AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zephy shook her silken, black mane, the remaining tresses slipping from her bun to fall along the fine lines of her jawbone.
“It’s true. I warned Stralia that if she ever came around like that again, she would be banished from the palace altogether.”
I inhaled deeply. “And then you were just gone.”
Very slowly, Zephyrine’s shoulders sank. Guilt colored her face as her cheek fell fully into my hand. “Oh, Zephy, I wish you’d come to me, talked to me. That’s what partnerships are about.”
“I thought you were playing me for a fool,” she whispered, biting on her lower lip. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“I understand why you did it,” I told her, and in that moment, I truly did.
I wished she had come to me first, but I might have reacted the same way if I had been in her position. Her eyes half-closed, and relief flooded my body as I realized I had her back, her doubts about me entirely resolved.
Slowly, I slid closer to her on the leather seats, and she moved toward me, too.
“My parents,” she muttered. “They must be heartbroken.”
“They’ve returned to Carrottrove. I promised to keep them updated. I never had any doubt that I would find you, my love.”
Her head moved up, her eyes locking on mine as I again mentioned love. Our lips were inches apart, but I didn’t kiss her yet, as more questions were burning in the depth of her smoldering irises.
“And Maywin?”
“She’s still at the palace, waiting for you to return… at Jasper’s side,” I promised.
“She really didn’t know anything,” Zephy told me urgently. “I hope you weren’t cruel to her.”
I scowled again. “I wasn’t.”
Zephy’s hands came up and cupped my cheeks. “Thank you, My King.”
Her mouth crushed down on mine, and all the stress I had endured over the past twelve days disappeared beneath the salty sweetness of her full lips.
Breathlessly, we pulled apart.
“Let’s go home,” I urged her. “Everyone is eager to see you.”
She shook her head. “No,” she whispered. “Not yet.”
Her legs fell over mine as she pinned me to the seat, and I didn’t fight it in the least. We had a little bit of lost time to make up for, after all.
Chapter6
Zephy
Mini explosions burst through me as Cade’s arms wrapped around my waist. I truly hadn’t let myself accept how much I had yearned for him until this exact moment, and now that it was upon me, I thought I would drown in the waves that overtook me, one after the other, my mouth pressed to his.
The tips of our tongues touched, forging bolts of electricity down my spine and into my veins, a sigh intermingling with our kiss.
“Don’t ever do anything like this again,” Cade rasped at me, his mouth barely leaving mine, breath hot against my face.
I wanted to assure him I wouldn’t, but I couldn’t find my voice. I wished I hadn’t left at all now, that I’d gone to him, or barged in on him and Stralia at the time, but hindsight was always 20/20.
His hands tightened around my back, pulling me against his chest. His heart beat with such intensity that I could tell he wasn’t lying, just to feed me a line and bring me back to the palace to marry him for the throne.
He really loves me. And I love him.
There hadn’t been any doubt that I loved him all along, which was why the decision to leave had hurt so much. But somehow, knowing how much I loved him was different at this moment, the pair of us rocking the back of the SUV to squeak the giant wheels on their axles.
