He closes his mouth over mine and opens it back up. I match his movements, and our tongues collide again. My body is already tingling. I start to inch closer, wanting to press my body to his, but he pulls away. His hand is still clasped around the back of my neck, but his mouth is no longer pressing against mine. I open my eyes and look down, his smile only inches from my own.
“Mae,” he says, his voice low and rough. “Need I remind you that we’re in the middle of a lake?”
I clear my throat and try to move away, but he doesn’t let me go. Instead, he says, “As much as I would like to lay you down on this blanket, I don’t think that’s a smart move.” I nod, my lips dying to be against him. Reluctantly, I pull away from him again. This time, he lets me go.
“Sorry,” I say, giving him a half-smile.
He meets the smile and says, “Oh, don’t apologize.”
He offers me his hand, and I take it in mine. He helps me stand, then gently pulls me to rest against his chest, cradled between his legs.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” I say as I stare across the lake, marveling at the crystalline water.
“When Ivan first told me about this place, I came to scope it out. It feels magical, doesn’t it? It felt like the perfect spot for a first date with the female I’m courting to marry.”
His words ring true, and butterflies take flight, swift and sudden, fluttering straight to my heart.
Oh. I think I might actually like August.
“We don’t have anything like this in the City of Snow,” he continues, “Or, if we do, it’s frozen over for most of the year.”
“What’s your favorite thing about the City of Snow?” I ask.
“The views,” he says. “We have these massive mountain ranges, and the views are incredible. You can see everything from the peaks.” He pauses, then adds quietly, “I’d love to show you someday.”
We fall into a comfortable silence, staring at the sky through the canopy of trees, watching as it turns from blue to shades of orange and pink, then finally to the dark blue of the night sky. As the night goes on, we talk about the small things like our hobbies and favorite foods, before moving on to the big things like our past relationships and our families.
After the sun sets, we lay in the canoe and gaze at the stars while we talk, his arms wrapped around me, my head resting on his chest.
“I had a great time today, Mae,” he says softly, my name on his mouth sweet like honey.
“Me, too,” I respond.
I’m surprised to learn that I mean it.
Chapter 19
Last night, August and I got back to the castle late, kissing goodbye and promising to see each other soon. My kiss with Marik was nice and simple, but August’s kiss left me giddy and wanting more. I fell asleep with a smile on my face as I thought about how the date went. It was probably the best first date I’ve ever had, and I’m not sure how any of the princes can top it.
Elle kicked my ass today during training. My magical training is moving along better than she, or even I, expected, but the physical training is still difficult for me. During our training session today, we practiced using my elemental magic to manipulate the wind, which was also more difficult than I anticipated.
I was able to create a small rotation and move it across the training center floor, impressing Elle. The movement zapped my magic quickly, but it was invigorating. Elle has begun teaching me how to fend off an attacker by combining all the movements we’ve been working on, but I’m still slow fighting her off.
I wrote Cally a long-winded letter detailing everything that happened on the date last night. When I get back from my training with Elle, a letter from Cally has been slipped under my door. I grab it and open it immediately, walking toward my bedroom as I read.
Not surprisingly, her response is equally as long, asking for even more information on the date, specifically the kiss. There’s a single line at the end of the letter mentioning how busy the bookstore has been since my coronation. I smile at the thought. It was always our dream to have a bookstore so busy that we couldn’t keep books on the shelves.
I fold the letter and toss it onto my bedside table before sitting on the bed and removing my training shoes. The green book catches my eye as I look down, the corner peeking out from underneath the bed.
I quickly change out of my training clothes and head to the library. I turn the corner and slam straight into…Luca.
“Luca, h-hi!” I stammer. I already get the sense he’s unimpressed with me; this probably doesn’t help.
“Your Highness,” he greets me with a quick bow.
“Sorry. I didn’t see you there,” I say. “I’m just heading to the library. Do you happen to know if the librarian is there?”
“I believe I saw her in the garden earlier. If she’s not in the library, check the gardens.”
