Crow grinned when Penelope finally caved to his pestering and stood up from the table. As she wrapped her arms around him, he did the same to her, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. He was glad that she hadn’t turned him down again. As long as she stayed so close to him, it was hard for his thoughts to wander to anything other than her, which was exactly what he needed at the moment.

“I’d be surprised if anyone did,” he said when she brought up her concern. Aside from Preston, no one else really bothered to come to his bedchamber since he’d been made viceroy, even during the day. Since the attendant had already turned in for the night, there wasn’t anyone else he could think of who would stop by. [i]Although…[/i] His eyes wandered back to the door as a certain unpleasant memory of her father made another appearance in his mind. John was the only person whom he wouldn’t put it past to show up unannounced so late at night.

“Just to be safe…” Crow stepped away from Penelope and moved over to the side of his bed. Reaching one hand under the pillow he usually slept on, he withdrew the dagger he’d hidden beneath it and carried it over to the door, where he slipped the small blade through the handles. Satisfied that the makeshift block would hold up, he headed back to the knight with a flirtatious smile and rested his hands on her hips. “No one will be stopping by now,” he said in a low voice, just before he leaned in to meet her in a passionate kiss.

As his lips moved against hers, Crow’s heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel a flush warm his skin. After going so long without her touch, it had become like lightning to him, energizing and completely captivating. Eager to push things further, he led her over to the bed without breaking the kiss and guided her up onto the soft mattress. His fingers trailed down her sides as he moved on top of her, reaching for the fastening of her clothes to take them off.