The Prince and the Player

“Cause his death? But how? Did they shoot him?”

“His heart was bad. He had a terrible temper, and they knew how to get him worked up into a rage. The night he died they’d had a terrible fight about joining forces with Twatrington.”

My head pops up. “Twatrington? What’s that?”

He grins and runs his thumb along my jawline. “Our neighbor to the southwest. They’ve attacked farmers along our border for years. Their ultimate goal is to combine the two countries into one—under their rule.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Better access to the sea, tourism dollars. We’ve spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with the nobility. Most of our visitors spend large amounts of money here because they have deep pockets, and we’re thought of as something of a high-end destination.”

“I definitely agree with that. Everything is so beautiful and refined—the architecture, the sea. It’s like an elegant paradise.”

He shifts to the side and puts his palm on my face, softly running his fingers over my lips. The depth of his gaze makes my stomach squirm.

“Are you saying you might want to stay here? Longer than a week?”

That little fish is back, flipping all around my insides. “I think it would be amazing to stay here.”

He pulls me closer, rolling me onto my back and leaning down to kiss my neck, gradually working his way up to my jaw, sending heat rising under my skin, chasing after his luscious lips. We kiss long and passionately. I pull his bottom lip between mine; he catches my top. I’m completely turned on by the time we come up for air.

“Then we’ll have to figure out a reason for you to stay, won’t we?”

Exhaling a laugh, I shake my head. “If only it were that easy.”

“Maybe it can be.” He covers my mouth again, pulling me onto his lap in a straddle. I lift my hips, and he moves into position to plunge deep inside me, drowning my doubts in the flood of our desire.

Afterglow

Rowan

Opening my eyes in the bright, blue suite with Ava snuggled soft and warm at my side is like waking up in the clouds, no longer on Earth, just this side of heaven. Stretching gently, I do my best not to wake her. I shift to my side and look down at her.

Her knees are bent, and one hand is under her face. Her long lashes rest on the tops of her cheeks, and her pink lips are slightly parted. Dark hair fans out behind her, and my fingers ache to touch her. She’s so incredibly beautiful.

I think about last night, what she told me, and I have to wrestle down the fury threatening to rise in my chest again. She didn’t say the words, but from the implication… Was she raped?

I can’t even think it without thoughts of murder filling my mind. I don’t want to make her relive a painful time from her past, but if someone hurt my Ava in that way, I will find out who did it. That bastard’s days are numbered.

She stirs, e

xhaling a soft noise, and my chest tightens with joy. In spite of her past, she made love so passionately last night. She went with me wherever I wanted to take her. She stole my heart. I don’t know how I’ll let her leave at the end of her visit.

Her eyelids flutter, and the hand under her cheek reaches out. I catch it in my larger one, and pull it to my lips, causing her eyes to spring open.

“Rowan,” she says softly. I love sound of her voice saying my name. “Were you watching me sleep?”

“Yes.” I slide the back of my fingers down the smooth skin of her arm.

Her shoulder rises and she exhales a laugh. “That tickles.”

“Ava,” I groan. Yep, my morning wood is aching, and it didn’t take more than that to push me over the edge.

Pulling her to me, I slide down to kiss her soft breasts, running my tongue over her tightening nipple before sucking it firmly into my mouth. She arches her back, softly laughing as her fingers thread into the sides of my hair.

“You didn’t get enough last night?” her voice taunts me. Still, she squirms around to press a kiss against my temple.

“No.” I move lower, kissing the curve of her hip before moving to the center, circling my tongue around her navel.