Page 27 of Crown of Roses
“And those lips…” His gaze lingered on her mouth. “So pink, like fresh spring roses.”
Rowan leaned in. Closer.
“Are you going to kiss me?” Maeve’s voice escaped her on a harsh murmur.
He pressed his forehead to hers and his eyes were the most dazzling shade of violet. Full of hunger and desire. “No.”
Chapter Ten
But then Rowan’s hand moved from her cheek to her throat, and Maeve’s blood ran cold. She snatched his wrist held him back, away from her. The press of the Aurastone was safely tucked away and strapped to her thigh, just within reach.
Lust shaded his eyes a rich purple and the stars twinkled. He rubbed his lips together, then looked to where she held his wrist.
“Do you think I would hurt you?” he asked, his voice thick like honey.
Maeve searched his face. He already warned her not to trust him, and she knew in her heart he spoke true. “Yes. Even if it’s not intentional.”
“You might be right.” He stepped back and the distance between them filled with a rush of cool air. Ribbons of navy blue and indigo blanketed the sky, and there were so many stars, it looked like they were falling straight into the sea. “Get some rest, Princess. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
Right. Rest. Something she should be looking forward to, though it would be impossible to fall asleep. Mostly because she was expected to sleep on a magical fae boat and she had no idea where they were sailing to, but also because Rowan left her longing for his touch. Any touch, really. She’d gone without affection, without tenderness and kindness for so long, she didn’t even know what it felt like to be desired. Rowan though, he made her wonder. The beauty of his body made her mind fill with images from all the books she’d read on the nature of sex. Though she imagined anything involving him would far surpass the pictures she’d memorized to keep her warm at night. She bet Saoirse was right, he was probably fabulous in bed.
Unbidden scenes of him moving over top of her, of his mouth searing her skin, and of his hands roving over her body caused a swell of heat to rise at her core.
Rowan’s gaze darkened and his jaw clenched. She turned away from him then, trying to ignore the way shame and humiliation sank their claws into her skin. “Goodnight, Rowan.”
“Night, Princess.”
A wave of guilt surged inside her but she tampered it down with reason. It didn’t matter if she was sexually attracted to him. So what if she wanted to kiss him? It was just a kiss, nothing else. It made no difference if she was a mortal and he was a faerie, it was attraction, plain and simple. Carnal and innate. Besides, she read books. She knew all about bedroom intimacies and activities. Even though she’d never actually partaken in any, the colored images were quite vivid. It was natural, only human. Except, well, Rowan was not a human. But he was most definitely male.
And incredibly too tempting.
There was no doubt in her mind that his hands would move over her with ease, that he’d bring her right to the edge of pleasure before waiting to watch her shatter. Just thinking about all the things he could do to her made her breasts ache. Other areas ached as well, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Unless, of course, she made it safely to her room. Then maybe…
Distracted by her own needs, she rounded a corner and plowed headfirst into the hard wall of a chest.
“Oh!” She instantly went to smooth her hair and use it as a shield to protect her face, like Casimir would be able to see the flush of arousal coloring her cheeks. “Hey, Cas.”
“Hey, yourself.” His dark brown gaze looked beyond her and a line formed across his brow. “What are you doing out here alone?”
Alone? Rowan was right behind her. Surely he—
Maeve turned around. The impenetrable darkness was illuminated only by swooping glass leaves dangling from metal hooks that cast the ship in a fiery glow. Rowan was nowhere to be found. And yet…
And yet she could feel his eyes upon her in the shifting night. She wondered if he knew she kept her thighs clenched, if the heat pooling at the center of her was almost unbearable.
“I was just looking at the stars.” The lie tasted foul in her mouth, like sour grapes. But she drank in the night sky anyway, imagining what gods and goddesses roamed the heavens, wondered if they watched her do unthinkable things when it was just her, alone in her bed. “Just looking and thinking.”
“About?” Casimir pressed.
“About if what we’re doing is really worth it.”
Golden light and shadows reflected off his face, displaying his prominent frown. “You think saving Kells isn’t worth the fight?”
“No. I’d do anything for Kells.” And she would. For her city, for her home. For the people she loved.
Casimir leaned out over the railing. “Then what’s the problem?”
Maeve spread her arms wide, exasperated. The heat burning inside her slowly cooled. “We’ll be in Faeven soon, Cas. In Faeven. A land I’ve only ever read about in fairytales. We have no idea what to expect and no clue what we’ll face. We don’t even know if we’ll even find the anam ó Danua. What if we fail?”
