Page 18 of Beauty and Her Beasts (Dirty Paranormal Fairytale Haremlan 1)

He shrugged.

I found myself leaning in closer to him, wanting to know about him, and the way his mind worked. I was curious to see how rough his hands were, with all the work he does on the grounds. I was even more curious to find out how his lips felt against mine and the way his mouth tasted. His lips parted as his eyes searched mine, questioning what I was doing. Before I could stop myself, my lips pressed against his.

He kissed me back, filling my mouth with a sweet tang I couldn’t place. The flavor reminded me of honeysuckle but there was a bitterness underneath all the sweet. His tongue danced along mine as he took over. His arm wrapped around my shoulders, and he busied his other hand with removing the cloth of my skirt from my leg. The warmth of his hand as it glided higher along my thigh was a stark contrast to the chill in the air.

I moaned softly.

He urged me to lay on the bench, settling himself between my legs. His mouth left mine and he parted my shirt so that he could dot my skin with the heat of his lips. I ran my fingers through his hair and relished in the feel of his touch.

Yes, I thought. Yes!

Declan’s hand traveled higher, finding purchase on my swollen, sensitive mound. His finger flicked my clit once.

My legs quivered. I gasped as pleasure filled the space between my legs.

Moon barked and whined.

Declan sighed as he stopped and pulled himself up. His attention fell onto his wolf. After a few moments of watching him and me catching my breath, he said, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to be carried away.”

I stared at him in confusion. Was I repulsive? Did I have an odor? Was my breath horrible? Regardless of the reason, I was already growing tired of men pulling away just when things got heated up.

“Not this again,” I snapped and sat up.

He settled a puzzled gaze on me. “What do you mean again?”

“Exactly what I said. And for the record, I amnotsorry,” I said. “I encouraged you. And I would happily do it again.”

“I knew better,” Declan said, shaking his head. “The fault is mine.”

He removed himself from the bench and readjusted his clothing, including tugging on the crotch of his pants where a very visible erection tightened them.

I snorted. “Hardly. Though I am curious, what is your reason for stopping?”

“The explanation is more involved than what time I have available.” He stammered through his words.

“Try anyway,” I said. “And if your next excuse is I won’t understand, I’m sure I’ll be able to keep up.”

“But you don’t understand. This isn’t even my story to tell. True, I’m involved, but the telling is not my place,” Declan said.

“Well, the story, regardless of who it belongs to, most certainly involves me, and I demand to know what is going on. So, spill it.” My cheeks were burning, and it wasn’t thanks to the heat of the sun, but to my growing frustration.

Declan’s lips were sealed tight.

I chuckled sarcastically. “Unbelievable. Whatever is going on between you two needs to get figured out. Before the next time either one of you kisses me again.”

Declan sobered up and leveled his gaze on mine. “You did this with Gunnar as well?”

I shrugged. “Well, I tried. We didn’t get very far either if that’s what you are wondering.”

He smiled. The action wasn’t warm and inviting but dripped with sarcasm and warning. His eyes turned cold, making the blue even icier. “If you’ll excuse me, I have something I need to see to. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

He left without waiting for a response. Moon followed, close on his heels. I watched him disappear toward the castle and blew out a raspberry. Clearly, there was something going on that both men were in on, and they seemed intent on keeping me in the dark. That chapped me.

I needed to get to the bottom of whatever was going on before the desire in me burned me alive. My mood was soured, and the only way I could think of turning things around was heading up to my room and taking care of things myself. Maybe finishing off with a cold shower.

With one last glance around me, I let out a frustrated sigh, stood from the bench, and started for the back door of the castle.

Making it up to my room was a breeze. No-one stopped me or asked me any questions. Thankfully. And once I turned the corner that led directly to my door, I slammed into Gunnar’s hard chest.

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