Page 80 of The Princesses of Ruin
He smiles back, his hand firm on my belly. “Good.”
He pulls me down to lie against his chest. I listen to his heart calm and sync my breathing with him. We rest in this hopeful state of new romance for a long time until my body reminds me of its needs.
I clean up with a washcloth bath, while Adrik cooks another pair of rabbits with tubers. Being at sea for months on end makes me all too familiar with eating the same thing day in and day out, so when Adrik apologizes for the repetitive meal, I silence him with a long, adoring kiss.
“Thank you for feeding and fucking me.”
He blushes, dipping his head with a smile that could only be brought on by a praise kink. I’m going tolavishhim. Everything he does. He will know how much I appreciate him.
He’s hooked in my net now, and I don’t ever want to let him go.
Chapter thirty
Adrik
Pride swells in my chest as I wake with Emillia in my arms. We smell of pine smoke and leather, a scent that will always remind me of the time she was mine.
All mine.
I understand now why they crave their women so fiercely. I can sense the need in the pit of my stomach to provide for her, protect her—in my own way—and be everything she needs. To fill in all the gaps of her experience with my own and make us mesh together like a perfect potion. We’re just the right ingredients merging to make something essential.
She groans, rocking her hips against my leg in her sleep.
I want to hold her tighter, but I fear waking her. I want to stay suspended in this moment for as long as I can.
Another few breaths and I can feel her rousing.
“Adrik,” she murmurs as she blinks up at me. “How long have you been awake?”
I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Not long.”
She chuckles. “Did you know I canseewhen you lie? The color of your voicechanges.”
Emillia has never described her magus ability in detail, but the way she’s talked about sounds as if they were physical things, it makes sense that she can actuallyseethem.
“What color?” I ask.
“You’re normally pure silvery white, but when you lie, it turns a bit gray.”
I don’t particularly like that I canneverlie to her.
“What’s that face?” she asks.
I’m frowning, apparently. “Nothing.”
She sits up, holding my hand down against the bedroll. “That was very dark gray, sir.”
Better I just get it out then. “I don’t want you to know when I’m being deceitful. There are some things I would like to keep a secret from you.”
Her eyes narrow and her posture stiffens. “Like?”
I roll my eyes. “Like,does this dress look good on me, Adrik?What if it doesn’t! I can’t tell you that, and I can’t lie either…it would be a mess.”
Her face cracks into a huge smile and she laughs from the pit of her stomach.
I cross one of my arms since the other is pinned to the bed. “Oh, I’m so glad you can laugh at my future misfortune…”
She wipes a tear from the corner of her eye and calms. “Adrik…you’re too sweet.”
