Page 76 of The Prince from a Cruel Summer
Fireflies flicker in the night and in my stomach, my insides aglow as I sit next to him with my legs tucked beneath me.
He twists around to face me. “Tell me more about you, Songbird.”
My eyes dart to the empty space between us. “My life’s not so glamorous, I’m afraid. There’s not much to tell.”
Henri was always too glad to skip right to the sex part. Aidan appears determined to make this night last, and not only to steal my fake virginity, but my secrets, too. He shifts to a seated position, grows two horned-shape flowers and snaps them off the stems. He hands one over and fills it up with wine. It’s so eerie to be here with him, in this picture-perfect environment, with the sea twinkling in the distance, the stars above, and the sexiest Fae prince alive pouring me wine as though we’ve got all the time in the world.
“Where did you grow up?” he asks.
An icy aftertaste of shame stings my gut. “In the underbelly of the Winter castle. My father is one of the Winter King’s favorite political advisers.”
“Is that how he ended up selling you off to the Shadow King’s son?”
The knee-jerk impulse to defend my father rears its head. “Papa only wants the best for me.”
Aidan stops pouring and sets the bottle aside, raising his brows. “Does he truly believe Zeke is the best man for you?”
“Coming here instead of the Ice City is the best life I could hope for.”
He squints at me, deep lines appearing on his forehead at the mention of the Ice City. “I thought the reaper army didn’t force anyone to enroll?”
“They wouldn’t haveforcedme, per se. But it would have been considered my duty to train as a reaper. If I had been selected to spend my life in the Ice City, I wouldn’t have brought shame to my entire family by skirting my responsibilities—” My heart hammers in my chest. “Why do you insist on this…interrogation? Did you bring me here to argue, or have sex?”
“So impatient.” With a knowing grin, he dips his head down to kiss me.
I’ve got half a mind to pick a fight with him and chicken out of this all together, but the taste of his lips tames my temper. Pine and sandalwood mingle to form a woodsy, masculine scent with hints of charred honey. Just like the candies we roast over the fire to sweeten the coldest, harshest night of winter.
I can’t get enough.
My fingers tense around the makeshift glass of wine, the flower threatening to squish in my grip as I blink my eyes open.
Aidan presses his nose to mine. “I want to make love to you, Songbird.”
By the spindle…Does he want me to burn to ashes before we even start?
“Cin-cin.”
We bump the rims of the flowers together, and the silky texture of the petals brushes my lips. Pollen sweetens the wine, but the weather made it a little too hot for my taste, so I ice the pistil before doing the same to Aidan’s glass. “Here. The ice won’t melt for hours, so don’t worry about it diluting the wine.”
“Nice trick.”
I bite my bottom lip, the warm, loving expression on his face filling me with pride, as though what I just did was actually special. Maybe if I turn the tables on him, he’ll be more inclined to skip the heart-to-heart part. It’s not as if we could actually date after this.
“Who are you meant to marry? Devi?” I ask in a falsely nonchalant tone.
Aidan chuckles and shakes his head. “Never. Devi is almost sure to be her grandfather’s heir.”
“I thought that would only make your parents more eager for you two to marry.”
“You see, if Devi was to be crowned queen while I was married to her, it would destroy my chances to inherit the Summer crown.”
“Why?”
He sets his wine to the ground. “It’s a well-kept secret, but the seven crowns would actually kill for two kingdoms not to fall under the control of a married couple. It would put too much power into one family’s hands.”
“Oh.”
“You have no reason to be jealous.” He caresses my bare knee.
