had to search for many years until we found this one.”
“And now you’re trying to make everything right by bringing the impures home.”
“Yes.”
“And what if they don’t want to return?”
Silence.
“Kristor?”
“It is in your best interest to return with me.”
She sat up. “And if I don’t?”
He sat up as well, watching her. “I hope you will want to return on your own. The Queen Mother bade me exercise diplomacy.”
The Queen Mother. Wait, hadn’t he told her he was a prince? “This wouldn’t happen to be your mother?”
“Yes, my mother.”
She was going to throw up. He was a prince. A real true prince. She almost laughed out loud at the irony— and she’d been a frog.
“Now we will mate.” He pulled her against him, his lips finding hers.
For a moment, she lost herself in the sensation of his body heat as it wrapped around her, enclosing her in a cocoon of sensual desire. His tongue stroked hers. His hands caressed her back, untying her top.
She jerked away, holding the little slip of yellow material against her chest. “No, we can’t do this.” She jumped up and turned her back, re-tying her top.
“Why not?” He came up behind her, pulling her close, lightly running his fingers over her bare stomach.
For a moment, she forgot why they couldn’t make love. She lost herself in the sensations he stirred inside her. His fingers tickled over her flesh, dipping lower and lower.
A small animal rustled in the underbrush, drawing her out of the web of pleasure he was weaving around her. She remembered exactly why they couldn’t make love, and stepped out of his arms.
“You’re a prince.” She turned around and faced him.
His forehead wrinkled. “What does that matter?”
“You’re of royal blood.”
“As are you. A princess.”
She opened her mouth to refute his words, then shut it without saying a word. That was right. She remembered his telling her.
“You were serious?”
“Your lineage can be traced as far back as mine. Your ancestors have also been rulers.”
Something fluttered inside her. She was a princess. Like Cinderella. Well, except she used a Swiffer to mop her floor so she was pretty certain it wasn’t quite like scrubbing. And she’d never cleaned out a fireplace in her life.
Fred had talked to her, though. Her parakeet from childhood had communicated its thoughts.
Wow, her life was almost parallel to the fairy tale. How weird was that? Except she’d had loving parents. And no prince had…Okay, scratch that. Her prince had arrived to carry her off to his castle, even if it was on another planet.
No, it didn’t matter. She was not going to fly off to another planet and play dress-up. “But you know how to be…to be royal and everything,” she told him. “You’re a prince.”
“And you’re a princess.”
She shook her head. “But I don’t know how to be a princess, and the next verse is that I don’t want to be a princess. I don’t know the first thing about being one.”
“It’s only a title.”
“Only a title. Easy for you to say, you didn’t grow up in Miller Bend. We don’t have royalty here. I’m just small town. I’m jeans and boots, longneck beer, and burgers from Dairy Queen.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how to be a princess. I can’t leave with you. Ever. I need to go home now, please.” The sooner she left, the better.
But when she moved to gather up their towels, Kristor pulled her into his arms. “I can show you everything you need to know.”
“But it still doesn’t change the fact I refuse to shift again.”
Was Shintara crying? Oh, God, more guilt heaped on Ria’s shoulders. It wasn’t fair. “I mean, I’m not sure I can,” she said, breaking. How could she not shift? Her animal guide was a part of her. Ria didn’t want her to die and, worse, knowing she had caused her death. “I’ve never even been on a plane,” she whimpered.
“You won’t have to fly if you shift,” Kristor said.
She studied his face. “I wouldn’t?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. “No. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he said.
He looked as though he was telling the truth. “I could shift, and not fly?” She wanted to be perfectly clear.
“Yes.”
She still didn’t trust him, but she forgot everything when his mouth covered hers. Sweet Jesus, this was what she’d been missing all her life. Heat ignited inside her as desire swirled around her stomach. His hands cupped her butt, pulling her closer until she could feel his need.
Ria didn’t protest when he guided her back down to the towels. Why would she, when she wanted him as much as he wanted her? Rather than let him control the situation, she took charge, pushing him onto his back. She ran her tongue across his nipples and over his abdomen, nipping, then kissing.
She straightened, tugging at his swim trunks. He raised his hips to accommodate her desire to have him exposed and stretched out in front of her.
Slowly, she peeled his trunks down. Her throat went dry, and it was all she could do to take a breath, as memories flooded her mind. She remembered last night, when he’d plunged inside her, filling her, making her come again and again.
She stroked her fingers down the side of his erection. He drew in a sharp breath. She encircled it, squeezing lightly, sliding the foreskin down.
“You’re magnificent,” she breathed. Leaning forward, she licked down him, then back up. He grabbed her shoulders, squeezing lightly, massaging, hips raising. He needed more from her, and silently begged for more.
Ria wouldn’t hold back. She drew him inside her mouth, tasting the man. Her tongue caressed the soft tip, swirled around, then sucked him deeper inside her mouth. Her nipples strained against the material of her top, and she grew damp with her own need.
With his free hand, he pulled at her top, as if he guessed her thoughts. It came loose, and he tossed it away. Then his hand was touching her, tugging on the nipple closest to him. Heat flooded her body, settling between her legs as small spasms erupted inside her.
“Don’t stop,” he said.
Stop? Not a chance. She liked what she was doing to him. The taste, the feel of him inside her mouth. No, she wasn’t about to stop.
He raised enough to grab her waist and move her so that her legs straddled his face. Then he untied the strings on each side of her bikini. The warm air caressed between her legs, causing the most incredible sensations to wash over her, but it was nothing compared to when he sucked her inside his mouth.
She closed her eyes for a moment, unable to move, to breathe as she came from just one touch of his mouth, but he didn’t stop as he continued his assault.
Nor did Ria as she brought him back inside her mouth, sucking and licking, cupping his balls, massaging with her free hand.
The inner muscles of her legs tightened as she tried to hold on to each spasm that assaulted her body with unbelievable pleasure.
