“You know it doesn’t.” There’s a glimmer in his ruby eyes—soft and sweet, just like his lips which press lightly against myforehead.
“I suppose I should by now,” he says, stroking the length of my jaw.
“So, are your memories totally back?”
“It feels as if I’m recalling a series of dreams…” After a thoughtful pause, his face crinkles in what looks a lot likea cringe.
I suddenly wish Sprout had joined us on this picnic. When we gathered ourselves to leave, he picked up his fluffy head for a moment before huffing dramatically, which like, honestly, #mood. But I can’t help but think his old companion would be better at providing comfort than I am.
“Good dreams?” I press, wishing I knew what was going on inhis head.
When I go back to visit my mom in Florida, the story of the two of us lives inside those walls. I feel the good times and bad the minute I stand on the front porch of her bungalow. How many memories are lurking in the shadows of his castle for him todiscover?
With Holly’s flippant attitude toward murder, the death of his father, the way his uncle betrayed him and the far-off look in Queen Plume’s eyes, I have to hope the good will outweigh the bad.
“I—” he begins but stops short, shakinghis head.
Slowly, I place my hand on top of his, squeezing tight.
“Let’s just take this week a minute at a time.” I hope my smile is reassuring enough. I meant what I said about trying to enjoy our week. A staycation is way overdue. While you can’t beat the scenery and room service, even holding tight to my rose-tinted glasses, I know how complicated this is. In my world, he’s a monster, but here he’sa prince.
“Processing this can’t be easy,” I continue. “After years of hiding in the shadows, you can have anything you want at the snap of yourfingers.”
His eyebrows raise as he gives me a look I can’t quite recognize. I’m wondering if I fumbled my words. When he elegantly raises his hand and a sharp snap fills the space between us,I freeze.
For a moment, I’m worried we’re about to be circled by countless servants hoping to get a glimpse of Moth. But it remains just the two of us, the clicking of his fingertips still ringing in my ears.
“Well,” he drawls, tapping a claw in the spot where my dress has ridden up my thighs. The sudden contact sends shivers down my bare skin. “I amwaiting.”
Oh.
Oh!
“If His Majesty insists…” I pounce, putting all my weight into his shoulders. Moth lets himself topple backward onto the soft bed of well-maintained grass.
I slide down his chest while stroking his quickly hardening length with my fingertips. The feeling of his desire building with only a thin piece of fabric between my fingers and his skin makes me tremble with anticipation. Soon, my head rests comfortably between his legs, and all barriers between my mouth and his cock are cast aside.
It starts with just a kiss. That’s all it takes to make him moan. The sound is deep and pained and fills me with more power than I could have everimagined.
“Is this what you wanted,Your Highness?” I ask, planting another kiss on his head while my fingers trail down his shaft. He shivers with anticipation at the curl of my tongue onhis skin.
After a year of fumbling around the woods with no one around for miles, this is the first time there’s ever been an actual threat of being caught. There’s a small cover of trees, but people know where we are. Walking down the halls, it feels like there’s always someone watching. I stretch my wings forward, giving us a shade of privacy.
The deep groan he emits sends shivers up my spine and gives me the reassurance I need to know I’m hitting all the right spots.
I teasingly spur him on. I want him to chase me through the woods and make me screamhis name.
“I need you,” I whisper, pulling myself up and straddling his hips. He takes me by the waist, flipping me onto the dewy grass, and holds himself steady. He kisses from my lips down to my shoulders before entering me at an agonizingly slow pace. I dig my nails into his shoulders, arching my back to let my wings unfurl under my body. I loudly moan and bite down hard on my bottom lip. As exciting as it is being out in the open like this, I don’t want to give anyone a reason to investigate.
Moth’s large, clawed hand moves to my mouth, clamping down just in time for me to let out a scream—and fuck, does it feel goodto let go.
“Scream for me, my flame,” he whispers, and my entire body responds to the command. Pleasure releases before I’m ready, and his strong clawed hands muffle the sound as I cry out his name. That little fantasy plays through me—he’s caught me after chasing me through the woods—and I scream into the palm ofhis hand.
Moth bites the flesh of my shoulder, pulsing into me until he explodes, and we melt together, messy and satisfied. Blades of grass stick to every bit of exposed skin on our armsand legs.
“Wow,” I breathe. “Thatwas—wow.”
“You arewow,” he says sweetly, biting my earlobe ever so slightly. Heck, if I had more stamina, I’d be climbing right on top of this giant gorgeous managain. Instead, I curl my arm around his middle like he’s a big sexy body pillow and kiss his shoulder. We lay like that for a long time. With the gentle rise and fall of Moth’s chest, I think that he must have fallen asleep. But when I look up his glowing red eyes are distant, like he’s got something on his mind.“Heather…”
