AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not for clothes,” I admit. “But if we had gone to a bookstore, I might’ve been more excited.”
“Books?” He raises an eyebrow.
“I like to read.” I pull my cardigan tighter around me as I feel the cold air coming out of the vent. “There wasn’t much else to do when I was growing up, so I would read books and pretend I was anywhere else in the world.”
His entire posture stiffens. “You preferred fiction over being in a castle?”
Surprised by his reaction, I just shrug, trying to show him it’s not a big deal. “Are you hungry? I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
Stellan grins. “I’m starving. Do you want to have breakfast with me? I want to take you somewhere.”
My eyes widen, but I quickly nod, not wanting him to see my surprise.
“I would like that,” I say, trying hard to sound nonchalant.
His lips twist slightly and he nods his head, indicating that I should follow him. I start to grab my phone from my room but decide to leave it. I don’t want there to be any distractions today.
As we walk down the corridor, Stellan rests his hand onmy lower back, making my stomach twist.
Big deal. My husband is casually touching me. This should be normal, right?
Except… he’s spent every day since we got married either avoiding me entirely or avoiding physical contact. Even the kiss we shared at our wedding was so chaste it could hardly be called a kiss.
Still, it’s too early forthat. Even if I do wonder if his lips would be as warm as they were on our wedding day.
Everything about Stellan is warm. Well, other than his personality, but I decide not to focus on that. Instead, I think of his warm blue green eyes, his kind smile, and the way he is with his family. It’s easy to see that they love him and he loves them just as much.
“Is your dress one you picked out with Natalia?” Stellan asks, interrupting my thoughts.
I glance down at the dress in question. “Yes. She said all my clothes were too warm for the island.”
He grins. “And so you put on a sweater over the dress?”
“Because I’m not hot like a dragon shifter. It may be a tropical island, but it’s still winter.” I shiver, trying to prove my point. It’s not my fault they blast the AC in this place. I passed a thermostat that was set to sixty degrees—sixty.
Stellan doesn’t say anything, but when I glance over at him I see that he’s watching me out of the corner of his eye.
“What?” I ask, wondering if I have something on my face.
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
But he still doesn’t look away. Part of me wishes I did have powers like a dark fae so I could read his emotions, but maybe it’s better I don’t know. Maybe he’s watching me, regretting our marriage. Maybe he thinks it sucks hegot saddled with me as his bride. Maybe he preferred Poppy.
Nobody told me that being married would be so complicated.Menare complicated—at least Stellan is.
When I feel Stellan move his hand away from my lower back, my stomach sinks a little. At least until I feel him slide his hand against mine. He laces our fingers together and I try desperately hard not to react, but I can’t help it. I’ve never held hands with a guy before. My heart gallops weirdly in my chest and I’mveryaware that Stellan can hear it with his dragon shifter hearing.
“Where did my mom and sister take you yesterday?” Stellan asks.
I’m glad for his question because it distracts me from my mortification. Once again, I want to know where my fae grace and elegance went, because I havenoneof it.
I tell him about my previous day with Dove and Natalia. He laughs at the parts where I tell him about his sister bossing me around—I can only imagine how fun she was to grow up with. Though, to be fair, Poppy was too busy being melodramatic about her life to ever pay attention to me. So it was just Cypress and me.
“Wait, Natalia left Jason with Evander?” Stellan opens the passenger side door of the car for me.
I glance up at him. “Yeah, it surprised me too. I can only imagine the trouble Evander can get into.”
One corner of Stellan’s lips lifts into a smirk. “You already know my brother so well.”
