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I could feel my heart squeezing. It was such a big promise, yet there was no hesitation on his part to proclaim it. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he meant it, every single word was sincere. I offered up a small smile, letting all of my emotions pour out into it. “Thank you, Asher…I swear to you that I won’t snuff out yours. Whatever it is that you seek to do, I will be by your side to support it. All of it.”
That was all he seemed to need to hear, dipping his head to press those lips against mine. The amount of warmth soaking into the kiss left every single one of my senses on fire in an entirely different way. I had no intention of pulling away, not even when my lungs were starting to ache from the lack of airflow. By the time the prince ceased the kiss, we were both panting.
It was such a simple sign of affection, yet it held all the love we both carried within it.
“Come.” Asher tugged me toward all the crates that Dario had lined up. “I’m sure you can remember from when we first met that wine carries a…rather important place in the life of upper-class demons.”
“Which is why you need a taster?”
He responded with a small nod. “There is no need for one when I know the wine is coming from my uncle’s supply. He is family and I have no reason to believe he would do anything to put my life in danger. Tasters are only involved when it comes from an outside source, such as the angels.” He gestured at the first crate. “I would like to see what peaks your interest when it comes to flavors you might enjoy.”
“You do remember the part where I told you about how I used to have to steal from gardens just to eat, right? It was usually not a very wide selection.” I watched the prince reach into the crate to pull out a grape. The blush returned with full force when he turned and held it out toward me to simply eat it from his fingers. It didn’t matter that my mind was struggling to comprehend that now this man wanted to feed me. My body was more than willing to do it for me. I leaned forward, managing to tug the grape free with my teeth.
Considering that I had grown up in the heart of Montana, grapes weren't something I could ever find in a garden. The sweet texture consumed me with so much strength that I couldn’t help but moan. It didn’t dawn on me that the noise had actually escaped until Asher snickered. Flushing, I grumbled, “Fruits don’t exactly agree with cold temperatures, you know.”
“Not many, no,” the prince agreed. His golden eyes strayed from me, surveying the line of crates. The gears were already turning in his mind, although the lightbulb didn’t flip on until he spotted what he was looking for. He left me to nibble on another grape while he grabbed a crowbar propped against a nearby rack.
I watched him with a hint of curiosity until a delicious aroma hit me that I definitely recognized. I perked up immediately. Peaches. My stomach grumbled, yet I could care less if he’d heard. That was one fruit I’d definitely come across fairly often during my scavenging. “You can actually use these for wine?” I breathed.
Asher rested his weight on the crowbar while he watched me suck in a deep breath. “You use quite a wide range of fruits for it, pet. Peaches would actually pair up quite nicely with the Moscato grapes you just tasted.”
I eyed the freshly opened crate of peaches before I let my gaze stray toward the other one that I’d left behind. “That sounds amazing.” I paused when he rested the crowbar against the crate, allowing him to grab a few small crates with handles and bring one of them over toward me.
“Fill this with the Moscato grapes. I’ll grab the peaches.”
Excitement surged through my veins when it finally sank in what he’d brought me here to do. Granted, the sight of everything was so unusual that it had taken a little too long for me to process it all. Now that I understood, I moved with a bounce to my step while I filled my crate with the grapes.
Once they were both full, Asher led the way toward the platform. The fucker was tall enough that he could empty his crate into the large wooden bowl built into it while I was forced to head up the steps before I could do the same.
I didn’t offer any protest when he grabbed my little crate to set it down on the floor beside his. “So, what now?”
That mischievous grin returned. He gestured at the bowl. “It’s time to start crushing, pet. There’s small holes in the bottom that will allow the juices to leak down.”
The prince was simply explaining what we were doing without anything masked amongst those innocent words, yet those he had chosen had my thoughts shifting back to the punishment he’d delivered at his cousin’s shop. I found myself succumbing to a fit of laughter. When his expression shifted into one of confusion, I struggled to contain it. “S-Sorry. Juices made me t-think of the punishment.”
There was a moment when he seemed absolutely baffled at how my mind had managed to shift from our current bonding experience to the one back at the clothing store. Fortunately, it didn’t take long before he snickered softly. “Such a naughty mind you have, pet.” He tsked under his breath while he came around the platform to join me. He didn’t hesitate to step into the bowl before he reached out to offer his hand again.
The last thing I had intended to do was squeal, especially when this wasn’t sexual in any way. Yet, as my foot settled into the bowl and started squishing some of the fruit from my weight alone, I couldn’t stop the noise from escaping. That didn’t mean I was any more successful bringing in my other foot.
The laughter that escaped Asher was nothing short of an angelic sound that echoed from the depths of his soul. There wasn’t a single ounce of caution or weariness that came with the fact he was the prince of his race. He was carefree and absolutely entertained by my behavior. His arms wrapped around me, pinning me against him until I managed to get my balance down.
My body relaxed as he helped me start squishing the fruit. I followed his guidance right down to every turn he prompted me to make. Although silence quickly leaked out into the room, I found myself content. There was no telling how much time had passed, not with both of us simply enjoying the other’s company. It wasn’t until most of the fruit beneath us had been flattened that he finally released me and eased out of the bowl.
He scooped me up into his arms with one swift movement, choosing to carry me down to the bucket of water instead of both of us leaving a trail of fruit juice in our wake.
Every single part of my body was at ease as we washed our feet off and got everything back on. By the time he tugged his jacket down to remove all of the wrinkles, I had lost myself in my memories again. My eyes were trained on the bucket we’d just left behind with only the skin left behind at the top. It was surreal how I was experiencing more in my life with a man who had originally bought me as a pet to fuck than a mother that had birthed me. Just this experience alone proved which world I belonged in.
Which world had welcomed me with open arms.
Asher came up behind me, tucking a hand under my chin. His palm grazed against my throat while he prompted me to raise my head until I peered up into those piercing gold eyes. “Your aura no longer gives me the impression that your past is haunting you, pet. That pain seems to have been let go.”
I offered a small smile. “It helps when you’ve made me feel welcome in your world.”
“Our world, pet,” he corrected.
“Our world,” I repeated softly with a smile. My heart squeezed from the gentle reminder. It was the last thing I had expected when the demons had broken down the door to the organization’s hideout. That didn’t mean that I could find it within me to regret a single damn thing. I would do it all over again if it meant that path would lead me right back to my own demon prince.
ASHER
