Page 10 of Burning Crowns

Rose considered throwing a fistful of bubbles at him.

‘But you were busy doing …’ He waved his hand around. ‘Queenly things. Far be it from me to take you away from a scintillating conversation about fish bait. I didn’t want to distract you.’

‘Shen Lo, you are entirely too vain,’ Rose huffed. ‘I would never let you distract me from my duty.’

‘Is that so?’ he said, finally taking a step forward.

Rose felt her heart skip. ‘Never,’ she breathed.

Another step. ‘That sounds like my kind of challenge.’ He was close now. So close that if she dared, Rose could reach out and touch him.

He leaned down and her breath caught in her throat. His fingers brushed against her temple. ‘You still have a flower in your hair.’He gently pulled the daisy from where it had become tangled behind her ear.

‘And where isyourLake Carranam flower, Shen Lo?’ she said, in a whisper. ‘Do you not wish for luck this coming spring?’

He chuckled, the sound low and full of promise. ‘Do you have to ask? You are my flower, Rose.’ He leaned closer, tracing her jaw with the pad of his thumb, then brushing it along her bottom lip. ‘And all the luck I need.’

Rose arched upwards, closing the distance between them. His cheeks flushed as the bubbles gave way around her. Suddenly, he was speechless. Rose smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, no longer caring about propriety.

‘I am still very, very angry at you,’ she whispered against his lips. ‘You are going to have to tryveryhard to make it up to me.’

Shen groaned, opening his mouth to her own. The kiss deepened as he slid his hand up the back of her neck and tangled it in her hair.

Rose tugged him closer. Water sloshed over the side of the tub, soaking his chest, his arms.

‘Oh!’ she said, pulling back. ‘Your clothes!’

‘They’ll dry,’ he said, leaning in to kiss her again.

‘Or …’ Rose’s heart pounded as she willed herself to say what she was thinking, what she desperately wanted. ‘You could always … hang them up. For now.’

Shen blinked in surprise. ‘Queen Rose, are you suggesting I take off my clothes?’

Rose flushed. ‘Your shirt is made from such fine linen … I would hate for it to get damaged …’

Shen was already on his feet. As he pulled his shirt over his head,there came a light knock at the door to Rose’s bedchamber. Then, to Rose’s horror, it creaked open.

‘Your Majesty?’ called Florence. ‘I’ve brought your hot chocolate.’

Shen froze, laughter dancing in his eyes.

‘Thank you!’ Rose cried out, in a strained voice. ‘Please leave it by the bed! On the table!’

‘Certainly,’ said Florence, and there came the sound of a cup being set down. ‘Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?’

‘No! No! That’s all! Thank you!’

The door closed and Rose exhaled in relief. She sank back into the tub, which was now decidedly tepid.

‘Well,’ she said, blowing a bubble from the tip of her nose. ‘That was rather poorly timed. Would you … like some hot chocolate?’

Much to Rose’s disappointment, Shen was already shrugging his shirt back on. ‘As nice as that sounds, I should be going. I came by because I wanted to say goodbye before I left.’

‘Goodbye?’ Rose frowned. ‘It’s the middle of the night!’

‘You know that’s the best time to travel through the desert.’

‘But you’ve only just arrived,’ she said, crestfallen. ‘I hardly get to see you any more.’

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