Page 157 of My Dark Prince
I always knew I was a horny bastard, but getting turned on by one’s ability to breathe was a new one for me.
Oh, and yes, I was willing to marry Briar if it meant keeping her.
I wasn’t completely sure how I felt for her – was it love? Fondness? Eagerness? Relief after fifteen years of grief? Whatever it was, I believed with absolute, beyond-any-doubt certainty that no one else would scratch the surface like she did.
“And be patient, too.” Briar retied her high-top bun, holding the elastic band between her teeth. “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Our wedding is in a few months.” I forced myself to tear my eyes away from the elegant curve of her neck as she secured her bun with the band. “Unless we’re going to surgically implant Lin Manuel Miranda and Mariah Carey’s vocal cords into our throats by then …”
“I mean, is the option completely off the table? Youarefilthy rich.”
“I’ve been known to buy less-than-orthodox things in my lifetime.”
“Yeah?” She eyed me. “Like what?”
Like everything.
Other than her love, I’d never earned anything of true value. It was all just money. The only thing I had worth keeping – Briar herself – I’d lost. And I carried that knowledge, that failure, with me everywhere I went. Some regrets became shadows, lingering in the darkness wherever you go.
“Oh, you know. The usual.” I shrugged. “Prime blood transfusions, one-of-a-kind dinosaur skulls, and a fleet of full-grown tigers.”
“I see everything circles back to the trafficked exotic animals you keep in your secret wing.”
Truly, I applauded her restraint. I didn’t know if I’d wield the same level if someone told me they had a top-secret area I absolutely could not enter, under no circumstances.
“For the last time, they are not trafficked. They are perfectly still. I am half-tempted to take you there right now and show you they’re chilling, happy as clams in their cages. The Tiger King wishes he were me.”
She bit down on her lower lip, suppressing a laugh.
This seemed like the perfect time to cash in my bet prize. Actually, every time seemed like the perfect time. I wanted to reach over and kiss her. To strip her. To drag my lips from her mouth all the way down to her toes. To bury my face between her legs and get lost in her. I was stupid for this woman. A perfect dumbass. Not a pretend one, this time. For real.
And I. Did. Not. Care.
But no. I wouldn’t use my prize until the right time.
We stared at each other for a beat, thinking the same thing.
“So.” Briar shook her head, clearing her throat. “The wedding is going to take place and so will the duet.”
“And the dance. Don’t forget the dance.”
“It’s going to be embarrassing,” she warned. “That’s the point, though. It’s a feature. Not a bug.”
Silly Cuddlebug, I wanted to laugh.You can never embarrass me.
The teacher opened the door. The unholy number of bracelets that clung to her wrist clanged together in a symphony of metal, announcing her arrival.
“I’m back,” she sing-songed. “Did you have a chance to practice your aural skills?”
“Twice a day.” I threw a thumb in Briar’s direction. “And that’s on a bad day when she just wants quickies.”
My fake fiancée immediately went red, but the teacher laughed.
“Oh, my goodness.” Jillian-Jessica fanned herself. “This one’s a keeper, isn’t he?”
“Honey, for the last time, it’s not about thenumberof times, it’s about the skill.” Briar patted my arm with a condescending smile, before throwing the teacher a grave look. “He goes at it like a dog with a bone who hasn’t eaten at all this year.”
I choked-coughed into my fist. “I’ve heard no complaints about my performance.”
