The words struck her harder than she expected.

"You won’t even come see me?" she asked quietly.

But Rowan said nothing.

Rosalind stared at him for a second before frowning deeply. "You’re so heartless."

She pushed his hands away from her shoulders before turning over on the bed, facing the opposite side.

"You should go," she muttered. "There’s no reason for you to stay here anymore."

Rowan looked at her silently, his chest tightening painfully.

This was hurting him too.

He wanted her gone because it was the only way to keep her safe from Alaric, the only way she could live freely without fear hanging over her head every day. But the selfish part of him hated it because once she left, that would be it.

He wouldn’t hear her voice... wouldn’t sneak around with her... wouldn’t touch her.

No more Rosalind.

The thought alone felt unbearable.

But this was still the right thing to do.

Seeing that she clearly no longer wanted to speak to him, Rowan slowly rose from the bed and headed toward the door.

The moment she heard his footsteps moving away, Rosalind clenched her fists tightly as tears slipped down her face again.

He was really leaving.

Just like that.

He did not even try to reassure her. Even if he had lied and promised to visit her someday, she would have held onto those words. But instead, he simply accepted goodbye so easily, and somehow that hurt the most.

How had she fallen for someone this frustrating?

Rosalind shut her eyes tightly for a second before suddenly standing from the bed.

No.

Even if he was willing to give up, she wasn’t.

She quickly crossed the room and stepped in front of the door before he could leave.

Rowan stopped immediately.

His gaze dropped to her face, softening at once when he saw the tears still clinging to her lashes, and something painful twisted inside his chest again.

"When did I say you could leave?" Rosalind asked quietly as she reached behind herself and shut the door firmly.

Rowan blinked slightly. "You just told me to..."

"Blockhead," she cut him off.

Her eyes narrowed through her tears as she stared up at him.

"How can you pretend this isn’t hurting you too?"

Before he could answer, Rosalind reached for his collar, pulled him down to her height, and kissed him.

****

Rosalind pushed him down onto the bed, climbing over him the moment his back touched the mattress. Her lips crashed against his again, desperate and hungry, as if she was trying to memorize the feeling of him before it was too late. She kissed him deeply, sucking on his lips before her tongue slipped into his mouth to meet his, teasing him until the kiss grew warmer between them.

Rowan kissed her back, but there was restraint in him at first, as though he was still trying to process what was happening.

She moved down to his neck instead, kissing slowly along his skin while her tongue left damp trails behind. Rowan swallowed hard the moment he felt her settle properly against him.

The heat of her body wrapped around him completely and every movement she made against him only made the tension inside him worse, especially with the way she sat over him so naturally, like she belonged there. Her soft body pressed against his while she continued kissing down his neck, and his jaw tightened when he felt himself harden beneath her.

Rosalind’s hands slid to his chest, caressing the firm muscle beneath his shirt before returning briefly to his lips again, but this time her fingers began fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, slowly undoing them one after the other.

That was the moment Rowan finally snapped.

In one swift movement, he flipped her over, pressing Rosalind beneath him against the bed while pinning both of her wrists gently at her sides.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before confusion crossed her face. "Why?" she asked softly.

Rowan stared down at her, breathing heavier than before. "I think the drug is affecting you."

Rosalind’s brows drew together instantly. "It’s not the drug," she told him quietly, her gaze never leaving his. "It’s me."

"Rosalind," he warned softly.

"Stop" The answer surprised him enough that his grip loosened slightly around her wrists.

"I don’t want regrets," she admitted, her voice quieter now, filled with hurt that struck directly into his chest. "We don’t even know when we’ll see each other again. Maybe in a month... Maybe never." Her eyes softened as she looked up at him. "So please don’t deny me what I want right now."

The longing in her voice nearly destroyed whatever self-control he still had left.

Rowan stared at her for a long moment before finally leaning down and kissing her slowly.

This time the kiss was different.

Softer.

Deeper.

Full of everything he could not say aloud.

Rosalind felt it immediately, the way he poured emotion into the kiss like he was trying to reassure her without words, and her heart fluttered painfully because for all his strength, Rowan still struggled when it came to expressing what he truly felt.

His hands slowly loosened around her wrists until he was bracing himself against the bed instead, and Rosalind took the chance to finish unbuttoning his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders completely.

Her hands slid over his bare skin, tracing the firmness of his chest and arms while warmth surrounded her from every side. He felt solid above her, protective and overwhelming all at once, and the scent of him only made the heat beneath her skin spread further.

Rowan lowered his head to her neck, kissing slowly against her skin until her eyes fluttered shut. Every touch from him seemed to pull another reaction from her body, and her breathing grew uneven while his hands wandered over the places he had already learned made her tremble.

Slowly he slid the thin fabric from her shoulders and down her body while continuing to press damp kisses against her neck.

Outside, rain battered heavily against the palace windows while thunder rolled across the sky, swallowing the softer sounds leaving Rosalind’s lips as Rowan guided the remaining fabric down her legs.

Then he paused.

He pulled back just enough to look at her.

The room remained mostly dark except for the lightning flashing outside, brief streaks of pale light slipping through the windows and illuminating her body for seconds at a time.

But Rosalind no longer felt the urge to hide from him.

Not when all she ever saw in his eyes was admiration.

Not after the way he had called her beautiful earlier.

Rowan looked at her now like she was precious, and the sight of her stretched beneath him nearly destroyed the little composure he still had left. Desire hit him hard enough that he had to exhale slowly through his nose just to steady himself.

"You’re driving me insane," he muttered near her ear.

Rosalind shivered immediately when his breath brushed against her skin, and a soft sound escaped her lips when he gently caught her earlobe between his teeth.

"I don’t want to rush this," he admitted quietly. "I wish we had more time."

Rosalind’s arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer until there was barely any space left between them. "You’re all I want, Rowan," she whispered. "I don’t care when it happens."