Page 85 of Bitter Prince
“She got another one,” he said dismissively.
“From the fifteenth century?” I returned my attention to his beautiful face, pulling my lip between my teeth. The fact he took the blame for our mistake and the broken vase had never sat well with me.
A beautiful smile tugged his lips. “You remember that, huh?”
“Kind of hard to forget.” He held my gaze, watching me with so much heat that I felt a flush rising up my neck. “I was worried, you know.” He raised his brow, not following my incoherent way of thinking. “When you took the blame for breaking the vase, I worried every day about your timeout.”
A muscle pulsed in his jaw and his gaze hardened and a ragged exhale escaped him as he grabbed my hips and shifted me over to straddle him.
“You shouldn’t have worried,” he said coarsely, his gaze slowly sliding down my body. “And I didn’t bring you here to think gloomy thoughts.”
“I wondered,” I murmured, my skin humming as his rough palms roamed my thighs, making me grateful I wore a dress. I burned in the wake of his touch.
He leaned in and nuzzled my neck, his warm breath raising goosebumps on my skin. I tilted my neck, loving the feel of his mouth on me. It made me greedy for more. My stomach fluttered at the sensation of his teeth grazing my earlobe. He continued trailing his lips down the curve of my neck.
“Amon,” I breathed, my voice a submission and a plea. His tongue darted out to taste me, making my body shudder as he sucked on the sensitive skin. “Please don’t make me wait until my birthday.”
He pulled away and cold air hit my heated skin. His intense eyes met mine, a swirl of lust and frustration evident on his face.
“You’re really making this difficult, cinnamon girl.” His husky voice sent a shudder rolling through me. I pressed my body to his, grinding myself against his hard length as his fingers dug into my hips. “Don’t move,” he gritted.
“Don’t be a cockblock.”
A strangled laugh escaped him and a smile pulled on my mouth. I loved seeing him smile and laugh. It was almost as good as making out with him. Almost.
His nose brushed against mine. “It’s time for your surprise.”
I blinked, then I squealed excitedly. “Sexy time?”
He threw his head back and let out another hearty laugh. Deep. Rough. I felt it down to my toes. I watched him, grinning like a fool and loving every minute of it.
“No, the sun has set. Come on.” He stood, little protesting whimpers leaving me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He walked us over to the open doors and stepped out onto the balcony, carrying my weight as if it were nothing. He leaned against the glass, glancing up. “Now tell me what you see, my cinnamon girl.”
I followed his gaze and my mouth dropped. The dark sky towered above, filled with lights. Hundreds, possibly thousands of Chinese lanterns floated in the air, perfectly fixed in place. I slid down his body in awe, staring at the magnificent sight, and the back of my eyes burned with happy tears.
It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever done. The most beautiful thing I had ever seen. As they rose higher and higher in the sky, so did my heart. A single tear rolled down my cheek and I wiped it with the back of my hand.
“Why the tears, Reina?” His raspy voice tickled the back of my neck.
I turned around and met his gaze. “Happy tears. First ones ever,” I admitted. I rose on my toes, pressed my lips to his, then murmured, “It’s totally a good thing, and the best date ever.”
“Good.” His nose brushed against mine. “Now, let’s cross another thing off your bucket list.” He handed me my own lantern.
He helped me light it up, then did his own, and we held them up in the air.
“Ready?” he asked. I nodded.
We set them free, and one after the other, our lanterns floated into the darkness, joining the lit-up sky. I couldn’t take my eyes from the light show above.
“Amon.” My voice was a whisper as I kept my gaze facing upward.
“Yes?”
“I love you.” I couldn’t look at him, my heart drumming in my chest with so much warmth it had to be spilling out.
Amon gripped my chin and pulled my eyes to him.
“You and me, cinnamon girl.” My breath caught at the nip of his teeth on my jawline, then he pulled my mouth to his. Heat erupted like fire between my legs, burning through me. I melted into his rough hold, getting lost in the hot glide of his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth. His arm wrapped around my waist as soft tunes played somewhere in the distance. He held me and we danced slowly, shifting side to side. It was magical and romantic, hundreds of lanterns floating above our heads.
