Biting the inside of my cheek, I hate that she is right, but I refuse to admit it at the same time, at least not yet.
“It is our custom.”
Birdie snorts, arching a brow. “Liv would not care, not when it comes to someone that she loves and she does, right? She loves you.”
Reaching forward, I take Birdie’s hand in mine and give her a gentle squeeze. “She does,” I whisper. “And I love her just as if she were my own blood sister.”
Birdie is quiet for a moment, then she looks back over her shoulder toward Jeremiah before she brings her gaze back to meet my own.
“Then if that is the man that you wish to get to know better, I suggest you do it and quickly. You don’t want your brother to pick someone for you while you’re playing around here. Not if you can choose your own man, Liv will back you up and therefore, I do too.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Birdie shakes her head a few times. Then, I watch as she slowly stands to her feet and begins to make her way back toward the house.
It’s an unusually cloudy day, so we are enjoying being outside as I’ve heard the sun is quite damaging when it is out in full force.
Birdie makes her way toward the house, stopping next to Jeremiah. I watch as his head tips down to look at her. He nods his head a few times and I wonder what she has said to him, hopefully it hasn’t been anything completely embarrassing.
JEREMIAH
Birdie leaves me alone with the gorgeous creature, telling me that I should show her around the grounds. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to show her. We have dirt, cactus, and trees. There isn’t much else.
Then there’s the simple fact that I don’t think that I can talk to her. She’s too beautiful, too unique. Clearing my throat, I force myself to take a few steps toward her. She’s sitting on top of a blanket, a small basket set next to her that contained her and Birdie’s snacks for the afternoon.
“Your land is barren,” she announces as I sink down next to her.
“It is and it is not,” I explain.
She hums, but doesn’t say anything else, so I attempt to explain to her that our land while it looks like a barren wasteland, it has animals, plants, and life aplenty.
“You make it sound majestic. Though, I wish that you could see Wolfjour Ail. We have all the seasons, ice and snow, warmth that hits you in your bones. It is majestic.”
Her accented voice is what is majestic. I’ve never heard anything quite like it and she has me completely mesmerized.
Reaching out, I extend my finger and touch her bare shoulder. She doesn’t flinch away from me, my brows furrow as I watch her head turn and her gaze find mine. She licks her lips, her eyes searching my own.
“You’re touching me,” she breathes.
“I am,” I say with a nod.
“I like it,” she confesses.
Leaning forward, I touch my lips to hers. Her breath hitches. I expect her to lean away from me, but she doesn’t, instead she shifts forward. I growl when she lifts her hand and cups my cheek. I don’t deepen the kiss, too afraid that I will lose control and be unable to stop myself from taking liberties that are not mine to take.
Breaking the kiss, I press my forehead against hers and breathe, panting, in an attempt to catch my breath. “Sylvi,” I rasp.
“Jeremiah,” she exhales. “We mustn’t.”
“I’m afraid our bodies have already made the decision for us.”
“Me too.”
Chapter Two
JEREMIAH
I watch Sylvi from across the room. She’s sitting in the library with Birdie and Martha. Martha who was once just the woman who cared for the estate is now an essential figure in the house. Though she still sees to her duties, a few more servants have been hired to help her out.
The three women sit and eat a tray of fruit, cheese, and crackers as they chat amongst themselves. I don’t listen to their words, too enamored by Sylvi’s beauty to hear a single word. Licking my dry lips, I try not to rush toward her and scoop her up in my arms, carry her away to my room, and show her just how she affects me.
“She’s beautiful,” a deep voice rumbles.
My entire body jerks and I shift my head to the side, my eyes widening when I realize that Colton has walked into the room and I didn’t even hear him. He’s looking in my direction, a smirk plastered on his lips as he watches me.
“She is,” I agree.
“She’s a princess,” he murmurs.
I don’t respond to him. I know this. My body and heart do not recognize it, but my head knows that she is an untouchable princess. As much as I want her to be free to choose me, I know that it is not possible, no matter how badly we both desire it.
“You cannot defile her or compromise her, not in my home.”
My body jerks, my eyes lift to his and I snap my brows together. “You think me so dishonorable that I would do that to her, to her future?”
“I think you’re falling for her and I am a man, I know what I would do to be able to keep a woman that I was falling for. I know what I have done.”
He doesn’t say anything else, in fact, he walks away from me, leaving me alone to make his way toward his wife. I watch as he holds out his hand, and gives her a smile. She slips her palm in his and a stab of jealousy fills me.
Colton has everything that he wants in life and I am stuck here just watching.
A few moments later,
