Chapter 7

Ari

T here was a certain urgency in our situation. I had a marriage looming in my future with a groom to educate on things I had no experience in.

But Salas’s words relaxed me.

“Nothing has to happen tonight.”

It was like a knot had been released, letting tension escape.

With a gentle squeeze of my hand, Salas rose to his feet. “Thank you for the pleasant evening, Your Highness.”

“You’re leaving?” I sprang from the couch.

With nothing happening tonight, Salas’s presence in my bedroom was no longer necessary.

He nodded. “I should go.”

A tendril of unexpected wistfulness tugged at my heart, as if I wasn’t ready to part with him yet. I glanced at the door to the sitting room where Gem and her army of guards camped out for the night.

“They expect you to stay until morning, Salas. You may as well do that. Stay.”

He gave me a long look, as if testing my resolve about the offer.

“You said nothing needs to happen,” I hurried to explain. “We’ll just sleep. I have a big bed. I don’t think I have a nightshirt big enough to fit you, but you can sleep just the way you are.” I gestured at his outfit from the material so thin, it could be used as a veil. “I have a spare toothbrush and an extra blanket too. And I don’t think I snore. So...”

He smiled at that last statement.

“A night without listening to the snoring of a few dozen other men in the barrack sounds tempting.”

“So, you’ll stay?”

“Thank you for your offer, Your Highness,” he said with a formal bow. “I accept it.”

brIGHT SUNSHINE WOKE me up. I squinted at it, confused. Why was the sun so high already? Then, I remembered. Salas stayed the night. My heart leaped with a jolt of nerves or thrill, or both.

We’d left the patio doors open before going to bed. My lacy curtains swayed in the cool morning breeze. During the night, I’d dragged the cover up to my ears and burrowed under Salas’s back like a rodent, seeking warmth from his large body. He was sleeping on his side with his back to me, also completely wrapped into his own blanket.

I shifted to get my glasses from the night table, and he stirred, rolling onto his back.

“Morning, Princess,” he murmured with an easy smile, as if it was a normal thing for us to wake up together.

“Morning.” I rose over him on my outstretched arm.

The sunshine brightened his eyes to honey-amber once again. From this close, I could also see the golden flecks and dark streaks in his irises. It looked too pretty, almost magical, for a simple man like him.

“You have freckles,” he said unexpectedly. “How have I not noticed them before?”

As I watched him, he clearly had been studying me too.

“Oh. Yeah, I have some.” I touched the side of my nose.

“They’re tiny. And only on your nose and here.” He tapped the top of my cheek with the tip of his finger. “Hard to see, especially from a distance, but very pretty.”

And now, I was blushing like a schoolgirl. What was it about this man that kicked me off-kilter so easily? I constantly had to remind myself of reality to keep my mind from floating off in a bubble filled with nothing but thoughts and sensations of him.

I dropped my gaze, and it landed on his bare chest. Once again, it amazed me just how smooth it was. His skin almost looked shiny, but the ruddy undertone was now gone.

“You’re not naturally this hairless, are you?” I asked.

“Oh, this?” He chuckled, running a hand over his chest. “That would be the one thing I could’ve done without yesterday—them ripping out all the hair on my chest.” He winced.

“Why would they do that?”

He rolled his head on the pillow. “They must’ve been under the impression you prefer bare-chested men.”

“I really don’t care either way.” I hadn’t interacted with men enough to form any preferences of that sort.

I placed a hand on his chest in the opening of his robe. His smooth skin felt warm and soft after the oils they had rubbed into it yesterday. He didn’t seem to mind my hand, letting it rest on his chest comfortably.

“Did you have a lot of chest hair before?” I asked.

He jerked up an eyebrow, humor shining brightly in his eyes. “Like a bear hide.”

I snorted a laugh. “It’s a shame I never got to see it. Did it hurt to remove it?

“Like a son of a mutt.”

I gasped. I never heard a man in Rorrim swear before. The fine gentlemen of the palace wouldn’t utter such vulgar words probably even in their thoughts.

“Where are your manners, Mister Salas?” I teased, leaning closer. The movement made my hand slide under his robe.

“If you wanted fine manners, my princess,” he matched my tone, “you shouldn’t have picked your date from slaves’ barracks.”

His face was turned up to me as I leaned over him. My thigh pressed to his side. My hand remained on his body under his robe. Surprisingly, I wished to stay right where I was, close to him like that.

“I think I found exactly what I needed,” I replied softly.

His expression turned serious, any hint of a smile was instantly gone. He rose on his elbow toward me but stopped before his lips had a chance to touch mine.

“Give me a sign, Princess,” he exhaled, the sweet scent of lilies from my teeth cleaning powder still fresh on his breath. “If you’re ready, give me a sign.”

“A sign?”

“A look, a touch, a gesture. Anything. I need to know. I’d love to kiss you right now, but I don’t want to frighten you.”

If he just went ahead and kissed me, I didn’t think I’d stop him. But I couldn’t bring myself to take that first step, and he wouldn’t do it for me, letting me move at my own pace.

