Tentatively, he reached again and took my hand into his. “I’m not going to hurt you. I told you, I’d never do that.” He pushed up the sleeve of my right arm, pulled it to his mouth, and gently kissed the lingering marks he’d left behind.
“I know,” I exhaled. “It was an accident.”
His brow scrunched with worry. “Yes—just an accident. I’ll always keep you safe, as you did for me today. I need you to believe that.”
My stomach fluttered, recalling the day again. It wasn’t the fighting or death; it was what he felt like on top of me, inside of me. And damn did I want to do that again.
“I confirmed your words as truth—you and your father aren’t working with the resistance.” He smiled and scanned my face. “So everything is good. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Okay …” I left the word suspended, unsure where the conversation was headed.
“Will you stay with me tonight?” His voice was softer than normal.
“I don’t do sleepovers.” I shook my head.
“Dinner will be delivered, and there’s no pressure to do anything you don’t want to.” He hesitated. “I’d sleep betterfeeling your body against mine. Surely, you can understand the importance of a restful night for a prince.”
“How many women have you used that line on?” I chuckled and delicately pulled my hand from his, being sure not to yank it away. “And does it usually work?”
“You’ve been sleeping over for weeks, only in a different room. What’s the big deal?”
I shrugged. “I’ve always preferred to be on my own, even while asleep.”
A look of frustration crossed his face before the charming mask reappeared. “How about we have dinner first and you can decide later? Don’t say no just yet.”
A knock sounded on the door, and Ryder called out for the person to enter. Draven walked in carrying a silver tray with two shiny cloches on top. A round woman followed with an assortment of desserts sprawled on a tray. A third member of the kitchen entered, holding a bottle of wine in one hand, two glasses in the other, and a second bottle under their arm.
Ryder took my hand and walked me into the sitting room, where a small circular table stood in the middle of the space. It was clearly out of place. He gestured me to a chair and took up the one directly across. Draven set the plates down in front of Ryder and me while the woman filled our glasses with wine. The aroma from the beverage danced along my senses with notes of oak, blackcurrant, and cherry.
“To those we thought we’d never find.” Ryder lifted a glass in toast. “Yet they’ve crossed our path all along.”
I raised my own to his with a clink and promptly took a sip.
Draven lifted the cloche, allowing the steam from the food to cloud into the air. A semicircular display of seared lamb cutlets featured a dollop of mint jelly in the center. Creamed potatoes and honey-glazed carrots completed the entrée.
My eyes lifted to the man. “Thank you Draven, it looksdelicious.” He dipped his chin and stepped back after collecting the cloche from Ryder’s plate.
“Shall we?” Ryder smiled before cutting into the food in front of him.
An hour later, we’d finished eating and were involved in a heavy kissing session on the sofa in his bedroom. It was twice the size of the one in my room and long enough to accommodate Ryder’s full body sprawled on top of mine.
His mouth roamed my neck, while my hands worked through his hair, gently tugging at the roots. His lips continued down, kissing the exposed mounds of my breasts, revealed through the deep V of my top. My hands fumbled for his face, pulling him up to meet my own.
I needed his mouth on mine. Otherwise, the emptiness of not having him would surely destroy me. “Kiss me,” I breathed through a racing heart.
He laid his mouth on mine, frantically consuming me and intertwining our tongues. My magic hummed, desperately feeling the need to reach out and connect with him as if it were a tangible entity with a mind of its own. Behind closed doors, I no longer needed to hide its presence and curiously hoped his would come out to play as well. Even after spending weeks at the castle, I was still unsure what abilities he held, but I didn’t dare ask.
Sliding out from under me, he planted his feet on the ground next to the sofa, keeping his mouth on mine. He guided my body up to a seated position while our kiss remained connected. Wrapping a hand around each hip, he lifted me into the air and pulled me against him, returning me to him as if we were in the fighting ring once again.
I enveloped his waist with my legs and locked my ankles, keeping myself held around him. With nothing but the dwindling glow of the fire, he walked through the room, placing one arm around my back while feeling with his free hand as wemoved. Moments later, he laid me on top of the puffy blanket covering his bed. He pulled away and looked at me through heavy lids, waiting for my approval to continue.
“I wasn’t done,” I purred. “I need your mouth on mine.”
A slow smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “How about we get your boots off first?”
I nodded and watched as he moved to each of my feet, looking up at me periodically under his lashes. He unlaced and removed my boots quicker than I’d ever been able to. He kicked off his own and returned to me, crashing his lips into mine.
Pushing back on my elbows, I moved backwards on the bed and rolled him onto his back, straddling him. “My turn.”
