Chapter 35 - Right Now?!

Eleanor watched as Rowan digested the question. Why was he bringing this up now? And so randomly too? No, Eleanor had not figured out why he kissed her but she kissed him back anyway. What would he get out of having that answered? He does not answer her question but expects her to answer his?

"Huh?" The gladiator blinked stupidly.

Eleanor quickly picked up some more fruit from the counter and placed it in her bowl. "I said, 'Would you like to kiss me again to find out?'"

"Wh-why... why would you ask that?"

It seemed that the question had stopped the gladiator's brain.

"Why would you ask me *that* question? It happened so long ago. And didn't we already establish that I knew? Why bring it up again?"

"I was just curious. That's all. I didn't tell you the plan and well... you kissed me back as if you had read my mind."

"Why are you still curious? I gave you my answer all that time ago. Is there another reason that I could have kissed you? Is that what you're trying to pry out of me?"

The gladiator was silent. Was she right in her accusation? There was no way that he was fishing for answers right now. What could he possibly want from her? That she *liked* the kiss and so kissed him back?

Eleanor stabbed a slice of pear with a fork and pointed it at Rowan. "You, Rowan Kennedy, ask too many questions. Especially at such an early hour. If you want to pick my brain on how fast can Eleanor Louis read a situation, then we can do that later, but right now-" She put the pear in her mouth- "I'm hungry."

He seemed to recover after her statement. "Then why did you ask me if I wanted to kiss you just now?"

"Find out the difference between an expected and unexpected kiss. Then maybe that would have answered your question." She spoke with certainty. But on the inside, Eleanor was panicking. She just told him to kiss her? What?! It was as if they had done it a million times before and this was just a squabble between lovers.

Eleanor flushed at that realization and turned her attention back to her fruit. He would not actually kiss her right? If he did then Eleanor would kill him. The lips of a commoner touching hers. The very thought made her want to barf. She only kissed him back the last time because she was shocked, and went along with it because she knew he had a good reason for kissing her.

"You speak as if you would let me kiss you?" Rowan said, his voice low.

Eleanor took a slow breath, her cheeks hollowing. "I just said it..."

"Would you have let me kiss you if I sought to find the difference?"

The insinuation in his tone had Eleanor losing her stance. If they really kissed again then she was sure that everything would change. Eleanor could not want to kiss him again. There was no way that she wanted that. There was no way...

"Are you saying that you want to find the difference?" That was the question that turned the direction of the conversation. There was no going back after he gave his answer. Unless he answered with a question and they went back and forth, not admitting what they really wanted to say.

Eleanor slowly turned to face Rowan. If things went south, then she would blame it on him because he started the conversation. Her eyes trailed up his broad shoulders to the thick column of his neck and stopped at his lips. Soft pink lips that were surrounded by the faintest of stubble. *Gosh* she wanted to take his lips between her teeth. Suck on them until they were ready to pop. Drag her tongue over his-

"Eleanor."

Her eyes snapped up to his. Her skin burned with the intensity of his stare. His eyes were dark and hooded, the mere passion in his gaze had Eleanor drawing closer.

"You look like you want me to find out," he said.

Eleanor took the plunge.

"I want you...to..."

In an instant, his arm was around her waist, pulling her flush against him. His other hand was on her neck, angling her head up with his thumb. Rowan's skin was hot, his heart was racing. Eleanor was sure hers was worse. Even with her breathing slowing down, she could feel her chest thrumming, reminding her that she was very much experiencing this.

Eleanor's arms were at Rowan's side, gently gripping his shirt. Her fingers trembled slightly. She prayed he could not feel them.

"Tell me again..." She felt vibrations in her chest. "Tell me that you want me again, and I will kiss you."

The shiver that went up her spine had Eleanor pressing deeper into Rowan. Her breasts were flat against his chest. "Please, Rowan..."

Eleanor never had to beg for anything in her life.

A sound escaped the gladiator, and his grip tightened, almost to the point of it hurting. His hand moved up from her neck and rested on her cheek. His gaze was locked on her lips. Her gaze was locked on his eyes. Eleanor gripped his shirt tighter, angling her head up toward him.

*Please... please kiss me...*

Eleanor begged in her mind. Desire tugged in her gut, pulling her to Rowan. She wanted him. All of him. She wanted his smile. His toughness. His knowledge. His *goodness*.

Their breaths collided. Mere centimeters apart. It felt like miles for Eleanor. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She saw every flutter of Rowan's eyelashes, the bob of his Adam's apple, the biting of his lip.

"Please..."

Rowan closed his eyes. Their lips touched. Eleanor melted. Someone knocked on the door.

The sound was distant, muffled, but it only got louder as the second passed. Someone was pounding on the door.

Eleanor and Rowan pulled away from each other quickly. The moment was ruined. Hot irritation bubbled up inside of Eleanor. She was going to kill whoever it was that was outside.

"Shit..." Rowan swore. He was facing away from her.

A million doubts flooded Eleanor's mind. Was it an in-the-moment kind of thing? Did he really mean to do all of that? Had he acted without thinking? Did he regret it?

The pounding on the door got worse and Eleanor rounded the counter, ready to end the person on the other side. Rowan stayed unmoving in the kitchen.

Eleanor marched toward the front door. "What do you want?" She practically growled as she swung it open. But Eleanor's voice quickly died in her throat when she saw who was behind it.

"You actually." the Prince said.

Eleanor froze. Arthur was here. And he was not alone. About six royal guards stood behind him. He had a victorious look on his face.

"What did you do?"

He smirked but did not answer her and stepped through the doorway. His entourage barrelling their way into the house. Eleanor barely stepped back in time to not get trampled.

"I only did what was right, my fair lady. Now if you'll excuse us, we have a criminal to detain."

Eleanor's heart stopped. "What?"

"Rowan Kennedy. He's under arrest for his involvement with the Goldenshroud, an illegal mercenary guild."