A Beast's Tale

Chapter 34

Ivetta woke me up at eight o'clock again. Her voice was a siren call, irresistible and dangerous. Especially since she had returned my embrace. Especially since she hadn't wanted it to end. Dangerous.

"I hate getting up early," I mumbled irritably from within the safety of my cocoon of blankets.

"My apologies, your highness, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to eat breakfast with the foreign princes again," she replied.

I groaned at the prospect. I never wanted to eat breakfast with them ever again. "If they even show up," I grumbled.

"Maybe there will be a better turnout today, your highness. There wasn't a party to keep people up late last night."

I heard her opening and closing the bureau drawers, and I resisted the urge to push back the covers and look at her. "When are they leaving?"

"Five more days, your highness. If you would like to sleep in, I can always come back later."

I finally emerged from the sheets, allowing myself a single glance at her as I stretched. "You can go. Gilbert is probably at breakfast already, and I'll be there soon."

"Um, I...I need to talk to you about something first," she said hesitantly.

"What is it?" I asked irritably, sitting up quickly. Her green eyes were nervous, and she bit her lip. Had something happened to her? Again? She was wearing the usual uniform, though, with no visible marks on her slender arms or shapely legs...

"You don't have to worry about Prince Gilbert anymore."

Her words restored focus to my wandering thoughts, but I forced myself to stay seated in bed. "What happened?"

"We had a talk last night," she said carefully.

"He came to your house?" I growled, narrowing my eyes as I stood up, my stomach twisting. How did he evade palace security?

Why did I have to keep failing so miserably at protecting the person who mattered the most to me?

She stepped quickly in front of the door, guessing my intentions.

"Yes, but he didn't hurt me. Even though I...kind of lost it on him." She shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "You know what that's like."

I stopped in front of her, a reluctant smile drawn from my lips at the sight of hers. She didn't appear to be in any distress, and she was better rested than yesterday, but she was still too tired to really hide anything from me. And she was trapped between me and the door, though she didn't seem to realize that. Looking down at her bright green eyes, the rays of sunlight bringing out the shine of her silky black hair...

What were we talking about again?

"I do know." I slid a finger under her chin, surprised and pleased when she shivered at my touch. "And you think that he won't go after you again, because he let you get away with that last night."

"I know he won't," she said nervously, her cheeks flushing as her wide green eyes watched mine. "And he'll be out all day with Prince Yves, so you won't have to worry about him, either."

I chuckled, swiping my thumb lightly across her chin just below her lips. "They're cousins."

There was something new in her eyes as she dropped my gaze to stare at my lips. Shy nervousness was melting into unmistakable desire. "I didn't realize," she said absentmindedly.

I felt like I was on fire. Just a few inches between her lips and mine, just an apparently open invitation to kiss her. But, if I did, I wouldn't be going to breakfast. Unless she said no. And she didn't look like she could even think the word no.