Page 28 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
Hand curled around the knob, I pause.
Did Aidan change his mind about letting me escape his thrall? But then, why would he knock on the front door and not just use the window again?Unless he wanted to tease me some more.
I crack the door open, and it’s not Aidan on the other side, but Zeke.
Your fiancé,my inner voice quips.
“Hey, moth.” A dark shirt sticks to his skin, the short beach trousers he had before dripping with seawater. He shifts from one foot to the other, clearly nervous. And obviously drunk. “I’ve been thinking… Forget what I said before the trials. I felt a crushing pressure to perform and couldn’t see straight. I’m glad we’re engaged. We should get to know each other more,” his eyes scan my flannel pajamas, “to make sure we’re compatible.” He raises a hand to my lip. “You’re bleeding.”
I cower away from his touch. I can’t afford for Zeke to smell Aidan on me, and I’m not sure how keen Shadow Fae senses are, yet, so I brace my elbow on the door frame, barring him from entry. “I think we should take it easy tonight.”
“Now, don’t be like that. It’s a big day for us, we should celebrate,” he says in a low, cajoling drawl. “We deserve it.”
I’m trying to think of a good comeback, but what happened with Aidan has muddied my thoughts. “I’m tired.”
What can I say that will drive him away, but not so much that he tells his father to call the whole thing off?
“Let me give you a nice massage, then, babe.” He slips a hand under the hem of my flannel shirt, stroking my bare side, his fingers digging into my flesh.
While Aidan’s touch seared my skin with a disarming blaze, Zeke’s uninvited hold makes bile rise in my throat, and my skin ices over where he laid his hand.
He draws back, startled. “Ow. That’s cold.”
“You should know something about me, Zeke,” I blurt out to buy some time.
Think fast, moth.
“Yes?”
“My father wants me to remain a virgin until marriage,” I announce gravely.
It’s not strictly a lie, of course. My father’s old enough to belong to that generation. What’s implied serves my purpose, and it’s the first statement that popped into my mind.
Zeke shakes his head with a chuckle. “He doesn’t have to know. I certainly won’t be the one to tell him.”
“It wouldn’t feel right to sleep with you against his wishes.”
This could work.
“Are you serious?”
“I am.” We just met. Why would he expect anything different? Fiancé does not equal owner. A line of anger creeps up my spine and spreads to my chest. “Dead serious, in fact.”
This was either the stupidest thing I’ve ever done or a stroke of genius. This way, I get to go to school in peace, study, graduate, and not have to worry about him being too pushy. Marital duties start on the wedding night, not before.
“But we’re supposed to marryaftergraduation,” Zeke whines. “You can’t possibly expect me to wait that long.”
I hold his gaze, not blinking.
The pout on his face vanishes in a flash, replaced by a bright, self-serving smile. “You know what, moth? This can absolutely work. You’ll do your abstinence thing, and I’ll do my thing. We’re betrothed, but marriage and commitment start after the vows, right? Don’t you agree?”
Wow. We think more alike than I’d thought.If it gets him off my back about being all handsy and possessive, I’m all for it. “I was thinking the same thing.”
“Perfect. See? We’re getting along already.” He pats my shoulder and pecks my cheek before turning on his heel. I watch him leave with an ounce of bitterness and a pitcher of relief.
Stroke of genius, indeed. As long as he doesn’t stroll in here expecting me to spread my legs just because his father is paying my tuition, he can do whatever he wants.
What about Aidan?A pesky little voice chants in my head.
