Page 102 of A Queen and HER Bad Boy
She giggled, scarcely believing that he’d said that in front of his father, and how could she follow something so sincere? She closed her eyes and felt for the words to describe the mess he’d made of her heart. “Achilles… I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you how crazy I was about you. I didn’t really trust…”Love?Could she say that? “Well, I was afraid of chasing you away, but… I should’ve known that you’d never do that.” Was she really doing this? Giving her vows of her own free will? The spectators melted away until there was only him. “You saw through me to the real me and somehow you stayed. I can’t believe that you did, because you were the only one who ever saw me really. I promise I’ll do that for you too! And I’m not going to be so mean—I’ll protect your heart and laugh at your terrible jokes.” Now he was the one laughing. “Anyway, I don’t care how stupid that sounds—you are my choice. You always were!”
Achilles grinned at her—that grin that zinged from her toes and out of her ears with the speed of lightning. Breaking their gaze, he withdrew the silver cross necklace from his pocket. Its surface caught the moonlight that filtered through the olive canopy. Her heart lurched at the sight—
“Our love is stronger than all the hate of our enemies combined.” His voice was thick with emotion. “They will never divide us.”
With difficulty, she allowed him to slide the symbol of her father’s control, now transformed into something sacred, around her neck, his fingers brushing the tender spot where her pulse ached while he fumbled for the clasp. The touch sent ripples of hope through her, somehow washing away her troubles with the sweet promise blazing in his passionate eyes.
“Kiss her already.”
He shot a glare at his father, his laughter mixing with wariness and genuine gratitude. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”
The crowd erupted in joyful cheers as he claimed her lips with reverent passion, his mouth moving against hers in a kiss that was gentle and fierce all at once, full of promises and desperate hope. Her emotions crashed over her like the waves on the island’s shore—love, fear, faith, and determination all warring in her chest.
Whatever came next, they would face it together… as soon as she destroyed this necklace.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Thursday, December 26th, DAY 35
— Boxing Day—
AchillesstudiedBris’ssleepingface as she burrowed deeper into his arms, letting out a contented sigh that melted his heart like honey. Their makeshift bed consisted of soft woolen blankets spread around the modest tent, her thick black hair creating dark rivers across the cream-colored fabric in the predawn light. How could he sleep when his heart felt ready to burst from his chest?
Everything he’d imagined a marriage should be was here in his arms. He hadn’t known what love truly meant until it slapped him across the face, and what a beautiful slap that had been! Bris had the fiery spirit to deliver that blow, and he’d never felt more alive.
His hands traced the silk of her bare arms, drawing her closer until he could feel every curve molded against him, her warmth seeping into his very bones. That’s when he noticed—the necklace he’d given her was missing.
Where had it gone?
She stirred with a soft murmur, and he couldn’t resist capturing her lips with his own, savoring their sweetness as she responded with sleepy passion, kiss for kiss, until they were both laughing and drowning in each other’s eyes. His fingers traced the delicate column of her throat. “Where did that necklace go?”
Her lashes lowered. “I threw it away.”
“What?” He straightened, surprise jolting through him, followed by a bark of laughter. “Well, that’s a fine thing to do with the token of our love.”
“I didn’t know you had it until it was too late.”
The stone-cold hand of warning clutched his heart, forcing him to pay attention to the tremor in her voice. “Didn’t know what?” he asked carefully.
Worry creased her beautiful features as her shoulders tensed beneath his hands. “When my father threatened to annul our marriage, he said he wouldn’t do it if I gave you the necklace and—and I think it tracks us. I thought it wasn’t a big deal because everyone always knows where we are anyway, and then you’d torn it off before we’d left, and I thought…”
He groaned. He didn’t have it in him to be angry at her—well, maybe a little, but any trace of it was gone the instant he spied the anguish glistening in her luminous eyes. Immediately, he kissed the creases next to her eyebrow, then erased the worry from her lips, his mouth moving over hers before coming up for enough air to reassure her. “I don’t think your father is the real problem anyway. It’s the Myrdons we need to worry about.”
“I don’t know about anything anymore,” she said breathlessly.
He knew the feeling. What was a lie? What was truth. He ran his hand along her arm. “Do you have any more secrets you need to get off your chest?”
“I stole your rugby shirt last week. Even if I couldn’t be with you, I wanted to feel like you were near.”
A grin slowly took over his mouth. He couldn’t help it as he pulled her closer and kissed her temple softly.
“I’m sorry about the necklace.” She ducked her head. “There wasn’t time to tell you—because you were putting it around my neck and we were married… again… and—and…”
And he was showing her exactly how much he loved her on the honeymoon he’d been dreaming about since the first time they’d exchanged vows.
“Are you mad that I didn’t…?” she began to ask but couldn’t finish. Her cheeks flushed red.
“No… no…” He shook his head, pressing his forehead against hers. “We’re just having our first fight as an officially married couple.” The problem was that he wanted to make up before they’d even properly started just to get back to the business of loving her. Unfortunately, they’d have to move this fragile and precious moment they shared to a different romantic setting altogether. “We need to get out of here… take that necklace with us and let Chises Mnon find us elsewhere.”
