Page 14 of The Fae Kings' Bargain

Ria’s brow creased. “That is your sole concern from my words?”

He risked another couple of steps closer until he could almost reach out and touch her. But unlike Toren, he wouldn’t dare to do so. Mehl was well aware that he lacked his husband’s mesmerizing pull. He was far more prepared to wait with endless patience like the bodyguard he’d once been—and always would be.

“Who do you think gave Toren the idea, Lady Ria?”

“I thought we were dropping titles,” she retorted, her nostrils flaring.

His fingers itched to brush across her cheek. “I was the only one who gave leave to do so.”

Ria huffed. “You have my leave, though it hardly matters. I’m still not sure you are correct about the title.”

Silence rang through the large, nearly empty room as Mehl studied her. She stood as stiffly as the uncomfortable chairs lined up against the wall, her bearing as regal as the pair of thrones at the far end. But the way her fingers twisted in front of her waist revealed the nervous fear she was trying to contain.

“It is not my intention to scare you, nor is it Toren’s.”

“I know,” Ria answered softly. “But all of this… It makes no sense. Everyone knows that High King Toren is seeking a breeding alliance, of course, but that is for the throne, not pleasure. I bring no prestige. No noble or royal bloodline. No riches, at least not compared to yours. The only benefit is to me in escaping my father for good.”

His chest tightened at the true confusion filling her face. “Do you truly not realize we desire you?”

Her eyes went wide. “I… You’ve both implied such, but I don’t understand. By all accounts, you’ve been committed to each other for a century. Not only is your preference for men, but any heir would have to be of the high king’s bloodline. So—”

“You should know that since I am wed to Toren, your child together would also be mine.” Mehl took another step forward. “And our preferences are not set the way you seem to believe. Toren and I have shared women before, though it was before we married. Rest assured that I’m more than capable of pleasuring you without getting you pregnant. You are correct that that would be Toren’s job. Only afterward would we join.”

She gasped, and with satisfaction, he noticed that her breathing went shallow. “Shared…”

“I’ve been given leave to test our compatibility,” Mehl murmured.

“Here?” she asked, her voice going high as her worried gaze took in the room. “Now? You actually think I will—”

“Relax, Ria,” Mehl interrupted with a chuckle. “Toren said I could have a single kiss and caress without him here, nothing more. With your permission, of course. Every alliance requires cooperation, and this one more than most.”

Her shoulders went back. “Toren seems more inclined to take.”

Mehl shrugged. “Only to a point. The mother of our child will be a rather permanent person in our lives even if there is no sexual relationship beyond conception. Neither of us is foolish enough to begin this with resentment.”

“Then again that begs the question… Why me?” she asked.

What could he say to convince her? Because the truth was, he didn’t have a clear reason. On the surface, everything she said was true. It wasn’t unheard of for a king or queen to marry or produce an heir with a commoner, but it wasn’t typical, either. She didn’t bring connections, not even within the merchant community considering the way her father had treated her. They hadn’t fallen into some great love like a tale out of legend.

And yet.

Something in Mehl was drawn to her in a way that defied logic. He didn’t have Toren’s gift, which required a mate who could withstand his magic, but it didn’t seem to matter. Every time Mehl was near Ria, his body and soul called to hers in a way he hadn’t experienced with anyone but Toren. If she accepted the breeding alliance, he would no doubt spend the next year convincing her to stay with them beyond the contract—and he couldn’t even define why.

“I don’t know,” Mehl finally said. “Some things simply are.”

She canted her head. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Grant me a kiss, and I will see if I can show you.”

Mehl braced himself for her rejection, so it took him a moment to process her nod of acceptance. But it wasn’t victory that filled him. For the first time in decades, he had to fight against a moment of nerves. He hadn’t kissed anyone but Toren in over a century, after all, and he rarely acted the assertive one anymore.

Then she licked her lips, her eyes filled with curious heat, and his uncertainty fled.

* * *

The last thingRia had expected when she’d decided to visit the palace this morning was to be tugged into King Mehl’s arms in the center of a private receiving room. But even if she had considered the possibility, she never could have imagined the impact of his mouth on hers. Never. The desire she’d felt when he’d caught her against him the night before was nothing to this conflagration.

As his mouth toyed with hers, Ria ran her hands up his chest and around his neck, the long strands of his hair tangling in her fingers. Without prompting, she opened her mouth to his, and their tongues met in an endless duel. He’d said one kiss, and it was clear he planned to make the most of it.

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