Page 58 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“Hm?”
Daryl looks away as we sway. “Back in the cave when I was um, dying…” He rolls his neck and shoulders. “You said some things, and like…I don’t know if it was a heat-of-the-moment sort of thing. I was really busy trying not to drown, but…” He still refuses to meet my gaze as he stammers. “You…like, you…you said I was…your…”
“Mykaluluwa? Because you are.”
He gasps and looks at me, and I know I said the right thing. “Daryl, I was a fool to think you were not perfect for me. I blindly believed that since you are not a native Corali that you could not fit in my life perfectly.”
He gulps. “What changed your mind?”
“Saying goodbye to you. Watching you sail away. Ocean gods, I wish I had asked you to stay. But I thought you had your ownlife to live, and that I would get over you eventually. When you almost died, my soul was torn apart. And I see now that…”
We sway to the romantic string music. “That what?” he asks.
I take hold of his face and gently kiss him. “That home is with you, Daryl Tishman. No matter which kingdom, no matter which shore, whether you are a prince or a barista, I’d like to build a future with you. Because you make me strong.”
He stills when the music changes to something faster. He gazes at me and nods. “I’d like that, too.”
I lean in and kiss him again, sealing our forever bond. Whatever hurdles we may face, I will pledge my life to Daryl Tishman.
I finish bathing to find my love lying in bed. We have plenty of privacy here in my hotel room, not far from the gala. He’s all showered—I provided him toiletries for the night—and he looks adorable in my green Corali robe. He is scrolling through his phone, but puts it away when he sees me. After a long night of emotional reunions and partying with our friends—fellow princes and baristas—I am quite exhausted. I shut off the lights, and shuck off my towel.
“Everything okay?” I ask, climbing into bed.
“Yeah,” he replies. “Dad knows I’m not coming home. He told me to use protection even though I insisted I’m not having sex. And talking to my dad about sex is...ew.” He shudders, and I giggle and curl up around him.
“I would never do anything to hurt you.” I kiss the back of his neck and breathe in his scent. “And since I know you are recovering, we will most definitely not be having sex.”
“Well, as far as you know, Your Majesty,” he says in his flirtiest tone. He wiggles his ass against me, and I chuckle. A thin layer of fabric separates us, but I need to focus on his healing.
“It is Your Highness. And you need to rest. I only want what is best for you.”
He turns and gives me a serious look. “How are…do I have to live in the Coral Kingdom now?” And there it is, the problem we have yet to address. “Oh shit, do you not want me to? That was really presumptuous of me,” he adds.
I chuckle and squeeze his hand. Shoulder to shoulder, we gaze at each other in the dark. “I want you with me, always.” Before he can say anything, I raise a finger and say, “But I am aware you have your studies and a life here. And most importantly, you are healing.”
“But after that?” he asks.
I lean over and stroke his face. “I would love nothing more than to someday rule the Coral Kingdom by your side. But only if you want to.”
He smiles. “Well, aren’t you a sweet talker, offering me the keys to the kingdom, literally.”
“My love, I would offer you the oceans.”
“Really now?”
I snicker. “And I would find remote islands where we can make love on the sand.” I lean forward and kiss his neck.
He chuckles and runs his hands up and down my back. After sucking on his neck for a few moments, I feel his pulse quicken. When I pull back the sheet and sit up, he undoes his robe.
He’s hard.Ocean gods, he’s hard.And he’s stroking himself. By the heavens, he is so sexy. Daryl is gazing at me with a hunger I’ve never witnessed.
“Daryl…” I say, breathlessly.
“You don’t have to do anything, Seero…” His voice is almost ragged as he continues to stroke. “But just know, I haven’t had an orgasm since I was at the Coral Kingdom. So it’s been way too fucking long.”
I nearly leap down the bed so that my head is eye-level with his cock. True, we said no sex, but that was before. I was a different person five minutes ago.
“That is a dangerously long amount of time. All of that hormone build-up…a true crisis of the human body.”
