“Can we get more of these before we leave?” he asks, though part of him doesn’t want to admit she was right.
She smiles and offers him another chocolate. “We can buy an entire tray of them if you want.”
“Which ones are your favorites?”
She finds a chocolate with a caramel-colored drizzle on top and what appear to be chopped nuts, and he once again resists the urge to make a face.
“These are chocolate truffles. A hard shell of chocolate around a softer middle. I don’t think you’d like them.”
“Probably not,” he says as he takes it from her. “Close your eyes.”
She blinks a few times before doing as he says.
“Now open your mouth.”
He slips the chocolate truffle past her lips, and just as he was hoping, she moans softly as soon as she bites down on the sweet.
“May I be done eating for now?” he asks as he takes the candy package from her and sets it aside.
She nods, her eyes still closed, and once she swallows, he kisses her. She tastes like chocolate.
He lets his vines wander over her and cocoons her in warm air to take the edge off his growing heat. She doesn’t complain.
“I love your magic.”
She’s definitely not complaining.
“You need to eat more than a few chocolates, though, my elven prince,” she eventually murmurs. “And you’re growing warmer.”
With a sigh, he rests his forehead against hers. She’s right. He knows she’s right.
“Promise we can finish this later?”
Her breath hitches as his vines slide along her flesh. “Do you even need to ask?”
Hepresses one more kiss to her lips before pulling his vines back and releasing her legs. “Are you all right?”
Nodding, she looks up at him with a hint of a smile in place. “I don’t want to stop either, but at least I know how to tempt you now, my plant wielder.”
He laughs before he can stop himself. “Your methods were quite effective.” Then he looks into her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Always, Cerian. I love you.” She looks around the room again. “Can you clean this up with your magic?”
“I can try.” His plant magic is powerful enough to turn plant growth back on itself to some degree, but what they really need is an elf with destruction magic.
Or Viala, though she might accidentally explode something. Destruction magic can be difficult to control for inexperienced magic wielders. And the Lothlesi don’t train their younglings to use magic the way elves do. They learn as adults.
And Viala is young among her people, having only recently come into her magic.
She can do amazing things, but...her control leaves something to be desired.
Besides, she would tell Tharios, and then Cerian would never hear the end of it.
He does his best to get rid of the vines, but it’s a lost cause. They’re still everywhere.
“I may need to speak to Father about how to remedy this. Or my mother.”
Arisanna bursts into laughter, and he rolls his eyes.
