Page 88 of A Clash of Stars

He laughed, “Yes, Clara. I do. Even though it truly wasn’t in your control, you still made a choice.”

“Yeah. It wasn’t a true choice, though, Evander. I was forced to,” I said displeasingly.

He smiled a wickedly wild smile. “But…you weren’t forced to kiss me earlier. Were you?”

This man drove me crazy. Pushing me to be almost primitive. My body was humming with this newfound set of feelings I had swirling inside me. Pining for him, but also annoying me. I was irked by my choice to allow these feelings to cover me. To control me.

My eyes quickly studied him, trying to find the response to give him. I was forced to marry him, but I wasn’t forced to have these feelings. If anyone had the right to be angry with him, it was most definitely me. He made me believe we were true mates, and honestly, maybe we were, but I can’t and won’t deepen the relationship between us.

There is a side of him that is hidden from me, and it stays hidden in the darkness. I knew marrying him was my only option, but I didn’t expect things to be so comfortable between us. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to run away. But the core part of me couldn’t do it.

“I know that you never thought this would be your life, but I promise in the end. I will always protect you. I may not be the best man for you, but I will be your man until my last breath. I will defend you, care for you, and do my best to make you happy. Even if I have to upset you in the process to ultimately keep you safe.”

I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and that’s when a spark lit inside of me, a curious one. I scooted over closer to him, and his green eyes widened slightly. I went back and forth with myself on whether I truly wanted him or if I needed adistraction.

I smelled his signature scent and decided that I had an undeniable need for a distraction.

“How do you want to do this tomorrow? Are we going to act as we did earlier or allow them to see how we feel about one another? I can do either one, Clara,” he spoke softly.

I didn’t think any longer, and I decided to act on what my heart felt pulled to do, no matter how reckless it might be. My face was only a few inches from his, “I want them to see how I really feel about you.”

My heart was starting to speed up, knowing that my yearning for him was so strong and growing. I started to lean into him, allowing his presence to cover me. We both crashed into one another, our mouths colliding with tongues and teeth. For a moment, I thought he growled.

Damn. I could have had this the entire time.

His hands grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, straddling his strong thighs. His right hand grazed my back, then gripped my neck. I felt the tips of his fingers swirling on the tender skin while slightly gripping my hair, raising goosebumps all over my body.

“Clara, how do you truly feel?” he whispered onto my lips.

My hips started to squirm, and I leaned down towards his lips so close that I knew he could feel my warm breath on his skin.

“I feel powerful with you. My veins pulse with need when I am around you, and I can’t deny that I want you…” I softly spoke with the most seductive voice I could.

After one quick breath, his mouth crashed into mine again. Our hands were frantic to touch each other. I pulled his shirt off, exposing his perfect skin and markings that wrapped around his body. My hands couldn’t stay away, touching every delectable spot I could. He placed a chaste kiss on my lips and pulled my sundress over my head, leaving me exposed in just my undergarments.

A hiss escaped his mouth, and his eyes fixed on mine. I could feel the heat burning into me, searing every portion of my body that he looked at.

“I’ve been waiting patiently to get under these clothes today,” he said.

He took a breath and pressed his lips into mine just slightly, and asked me the question that sent me off the edge, “What do you want me to take off next?”

I felt his smirk on my mouth as his hands moved across my back, leaving chills in his wake. His hands were on the clasp holding my bralette in place, then we heard it.

A knock.

I heard an annoyed growl leave Evander. He gently moved me off of his lap and onto the sofa. The knock was more intense this time. He flung the door open, and I couldn’t see the person at the door, but I could hear him.

“Your Highness, I sincerely apologize for…interrupting, but we have a situation with the carriage. Some young Artesians thought it would be clever to steal the wheels off of it. We need assistance in tracking them, and, well, you are the best at tracking.”

A sigh escaped him, “Very well. Let me collect my things. I will be right out.”

He walked towards me, grabbed his shirt off the floor, and quickly placed it back onto his immaculate body. He leaned down to my face gripping my chin in his hand. “I’m sorry. Say you’ll wait up for me, and we can finish this conversation.”

A smirk curved in the top corner of his mouth, and he kissed me as if he had done it a million times before. He was gone in the next moment, and I felt a void without his presence.

I decided to change into some casual clothes and snuggle in the bed to wait for him. The bed was so comfortable I told myself I would just close my eyes for a moment, but before I knew it, I was asleep.

The next morning, I was awoken by the rich caramel aroma of coffee. I looked over at the bed, and it was slightly messed up where Evander must have slept. Icrawled over and laid my head on his pillow. I could still smell his scent lingering on the pillowcase. I heard the door creak, and I looked over to see a half-dressed Evander holding two cups of coffee.

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