Page 93 of The Stolen Princess
Myka closed her eyes momentarily, trying to focus her thoughts away from touching Drake. Because right now, all she could think about was how much she wanted to lace her fingers through his, loop her hand through his arm, rest her knee on his legs, and curl her body into his.
“Is there...I mean, do you have some sort of arranged marriage agreement with someone?” Drake said, tripping over his words. “Like, did your father set something up for you?”
She opened her eyes. “Don’t you think that’s a question you should’ve asked a few days ago when you made me sleep next to you?”
“Well, we already know you have a lover,” he said, and everything about his playful voice said that he didn’t really believe she had one.
“When did you know I was lying?”
“The moment you said it.” There was a smile in his voice.
She smiled too. “Oh.”
And, like magnets pulling together, their pinkies brushed up against each other. Myka swallowed, hoping it would happen again.
“So there isn’t a prince in some kingdom waiting to marry you?”
“I never wanted to marry a prince, and my father said I didn’t have to. He said I could become queen and marry whomever I wanted.”
She bit her lip, waiting for his next pinky move.
“What about you?” she asked. “How many girls do you have in love with you back in Albion?”
“None in Albion, but there is a girl in New Hope.”
Oh, no. He has a girlfriend. I started to think that maybe he liked me when really he has a girlfriend. I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe—
“We kind of agreed that there wasn’t a future there,” he finally answered, cutting into her thoughts.
Myka’s heart clenched for reasons she couldn't explain.
“Her name is Lizanne. She was one of Princess Seran’s friends.”
Okay, he likes fancy girls who are friends with fancy princesses. Don’t read too much into it, Myka. Keep it together. It’s your turn to talk...
“She sounds lovely. Why don’t you get over your hesitations and marry her?”
He laughed. “Well, for starters I don’t love her.” He turned his head so his face was looking at her. “And besides that, there’s someone else who’s recently stolen my attention.”
She turned her head toward his, and in unison, their pinkies touched again, but this time neither of them pulled away. Butterflies took over her entire body.
Who knew pinkies could be so exciting?
Myka didn’t.
They laid in silence, the only sound the trickling rain outside and the only movement, the slow caresses of their fingers. Myka didn’t dare move. She didn’t want to break the spell of his soft touch. Even if her body went numb and it became the most uncomfortable position ever, she would stay put. She would lie like that all night. It was worth it to her.
24
Drake
The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the exterior walls, beaming into Drake’s closed eyes. He shifted his weight, feeling Myka’s soft skin under his hand. He peeked open his eyelids, glancing down at her thick brows and light freckles. His arm was wrapped around her shoulder, and her head rested on his chest as she snuggled in close to him.
This was new.
Drake had touched Myka before, held her in his arms, but never likethis.He didn’t know at what point during the night they’d gone from touching hands to cuddling. Was he to blame for this? Had his sleeping self initiated it? Or had she?
Either way, he liked it.
