His mannerisms were so much like Briley’s that she suffered a moment’s pang. Only two more months until she could see him. Jogging to Kai’s side, she nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
He grabbed her hand and the moment he did, her spiking energy pulsed, but instead of it affecting him as it had Dalia, he seemed happy as he beamed. “What were that?”
“Was that. And what did you feel?”
His grip tightened. “Was that. And like you gave me a whole-body hug. It was nice,” he admitted shyly.
Pulling him to her for a real hug, she patted his shoulder. “I’m so happy to hear you say that, Kai. Now come on, let’s play.”
And they did. For the next several hours, they bantered and spoke like pirates, taking the ship to the head of the stream and casting it off and then running to catch up with it before it reached the waterfall. Over and over, and each time Kai touched her, he absorbed a little more of her charm, but because of his age, it didn’t hurt him and her spirits started to rejuvenate.
By the time he waved to her and trotted off, claiming he’d soon perish of hunger, she thought her inner self fully restored. Feeling better than she had in days, she hummed as she walked back to the castle.
The sky was darkening and the best part was she realized that in all the time she and the boy had played, she’d never once thought of the test to come tomorrow. Dressing for dinner, she wondered if Rumpel would show up.
He’d been absent the past two nights. Tonight, like the other two, was no different. After eating a quiet dinner of tomato bisque and mulled wine, she quickly retired to her room. Without Rumpel to entertain her, there was no point in lingering.
Dalia did not return that night. Not that she blamed the girl. Sighing, she sat on the edge of her bed with nothing on but a pale champagne-colored nightshift, her bare toes peeking out. There was no way she’d be able to fall asleep right now and the thought of reading about more war made her feel nauseous.
She got up, then tiptoed out the room and down the halls, heading to the library. After a month she’d grown accustomed to the thought that servants hovered all around her, but so long as she couldn’t actually see them it was almost like they weren’t there.
Soon she was back inside the library, but this time she didn’t have to look through the catalog; she knew exactly where she was going—a good old-fashioned bodice ripper. True, she wasn’t much of a reader, but if she ever had to read, it was that or nothing.
But just as she reached for it, the lights in the library flickered once, twice, and then out completely. Frowning, she turned to look. Hidden torches in the walls and tables sprang to life then, casting the room in a warm, golden glow.
Stretching up on tiptoe, she made to grab one in particular about an Irish man and a woman who traveled back in time to meet him. She’d been surprised the first time she’d noticed Rumpel’s romance section. Amidst all the literary classics was a bookcase completely devoted to romance stories.
“Do you know I can see every outline of your body in the glow of the candles?”
Gasping and dropping the book she’d been reaching for, she twirled at the sound of Rumpel’s whiskey-drenched voice. And suddenly they were no longer in the library, but in another room altogether, the room she’d been brought to by Dalia all those weeks ago. The bronze bowl of water was gone, and there was nothing inside the room now but a chair that he currently occupied and a hearth full of flame.
With fingers steepled in front of him and his legs spread wide, he looked like a booze-soaked god, and all the energy she’d released only this morning came thundering back to life. She swallowed hard.
Tonight he wore black on black, and with his long disheveled blond hair, he was her every fantasy come to life. Her body was alight with desire so powerful it flooded through her veins.
He twisted to the side, hoping that maybe the firelight wouldn’t play along her skin anymore, then shook his head and scratched his chin. “I can’t stop.”
“What?” She asked with a voice grown tight. “Can’t stop what?”
“Thinking about you. Wondering what you’d look like without any clothes on. I’ve tried, gods help me.” He chuckled, but the sound lacked humor.
She clutched at her throat. “I haven’t been charming you. You’ve barely even been—”
So fast he made her head spin, he was in front of her, leaning in and smelling wonderful. His finger hovered above her cheek.
“Around.” She squeaked out the last bit.
“Only because”—the gravel of his voice scraped her nerves raw—“I’ve been trying to forget you.”
Her lips parted and her heart leapt into her throat when his gaze zoomed in on the motion. “Why?” she asked with an exhalation of breath.