Chapter 63: Last Night Didn’t Mean-
Nina’s eyes opened in the morning light, and they landed lazily on the door.
She lay still, her lashes fluttering as she gazed at the wood, her eyes lowering to the thin line of light coming in at the bottom. Her body was warm under the quilt and for a moment that was all there was.
Then it wasn’t.
Soft slippery kisses. His mouth at her throat. His breath against her neck—
Nina’s eyes went wide. Her heart dropped instantly into her stomach.
No.
It didn’t happen.
There was no way...
She didn’t move. Couldn’t, for a second, then her eyes lowered slowly.
The quilt was pulled to her chest and she was — oh no — a breath left her short and instant and she shut her eyes hard, fingers driving into the bedsheet.
Okay. Okay.
Breathe. It wasn’t so bad.
Married people do that... right?
Nina shut her eyes tightly, heat rising up to her cheeks.
She waited to hear him breathing, but there was utter silence. Only the sound of birds chirping against the windows, and the distant sound of the servants in the lawn below.
Nina frowned and turned her head slowly.
The other side of the bed was empty. The shape of where his head had been still in the pillow, the sheet pulled loose at the corner, but he wasn’t there. She stared at it.
He left.
Her heart hit her ribs once, hard, and she didn’t know what to do with that, didn’t know what it meant, didn’t know if it was better or worse that she didn’t have to look at him right now.
She sat up.
Pain tore through her immediately, and she sucked in a breath through her teeth, hands grabbing the edge of the quilt, until the pain eased.
Then her hand found its way to her neck, her eyes lifting. She pressed two fingers to the spot, and frowned.
The skin over the bite was flat. No tenderness, no raised edge, no pain. She pressed harder — still nothing.
Her eyes dropped to her chest and heat crawled up her throat so fast she looked away, her gaze wandering.
How did last night happen?
She knew him, he would not have — was he drunk on something?
That was the only explanation that made sense, especially after he’d been cold to her that morning.
Was it... was it a mistake?
Don’t think. Don’t think about it.
Nina looked at his side of the bed once more, then she dragged herself up.
Her knees buckled and she grabbed the bedpost, teeth catching her lip against the sound that tried to come out. The pain moved through her thighs and up into a certain part she didn’t want to think about. Nina shut her eyes and exhaled a breath, and dragged herself to the floor-to-ceiling mirror.
The moment she saw her reflection, her feet came to a stop, her eyes going wide.
What—
Her hand went to her face. The marks were everywhere — the sides of her neck, the curve of her shoulders. She turned her face to the side. There were some more. Then the other side. Her mouth had come open at some point and she hadn’t noticed.
What did he do to her?
She remembered his mouth all over her, but she didn’t think it was — Nina’s fingers moved over her jaw, her throat, pressing lightly at each mark like she was counting them. This many. He’d left this many.
Was he under a spell?!
Her eyes caught the two small marks at the side of her neck.
She went still.
Her fingers moved to them slowly. Two dots, faint, close together. She pressed the pads of her fingers over them, where he’d bitten her. They’d healed, leaving just a faint mark.
Nina dragged a breath, looking at her nakedness, and she dragged her hands through her hair.
How did she let this happen?
Nina inhaled sharply.
They were married, something like this was bound to happen eventually, right?
She chuckled dryly.
It didn’t change anything, right?
She thought, her eyes staring at the mirror, but her reflection didn’t look convinced. She grabbed her own hair with both hands. No. No no no.
She was in trouble.
How was she supposed to go back from this? She was his enemy — why didn’t she leave? Why did she kiss him back? Why did she—
Nina clenched her jaw so hard her teeth ached.
Three knocks sounded at the door and she spun around. Her eyes dropped to her body. Then shot to the floor. Her nightie — she didn’t remember when it had come off — lay crumpled by the foot of the bed.
She crossed the room and yanked it over her head, shoved both hands through her hair, dragged them down once. Her throat felt like it had something stuck in it. She cleared it.
Then she walked to the door and opened it.
Moreen stood on the other side.
Nina’s mouth stretched before she could decide whether she was relieved or not. "Moreen."
Moreen’s mouth moved to greet her, but her eyes landed on Nina’s neck, and they grew wide.
"My Lady." Her brows pulled together with worry. "What happened to you?"
Nina’s hand shot up and covered what it could cover, and she turned quickly, walking back into the room, her back to Moreen, her pulse loud in her ears.
"I fell," she said, clearing her throat. "And bruised my neck."
The door clicked behind her as Moreen’s footsteps sounded.
"Hmm." There was a slow pause. "That doesn’t look like a fall wound, My Lady."
"It is," Nina retorted.
"Are you certain it isn’t an insect—"
"It’s not an insect bite!" Nina almost screamed, keeping her back to Moreen, hiding the flush on her face.
She cleared her throat and lowered her hand. "Run my bath. Hot. As hot as it can be."
She needed to get in and stay in until the water turned cold, until her skin felt like her own again, until her brain could remember why she was here, and why this was a mistake, and why this should never ever happen again.
"Yes, My Lady," Moreen replied and turned to the bathroom, then closed the door behind her.
Nina stood in the middle of the room, and then slowly, her eyes lowered to the ring on her finger.
