Page 44 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

Our first stop was the Phoenix Art Museum.

“So we can see anything you want here, but there is one specific exhibit I really want to see. Is that, okay?” Rune asked.

“Of course.” I was trying desperately to relax, but the butterflies in my stomach had turned rabid.

Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time I went to a museum in Phoenix. It was probably in junior high, but admitting that out loud would make me feel uncultured, when really, I just never thought of doing things like this in my city.

We walked through the museum looking at different paintings and sculptures. We commented on what we liked, what we didn’t like, what some things reminded us of. Soon, I relaxed, and it felt like I was really getting to know Rune as a person, not just the badass demon who kept saving me. I did my best to put Sif and her bullshit out of my mind and enjoy the night.

Rune took me to a door that led to the Kusama firefly exhibit but stopped before opening it. “Have you seen this before?”

“I don’t think so.” I lied. Of course, I hadn’t seen it.

“Okay, good. Then we are going to make this special. Do you trust me?”

“Eh.” I rocked my hand back and forth in a sort-of motion.

“Oh, it’s like that?”

“Okay, I trust you. A little.”

“That’s good enough. For now.” Rune put his hands on my shoulders and turned me towards the door. “Close your eyes,” he whispered in my ear, wrapping his arms around me.

Shivers raced down my spine. I did as he asked, and he guided me through the door.

“Keep them closed until I tell you to open them.” His whisper made the skin on my neck tingle and my heart race. He guided me forward several steps.

The floor under my feet was smooth, the room cool and completely silent.

Rune’s arms tightened around me, pulling me into his warm chest. “Okay, open them.”

I opened my eyes and couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was like I was floating in a sea of stars. As far as my eyes could see, there were tiny lights slowly flickering in and out of existence. In every direction, I could only see blackness and tiny lights. Even when looking down at my feet, I seemed to hover. It was beautiful, if not a little disorientating. I stumbled a bit.

Rune tightened his grip around me. “Don’t worry, you are safe. You are standing on mirrors.”

It took a moment for me to find my center of gravity again. Once I did, I leaned back into Rune and tried to take it all in.

“This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” I said.

“It really is.”

I looked up at him but didn’t find him gazing around the room; he was looking down at me. A blush rose on my cheeks, and I looked away, hoping he hadn’t noticed.

“I know this is our first date, and I should wait until the end to do this, but I don’t want to.” Rune turned me to face him. He cupped my jaw and tilted my face up to his, his lips just touching mine.

I could feel their softness and warmth. After breathing in the intoxicating scent of his cologne and that dark, spicy scent that was uniquely him, I needed more. I lifted onto my toes to seal my lips to his in a real kiss.

I never knew what people meant when they said fireworks exploded with a kiss. That had never happened to me before, and it still hadn’t. Kissing Rune did not set off explosions.

It engulfed me in flames.

When he teased me with his tongue, then soothed me with his lips, I couldn’t think of anything else. I was completely and utterly lost to Rune’s kiss.

When he broke away, what could have been seconds or days later, he pressed his forehead against mine while we both caught our breaths.

“I have been wanting to do that all day. Actually, since I met you, there hasn’t been a single moment I haven’t thought about doing that.”

“Then what took you so long?” I ran my hands up his arms and then linked my fingers behind his neck, pressing my body into his.

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