I shook my head, poked at him again. “The Earth me is my true identity. I wasn’t pretending to clean the Brides Center. I wasn’t pretending to make ends meet. I might be queen here, but this is the queen you get. One who makes her own grilled… whatever sandwiches.”
“Craver.” He was quiet, his dark gaze attentive and fixed on me. Assessing. “You’ve barely slept since your arrival. You should be in bed.”
With him, yes. We’d had sex more times than I could count in his quarters. Last night, he hadn’t let me sleep. Not that I’d complained. Now, everything had changed. He started calling me Princess. Hadn’t touched me since he found out I had abetrothed, even though I told him–and everyone else–I was not marrying my stupid cousin.
“Is your room not to your liking?” he asked.
“It’s beautiful. My mind is a little overwhelmed,” I admitted. “There’s too much to think about. It would be great if I could make my brain stop.”
Reaching out, he rested both hands on the counter, trapped me in the circle of his arms. As if I’d even try to escape. “If the Princess commands, I could assist. Ensure you cease thinking for the rest of the night.”
I huffed. “I don’t think that’s possible, but it’s a nice idea.”
“Say it, Paige. Command me to assist you.”
What was he up to? The way he was staring at me made me think he wanted to get me naked. No, more than that. That he wanted to ravage me. That he was holding back. But if that was the case, why didn’t he just say so? Why had he acted like he was indifferent all night? Like I was nothing to him?
Was it because I was engaged? Because I was going to be his queen? Did finding out who I was make him not want to be with me again? Gah! I hated being in my head this much. Thinking. Forget thinking. I was over it. Besides, what was he going to do? Pull out alien Monopoly or a deck of playing cards? Well, fuck it. Even that was better than sitting alone in my room, staring at the ceiling, wondering if my cousin, the queen, wanted me dead. “Okay, Addan. I command you to make me stop thinking.”
He leaned down and tossed me over his shoulder.
“Addan!”
“By your command, I vow you won’t remember your own name when I’m done with you.” The sexy growl in his voice made my pussy instantly wet.
“Put me down! I can walk!” I whisper-shouted as he carried me out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The hand he used torub my bottom through the thin pajamas was driving every sane thought from my mind already.
“Not tonight. Tonight, I will service my queen. It will be my pleasure.”
12
Addan
It will be my pleasure.
It would be. Finally. Finally, I had her in my arms. After spending the day so close and yet unable to touch her… I was soothed, but also unbelievably aroused. I didn’t want to put her down. I wanted to keep right on walking and kidnap her away, so she was all mine. Yes, over my shoulder in… fuck. I couldn’t carry my queen like this! What the fuck was wrong with me? Carefully–yet while not slowing my steps toward her rooms–I shifted her until she was held close to my chest, her head tucked beneath my chin.
Much better. I grunted in satisfaction.
When the door to her chambers was shut behind us, leaving us alone with the most sumptuous bed in the land, I grudgingly set her upon her feet.
Carefully.
She stood before me, skin flushed, breaths ragged as I ran my fingertips up and down her arms. She was covered from neck to ankles in a simple translucent pale pink robe and sleepinggown, yet she had never looked more alluring. Her nipples were pebbled, and their dark color could be seen even through the two layers of fabric.
My mouth watered to taste. To lick and suck and bite–
No. She was my queen. I wanted to defile her, give in to every filthy thought I had about her, but I must be reverent. Undoing the sash about her waist, I slipped the robe from her shoulders, letting it fall whisper soft to the floor.
“Addan?” she whispered. A gentle shiver ghosted over her.
“Yes?” Her skin was so soft. Warm. I couldn’t stop looking, caressing.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
My hands stilled. “Preparing you.”
She looked up at me through dark lashes. “Preparing me for what? Don’t you…don’t you want to any longer?”
