals. If you attack me again, I’ll do whatever is necessary to save myself, just as you would do anything to save yourself.”

He continued his advance, prowling closer, forcing her to walk backward...until she smacked into the wall. He flattened his hands next to her temple, caging her in. With his towering height and wide shoulders, he all but engulfed her. She gulped and trembled, but not with fear.

“Why didn’t you do whatever was necessary on the island? Rather than commanding Drogo to stand down, you petted him.”

She plucked at the collar of his shirt, saying, “I didn’t want to override your—his—free will, as other queens have done.”

A moment passed, then another, the silence almost unbearable. His features were shell-shocked again. He quietly asked, “What am I going to do with you, Nola Lee?”

“Trust me?” Fall in love with me? “I’m never giving in to my—to a dark side like the other royals.” She traced her hands up, up and cupped the sides of his exquisite face. A lover’s hold. His beard stubble tickled her skin, flurries of desire dancing through her.

“I won’t change,” he said, his voice gruff. “I’ve been through too much, my will like iron.”

When he wrapped his deliciously calloused fingers around her wrists, she expected a gentle push to separate their bodies. Instead, he tugged her closer, crisscrossing her arms at his nape. Her breasts smashed against his rock-hard chest, her nipples puckering.

“Where are we headed?” she asked.

He flicked his tongue over an incisor. “Erik has targeted Zion and me for elimination. We must stay on the move.”

Planned to pretend his shaft wasn’t hardening between her legs? Okay. “I’ll pack a bag, just as soon as you let me go.”

LET NOLA GO when he wanted to hold on forever? No! But Bane did it, anyway. He released her wrists, severing contact, and stepped back. Keeping her safe remained priority one, and her honeysuckle-jasmine scent agitated the beast. Everything else agitated Bane. Her heat. Her softness. Those starry eyes. Those rosebud lips. That breathy voice. That shocking carnality.

He wanted Nola. His gaze strayed to the bed. He wanted Nola now. He burned with desire, his cells like embers, passion-smoke filling him, his skin pulling taut, ready to burst apart at the seams. His heart raced, and shaft throbbed.