The Princess's Unwanted Mate (Book 8 of the Regal Eclipse Pack Series)

8

He opened the door and felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her. She had on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, her blond curls piled up on top of her head. She looked absolutely beautiful. "Are you okay with being here? Or would you prefer to go somewhere else?"

She glanced around his room and bit her lip. "I'm fine with here."

"If you're not, we can go elsewhere," he offered.

Her gaze settled on him. "I'm fine."

She was as stubborn as Caleb. "Okay. Come in then."

She walked in, and to his surprise, sat on his bed. He walked over and sat in a chair. She could be so defiant. It made him want to turn her over his knee and.. he stopped that thought.

"What do you want to talk about?"

She had her walls up. He could see that plain as day. She was waiting and probably expecting him to reject her. But this was going his way this time. "I need to know what you want."

She stared at him. "I want you to accept my rejection."

Stubborn as the day was long. "Do you want me as your mate?"

"No."

She was lying. He could see it in the way she looked away from him when she answered. "Gabby, tell me the truth."

"I rejected you. I just want you to accept my rejection," she said, glaring at him.

"I want to know what you want," he demanded.

"I just told you. Just accept it. You don't want me," she said, looking down.

That wasn't the first time she'd said that, and it annoyed him. She thought she knew him so well. If she was going to be stubborn, he was going to have to go about this a different way. A way that might get him slapped, but he didn't care. He needed to know.

He was on her in a second, his cat like reflexes too fast for her to pick up on, and get out of his way. He had her stretched out on his bed, her slender wrists above her head, both grasped in his hand. He wasn't fully on her, but enough to keep her pinned down. The tingles, he'd forgotten about them, and they made him suck in a breath at how good they felt, dancing over his skin. It was the first time he'd felt them, and he wanted more.

She stared up at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Finding out what you really want, because I don't think you're being honest with me," he said, as he lightly ran his hand up her side. He wanted to keep going but he stopped.

She sucked in a breath as she stared up at him. "We both want the same thing."

"You think you know what I want, when I don't even know what I want," he said quietly.

"You can't tell me your first inclination isn't to reject me." She glared at him.

"No. It's not."

"Then what is it?"

"To kiss you." And he did. He lowered his lips to hers and pressed against them, feeling the tingles errupt from that spot. They made the kiss so much better and he pushed against her lips with his tongue. She opened her mouth on a bit of a gasp, and he dove in, deepening the kiss. Kissing her was amazing and it made ever other kiss he'd ever experienced pale in comparison. This was what he'd be giving up if he accepted her rejection.

She sort of held back at first, then she began to kiss him back, responding eagerly to him, as she pushed her body up against his, surprising him and letting him know that she desired him too.