Those three words sent tension ratcheting up my spine. Each thrust shoved her closer to the headboard, until she was forced to lift her hands to keep her head from slamming against it.
“More,” she moaned.
I’d give her more. I’d give her everything. I’d take her to the top of this cliff once more and fall over the edge still clinging to her.
I lifted one of her long, shapely legs over my shoulder so I could drive myself into her tight body until she stopped begging and started whimpering. I found that spot that drove her wild and teased her until we were both crying out for one another and clinging to the glittering edge of bliss.
My lips grazed the inside of her knee as we rediscovered each other. The sound of our bodies meeting over and over again pounded in time with my galloping heart until spots speckled at the edge of my vision. Pleasure ripped through me, spilling into the deepest recesses of her.
Next time, I’d take my time. Next time, I’d show some semblance of control. Next time…
I collapsed onto the mattress beside Keelynn and drew her into my arms, her head finding its home on my chest. Toying with the ends of her hair, I allowed myself to revel in this love I thought I’d never find. The world outside this room was falling to pieces, and yet I couldn’t stop smiling.
My finger slipped beneath her pointed chin, urging her eyes to mine. “I have missed you, not only for the last year, but for my whole life.” I drew in a shaky breath. Now for the part I’d truly been dreading. “I’m afraid there’s something I must tell you. While you were gone, I—”
Her palm pressed against my lips, stopping my confession. “What happened while I was gone doesn’t matter. What matters is that you and I are together now.”
What had I done to deserve such a good woman? Not a damn thing. “You should marry me. Again,” I added with a chuckle. “But this time, I don’t want to wed in secret. I want the world to know we’ve found each other. That because of you, I am finally free.”
Keelynn’s eyes widened, and the corner of her lips lifted. “A real wedding?”
I nodded, willing to give her the world if she kept smiling at me like that. “As big or as small as you’d like. Whatever you want, name it, and it will be yours. Flowers, candles, cakes, jugglers—”
“Jugglers?” she laughed. “I’m almost afraid to ask what sort of weddings you’ve been to.”
“None as glorious as the one I want to give you. If you’ll have me, that is.”
Her fingers slid across my stubbled jaw, drawing me in for a slow, deep kiss. “I’ll have you, my prince. Now and forevermore.”
12
KEELYNN
As I meanderedup the winding staircase, trailing my fingertips along the smooth gray stones, I couldn’t believethiswas my life.Thiswas my home. How many other hands had done the same in this ancient place? Had any of them been humans?
At the landing, I turned right, still getting used to the size of this beautiful castle. The other day, I’d accidentally taken a wrong turn and ended up in an attic filled with broken furniture coated in a thick layer of dust.
At least I hadn’t stumbled upon any more bodies.
A smile had lived on my face ever since I’d returned a week ago. My sister was alive, and so was I, and together we were planning the most glorious wedding.
Sometimes my mind would wander to the last wedding we’d planned together—the one for Aveen and Robert. Any time those depressing thoughts dared to appear, I would squash them like ants under my heels. This was truly the most joyous time of my entire life.
Marrying not only the man I loved but a handsome prince as well.
The stuff of storybooks, fairy tales, and mythical legends.
Yes, I’d married him twice before, but this time felt different. This wouldn’t be under the veil of night or guise of saving my life. This ceremony meant standing in front of the world and Tadhg’s people, declaring our love for one another.
Tadhg had been incredibly supportive of all my ideas for our wedding. We would be married in the great hall and invite everyone he knew. I’d been working with Eava on the menu and most importantly—at least according to Tadhg—the cake. Four tiers of amaretto and vanilla deliciousness slathered in buttercream frosting. The samples Eava had made were perfection.
“Aveen?” I rapped my knuckles against her door. “Aveen, are you there?” I had been so nervous about how Aveen and Tadhg would get on given how protective she’d been of me. But they’d had plenty of time while I was cursed to sort out their differences. The same could not be said for herself and Rían.
Every time I asked about their relationship, her smile fell away. So I’d stopped asking. Still, I saw the way she glanced at him when he walked by, her eyes filled with such longing. And the way he stared at her over dinner when she wasn’t paying him attention was borderline obscene.
I did not approve of the two of them together. Not in the slightest. Rían was an ass at the best of times. Still, she deserved to be happy, and she supported my relationship with Tadhg. I needed to do the same for her.
Her soft voice reached me a moment later. “Come in.”