"Will you not sit with me, my lady?" His silky voice seemed to
caress her.
"You want more than my mere presence, I know," she whispered, turning away from him to stare into the fire. "What is it you truly want?"
He chuckled deep in his throat at her naïveté. "All I want, Princess, is you." He ran the tip of one clawed finger down her bare arm, making her catch her breath – though whether from fear or pleasure, not even she knew.
Lily stared hard into the flames until her eyes watered and she was forced to look away. "I don't know," she said at last, turning to look him in the eye, "if what you really want is me, just me, the way I am."
"I do not want the princess," he replied, smiling, "coddled daughter of a wealthy king. I want the woman. You have a passion and a thirst for power to match my own." He moved closer to her. To her own surprise, Lily moved closer to him as well, so close that did she take a deep breath, their chests would brush one another.
"I – I am afraid," she breathed, fighting the impulse to lay her hands upon his muscular chest.
"You have nothing to fear, Lily."
She looked up in surprise, realizing that he had never before called her by her given name. With one word, she was lost, and he knew it. His smile widened and he touched her again, this time running his whole hand down her arm. "You are mine, Lily," he murmured to her, "my bride, my queen, my flower."
She did not try to fight him this time. She gave herself to him in that moment, when he leaned down and brushed her lips with his.
"You want more than my mere presence, I know," she whispered, turning away from him to stare into the fire. "What is it you truly want?"
He chuckled deep in his throat at her naïveté. "All I want, Princess, is you." He ran the tip of one clawed finger down her bare arm, making her catch her breath – though whether from fear or pleasure, not even she knew.
Lily stared hard into the flames until her eyes watered and she was forced to look away. "I don't know," she said at last, turning to look him in the eye, "if what you really want is me, just me, the way I am."
"I do not want the princess," he replied, smiling, "coddled daughter of a wealthy king. I want the woman. You have a passion and a thirst for power to match my own." He moved closer to her. To her own surprise, Lily moved closer to him as well, so close that did she take a deep breath, their chests would brush one another.
"I – I am afraid," she breathed, fighting the impulse to lay her hands upon his muscular chest.
"You have nothing to fear, Lily."
She looked up in surprise, realizing that he had never before called her by her given name. With one word, she was lost, and he knew it. His smile widened and he touched her again, this time running his whole hand down her arm. "You are mine, Lily," he murmured to her, "my bride, my queen, my flower."
She did not try to fight him this time. She gave herself to him in that moment, when he leaned down and brushed her lips with his.