Page 60 of Princess Avenged

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” I trace the shape of his massive shoulder, marveling at the muscles and power housed there. I’m getting more turned on by the minute.

“I have feelings…” he pauses “…for both you and Blade.” He swallows hard, as if his throat was blocked. “What I feel for each of you…” He looks away. “It’s similar, but also very different.”

“How is it different?”

He shrugs. “Lots of ways. I guess with Blade it goes deeper.”

Hurt slices into my heart, but I force out a smile. Until Flame didn’t tell me he loved me, I don’t think I realized I wanted him to.

“Shit.” Flame shakes his head and his blond hair flashes in the moonlight. “I hurt your feelings.”

Damn. He always sees straight through me.

Blade and Flame are a package deal. A duo. That’s clearly what he wants to talk about. He doesn’t want me to come between him and Blade.

“It’s okay, Flame. I understand.”

“No, you don’t. I…” He rakes one hand through the longer hair on the top of his head. “I suck with words. What I meant before… What I’m trying to say… Deeper wasn’t the right word. Or maybe it was? But if it is deeper with Blade, it’s just because we’ve known each other longer. We’ve been through a lot of shit together.”

Cupping Flame’s face, I push through the pain of this semi-rejection, feeling so grateful for the love that I do have. It’s beyond greedy to expect Flame to love me too.

“It’s not just that you’ve known him longer,” I say as I gaze into the dazzling blue of his eyes. “You and Blade have something special. That’s obvious. I love Blade, but I know you love him, too. The last thing I want is to compete with that. I’d never come between you two.”

Flame shifts, looking awkward, maybe frustrated, and my heart sinks even further.

He doesn’t want to share Blade. Is he going to ask me to back off? I’m squirming inside, wanting to run away and hide, so he can’t witness my pain.

“Ana,” he says, his voice slightly strangled. “I can tell from looking at you that I haven’t explained what I mean. What you mean to me.” His fingers thread into my hair, one hand encasing my skull, as his other slides to the back of my neck. His hold is gentle, but firm and sexy as hell. And I couldn’t run now if I tried.

“Blade and I.” Flame clears his throat. “We’ll always have a…a connection. And yeah, we did figure out ways to make each other feel good during dark times. Sexual ways. There are lots of reasons I’m closer to Blade than my other two brothers.”

Pausing, he looks toward the sky, and when his gaze returns to mine, it’s like his eyes collected starlight up there. “I will always love Blade.”

I nod, wanting to run again. I get it. I also get that he’s trying to let me down easy, but drawing this out, emphasizing his intense feelings for Blade is making it worse.

He draws a shaky breath. “But what I need you to understand is, what I feel for Blade doesn’t hold a candle to what I feel for you.”

I gasp. My mouth opens to talk, but I have no response ready. At this point I’m not even sure what I heard.

He slides a finger over my lips. “That didn’t come out right, either. There are no candles involved. Comparing how I feel for Blade, to how I feel for you? It’s like comparing a spark to a forest fire.”

Understanding better, I bring myself back down to earth. I am the spark. Blade is the forest fire.

“What we have is new.” Like a spark. I force a smile through my pain, as I look into his eyes.

He nods. “New and sparkling and exciting and…overpowering.” His chest expands through a long inhale as if he’s demonstrating. “And now that I think of it, spark and fire aren’t right, either. It’s more like, what do humans say? Apples and oranges?”

An idea lights up his face. “No. It’s like comparing human blood to vampire blood. Both are great. I need both, but wow…. What a difference. You get what I mean?”

“I do.” And that analogy does make me feel better, because he needs human blood too. Flame might not love me like he loves Blade, but he cares for me. And he’s not going to ask me to back away from Blade. I hope.

“Ana, whenever you walk in a room…” Flame’s breathing more quickly now “…you bring the light with you. You brighten every room you’re in with the blaze of a thousand suns. Whenever I see you, my body changes inside. You set me on fire.” His pupils widen. “And I don’t just mean with desire.”

“Flame—” I’m the one panting now, realizing that I may have it all twisted.

“I love you, Ana,” he says. “I love you so, so much. And it doesn’t feel remotely similar to how I love the guys—not even Blade. This love.” He slams his palm against his chest. “This is a feeling I’ve never had before. It’s like you’ve taken up residence in my body, invaded my mind—fully moved in to my every thought. Every decision I make now involves you. I think about you when I’m falling asleep, and when I wake up. You’re in my dreams.”

His large hands envelop my head again. “Ana, you’re everything that I need. I’m not even sure I need air or blood anymore. I feel sure I could survive on your smile, on your sweet voice, on your touch. One glance from you and I’m done.”