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She stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind her, only to open once more. This time, it was Tristan who rushed through, urgency and relief etched across his face.
“Aurora!” His voice carried a hint of panic as he closed the distance between them, engulfing her in a protective embrace. His fingers trembled against her skin, as if ensuring that she was truly there. “What did you do?”
She couldn’t quite manage an answer. The world seemed to shrink to just the two of them. All that mattered was that he was there, alive, and safe.
With the barest of hesitation, her fingers found their way into his tousled hair, pulling him closer.
“You saved me,” he breathed, then pulled back to meet her eyes.
“You saved me first,” she whispered.
They held each other’s gaze for a long moment. Then, throwing caution to the wind, their lips met in a fervent collision. Tristan’s mouth molded against hers, conveying a depth of emotion that transcended words.
Their bodies moved in unison until they collided onto his bed. The air was charged with electricity. Pushing her skirt out of the way, Aurora straddled his lap, his warmth encompassing her. Every touch from him was both familiar and thrillingly new.
Tristan’s lips ventured across her skin, imprinting kisses that left her gasping for breath. Aurora’s nails dug into his back, an anchor in the storm of sensation that engulfed her. The friction was mind-scattering, dizzying, all-consuming. And all Aurora could think about was just how much she wanted to remove every layer between them. To feel his skin on hers one last time.
His tongue dipped between her lips, and a jolt of electricity zapped every nerve-ending in her body. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, trying to hold on to the fraction of time they had left. She wasn’t ready to let him go. She couldn’t bear to part from him. Not yet.
Pleasure surged, leaving them both intoxicated by its potency. Aurora’s gasps and moans mingled with his, making a delicious duet of longing and need. Time blurred, and the world faded to nothingness. And for that brief moment, Aurora knew in her bones that this was yet another goodbye between them.
A wave of sorrow surged through her, an ache in her chest that threatened to consume her. Reality crashed back, and soft sobs began to escape her lips.
Tristan’s kiss, which had been fervent against hers, softened like the delicate touch of a feather.
“I have to go,” she cried.
He cupped her wet cheeks and rested his forehead against hers. “Don’t go,” he whispered breathlessly. “Stay with me.”
Aurora wanted to stay. Wanted to never leave his side, but a force beyond her control kept her from forming the words. She thought about telling Tristan what Rumple had done, about the compulsion of the pixie dust, but she couldn’t bear the thought of Tristan putting his life at risk by chasing Rumple down and demanding that he release her. She feared he would hand over his kingdom on her behalf, and she simply could not let him do that.
“I can’t…” Aurora’s heart bled with every sob that escaped her trembling lips. “I made a promise that I must keep. To Hendrick.”
Tristan’s eyes shot open. It was as though the prince’s name jolted Tristan back to reality. To a reality that would shatter both of their hearts.
“I understand,” he finally said, caressing her cheek. “If I were him, I would be counting every moment of every day for all eternity until the day I got to see you again.”
“I need you to know that regardless of the reasons I had in the beginning… you were never a pawn to me,” she confessed. “My love for you was true.”
His response was gentle. “I know.”
She reached for his hand, their fingers intertwining. “It still is,” she whispered.
Tristan met her gaze, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. “I know.”
When neither of them spoke, Tristan rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. “All I want is to freeze this moment and stay here forever with you.”
“That sounds like a dream,” she admitted, “but as we know, dreams end, and reality sets in, forcing us to move on.”
She could feel Tristan’s shoulders deflate. “Right,” he sighed, squeezing her hand as though bracing himself to face the harsh reality they both knew awaited them. “I guess it’s time to wake up, then.”
Gazing into his eyes, she pressed her lips to his with one last tender kiss.
The door burst open as a group of guards hurried in, their presence scattering the fragile cocoon of their private world. “We found him!” The words spilled out with both urgency and triumph, relief flooding their panic-stricken faces as they promptly bowed to their soon-to-be king. “Your Majesty.”
With a composed grace that masked her broken heart, Aurora rose to her feet, smoothing down the folds of her dress. Killian followed the guards into the room, his eyes immediately finding Aurora’s as he silently gave her a questioning look. In response, she offered a subtle nod, signaling that everything was all right.
Killian’s shoulders visibly relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping him. Then he turned to address the guards. “Send out word to the guests that the coronation will resume. And someone inform the tailor. The prince will require a new attire suitable for the ceremony tonight.”
