“I agree,caeli mea.”
At the sound of his voice, Leya’s gaze snapped up, her heart tripping. She shot to her feet.
Aerén sauntered in their direction, past the deep blue-green shrubs. He’d changed out of his damp, crumpled clothes. Dressed in his usual black tunic and pants, with knee-high boots and his hair tied back in a half ponytail, he was every inch the prince of a mystical world, and the angel she fell in love with.
She swallowed hard, her gaze captured by his searing silver eyes.
“Aaandthat’s my cue to leave.” Hana laughed. She leaped up from her chair and skipped off, her footsteps fading, leaving only the echo of the rushing waterfall.
His gaze searched her face. “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Just a little overwhelmed.”
“Take it a day at a time. We have eternity, after all.”
And there was that.
He ushered her back to her seat while he sat on the wooden coffee table opposite her. “I have to go to Shegria tomorrow. It’s where the island people currently reside, and I need to speak with them. Would you like to come with me? You might as well, since you are their princess now. And I can introduce you, so they know who you are to me too.”
“What?” She jerked to her feet again, her mind already in chaos from the moment Hana had pointed out what she now was. “Aerén, I’m a gardener. I work with plants. My day ends with me being filthy with dirt and sweat. I don’t know anything about being a princess.”
“I want my court to meet you, Leya.” He grasped her hands and kissed her cold fingers. “It’s not difficult, maybe a little different to working with soil and flora, but getting hot and dirty? Well, I’ll be responsible for that state of affairs…”
Images flooded her mind, of her tied to the vines hanging near the waterfalls, naked, while he used his mouth on her—and the desire never far off strummed through her body, making her forget her wariness.
At his wicked smile, she scrunched her hot face and deadpanned, “Fine. I will speak to Mihr about finding a gown to wear tomorrow so I don’t embarrassher.” She stalked off. “She’s not fond of my jeans.”
Leya could almost feel him narrowing his eyes. She glanced back. Yup, still watching her.
Biting back a smile, she headed off and bumped into an invisible barrier, then stumbled back into his hard body, unsurprised he was already behind her.
He grasped her hips and nipped her neck. “You walked away.”
“My prerogative.”
“Oh?” His tone was silky smooth, causing her blood to pool south, leaving her a little dizzy as he walked them back toward the waterfall. Then he turned her, and his mouth came down on hers as her spine hit the wall covered with thick vines.
God, she was so ready to tear off his clothes. But since he started this, she was determined to do this her way. She ducked under his arm.
He frowned, facing her.
She smiled. With a hand on his hard chest, she pushedhimagainst the wall. Amusement brightened his eyes, no doubt catching on to what she wanted.
Well, she wasn’t done with him.
She pushed his arms up, and since he was so tall, using his power,sheguided the vines to bind his wrists. “Don’t break them,” she warned.
His narrowed eyes scorched her. He didn’t say anything. Waited.
Trailing her fingers down his tunic-covered torso, she regretted it had those short side openings with loops and buttons. Couldn’t pull it over his head with his hands bound. No matter.
“You have me trapped.” He cocked a taunting brow at her. “Now what?”
Damn, she hadn’t thought this through.
Oookaythen. She’d simply do what he did to her.
She undid his zipper, and his impressive sex sprang free. Keeping her gaze locked on his, she grasped his cock and stroked the hard length, then lightly swiped the wetness on the tip.
