Page 18 of His Summer Prince

At the shore, the earthy scent of freshwater permeated the air, and Elior watched a pair of swans drift along. He stripped off hisrobe, letting the silk glide down and pool at his feet. Beside him, Wren was taking off his shirt and trousers. They’d seen each other naked dozens of times growing up, but this was different. Elior had to forcibly keep his eyes from wandering.

It’d been a quiet morning, neither of them talking much. Elior would’ve worried about the previous night, but there was nothing but tender feelings flowing from Wren’s side of the bond, assuring him they were all right. Their friendship had always been stable and loving, allowing Elior to be himself, no holding back. Last night, he’d crossed a line. Even though he knew Wren would never desert him, he was grateful for the reassurance drifting through the bond.

Elior stepped into the lake. Despite the beautiful weather, the water was still cold from winter and would take another two months to warm. Goosebumps broke out across his skin as he waded deeper, the cold creeping up his legs. His nipples hardened, and when the cool water reached his stomach, it pulled a hiss from him.

He glanced over his shoulder, finding Wren near the shore, gaze trained on him. Elior, too, lingered, eyes caressing Wren’s full pecs before he tore them away. He turned onto his back and closed his eyes, arms and legs paddling in the water.

The image of Wren naked was burned into the back of his eyelids. Many fae found humans plain and unattractive, but Elior disagreed. Wren’s body was killing him. He loved the fullness of his chest, the hardness of his stomach, the muscles lining his arms and back. Not to mention the two round mounds of his buttocks.

Elior licked his lips, catching a stray droplet of lake water, its flat taste sliding over the tip of his tongue. He dropped his head into the water, hair fanning out around him, brushing his shoulders. Eyes on the blue sky, he paddled with his arms and legs.

After a minute of gliding through the lake, a measured tug pulled at the bond, and Elior lifted his head, finding Wren swimming toward him with powerful strokes. The urge to be closer bloomed, though Elior couldn’t tell from whom the emotion originated. Perhaps it was a mutual feeling. They hated being apart.

As Wren arrived by his side, Elior moved to face him, treading water. Wren’s hair was plastered to his brow, the wet strands darkened to a rusty shade. He combed them back with his hand and closed in on Elior. “You’re all right?”

“Can’t you tell?” Elior asked with a smile.

“Don’t give me a fae answer. You’ve been quiet all morning, and I’m getting this churning sense of anxiety from you. I’m not used to that. Either you’ve always been a secret worrier and I’m only finding out, or you’re fretting about something.”

Damn. So the bond did have disadvantages. No hiding.

Wren searched his eyes, those blue orbs flicking back and forth over Elior’s face. “If what’s on your mind concerns us, I don’t want you to stress. We’re good. Always have been, always will be.” He reached out, trailing his fingers down Elior’s cheek. “There’s no need to hide from me. I understand. You’re safe with me. Every part of you is safe with me.”

Was Wren hinting at the night before? If he’d been awake, this was an attempt to stop Elior’s worrying. Wren had already forgiven him. It would be a relief. If Wren had slept through it, he was responding to Elior’s ruminating and assuring him that he was there for him.

“It goes both ways,” Elior said. “Don’t hold back with me. Speak your mind. When we entered the bond, a door between us unlocked, and I’m willing to push it open as far as it’ll go.”

“The door was never closed.”

Elior exhaled, his stomach fluttering. Were they talking about the same thing? He pushed toward Wren, though he didn’t closethe final inches.

Wren slid onto his back, torso lifting out of the water. Glistening droplets clung to his skin, and with strong, controlled strokes, he swam toward the shore. Elior watched him, the bond alive with something he couldn’t name. Every foot of distance increased the tug on him. Their connection was young and loathed any space between them. Elior stayed where he was, feeling the urge mount until the pull to be beside him was so strong he succumbed to it. He followed Wren, who’d reached the shallow waters at the lake’s edge and rose to walk on land, granting Elior a sublime view. Water ran down his shoulder blades and spine, sliding into the small of his back before trickling into his crease and across the firm globes of his ass. Elior swallowed. Thank goodness the water was cold, otherwise he would’ve had a bodily reaction he’d be hard-pressed to explain.

It was impossible to look away from those delicious curves. Elior told himself to tear his eyes away, but his resolve came too late: Wren turned and caught him staring.

He was easygoing, and the love flowing through the bond told Elior that he would never resent him, but Elior had counted on a bolt of shock rattling the bond. There wasn’t, just surprise, followed by… hope? No, Elior had to be misreading the emotion. Over time, he would learn to interpret the feelings swinging between them. He clearly had a lot left to understand. Because why would Elior ogling him have hope flaring up? It made no sense.

Elior stepped out of the lake, happiness playing on Wren’s lips. What was he so happy about? And was it Elior’s imagination or were Wren’s eyes lingering on his body?

Elior lost his train of thought when Wren turned toward him, his naked body on display. Elior managed not to look at his crotch, but damn, Wren’s pecs were a feast for the eyes. Full andfirm, with pale pink nipples that had cinched to little erect buds in the cold water.

Lust shot into him, and he yanked his gaze away, berating himself. He had to stop gawking.

That turned out to be an exercise in futility.

Later, they went to the market in Upper Fairstead, the village closest to Lake Ardeg. They took a horse and put Toby in charge of watching the sheep. Elior hoped that Toby’s excited barking meant he was taking his task very seriously. In past summers, one of them would’ve stayed with Toby and the flock while the other went to the market, but their new bond had them craving each other’s company. Elior couldn’t stand being away from Wren for a minute. A warding spell and Toby’s watchful eyes would have to do.

“We can’t be apart this winter,” Wren said as they walked into Upper Fairstead, the sun burning down on them.

Elior wholeheartedly agreed, but what could they do? He’d have to return to the Summer Court once temperatures dropped, and Wren had to work in Castlehill. Even if Wren didn’t, he couldn’t stay in the faerie realm with Elior. It was too dangerous for humans. Sooner or later, he’d have to eat faerie food, and then he’d be trapped. Elior couldn’t let that happen.

“I don’t want to be away from you either,” Elior said, taking Wren’s hand and linking their fingers.

“We’ll find a way. We have to.” Wren squeezed his hand, projecting more confidence than either of them felt.

They strolled toward the market square, passing a dozen half-timbered farmhouses with thatched roofs, chickens running between them. Soon, the scent of fresh meat, fish and baked goods hit them. The path between the houses led around a corner and opened onto a small square where locals sold their produce alongside tools, crafted goods, and other items. It was the nearest place to stock up, and Wren bought foodstuff andsupplies to last them for the coming week. Elior had spent so many summers with Wren that the people of Upper Fairstead were used to seeing a fae, and he was able to walk between the stalls without causing alarm.

“We should get weapons too,” Elior said, indicating the blacksmith’s shop. He’d been mulling it over for a while. While he was confident their soulbond wouldn’t be discovered, it paid to be prepared.

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