Page 22 of The Forsaken Heir
“Just wanted a little look around,” I said. “Am I in trouble? You… You gonna, er, I mean, are you going to make me go back to my room?” I’d almost saidare you gonna spank me, but the mental image of that had heat rising up to my cheeks.
Aurelius chuckled, a deep baritone sound that sent a shiver up my spine. What the hell was wrong with me?
“The only trouble you’ll be in is from getting lost.” He walked over and placed his hands on the banister.
I looked at his hands and arms. The thick muscles of his forearms flexing and twisting as he grabbed the mahogany rail. His fingers were long and slender, like a musician’s. I could imagine them flashing across piano keys, or gliding across skin?—
“Do you like my place?” he asked, dragging me kicking and screaming from the mental images that wanted to play across my mind.
“Oh, it’s great,” I said, tearing my eyes from his hands to look at his face. That wasn’t any better. His strawberry-blond hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, with some of the curls framing his face His lips looked soft and full as they twisted into that cocky grin. Then there were those eyes. They seemed a deeper blue whenever I looked at him.
“It’sreallygreat,” I repeated, not quite referring to the house this time.
“Where did my two genius friends head off to?” Aurelius asked.
“To get me some wine. It was taking them a while, so I decided to explore.”
“Well, as penance for what they did, can I give you a tour of the manor? It’s the least I could do for ruining your night.”
“You didn’t ruin it,” I said. “This is far more exciting than my usual Friday night. I typically get food drunk on cheesecake and fall asleep binging a TV show.”
“Come along. I’ll give you the whole tour,” he said.
“Seriously?” I said. “You aren’t worried theenemymight learn some deep, dark secret?”
Aurelius chuckled, and his lips twitched. The horny bitch deep inside my mind swooned, despite my wishes to stay professional in the situation I found myself in.
“I think, given the circumstances, my family deserves to have a few secrets get out. I mean, we did kidnap you, right?”
“Hmmm.” I tapped my finger to my chin and eyed him speculatively. “That’s true. Though, I don’t think people are supposed to walk around strange houses with dark and dangerous men.”
“Do I look dangerous?” he asked, his eyes darkening and the grin becoming an almost predatory smile. It wasn’t intimidating, though. Quite the opposite, actually. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, but if he’d told me to drop my pants and bend over the railing, I’d have done it. Gladly. Maybe it was the stress? Or maybe it was him?
What the hell is wrong with me?
“Not really, but I’m warning you,” I said, holding up a finger. “Try anything weird, and I’ll make you regret it.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Does that mean I’ll get a spanking?”
Heat flooded my cheeks, and for the briefest second, I imagined myself bent over, Aurelius thrusting into me from behind and slapping my ass hard enough to leave a handprint. The pain would mix so deliciously with the pleasure. I blinked, shoving that fantasy aside, and extended my hand to his.
“Yes. Let’s have a look at this place. I accept the prince’s offer.”
He rolled his eyes and held out his hand. “Please don’t call me that. I’m just Aurelius.”
When I slipped my hand into his, I almost let out a sigh of delight. He had a few calluses, but for the most part his skin was smooth and warm against mine. His heat melted into my palm, and for a single instant it felt as though our hands had become one. If Aurelius felt the same thing, he didn’t show it.
As he led me down the hall, I wondered why I knew so little about this man. Delphine had always tried to stay updated on all the drama and discourse going on with shifters and fae. Even then, with the tidbits she liked to drop, very little was known about Aurelius Decimus outside of the dragon shifter world. He was mysterious. An unknown shrouded in more questions than answers.
“Where are we going first?” I asked.
“I thought you might like to see the original castle,” he said. “It was built not long after the royal family made the move to the new world.”
Unsure what that meant but curious, I followed along, peering into the rooms we passed and eyeing the décor. Soon, it became clear what he was talking about. The interior of the manor house was modern, if overly luxurious, but it became more ancient as we went, until we were in an old entryway deep within the house.
“Is this…” I trailed off, looking around at the ancient stone walls, the flagstone floors, and the dusty tapestries.
“This is actually a freaking castle,” I finally managed to say.
