Page 48 of Dark Sun (Wicked Lovely 6)

“No wedding, as far as I recall,” she murmured, feeling more intoxicated now that they weren’t dancing.

“Still mine.” Urian nipped her throat. “I don’t need a ceremony to know that you’re my Dark Queen. Doyou?”

“I don’t know about queens, but I like this whole ‘being yours’ thing,” she admitted. “A part of me feels like it’s woken, and all I want is to be in your arms.”

“All?” he prompted. “No dreams of ruling? Power? Wandering?”

“Honestly? Just you.” She felt like she ought to be embarrassed by her admission, but she wasn’t. Everyone probably dreamed of happily-ever-afters, but she’d been sure there was no such option for her. Hide from the fey, and never touch mortals. That had been her plan for a future.

Until Urian.

He looked at her like he was weighing thoughts he wasn’t sharing, and a voice—one that sounded alotlike her mother—pressed her to ask questions.

Then Urian lowered his mouth to her throat.

For several moments, she let go of all her questions. She wasn’t interested in politics or intrigue. “I might want to travel . . . kiss you in Paris, in Prague, and all the places out there.”

He laughed, breath tickling her throat. “All the cities in the alphabet?”

“Yes, please.”

He straightened and looked into her eyes. “Would that really be enough?”

“You?” She almost laughed until she realized that the seemingly arrogant faery was actually sounding insecure. “Seriously?Yes,Urian. Just you is more than enough. You are . . . I want this. You. This morning all I’d hoped for was answers to who I am and perhaps a few kisses . . .”

“Now?”

“Flirtation aside? I’mhappierthan I could’ve imagined when I walked toward you this morning.”

He started to reply when she realized what she said.Morning? Shit.She looked around as clarity hit her.

“What time is it?” Katherine scrambled out of his embrace. “What time? Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Urian looked up at the sky. “Two? Three? Somewhere between them. Dawn is still several hours away, Katherine.”

He reached for her, tilting to the side to try to catch her and pull her back, and she realized that he was drunker than she’d thought.

As she swayed on her feet, standing unsteadily, she realized thatshewas feeling drunker, too. A few sips ought not equate to drunkenness.

“I need to go home,” she insisted, tugging him as if she could force him to stand.

“My car is dancing around a bonfire.” Urian gestured toward the car-turned-woman who was shrieking and leaping like something far more feral than anything there. “Go get her, though. We can try to . . .” He raised his voice, “Callisto!”

Callisto looked their way and laughed.

“Or not,” Urian added quietly.

Katherine pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned it on, not really expecting signal, but it lit with one bar.

She texted her mother and her aunt both:At a party. All okay. Not able to drive. No worries, I am safe from goblin men.

“Goblin men?” Urian read over her shoulder. Between kisses, he said, “Goblins aren’t real, you know?”

“Code,” Katherine clarified. “So they know I’m reallymewhen I text.”

“Smart.” Urian watched her mouth. “Beautiful and smart.”

“You realize that you’re drunk?” Katherine said, accepting his hand coming closer and lowering herself so she was straddling him, kneeling as she had done earlier when they were far more naked.

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