Page 109 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
Hot tears spill over my lashes, his reaction so unexpected, his certainty and understanding trampling the walls I’ve built to protect myself from the truth of my lineage and the destructive consequences I was sure would come with it.
My fingers tremble over his face as I graze the soft arch of his brow, struck once more by his beauty and kindness.
He kisses the underside of my wrist, just as he did that first, fateful night. “I love you because you’re clever and funny, with a sharp tongue that rivals my charming prince-ness. You study harder than anyone else, yet you still care about people. You’re a great listener, but you also have the confidence to speak your truths, even when they challenge the status quo. You don’t accept the current laws and rules as gospel—you take them as the foundation for a better world to come. You see past the princely mask I’ve forged for myself, and you blush when you think of me—right here.”
He traces the angle of my jaw, caressing the tender skin underneath. “I see you, Beth Snow, and I stand by my offer. We’ll go home for now, back to the academy, but I’ll be counting the days until you agree to become my wife.”
We’re both panting despite staying still. Sand digs into my knees, the high slit of my dress allowing the fabric to splay on either side as Aidan slides closer. “I want to love you freely, both under the moonlight and in the sunshine. Forever.”
“I love you, too.” There it is. Theothertruth I was so afraid to tell.
His lips claim mine in a fierce, urgent kiss, and I gasp at the force of his hold, his hands caressing my hips up and down.
“One night was never going to be enough. I need to be inside you, Songbird.”
Last time, he wanted it to be slow. Tonight, we’re both too desperate for slow and crash against each other in a flurry of heated moans and hungry tugs as he climbs over me, spreading me down on the sand.
He peels the silk of my dress aside and tears off my underwear.
I unfasten the knot of his trousers.
He fills my hand, hot and ravenous, and I wrap my legs around him, beckoning him closer. I do not want to wait, or talk, or even breathe for another minute without the feel of him tucked deep inside me.
He shares my impatience and gives in to the urgency of the moment, lining himself up with my entrance without qualms.
I’ve been craving this ever since our gut-wrenching conversation in his apartments, where he was wearing nothing but a towel. I was so sure we were done then, so certain I could never be with him again, never touch him again. I thought I would never spend another night in his arms or learn to love as fiercely as he does.
My skin heats up at his touch, hot enough to burn, but I abandon myself completely to the flames.
Myflames.
MyAidan.
He knows the truth, and he still loves me. A huge, giddy smile stretches my lips as he fucks me hard and fast, just how I need it tonight. The sand grinds against the skin of my buttocks in a delicious and unexpected way, setting each nerve ending ablaze. I twist my hand in his hair, my nails embedded in his scalp, clutching him closer.
We collide like falling stars, shattering on impact. I’m left shuddering and vulnerable in Aidan’s arms as a quick, almost destructive climax turns the world beyond him to stardust, erasing the tunnels from my vision.
We catch our breath, and my cheeks flush crimson at how desperate we both were to lose ourselves to each other. To our incredible, reckless connection.
Aidan traces the shape of my collarbone. “Marry me.”
“You have to stop saying that.”
“Why?”
Because I’m dying to say yes.
I bite my bottom lip, what seemed impossible just this morning sounding more and more reasonable in the afterglow of our tryst. “We need to wait until Morheim at the very least, so I can get my Shadow mask.”
Aidan pouts at that, dragging his lips along the curve of my jaw. “But that’sweeksaway.”
“We’ll revisit this nonsense?—”
“—proposal,” he corrects me with a grin.
“Alright, we’ll revisit thisproposalafter Morheim.” I raise one finger between us and try to look as fierce as I can. “But it’s not a yes.”
His hand tangled in my hair, he pulls me to him, swallowing my doubts with a hot, dizzying kiss. “It’s not a no, either,” he murmurs against my lips.
