Page 43 of Crave Me

I’d thought rejecting her would dampen my interest. Yet it was almost as though it’d had the opposite impact, thus making me want to claim her that much more.

Swallowing, I forced myself to focus on the task of showing her my favorite space.

Her humming faltered as she took in the roof’s landscape, the picturesque scene accentuated by the starry night sky.

“Oh,” she breathed, her arms fluttering at her sides as she executed a twirl along the marble walkway. “Oh, this is perfect.”

She continued forward to explore the benches built into the wall of one side. Then she took in the dark park beyond it before making her way to my favorite attribute—the pool.

It wasn’t large, but big enough to swim laps in. However, that wasn’t the point of it.

She knelt to skim her fingers along the surface. “It’s so warm.”

I smiled. “It’s heated by magic.” I’d wanted my own version of an Icelandic hot spring, so I’d used an enchantment to heat the water here. “It never cools.”

Which was what made it more of a lounging pool than an athletic one.

Whenever I needed to think through a problem, I came up here and allowed the water to chase away my stress. Hence the reason I considered this my sanctuary.

I wasn’t sure why I’d felt compelled to show her this. Perhaps because I’d wanted to give her an incentive to stay awhile, which went far deeper than simply inspiring the rumors to fly.

Even without the magic tying us together, I felt entranced by her presence. She was gorgeous. Powerful. Forward. Truthful. She didn’t play games, just reveled in life and spoke her mind.

The mate bond might have been what forced me to see her, but my interest in her felt real.

Or it might have been a residual effect of the magic, a subtle enchantment trying to pull me back to her.

What I needed was some space to think, and I’d naïvely given her access to my favorite place for that.

Sighing, I settled onto one of the benches and watched her float around my private space. Her skin seemed to shimmer beneath the moon, the golden sheen drawing my gaze over every inch of exposed skin.

You’re definitely not a troll either, sweetheart,I thought, admiring the view.More like a seductive nymph dancing in the night.

My blood heated as she moved gracefully around the pool, her dress flowing around her in regal waves of temptation. I wanted to wrap the fabric around my fist and yank it off her, expose all that creamy skin to my view, and see if the shimmer of magic spread to other parts of her.

Parts I wanted to explore with my tongue.

Because yes, I very much wanted to lick her, too.

But I wasn’t going to tell her that. Not yet. Not until I was certain I could control this need. Otherwise, we would have rejected each other for naught.

And Nyx had been right—it was better that we not let the magic of our bond interfere with our decisions. I needed a clear head to make appropriate choices.

Yet my mind is utterly consumed by this enchanting being, I marveled as she whirled around, her steps that of a dancer more than anything else.

She spread her arms outward and laughed as she spun again, more of that gold magic appearing all over her skin.

“What is that?” I asked, my voice betraying my intrigue. “The glitter on your arms.”

She glided toward me, her steps light as she moved to whatever song she heard humming in her head. “Stardust.” Her delicate fingers flittered over me, sprinkling me with her glimmering substance. “It brings good fortune.”

I arched a brow. “Does it?” I cocked my head. “And how do I know you haven’t just enchanted me, Goddess?”

“You can taste lies, King.” Her golden irises matched the shimmer on her arms. “Am I lying?”

“You’re not,” I confirmed, leaning forward.About anything,I added to myself. Including her comment about still wanting to lick me.

It would be so easy to strip her down here and fuck her beneath the moon. I could scent her arousal, see the taunt of it in her gaze.