She blinked her tear-filled eyes and nodded up at him. “Exactly. But I don’t think you have it in you.”
He barked a laugh, throwing his head up. Even now, the woman was incorrigible. She was surrounded by sheep, in the middle of a paved road, staring down a vampire, and she had the nerve to call him on his bluff. It was no wonder he’d fallen for her. She was every bit as strong as him and even more stubborn. What a fool he’d been.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said as he closed the distance between them. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll tell you exactly why I asked you to leave.”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and she gulped. Bright pink spots flared across her neck and chest.
“I asked you to leave because I was afraid. Afraid of putting you in harm’s way, of losing you like I’ve lost so many. Seeing you in Jezebel’s grasp was terrifying and it felt like just a tiny taste of what was to come. I was a coward and I hid behind my grief, pushing you away.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
“I wasn’t finished.” His eyes flashed with humor. “You were right about everything. I was wrong. I need you in my life, Cate. Now and forever. I know now, love is worth the risk. And for you, I’d risk everything. Forgive me?”
Her jaw snapped shut and she leaned in against him, the hard lines on her face softening. Wisps of hair blew across her face and he softly pushed them behind her ear before trailing his fingertips down her neck. She shivered underneath his touch, causing an ember to flair to life in his stomach. He’d never get tired of seeing her react to him. Of being the one who got to kiss her every night.
“You’re sure about this?” she mumbled, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.
“Are you?” he replied. After all, she was the one changing her life for him.
“Absolutely.” A sweet smile lit up her lips. “As long as you agree to the six kids and a gigantic wedding.”
He laughed and cradled her chin. “I’d agree to twenty kids and a wedding that would bankrupt the kingdom if only you’d come back to me.”
She opened her eyes and peered up at him, fixing him with a gaze that made the fire in his stomach roar. “You have me. Now and forever.”
It was all the confirmation he needed. His mouth crashed down on hers as he swept her up and spun her around. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and deepened the kiss. Setting her back on her feet, his hands spanned the width of her waist and he pulled her closer, growling when she nibbled on his lower lip. Heat rose to his skin as they kissed in the morning sun, spreading a delicious feeling across his body. If this is what it felt like to be consumed by the sun’s rays, then he would gladly die a thousand death’s in Cate’s arms.
If it wasn’t for the sound of cheering in the distance, they would’ve been lost forever in their embrace. But the noise caused them to pull apart and Cate ducked her head when they spotted Miranda and Stasia sitting on the hood of the Prius, whooping and hollering.
“I guess this isn’t the most private place to make out,” she mumbled happily.
He pressed his body against hers, wrapping his arms behind her back, and gave her a suggestive smile. “I know of several places much more private back at the castle that I’d love to show you.”
Red flared in her cheeks as she gulped. He laughed and pressed his lips to her forehead, breathing in the floral scent of his hair. Never in his life had he felt so deliriously happy.
And it was all because of a ridiculous reality TV show and one giant mistake.
Chapter Twenty-Five
CATE LEANED ON HER elbow and watched the sleeping man lying next to her. A satisfied grin lit up her face and excitement twinkled in her eye. It wasn’t until Viktor opened one eye to peer at her, did her smile threaten to crack her cheeks.
“Were you watching me sleep?” he grumbled, rubbing a hand over his face.
She bit her tongue and grinned. As pleasurable as it was watching the extremely sexy man that she loved nap in bed next to her, she had other things on her mind that morning. “No, just waiting for you to wake up.”
“It’s the same thing,” he growled pulling the sheets up over his face.
She frowned and reached under the covers, splaying a hand over his well-defined abdomen. The grumble in his chest was the only warning she got before he yanked her under and trapped her in his arms.
Placing sensual kisses along her jawline, Viktor nibbled at the curve of her neck, scraping the skin with his fangs. She moaned and pressed her hands to the back of his head, wriggling underneath his touch.
“It’s time,” she whispered as his kisses moved lower.
He paused, his hands glued to her abdomen. “Today?”
She laughed and swatted his shoulder. “Yes, today. Your coronation is in three days. You promised you’d do it by then.”
He swept the sheet off of them and sat up. She reveled in the full sight of his naked chest and tousled hair. He still had that sleepy, animalistic look in his eyes, the kind that said he could devour her for breakfast. She didn’t mind. She planned to be on the menu that morning, anyway.