Page 59 of That Prince is Mine
The warm intimacy of his words left little doubt as to what he meant. He wanted to know if she wanted to finish what they’d started last night. God, did she ever. She’d hardly slept the night before because she couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of his lips and hands on her.
“I can’t tonight,” she said with heartfelt regret. “My godmother invited me and my father over for dinner.”
“It probably won’t kill me to wait to see you until tomorrow. Probably.” He groaned, pressing his forehead against the back of her hand. After a moment, he lifted his head with a rueful laugh. “If you don’t hear from me first thing tomorrow morning, know that I have perished from the wait.”
Her huff of laughter turned into a gasp as he brushed his lips against hers. She curled her hand around the nape of his neck in case he got the foolish idea of pulling away from her. He wisely deepened the kiss, cupping her jaw with one hand and tugging her closer with the other. She slid her tongue into the warmth of his mouth, and he suckled gently on it before swirling his own around it.
“You taste like cinnamon. So sweet.” His teeth scraped on her bottom lip. “I can’t wait to taste the rest of you.”
How was she expected to keep her clothes on when he whispered things like that to her? She whimpered and pressed herself closer to him. She wanted to climb onto his lap and grind her hips against him to relieve the pressure building in her core. Without thinking, she tugged his shirt out of his slacks and slid her hands up his sculpted torso. He definitely had muscles that would ripple as he rode a horse bare-chested across a deserted beach.
Emma broke the kiss and snatched her hands out of his shirt before things went too far. Michel stared at her with dazed eyes, his lips wet and swollen from their kiss. He leaned in as though to resume their kiss, and she pressed her hands against his chest. On top of his shirt.
“Michel,” she said, ridiculously out of breath. “People might see us. Your students might see us.”
“I don’t…” He blinked rapidly with a sharp shake of his head. “Hell.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…” She fluttered her fingers toward his disheveled shirt. “You should fix your clothes.”
Michel quickly tucked his shirt in and adjusted his slacks against his straining… She jerked her eyes away and stared at the leaves above them until she was certain she wasn’t going to jump him.
“Emma.”
“Yes?” She met his eyes.
“Never apologize for touching me.” A corner of his lips quirked up. “And thank you for reminding me about where we were. I seem to lose my mind every time I kiss you.”
Her pulse fluttered in her throat. “You’re welcome.”
“And thank you again for this beautiful picnic.” He brushed a soft kiss against her cheek. “It was the best meal I’ve ever had.”
“I guess I overshot it a bit,” she teased, crinkling her nose. “I wanted to show off a little, not make it impossible to top myself.”
“So we’ll do this… again?” he asked shyly.
“Yes, Michel.” She cupped his face in her hands, her chest clenching into an achy knot. “We don’t have a lot of time left, but I intend to feed you well and often while I can.”
An expression she couldn’t read flickered in his eyes. “Emma—”
“You guys had a picnic without me?” Gabriel Laurent plopped down on the bench across from them, earning a dark glower from Michel. “Well, that’s not very nice.”
“Oh my gosh. I didn’t even think…” Emma flushed deeply. “I’m so sorry.”
“Good Lord, Emma. Don’t feel bad. I was only joking.” Gabriel reached for a fish jeon, and she slapped his hand away without thinking. He glanced up, startled.
“Sorry. I’m sorry,” she said even as she surreptitiously dragged the plate of food away from him. “But I saved that plate for Sophie since she wouldn’t eat with us.”
“Wow, was I really the only one not invited to this picnic?” Before she could answer, Gabriel snatched the plate from her and got to his feet. He winked and said, “Since I’m such a nice guy, I’ll take this plate over to Sophie for you. Who knows? Maybe she’ll take pity on me and share. Enjoy the rest of your picnic, cousin.”
Michel heaved an exasperated sigh in response and waved his cousin off. Without delay, Gabriel made a beeline for Sophie, which impressed Emma. She hadn’t been able to spot her even though she knew the royal guard was close by. The fact that being with Michel made everything else fade into the background might have had something to do with it as well.
Grinning like a mischievous boy, Gabriel tugged Sophie toward a bench within view of their picnic table. Emma craned her neck to see them better. Their heads bent close together as Gabriel whispered something in Sophie’s ear.
“You really don’t know what’s going on between them?” she asked Michel, annoyed that she couldn’t hear what they were talking about.
“All I know is that it’s complicated,” he supplied unhelpfully.
“Sophie told me as much last night.” They caught her watching them, so she smiled and waved.
