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“But you know it’s not just lust—otherwise, I wouldn’t adore the way you care for your brothers, how you put family first. Those are qualities of someone with love in their heart. And it drives me wild how you’ve recently been thinking about finding a wife to settle downwith.”
His brow arched, and he sighed. “Let me guess… Ash told youthat?”
“Was he wrong?” I held Leven close, curious if he was the marryingkind.
“No. I’ve spent too long keeping to myself, unsure what my next move was. And I always came back to the happiness I missed… the same my parents used to have because they supported each other no matter what. I want thattoo.”
“Hell, yes! Don’t we all dream of having someone special to share our lives with? I suredo.”
His whisper of a smile had me snuggling up against him, even if his hardness pressed against me. I’d been getting used to their nakedness and not complaining onebit.
With another kiss, he took my hand and led me out of the room. “Let’s get food first. I’m starving—and if I don’t feed the beast, I might have to start on you first.” He lifted my elbow to his mouth, and he nibbled onit.
I burst out laughing and batted him away. “That’s are forlater.”
“I’ll see you in a moment.” He vanished down a hallway and into abedroom.
In the kitchen, Talin wore only pants and was beating a huge bowl ofeggs.
Ash, also dressed, tossed logs onto the dwindling fire. Leven soon joined us and marched into the pantry room. He reemerged with half a loaf of bread and a tub, the edges lined with cheesecloth. With the cold, it wasn’t as if they had problems with foods spoiling tooquickly.
The atmosphere remained calm, as if it were any other day. No one brought up the dreaded topic of tonight when the curse would claim their lives. My knees bounced under the table, not wanting to think about it,either.
“Have you kissed Bee this morning?” Leven nudged Talin in the arm as he passed and made his way to the walk-in pantry. “To keep the curse in check and because she tastes delicious.” His laughter faded as he vanished into the room stacked with preserves andfoods.
Heat climbed my cheeks. I didn’t need them ordering Talin to make a move. If he wanted to, he’d do it when he was ready. Sure, back in the woods, I’d almost exploded with an orgasm brought to life by his passion, but there was this uncertainty between us, as if he were holding back. As the rightful king to the throne, he would have reservations, and I fully expected him to see me as a solution to his problem—no emotionsinvolved.
Ash glanced my way and winked, his smirk reassuring, seemingly uncaring that Talin approachedme.
“Is that okay?” he asked, offering me hishand.
“Yeah.” My voice wavered, and I cleared my throat. “I don’t need you all turning into uncontrollable beasts and hunting me down. Plus, it helps me manage Lilita.” I laughed, feeling as if maybe I’d misinterpreted their affection as a need to control themselves. But then why did Leven share his emotions, or Ash, orRaze?
I accepted Talin’s hand, which was soft against mine. He guided me out of the kitchen just as Raze waltzed in, his smile beaming. My heart palpitated at the way he stared at me with grinning eyes, and his gaze fell to our fingers intertwined. I froze at first, but I shouldn’t have. Would he think I jumped from one man to the next without a care? A blaze climbed up myneck.
“Where are you two off too?” he asked and then leaned over, placing a peck on my nose as he groped mybutt.
“Talin’s getting his morning kiss,” Ash said, breaking the white cheese into bite-size chunks. “But he’s too shy to do it in front ofus.”
Raze roared with laughter, his eyes watering with amusement. “Come on. None of us have issues with sharing. Stop actingweird.”
I did a double take in Raze’s direction. They had no problems with them all sharing me or was he referring to whole taming-the-cursething?
Talin huffed and stuck out his chest. “Do you think I want to show you all my moves?” He whisked me outside into the hallway before shutting the kitchendoor.
“I’m starved,” Raze said from inside, but Talin drew me deeper into thecorridor.
“Why are you so shy?” I asked. “I would never have guessed a future king would be that way. Especially with the way your brothersare.”
“You mistook respect for shyness. I love my brothers. I won’t get into a deep passionate kiss with a girl I admire in front of them. Not mystyle.”
So he admired me, and here I thought he saw me as a means to the end. Though that hadn’t stopped me from fantasizing about him too. Butterflies swarmed in my gut as if I were going on a first date. I followed him into a room with a chestnut table running down the middle and six chairs. Nothing else, not even a chandelier and candles. Sunlight poured in from the uncovered window, and beyond that lay a snowy landscape with pine and mountains in the distance. “Wow. That’sbeautiful.”
Talin stood behind me, pushing his chest against my back, and I inhaled his musky scent. His arms hooked around me. “Everything about the castle reminds me of my childhood. The festivals my parents would hold, the laughter booming throughout the halls. I’d hide in a different room when bedtime came to avoid going to sleep. My dad always found me and carried me to bed on his shoulders. That’s the type of future I dream of for myfamily.”
I leaned into his arms, loathing that Rek had dragged Talin into this mess. “I promise to do everything to make it areality.”
His kiss on my neck incited tingles that ran through my chest. “I wouldn’t want anyone else helpingus.”