I removed my hand from his chest and sat back quietly.

“Sorry. I... I can’t.” I looked at him in desperation, feeling deflated. “Something must be wrong with me.”

He sat up next to me.

“There is not a single fucking thing wrong with you, Princess,” he said with firm conviction. “Don’t ever think that. Besides, kisses aren’t necessary for either pleasure or procreation. Trust me, you can very well manage without them.”

“Really?” I tilted my head, pondering it for a moment. “Interesting. So, you don’t like kissing?”

“It depends.”

“On what?”

“On several things, one of them is the person I’m kissing.” He paused, before adding, “If you ever feel up to it, I would genuinely love to kiss you.”

It sounded so simple, like an offer between friends. It made it easy to be straightforward with him in return.

“I’m not sure if I’ll ever be up to anything, to be honest.”

“Fair enough—” He opened his mouth to say more, but a loud knock on the door interrupted us.

“Your Highness?” Gem yelled from behind the door, pounding her fist against it. “Princess Aniri?”

It was late morning already. Gem must’ve let me sleep in, taking into account my visitor, no doubt. But now, she sounded rather panicky, her voice filled with worry.

“May I come in?”

“No!” I jumped off the bed and ran out from behind the silk screen separating my bed area from the rest of the bedroom.

I didn’t want anyone to see Salas and me on the bed together like that—warm, relaxed, and comfortable. Nothing indecent was going on. We weren’t even naked. He was wearing his entire outfit of the robe and sarong. I had a floor-length nightgown on. But this moment belonged to us and only us, and I felt fiercely protective about sharing it with anyone else.

“I’m fine.” I leaned with my hand against the solid door, as if to hold it against Gem’s invasion. “What do you want?”

“Oh, good morning, Your Highness.” Worry eased from Gem’s voice. She spoke loudly for me to hear her through the thick wooden door that I refused to open. “How are you doing today?”

Now, I sensed a teasing note in her voice.

“What do you want, Gem?” I replied flatly.

“Her Majesty is wondering if you’ll be in a position to attend the council meeting this morning.” The word she emphasized obviously meant to hint at all the possible positions I might be in with Salas right now.

I rolled my eyes, ignoring her baiting me. “Why wouldn’t I?”

I checked the wall clock. I’d missed breakfast with my parents already. I’d never slept past breakfast. Ever. Usually, I was up before sunrise, if I even managed to fall asleep at all. Clearly, Salas proved to be a cozy sleeping partner. Warmth rushed through my body at the memory of cuddling against his back.

“I’ll be there,” I assured Gem.

“It’s starting in less than thirty minutes, Your Highness. Should I send a maid in to help you get dressed? How about a breakfast? To restore your strength?”

“No. Just... give me a minute. I’ll ring for the maid myself.”

I turned around to find Salas standing on this side of the screen. He must’ve heard at least my side of the conversation with Gem. Silently, he walked over to the couch to pick up his cloak.

It was time for us to part. A wisp of melancholy curled around my heart once again, but I couldn’t possibly keep him in my room forever.

He draped his cloak over his shoulders. Standing with my back to the door, I reached behind me and placed a hand on the door handle. Opening the door would end this night and our time together. It would burst our bubble of calm and sunshine, of just Salas and me. And I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

As he bent over to pick up the chain from the floor, I snapped, “Leave it. Gem will get rid of it.”

He straightened, stepping over the chain. His eyes found mine, and I saw some of my sadness reflected in them too.

“Salas...” I let go of the handle and stepped toward him, suddenly needing to be closer. Much, much closer.

I slipped a hand under his cloak and under his robe, finding his bare chest underneath the layers of fabric. I needed more. More of him. Before he left.

“This is the sign, Salas.” I tilted my head back, turning my face up to his. “The sign you’ve asked for.”

The focus in his eyes sharpened.

He leaned over me. Fast and unstoppable.

His body came flush with mine, and I whimpered, retreating to the door.

“Shh.” He cupped the side of my face, promptly taking half a step back to give me space. “It’s all good, sweetheart,” he cooed, calming me. His thumb gently stroked along my cheekbone, his hand being the only physical contact between us now. “I’ll never hurt you. I gave you my word, remember?”

I swallowed hard, enthralled by his words and his caress. He leaned closer, stealing my breath.

The touch of his lips came light and airy, like a dawn feather fluttering in the breeze. My heart fluttered, too, thrashing like a bird inside my rib cage.

He parted his lips, and I did the same, letting him deepen the kiss. He didn’t touch me anywhere else. It was just his mouth on my lips and his hand on my cheek. My awareness shrank to those two points of contact between us. The rest of the world no longer existed as my mind floated in a slow circle in a universe all of its own.

Pleasure surged in me with a shudder, I gripped his shoulder in search of support. I opened my eyes, forgetting when and how I’d closed them in the first place.

The room appeared to melt out of focus. His face was the only steady point in the chaos.

