She gives up asking questions and offers up a kiss instead. A hand that’s cupped around my cheek slides down my neck and then to the buttons of my shirt. Her lips hold me hostage, but they can have me anytime.
I take the hand at my buttons. “I’m still not telling you where we’re going.”
She smiles before silencing my words by deepening our kiss that I kindly oblige to.
“You’re going to hate me.” I laugh as I pry myself away from her and reach for a piece of fabric on the seat across from us. “I want this to be a surprise and need you to put this on.”
She squints and rolls her eyes, but spins around anyway. “Fine. I guess I can play nice.”
I cover her eyes and tie the fabric around the back of her head. My lips draw near her ear and I feel her body shudder when she realizes how close I am. “Not too nice.”
“That depends on how nice this surprise is.”
The driver comes to a stop, and I help her down. Leading her a few feet away from the carriage, I face her in the desired direction and pull the blindfold off.
“One of my favorite places in Saden is Petal Path.” My mouth moves near her ear. “I thought you would enjoy it as well.”
Her mouth drops open and she walks without realizing I’m not at her side. Instead, I watch her admire it all.
Tonight, Petal Path is filled with thousands of fireflies that make needing a light of our own unnecessary.
“Iann,” she says my name with amazement. I point behind her before she can continue. Spinning in the direction of my finger she spots bushes of hydrangeas. “No way.”
I follow her as she moves deeper into the flower maze. “You like it?”
“Like it, I’m in love.” She inhales the different varieties. “It reminds me of home.”
What I wouldn’t give for this to be her home. For her to know the land’s wonders just as I do.
One minute I’m watching her and the next my hand is at her waist pulling her to me. I rest my nose to hers and together we remain still. Not wanting to move or speak.
A hand grips my shoulder as one moves higher, inching toward the nape of my neck.
Our lips hover closer, catching each other’s breath but before we close the gap, I move my mouth to her neck planting kisses all the way down until I reach her collarbone.
“Iann,” she whispers, pulling my face back to hers, and I’m greeted with a look of worry, or maybe fear. It’s one I’ve never seen before so it’s hard to read.
“Do you want me to stop?” Concern I’ve done something wrong sets in.
She shakes her head, and a smile eases the restlessness inside. “Absolutely not.” She places a hand in mine. “I think…I think I’m falling in love with you.” She repeats the words just the way I said them to her at the ball. I thought it would take more time for her to get there, which would be an excruciating wait,but one I would endure a hundred times over. In this moment that’s all it takes for me to fall into her. “I’ve been unsure about several things in life. But not this.”
“I love you too, Ariah Tyddle.” I kiss her with the intensity of a thousand storms. My insides are set ablaze and there isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do or destroy to get to this woman. She’s forever stolen the most important part of me, and without her there is no me.
35
ARIAH
One of Queen Evies’ ladies-in-waiting, Glanya, helps detangle my hair and applies oils and creams that absorb right into the curls. It’s much needed after weeks out at sea—all the salt drying out my hair and skin.
Iann’s parents have been kind and much too gracious. They even sent guards to the border of the kingdom to meet my family.
The servants wait on me every day like I’m some kind of princess. If it were up to Iann, I would be.
It’s a foreign life that doesn’t feel like mine. There were small perks of being a Fox but never quite like this. Not to mention, the vast difference between rulers.
“I’m going to go get you a few options for ribbons, ma’am.” Glanya squeezes my shoulders and then steps out, closing the door behind her.
In her absence, I finish getting myself ready and move to the bed where she placed a new dress. It’s far too pretty to be worn casually, but at the moment I don’t have any other options.
