The night air was cool against Kael's skin, but it did little to temper the heat smoldering beneath it.
Seraphina stood before him, her chin lifted, her gaze steady, as if she had already won whatever battle they were waging.
He hated that it intrigued him.
Kael was not a man who entertained foolishness, and yet here he was, caught in this ridiculous push and pull with a woman he should not be thinking about beyond the political arrangement binding them together.
"I should leave," Seraphina murmured, but she didn't move.
Kael's fingers twitched at his sides. "Then do it."
Her lips parted slightly, and for the briefest moment, something unreadable passed through her eyes. She turned then, her silk dress whispering against the stone pathway as she stepped away from him.
He should have let her go.
Should have walked in the opposite direction and put this night—and her—out of his mind.
But instead, he said, "Do you ever tire of provoking me?"
Seraphina halted, only a few steps away. Slowly, she turned her head, the moonlight catching in her dark curls. "And do you ever tire of being so easily provoked?"
Kael took a step toward her before he could stop himself. "Careful, Lady Seraphina." His voice was lower now, laced with something he wasn't sure he wanted to name. "You are playing with fire."
She tilted her head. "Perhaps I don't mind the burn."
A dangerous answer.
One that sent heat curling through his veins, tightening his restraint until it was little more than a frayed thread.
His gaze swept over her—the delicate column of her throat, the way her dress clung to the curve of her waist, the fullness of her lips as she held his stare without fear.
Damn her.
She was beautiful in a way that was utterly inconvenient.
Kael exhaled sharply, forcing himself to take a step back. "Go to bed, Seraphina."
A slow smile curved her lips. "Goodnight, Your Highness."
And then, she left.
Kael remained where he stood, watching until she disappeared into the palace, his body still thrumming with something unspoken.
This was a dangerous game.
And for the first time in his life, he wasn't sure if he wanted to win.
This chapter keeps the slow-burn tension going while deepening their dynamic. Let me know if you'd like any adjustments!