Page 180 of The Call of Crimson
Ayden’s jaw drops, and I blink slowly at the insinuation in Aurelius’ words. I probably should be embarrassed by his words, but I can’t find it in me to care right now. A full laugh breaks free from me, and I fight a snort.
“Oh, I’m well aware.” Ayden quickly recovers, giving us all a cocky smirk. “But that’s good to know. I’ll keep it in mind for the honeymoon.”
“I’m not sure when this turned into a dick-measuring contest, but we’re going to dance!” Rowina shouts, grabbing myhand. I quickly take another drink of the cider before I let her lead me into the crowd.
Ignoring both of their protests, Rowina shouts over her shoulder, “Besides, we all know I win that contest!”
She hands me her flask of the apple-flavored liquor, a devilish grin spreading across her beautiful face.
I take a sip, licking my lips. “Are you trying to get me drunk, Princess?”
“I thought that much was obvious,” she says with a wink.
“I should warn you, I’ve been known to make questionable decisions when intoxicated.”
“Oh?” she purrs, tracing a delicate finger along my jawline. “Are you saying you’ll finally let me have my chance between those pretty thighs?”
“Notthatquestionable.” I roll my eyes. “I’m still into males, Ro.”
“Only because you don’t know what you’re missing.” She pulls me into the center of the dance floor. “I know I make you curious, darling. Your mental shields aren’t completely impenetrable.”
I toss back another shot of the sweet liquor as I let the music take me. “You and your brother do like reminding me of that, and it drives me wild. I’ve never met anyone who was capable of breaking through my mental shield. Not even my own father.”
She just shrugs and says, “You’ll figure it out eventually.”
A pleasant buzz takes over my body as we lose ourselves to the melody. Time slows, and I’m unsure if it’s a few minutes or a few hours later that I feel Ayden’s presence behind me.
“Can I help you, Prince?” I ask without so much as looking at him.
He takes my hand, twirling me out and back into him. “They need to break down the dance floor.”
“I’m not done dancing,” I protest.
“Well, you’ll have to do it off the dance floor.” He tugs me gently away from the center of the space so the villagers can begin dismantling the makeshift dance floor.
Despite its absence, the musicians continue playing.
“In that case, I don’t need a dance floor,” I say with a grin, eyeing the empty tables.
Before anyone can stop me, I take a running leap and land in the center of one of the long tables. The thud is soft, but the attention is immediate. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Aurelius watching. His gaze is intense, but he doesn’t move toward me.
“The musicians are playing a dance that requires two people, love.” Ayden stares up at me, arms crossed, and raises a brow. “Do you plan to dance on your own?”
I laugh, mirroring his posture. “If I must. Or someone could join me up here. There is enough room for two.”
“How drunk are you?” he asks, stepping onto a chair.
“Not that drunk,” I say, just as Aurelius adds, “She’s obliterated.”
I flip him off as I giggle, “I don’t like you right now, Aurelius.”
He’s only maybe ten feet from us, so I can see the smirk that covers his face as he says, “You’re still a terrible liar, Princess.”
Ayden is fully on the table next to me now and leans in to whisper, “Well, if you’re obliterated, that makes two of us.”
He takes my hand and leads us in a quick-paced two-step dance. With the limited space on top of the table, we have to get creative, but we navigate the steps mostly gracefully. A few missteps and stumbles leave us both laughing in time with the music.
I’m drunk on both the cider and the atmosphere. The world spins around me as Ayden spins me out and back into him.
