It may have been the wine, or the thrill of rebellion, but I let the heady feeling take control. All the years of doing what I was supposed to, saying no when I wanted to say yes, denying myself simple pleasures for the sake of duty—it all melted away as I stared at the auburn-haired Prince before me.
I closed the space between us and kissed him with everything I had. As our lips met, I could feel a smile spread across his cheeks. He tasted of smoke and wine—of danger. I pulled him closer. This was a mistake and I didn’t care.
I dropped the blanket and then we were body against body. His hands roamed down my back and over my curves; I could feel everything through my thin gown.
His tongue found mine and I opened for him, until we were tangled together. I pulled at his hair, while he lifted my chemise higher and higher, then his hand was on my bare thigh. It sent a current of scalding, hot energy through me.
His kisses weren’t sweet like Deric’s. They were deep and searching… reaching every part of my nervous system.
My breath caught when he began exploring places that had never been touched. I gasped, wrapping a leg around him to balance myself, as he continued to tease me, traveling up… up…
This was moving too fast. I should push him off. I should demand he leave at once. He moved even higher… and then he stopped.
I was shivering.
Why had he stopped?I neededmore. I let out a whimper.
Galen’s eyes were simmering embers. “Tell me what you want,” he whispered.
I couldn’t breathe. I could barely speak. “More.”
“More what?” He smiled.
“Please… Touch me.”
“So polite,” he said, nipping at my bottom lip. He pushed my underwear aside and I tensed. “You’re shaking. Are you nervous? Am I the first one to touch you like this?”
I nodded helplessly as his fingers roamed between my legs, causing a throbbing ache deep inside of me. They moved slowly, as if trying to memorize each valley and peak. I took shallow, quick breaths, feeling light-headed.
“Fuck… how lucky am I?” he breathed, gently spreading me open, rubbing the moisture that had formed. Warmth pooled at my core. I laid my head against his shoulder, wanting to sink my teeth into it.
“You’re so wet. I want you just as badly.” He guided my hand to the hardness that pressed against his buttoned pants. I moved tentatively, tracing the shape of him.
He encouraged me to continue roaming, while his breath hitched with every stroke of my hand. But I felt clumsy and unsure compared to him. He knewexactlywhat he was doing. The room started to spin.
He nibbled my ear and licked down my neck, moving from one sensitive spot to the next, until I felt loose and tight, hot and cold. I was in purgatory, teetering between heaven and hell. It was excruciating… needing more than he was giving me. But I didn’t know whatmoreentailed.
Galen stepped away, removing his top layers, and breaking the spell.This was moving too fast.
“I’m not ready to…”
He closed the distance between us and kissed away my worries. “We’re not going to have sex tonight. I just want to touch you. Let me pleasure you.”
I nodded, dizzy from a potent mixture of excitement, nerves, and alcohol in my bloodstream.
His upper body was sun-kissed, covered in a thin layer of golden hair. Tight muscles ran down his abdomen. He looked built to fight, to hunt… to seduce women. I’d never been presented with anything so tempting and so terrifying.
He gently guided me to the bed, laying beside me. “I’ll take the lead. If at any time you don’t feel comfortable, just tell me to stop.”
I needed to tell himno. Instead, I wrapped my fingers around the back of his head and pressed my body against his, trembling with anticipation.
We didn’t rush as we laid there kissing, touching… My body temperature slowly rose until I was burning with fever.
Cupping my breasts, he rubbed lazy circles around hardened nipples, then licked and sucked through the fabric of my gown, until the peaks were unbearably sensitive—until I was moaning and arching into his touch. He moved lower down my stomach, trailing kisses along the way, while he lifted my chemise.
“Sit up,” he commanded, sliding the gown up and off. My underwear was next. With one flick of his wrist, I was naked.
I should’ve felt shy, but instead I feltfreeanduninhibited. Was this what it felt like to be Fae? Was my faerie blood the reason I was so willing to betray my good sense and bask in this moment?