“There you go, Princess,” he murmured. “You can never again say that you haven’t been kissed.”

And so it happened.

Salas became my first kiss.

Emotionally elated, I felt physically weak, as if my bones had suddenly softened. I staggered forward, resting my forehead against his chest. He held me to him, and I trusted him to keep me upright, no matter how much I fell apart.

His heart thundered in his chest. It beat as fast as mine, as if he, too, was strongly affected by our kiss.

Needing to see his face, I lifted my head again.

“Was it a good kiss, Salas?” I had nothing to compare it to.

“It was perfect.” He wasn’t looking at me, staring straight at the door instead. “Probably, the best I’ve had.”

“Have you had many kisses before?”

Shifting me to his side, he reached for the door handle.

“Salas?” I prompted, afraid he wouldn’t answer.

“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve had many kisses, Princess. Not all of them I’ve wanted or asked for, though.”

His words came like a punch to my stomach. Chills spread through my body all the way to the tips of my fingers as the full meaning of his words seeped through every layer of my being.

“Salas.” I grabbed his hand before he turned the handle. “I want to see you again.”

He pushed the door open.

“Ari!” Gem jumped from the couch in the sitting room, then caught herself and sank into a bow like the etiquette demanded. “Good Morning, Your Highness.”

Salas drew his cloak’s hood low over his head. The moment we crossed the threshold, he stepped away from me.

The guards scrambled to their feet from where they had been sitting or sleeping in piles by the walls, around the fireplace, and on every piece of furniture in the room.

Gem leaned to my ear, speaking for only me to hear.

“I was this close,” she lifted her hand with her thumb and her forefinger almost touching, “ this close from breaking down the door this morning. The only thought that kept me from doing it was that you must be having a really good time with that slave.” She arched her eyebrow in question. “ Did you have a good time?”

I watched the guards lead Salas away. He didn’t turn around, didn’t wave, or say goodbye. He left, and I didn’t like the hollow feeling his departure caused in me.

“I need to see him again,” I said to Gem when we were left alone.

Her expression turned skeptical. “Was he that good? Or is it something else? I can’t tell by your face or by your behavior whether you’re pleased or pissed with him.”

“I’m not upset.”

“Well, that isn’t much. Was he or was he not a good fuck?”

Her swearing didn’t offend me. I swore and cursed too. It was perfectly normal in an all-female company. But I didn’t appreciate her word choice when applied to Salas.

“What?” She spread her arms out in response to my glare. “We aren’t at your mother’s ball. There are no men here. You won’t offend their delicate sensibilities. I can curse all I want. No need to beat around a bush. Was this slave any good at fucking?”

“I can’t answer your question for several reasons,” I replied icily. “One, I wouldn’t know how to rate his performance since I have nothing to compare it to. And two, we didn’t fuck.”

“You didn’t?” Her mouth fell open. “It’s past ten in the morning. What have you been doing all this time?”

“Sleeping.” I propped my butt on the back of the couch by the fireplace.

Gem sank into the chair by the closed patio doors, looking devastated from disappointment.

“And that’s it?”

“Yes. Mostly. But we also talked and ate. He made me tea and then... he kissed me this morning.”

“He did?” She perked up. “So, did you like the kiss?”

“I did, yes,” I admitted.

Gem threw her hands up in the air, casting her eyes upwards.

“Thank you, Eci, the Goddess of Winter, you didn’t create this woman out of ice after all!”

I shook my head at her antics.

“So.” She leaned closer in her chair. “Why didn’t he finish the job, so to say?”

“Meaning I’m his job? ”

She brushed me off with a hand gesture. “You know what I mean. Why did you stop at kissing?”

“We ran out of time.” I gave her the simplest of explanations. “You know I have things to do, but I slept in.”

“That’s absolutely fine. The queen is aware.”

“Mother knows?” I had the queen’s general approval, but I hadn’t informed her that Salas was visiting specifically last night.

She nodded. “I had to tell her. She sent for you this morning.”

“What exactly did you tell her?”

“That you had a male visitor overnight and that you needed some more time before you were ready to part from him. The queen seemed delighted. She said she wouldn’t fault you for skipping the council meeting, either, as long as you attend the dinner with the ambassador tonight. However, if you insist on going to the meeting, you’ll have to hurry. I’ll send the maids with breakfast right away and—”

“No. I don’t feel like rushing.” I shook my head, getting up. “Tell Mother I’ll be a little late. I need a few more minutes.”

“For what?”

To wrap my mind around everything that happened and figure out how to deal with the unexplained ball of longing growing in my chest.

But of course, I couldn’t tell Gem that.

“I need some time to rest.”

“From a kiss?” Gem winked. “Damn, he must be good.”

I said nothing to that, heading back to my bedroom.

“Ten minutes, Gem. Send the maid with a very strong coffee in ten minutes.” I shut the door, then crashed in my bed face down.

There was an added benefit to having Salas spend the night in my bed I noticed when taking a deep breath in. My sheets now smelled like him.