Claimed by the vampire prince

Chapter 164: Chapter 164

Circe couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips. "Well, perhaps I exaggerated a little. You don’t look destitute. Just mildly impoverished."

Ragnar arched a brow, the corner of his mouth curving.

"Mildly impoverished? That’s generous of you. You do have a way with compliments, princess."

"It’s a talent," she said lightly, leaning back against the headboard. She tried to make her voice sound indifferent, but the wild thrum of her pulse betrayed her. It stood in sharp contrast to the calm she was desperately trying to cling to in that moment.

He tilted his head. "Remind me never to rely on your generosity again. I might end up in rags before you offer a kind word."

"I would still offer a kind word. Who knows, rags might actually look fashionable on you." She scoffed.

Ragnar gave a low hum of amusement, the sound rumbling in his chest as he rose slowly from the armchair. "You’re lucky I have thick skin, or I might have taken offense."

Circe’s heart stuttered as he started toward her, his movements slow.

"Really? And here I was thinking you thrived on my insults," she countered, but her voice softened as he began to move closer, the shadows shifting across his frame with each step.

"Only because they sound so sweet coming from you." He said. "So go on, I don’t mind."

It didn’t matter what she said as long as it came from her lips. In that slightly sultry voice of hers, every word sounded the same to him, whether it was an insult or a declaration of love. She could be wishing him death, as he was sure she had done a few times since knowing him, and he wouldn’t mind it at all. freewebnoveℓ.com

"W–What are you doing?" she asked, trying to sound unperturbed.

He gave a lazy half-smile. "You said I shouldn’t sleep on the chair."

Once again, she didn’t say that and she was beginning to think Ragnar had selective hearing. He only heard what he wanted to, at least when it came to her. With everyone else he behaved just fine.

Her eyes followed him warily as he closed the remaining distance. He walked as silently as a ghost and but at least now that she knew how he did it, she didn’t have to keep agonizing over it anymore

Circe’s breath hitched before she could stop it. She tried to focus on him but quickly looked away, pretending to fuss with her nightgown that seemed to cling tighter to her body now.

"You really shouldn’t say things like that." She said, referring to his earlier words.

"And yet I can’t seem to help myself." Ragnar said, stopping when he reached the edge of the bed.

The room seemed smaller suddenly, it felt quieter too. The only sound was the soft flicker of the candles, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat as he stood there, just a little out of arm’s reach.

She could see his face more clearly now that he had stepped closer, and suddenly, she was pulled back to that night when she had let herself kiss him for the first time. Lately, she caught herself thinking about it far more often than she cared to admit.

Ragnar’s expression flickered, and she realized he was thinking the same thing. A second later, his gaze dropped to her lips, eyes darkening.

Circe recognized that look on his face and knew that she had to put a stop to this. She told herself that she wouldn’t let it get to that point again between them. She would have to nip it in the bud.

She couldn’t keep letting him get so close, for her sanity. Not like she had much of it left anyway.

He braced his hands on the mattress and leaned forward. Before she could summon even a word of protest, his fingers were already at her neck, one large, calloused hand cupping the back of it with a gentleness that stole her breath.

Her stomach swooped. Yet the emotion flooding her veins with him this close wasn’t fear or even hatred. It was something far more dangerous, something that made every other feeling fade into insignificance. It was an emotion she didn’t wish to name. If she did, it would haunt her forever.

He drew closer, his breaths ghosting over her lips. For a suspended heartbeat, he hesitated, then he closed the final inch between them and kissed her. It was slow, and unhurried, almost reverent. Before getting married to him, Circe would never have thought him capable of something so tender.

Circe, you weak-willed woman. She wanted to scream the words at herself. She should have ended it the moment he leaned in, should have pushed him away before his hand even brushed against her neck. But instead— to her greatest horror and shame— she kissed him back.

She had known exactly what he intended the second his fingers curved around her skin, and still, she had let him. What did that say about her?

He broke the kiss and whispered against her lips, "You tempt me in ways I never thought possible."

Circe narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you blaming me for your lack of self control?"

Ragnar smiled at that.

"Contrary to what you might think, princess, my self control happens to be my most impressive quality."

When she found her voice again, she said, "I don’t think we should keep doing this." She was proud of herself for finally voicing it out. This thing with him would only be a distraction in her plans of fleeing this kingdom. " I think it will be best if we return to the way things were between us when we used to give each other space."

She said the last part pointedly at him and the way he loved to encroach in her personal space.

Ragnar listened intently but then he realized that she was being completely serious and he scowled.

" Why?" He asked. He knew she enjoyed their kisses as much as he did so why was she saying this now?

" Because I don’t want to do this," she gestured between them, "anymore."

There were so many ways this could have gone. Men weren’t known to take rejection well. And though she knew he wouldn’t hurt her, she at least expected some form of opposition from him on the idea. She expected him to go back and forth with her on the issue.

What she hadn’t expected was for him to press a kiss to her forehead before returning about to his chair without a word.

" Get some sleep." He said as he settled back in his armchair.

Circe could only stare. No man had ever left her feeling so perplexed.