Page 31 of Eden and her Mercenary
I tried to focus on the instructions rather than the solid heat of him against me, the way his hands engulfed mine on the rod. This time when I cast, the line flew true, the lure landing with a satisfying splash.
"There you go!" Royal's approval was genuine, his hands lingering on my waist.
For the next hour, we drifted in comfortable silence, broken occasionally by Royal's quiet instructions or my triumphant exclamation when I managed a decent cast. The sun climbed higher, burning away the morning mist and warming the air.
"I get it now," I said after a while. "Why people dothis. It's peaceful."
Royal nodded, reeling in his line to check the lure. "It's one of the few things that can quiet my mind. No jobs, no threats, no complications. Just water and patience."
"And fish," I added.
"Theoretically," he agreed with a chuckle. "Though they seem to be avoiding us today."
As if on cue, my rod bent sharply, nearly jerking from my hands. "Royal!" I yelped, gripping it tighter.
"You got one!" He was instantly alert, moving closer. "Keep the tip up! Don't let the line go slack!"
The fish fought hard, pulling the line one way then another. I struggled to follow Royal's instructions, laughing with the sheer unexpected joy of it. When I finally reeled it in, a respectable smallmouth bass gleamed in the sunlight, its bronze scales iridescent.
"Look at that," Royal said, genuine admiration in his voice as he helped me land it. "First-timer's luck."
The fish thrashed in my hands as Royal quickly removed the hook. "What now?" I asked.
"Now we let him go," he said, guiding my hands to lower the bass back into the water. "Unless you want fish for dinner."
I shook my head, watching as the fish hesitated for a moment before darting away into the depths. "Thatwas amazing."
Royal was watching me, not the fish, an unreadable expression on his face. "You're amazing," he said quietly.
The boat rocked gently as I moved toward him, closing the small distance between us. This kiss was different from our others—unhurried, exploratory, without the urgency of danger or adrenaline.
His hands came up to frame my face, thumbs stroking my cheekbones with surprising tenderness. His lips brushed against mine, soft as a whisper. The contact was barely there at first, like the flutter of butterfly wings, before he pressed slightly closer. My eyes drifted closed as he tilted his head, fitting our mouths together more perfectly.
There was no clash of teeth, no desperate seeking. Just the gentle pressure of his mouth moving against mine, unhurried and deliberate. His breath, warm and steady, mingled with my own. When his fingers slid into my hair, cradling the back of my head, a shiver traveled down my spine that had nothing to do with the breeze.
I let my hands rest against his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart beneath my palm. The kiss deepened slightly, but remained tender, an exploration rather than a conquest. His lips were softer than I'd imagined, patient in their attention, as if we had all the time in the world.
When we finally parted, it was only by inches. His forehead rested against mine, and I could feel the curve of his smile without needing to see it. The boat continued its gentle sway beneath us, moving with the rhythm of the water.
"I've been wanting to do that properly," he murmured, his voice low and slightly rough, "without someone shooting at us or the world ending."
I laughed softly, the sound disappearing into the space between us. "Is that what passes for a proper kiss these days?"
"No," he said, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "That was just the beginning."
"We should probably head back," he said, though he made no move to pick up the oars.
"Probably," I agreed, equally motionless.
Instead, I leaned in again, my fingers threading through his hair as our mouths met with increasing hunger. The boat swayed precariously, water lapping at the sides as Royal pulled me onto his lap, his hands warm under my shirt.
"This boat is not designed for what I'm thinking," he murmured against my neck.
I laughed, breathless. "Probably why Chen keeps it around. Discourages guests from getting ideas."
"Too late for that," Royal said, nipping gently at my collarbone.
Somehow, we managed to row back to shore without capsizing, though it took twice as long with frequent pauses for kisses that grew increasingly desperate. By the time we reached the boathouse, the fishing gear was haphazardly stowed, our focus entirely elsewhere.
