A sexy grin spread across his handsome face. “Am I going to have to pin those little hands over your head? I’ll do it, you know… and you’ll enjoy it.”
He did push my arms over my head, though his fingers threading through mine were more persuasive than forceful. He brought his mouth back to mine, trying to shush me with kisses.
With great difficulty, I turned my head so his lips landed on my ear instead.
“Pharis.” I tried to make my tone firm, though it was difficult with the way he was stealing my breath.
“Pharis, stop. We have to stop.”
Finally, he did. His riveting aquamarine eyes burned with passion as he met my determined gaze full-on.
“Why? Stopping is literally the last thing I want to do,” he said, “and I don’t think you want that either.”
Suddenly his lustful expression shifted to uncertainty—and a hint of hurt. I heard it in his voice as well.
“Or am I wrong? Do you not want me?”
I almost laughed.
“Of course I want you,” I said. “I think I’ve made that rather obvious in the past few minutes.”
His smile returned. “Then why? What’s troubling you?”
Lifting his head, Pharis looked around. “Does it have something to do with the fact that it’s broad daylight and anyone could come walking over the knoll at any moment?”
He looked down at me again with a rueful smile. “Facts that seemed to slip my mind entirely once I kissed you.”
Shaking his head, he said, “You are a mind-altering substance, Wildcat—worse than the most potent Nymphian water. You’re right. We need privacy for all the things I plan to do to you.”
Unable to stop myself, I wriggled at the feelings his words and expression sent swirling through my body.
“That’s not the reason,” I said, beginning to button the top of my dress. “Though the daylight and public locationshouldhave occurred to me as well.”
Pharis laughed. “I guess I make you forget yourself, too.”
I nodded vigorously and sat up. “Definitely. One thing I haven’t forgotten is that you’re an Elven prince with duties to the crown and his people… and I’m a human commoner.”
His face contracted in a comical expression of disdain. “I don’t care about our differences—or my ‘duty.’ That’s where my brother and I differ.”
“You’ll care when you get back to the royal city,” I said, “and it’s time to take a noble High Fae bond-mate—and you can’t because you’ve already bonded with some human.”
Pharis’ face lost all its humor, his brows pulling together. He almost looked angry.
“You’re not just ‘some human,’” he said. Then his voice softened. “You’remyhuman.”
What?
“And I’m not going back,” he said. “By now the King knows I’ve defied him and deprived him of something he truly wanted. That’s a deadly sin as far as he’s concerned. Ican’tgo back, even if I wanted to.”
“You’re not… planning to go back to Merisola? Ever?”
“We’re both fugitives now, little Wyn—a matched pair.”
He pressed a gentle and oh so seductive kiss to my lips. “The best thing for both of us would be to stay on the move.”
Pulling back to look into my eyes again, Pharis said, “And it’s what your father wants. He told me that before the healer did her work.”
“He did?” My mind was buzzing along with my body now.
