Page 163 of The Prince's Curse

“More than anything,” he said, his voice rough.

“And I love you,” she said. Her words pierced through the scar tissue that had wrapped around his heart, deep into his psyche. “And it is the greatest honor of my life to call you mine, Dmitri Kovalev. And if you think that you will lose me so easily, you do not know me.”

Her brow arched in a quiet challenge, and he let out a soft laugh. “I forgot that there was such steel in my soft little bunny.”

“More steel than soft,” she huffed. Her lips pursed into a smile. “Your Czech is very good now.”

“I had a lot of time to practice for you,” he said. Then he lunged in to kiss her, prompting a cascade of giggles that warmed his heart. Before she could smart off, he sealed her lips, welcoming the searching of her tongue.

“Much better,” he bit out, hiking her thighs around his waist. “I missed you.”

“As did I,” she said. “Take me upstairs.”

“Gladly.”

Chapter 39

One Month Later

From within the private bathroom, Scarlett’s humming echoed in a pleasant song. Julian leaned against the wall to listen to her soft voice. Her belongings were strewn around his office, with a pair of shoes under the expensive leather chair and a makeup bag on his polished desk. The contrast of color against polished woodmade him smile; he quite liked her in his space.

He’d resisted for long enough, but after another six weeks of rebuilding its security, the Durendal Court was reclaiming Infinity, and he had taken over Eduardo’s office.

No, not Eduardo’s.

His office.

The office of the court Elder, the man who shouldered the burden of caring for and protecting all his family. This space was no longer too large for him, no longer too big for him to grasp.

And tonight, they would make it official. This space belonged to the Durendal court, under his protection and leadership.

He quietly adjusted his shirt cuffs before finally tapping his fingers on the bathroom door. “Scarlett?”

“Almost ready!” she called.

Safira had been right about her; Scarlett had taken quickly to dressing up for court functions. He’d thought she would balk, but she had a feminine streak that flourished now that she didn’t have to hunt every night.

She emerged from the bathroom and spread her arms. “How do I look?”

Heat spilled into his veins, down his spine to pool like gasoline in want of a match between his thighs. He cleared his throat. “Good enough to strip you naked and fuck you up against the wall. Or perhaps on the desk. Maybe both, just to be sure.”

Her eyes widened, but then her dark-painted lips spread in a wide grin. “I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said, smoothing the snug sequined dress over her hips. Her red hair hung in long waves over her shoulders and down her back. Frilly layers of the skirt skimmed her thighs in an asymmetrical spill down to the floor, baring her right leg nearly to the hip.

When she sauntered toward him, her scent washed over him. Slender fingers smoothed his collar, then lightly traced his goatee.

“Did my barber do a good job?” he asked.

She smirked, then kissed his lips lightly. “Perfect. You look divine.”

He smiled against her lips. “As long as you’re happy.”

“Very happy,” she said. He watched with amusement as she gathered her stray belongings and tossed them into a duffel bag. She cast a longing glance at her sneakers, then slid into a pair of high heels and winced.

He raised an eyebrow. “There’s no rule saying you have to wear uncomfortable shoes. In fact, I can make a rule that forbids uncomfortable shoes in my court.”

With a laugh, she stood up and tested her weight. “They make my legs look good.”

“Your legs always look good. They look absolutely marvelous naked and wrapped around me,” he said.

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