When They Beg I Rise (Lemira) novel Chapter 858

"Okay."

Lemira kept her head down, too flustered to meet his eyes. The burning heat on her cheeks simply refused to fade.

The servers quickly brought out their meal.

Staring at the spread, she looked up in surprise. "Are these new additions to Bistrova's menu?"

"Yes. Try them."

Intrigued, she took a few bites. "This is incredible. It tastes incredibly authentic."

But that didn't make sense—she distinctly remembered that the head chef at Bistrova wasn't from Lyria.

Bistrova was an exclusive, high-end establishment native to Orvin, not Lyria.

That left only one logical explanation: Orion had flown in a chef specifically for her.

Staring at the comforting dishes from her hometown, a sudden lump formed in her throat. Aside from him, no one had ever gone to such painstaking lengths just to make her happy.

Feeling a sudden wave of overwhelming emotion, she quickly set down her silverware. "I need to use the restroom."

"What's wrong?"

Catching the undeniable sheen of tears in her eyes, Orion immediately reached out, his fingers wrapping around her slender wrist. "Is the food not to your liking?"

Lemira shook her head, refusing to look up.

"Look at me."

He leaned down, trying to catch her gaze, but she stubbornly kept her chin tucked.

He let out a helpless sigh. "Lemira, tell me what's wrong. Please."

If he had known this gesture would make her cry, he never would have done it.

But he was also completely lost as to why she was crying.

When she finally lifted her head, her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. The sight made his chest physically ache. He leaned in, gently wiping the dampness from her cheeks. "What happened?"

Instead of answering, she surged forward and captured his lips in a desperate, bruising kiss.

Orion froze, completely blindsided by her sudden aggression.

He instinctively tried to pull back to ask what was going on, but Lemira was relentless. She closed the distance, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, refusing to let him retreat.

With surprising strength, she pushed him back into his heavy dining chair and climbed directly onto his lap.

"Moved enough to offer yourself to me on a silver platter?"

His scorching breath fanned across her ear, sending a violent shiver cascading down her spine.

She instinctively tried to pull away, but his grip clamped down, locking her firmly in place.

In the blink of an eye, the power dynamic entirely shifted. His large hand splayed across her lower back, tilting her head up as he descended for a devastating kiss.

This time, there was no gentle restraint. His movements were dominant, heavy with a raw, predatory hunger.

It was far too late for her to run.

She gasped as she felt his hand slide beneath the hem of her dress, her heart doing a terrifying flip in her chest.

Her brain felt like television static. Regret was hitting her like a freight train.

Why had she acted so impulsively?! How on earth was she supposed to back out now?

While she was locked in an internal panic attack, desperately trying to figure out how to hit the brakes, Orion effortlessly stood up—with her still straddling his waist.

She let out a quiet yelp, wrapping her arms around his neck for balance. She stared down at him in wide-eyed panic.

What was he doing?!