Page 31 of Fate and Flame
“You take me to the northern king, and I’ll gut you before you have time to vanish.” She nodded, grabbed my hand, and then I was falling through nothing until I landed in a heap on the floor at the entrance of the castle. “I’m going to pretend that was an accident.”
She laughed. “I’m sorry. It does take some getting used to.” She helped me off the floor and I hated her for it. She looked up, locked eyes with Greeve standing next to Kai, and was gone again in an instant.
I faced him and put my hands on my hips. “You like her.”
He shrugged and walked away. I gave Kai a look and he shook his head. “No. I already found the best blind date for him.”
“Somehow I doubt that. Change it. Make him take Gaea out.”
“But, Mother,” he huffed.
I stalked forward and shoved him. “If it makes you feel any better, I think he will have his work cut out for him just getting her to agree to it.”
“Fine, but if they hook up, I’m blaming you.”
I mocked a gasp and placed my hand on my chest. “How terrible. I don’t think I’d ever recover.”
Fen and Gaea appeared. Kai flashed a half-smirk at me. The smartass in me loved the smartass in him. We might have been cut from the same cloth, but as he flicked his messy blond hair from those baby blue eyes, I knew there was so much more depth to Kai than he let on. His humor was his shield.
“You’re sure you don’t want to stay for dinner?” Fen asked Gaea as he stepped away.
“No, I’m headed out to the refugee place tonight.”
“I’d prefer you to stay in the castle,” he answered. “It will be safer here.”
“I told you, I’ve had my fair share of castle life. I’d rather find my own place, if you don’t mind. I want to be here and be helpful to you, but I also want it to be my choice.”
“I’ll make sure you always have a choice here,” I said, moving to stand next to my prince. “No one understands more than me why that’s so important.”
“Thanks, Ara.” A smile lit her eyes as she spirited away.
“So, you like her, then?” Fen wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“I don’tnotlike her. Does that count?”
“You guys coming to dinner?” Kai asked.
“I think we will take dinner in our room tonight.” He tugged on my hand, pulling me down the long hallway. My laughter covered Kai’s groan.
“Wren’s coming to dinner,” I protested.
“You can see her tomorrow. You can spend the whole day with her while I work. Tonight, you are mine.”
“I’ll make a deal with you.” He stopped short, never able to resist a good deal. “You make it to dinner without touching me, and you can do whatever you want to me for the rest of the night.”
His face flashed with intensity as he took a step toward me, locking his arms behind his back as he dipped his chin, fighting the smile. “Whatever I want?”
I sent him a mental picture of my naked body and his jaw dropped.Whatever you want, Prince.
He moved so close I could feel his breath like a whisper on my lips. Desire ignited our bond from both ends, clouding my mind. I moved to kiss him but he grinned and stepped away. “Deal, but we’re going to dinner right now.”
“It’s a little early.” I laughed. “And I rode a horse for half the day.”
“Let me bathe you.” He used his magic to brush a strand of hair from my face. “I’ll keep my hands to myself until after dinner. You have a deal, but you will beg me long before then.”
A spark of delighted anticipation ignited within me. “So confident, my prince.”
Sending a wave of heat as we walked back to his room, he opened the door for me, and I strolled in, kicked off my riding boots, and sauntered to the bathing room. The soft breeze from the open balcony made my skin tingle as I passed, and Fen used that wind to lift my hair and send a shiver down my back.
