Page 32 of Promise of Darkness
It’s like an arrow, straight to the heart. “Hmm.” He’s clearly trying to remember precisely what he said.
“I’ll save you the trouble. You need to woo a haughty, arrogant princess, which I presume is me, in order to somehow see your wife again.” Once more, my hand drops to the dagger. “And I promise you now, you’re the last male in the entire alliance that I’d ever allow to put his hands upon me.”
“But that’s a lie, Princess.”
Oh, how I hate that smug purr.
“Or have you forgotten our agreement?” He takes a step closer. “Though technically, I suppose we can say it shall be your lips upon mine.”
“Not if you’re dead.”
His gaze drops to the dagger, and another slow, heated smile flashes my way. “Cold iron, I presume? Straight through the heart.” Opening his arms wide, he entices me. “Have at.”
There’s no point drawing the dagger. I’m not going to kill him, nor am I going to fight him. I have no horse, I’m in the middle of an unknown landscape, and I cannot bear to deal with his smirk if he takes the blade away from me.
Which he will. I know it.
So, I do the sensible thing and bolt for his horse.
“Vi!” he yells, and then he’s cursing under his breath as I sprint through the snowy forest. “I swear to the Old Ones, I’m going to thrash you!”
He’d have to catch me first, and if there’s one thing I am, it’s fast.
And inspired.
Gnarled old trees whip past me. I’m making headway when I swear one of them reaches out with a branch and trips me. Staggering forward, I gain my feet just in time to hear his harsh panting behind me.
A blur comes toward me out of the corner of my eye, and then his heavy weight slams into me.
We hit the ground, snow flying up around us as I kick and scramble. Gods, he’s strong. It’s like wrestling a bear. I may have overestimated my ability to defeat him.
“Hold still!”
I spin, wrapping my thighs around his hips and sending us rolling. A stick jabs my shoulder, but it’s the heavy weight of his body as he flips us that drives the breath from my lungs. I land flat on my back, and there’s no escaping him. Curse it. Every furious wriggle only succeeds in ensconcing him even more firmly between my legs.
The Prince of Evernight is between my thighs, and this is not how I planned this at all. I go still, giving in to the inevitable. For now.
Thiago breathes hard, pinning my wrists to the ground. “Well, that was fun—if predictable. Now what?”
Balls, or throat?
He sees my eyes narrow, correctly guesses which one I’ll choose, and takes my knee to his thigh, instead.
A grinning leer paints his face and he leans closer until our noses almost touch. “Pre-dic-table.”
I want to kill him.
Slowly.
“Enjoy the moment, Your Highness. Because this is as close as you’re ever going to get to winning me into your bed.”
“Would you care to make a wager on that?” He gathers both my wrists in one hand and then rests his weight on his other elbow.
I squirm. Nothing. “What do you have in mind?”
“Within the three months, I’ll have you in my bed, Princess.” He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip, his voice lowering to a husky whisper. “Andyou’ll enjoy it.”
A furious quiver runs through me. Mostly at myself and how much a part of me enjoys that simple touch. I bite his thumb, and he laughs.
