Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26177 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Yawning, I sat up and pulled it off, tossing it to the floor while she sat up and pulled hers off her head, tossing it in the same heap.
She had a black bra on and was still wearing underwear, which made it a bit easier for me.
A bit being, as much as I could physically handle.
I tucked her against my chest while she threw a leg over mine and shivered against me.
Her feet were freezing. “Gah!”
“Sorry!” She clung to me like I was her only lifeline. “I wasn’t thinking, just so cold.”
Good to know one of us was heating up, at least. I glanced out the front windows and noticed the sun was already coming up and the snow had stopped. “They should be here soon.”
“I hope not,” she mumbled.
“You want to freeze to death?” I semi joked.
“Just a few more minutes.” She finally opened up her eyes as more light lit the room while the sun rose. “Tell me you don’t agree.”
Chest heaving, I just stared at her, at the messy pieces of hair that had fallen out of her braid, at the way she suddenly cupped my face with her chilled hands.
I hesitated maybe an inch from her mouth, but she met me the rest of the way as I pulled her on top of me.
She was the perfect fit, the way her mouth softly moved against mine. This was nothing like the kiss I witnessed with Frederick, all full of lust, seduction, of trying to prove something.
This was something deeper. I moaned into her mouth when her lips parted and deepened the kiss, she still tasted like a mixture of wine and toothpaste.
I tugged a bit on her braid and flipped her onto her back. Her smile against my mouth was all the permission I needed. I reached for the strap of her bra when a loud banging sounded at the door.
We both scrambled away from each other.
“Sire! Princess Samira? Are you well?”
Her lips were swollen when she shot me a crazed look. “Should I hide under the blankets?”
“First off.” I laughed. “That would probably look worse.” She smacked me on the chest. “Ouch!”
“What!”
“Second, we are engaged and they already know you’re here, if it makes you feel any better, you can just say we shared body heat.” I kind of felt my face fall when I said that, like it was all this fever dream, this Christmas miracle, one last one before she was either forced to marry me or another stranger was.
My chest ached.
I slowly started getting up out of bed, it felt like the worst disappointment, other than knowing my biological parents were dead. Better to taste and dream than have not tasted, not dreamt.
I was just throwing my leg over the bed when she jumped onto my back like a freaking animal, taking the top blanket with her to cover us both up. “What are you doing?”
“I have no idea.” She sounded distressed. “I just didn’t want to lose your warmth.” Her chest pounded against my back, then I felt her mouth on my ear, kissing down my neck, her hands digging into my hair just as the lock turned and both of our servants, plus King Arthur and King Frederick walked in.
I don’t know who cursed, but I imagine it was Arthur out loud and Frederick in his head at the scene.
Slowly, we both turned to them.
Arthur was smiling behind his hand, wearing a full white snowsuit and beanie. Frederick, however, had his eyes narrowed a bit, which was strange even for him.
Rupert rushed forward. “We brought you both clothes, you must have been so afraid, good thing both Kings were in the army and have survival skills we were able to hike up here no problem, we’ll have to get the car later but we’ll take you down on the Snowmobiles.”
Frederick still looked perplexed while Rupert dropped the winter clothes on the couch. “We’ll just leave you to, er, change.”
Arthur gave me a thumbs up and walked out like I’d just accomplished an insane feat.
The door clicked shut while they went back into the bitter cold and we just stood there, me holding her staring out the window, her holding on to me, probably wondering what she’d just done.
It’s not like we weren’t already engaged, but she’d just sealed her fate by making it look like we’d slept together in cheerful anticipation of our vows.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I whispered. “I could have come up with an excuse for you.”
“I did what you wanted,” she said right back.
Wow. “And you? I’ve never been what you wanted.” I peeled her from me and covered her up with the blanket. “I’ll go change in the kitchen, nothing they haven’t seen before, you can change in the bathroom.”
Those few steps into the kitchen kept cadence my heart pounding a painful rhythm against my chest, what did I expect anyway? For her to fall in love with me in less than twelve hours? For her to choose me because she wanted to, but not because she knew I needed her?