Chapter 1
Kannon kicked the door shut behind them as he and the princess stumbled into his room. Trying to kiss and walk wasn’t as easy as one would think. Not to mention the wine they had consumed didn’t help. Elsine dug her fingers deeper into his curls as their kisses intensified. The fire spread from his fingers where they gripped her waist. She had kissed others, but it never felt anything like this. All-consuming― like she couldn’t get close enough. The Soul Fire bond blazed between them. The princess thought, perhaps, that was why.
Her hands came down his neck and shoved down his shoulders to get rid of the vest he was wearing. He obliged, shrugging out of it. Her chest heaved, fingers shaking as they traced the hard lines of his torso before his mouth found hers again.
“Elsine,” He breathed between kisses and walked her back to the bed with slow distracted steps until her knees hit the edge. The breadth of his hand slipped to the middle of her back where the billowy fabric of her dress exposed her spine. The princess slid her hands back to his neck and let him lower her back onto the bed.
She paid no mind to the already mussed blankets as one of her feet came off the ground. They leaned and she gently hooked her leg over the back of his― the other dangled comfortably. He pressed soft kisses to her mouth and chin, trailing them to her jaw. Each one was like tiny fires being lit under her skin. She tilted her head so that he could reach her and spread the heat further. He took his time with slow open mouth kisses down her neck.
Her breathing quickened, a steady pleasant throb starting between her legs. His hand moved from her waist to brush the exposed skin above her navel where the deep V of her dress ended. She could feel the hard peaks of her breasts scraping against the thin gauzy fabric. With no corset, she was exposed, and she wondered what it would feel like if he would just move his hand up. As if he had read her thoughts his hand smoothed over one side of her ribs underneath the fabric. A small sound of need escaped her lips. She wanted his hands everywhere. His mouth and every inch of his body she wanted focusing on her, touching her. Her cheeks bloomed a cherry red for the scandalous thought. The bond flared as if in approval.
Lazily grazing his teeth over her neck, she felt a laugh vibrate in his chest where it pressed against hers, “Need something, little mouse?” Before she could answer he had captured her mouth in a deep kiss. Her fingers pushed up into his curls again, lifting her leg to wrap around his waist and arching her hips in search of pressure where she ached. When the hard length of him pressed against her he groaned against her mouth. Breaking the kiss to rest his forehead on hers, his thumb made a fiery rainbow below her breast― his voice rough, “Gods, this is unfair.”
“What is?” Elsine asked, lifting her chin in search of his lips. The bond felt like a burning rope between them that frayed and cinched tighter the closer they were. The more they touched, kissed. She closed her eyes to try and find some part of her resolve to fight it. She found little to none with the fire that seemed to scorch her veins and made her brain hazy.
“So many things,” He breathed, unable to fight the bond when the princess lifted her full mouth toward his. Elsine wanted to argue that his cryptic words were not an answer, but as he pressed closer, his mouth slanting over hers it didn’t seem all that important anymore. At least not compared to the firestorm that filled her with warm magic. His hand smoothed down the exposed curve of her hip to her thigh. Her fingers traced down his neck to his spine between his shoulder blades. He pulled back suddenly. “We shouldn’t―” Conflict flickered in his jade eyes as he cut himself off. She tilted her head, drawing patterns on his skin with her fingers distractedly. His eyes closed gently.
“What?” She whispered― unsure what was stopping him when she wasn’t objecting.
His forehead rocked against hers, “They will notice your absence tonight after what happened with the Puca, and if they find us here. . .” He trailed off, not having to finish the thought for Elsine to understand. Even though the bond raged with heat, common sense began to filter into her mind like a cold douse of water to the flames.
Feeling embarrassed she nodded, “You’re right.” She hated that he was. The bond pulled at her heart.
Wanting just one more kiss she grabbed fistfuls of his curls without a second thought and pulled his mouth back down to hers. She kissed him like she needed to breathe him in to survive the night. And to Elsine, it truly felt like she did. He had been there to protect her and to hold her. For the past month, he had been the one that made her laugh despite the heaviness of her duty. He had made her feel like she was her own. That she had the power to make whatever choice she wanted if only she would reach out for it. And her gratitude and love poured from her heart as she kissed him over and over until she wondered if they would be consumed by the flames stretched between them. Her tongue slipped against his. Warmth curled low in her core. Their hips rocked. He shuddered. Her head spun. The bond roared, the flames like solar flares curling out and further around her heart.
Kannon tried to break away but between their bated breaths, his kisses continued. His long fingers gripped her thigh like it was his anchor. To her dismay, he was able to break away, his chest heaving against hers as his eyes smoldered. “Elsi.”
His one-word plea snapped her back to reality. Her breathing halted at the harsh stab of guilt. “Don’t call me that―” She choked, trying to roll out from under him. Something felt like it was breaking inside of her. She needed to leave. He looked confused and scrambled up as she tried to get away. He backed toward the flickering fireplace. She hugged her arms around her body, her crystal eyes wide as they took in how wildly mussed his hair was from her hands. His ruddy cheeks and swollen kissed lips were smeared with the gold from hers. His heaving chest, her eyes dipped lower and snapped back up as shame filled her. “I’m sorry,” She whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” His jaw muscle feathered. “I’m sorry I upset you.”
She wanted to tell him he hadn’t. That it was her own traitorous heart that was responsible. But the words stuck in her throat. Her eyes burned and even though she wore no corset she felt like she was suffocating. And without a word, because she had no courage to speak, she rushed out of the room to be anywhere but in that small space alone with him. The flames of the bond guttered. Her heart ached. The only things she could think about were how her heart quaked at the thought of Darius. And, what if the bond was the only thing that connected her and Kannon? Was love also another thing she had no choice in? Was she to be a mere victim to fate and myth?
