Page 85 of The Sunbound Princess

“Hey!” I scolded, snatching it back. “Thief.”

He darted his tongue out to lick frosting from his lip. “Only cakes and hearts these days, sweet Bel.” Mischief glinted in his eyes as he leaned forward and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial murmur. “I have a very demanding boss.”

The beat of a drum filled the air, along with the lively strains of a violin. Nikolas’s eyes lit up.

“They’re playing our song,” he said. “The one about the queen and the thieves. Apparently, it’s popular even in Andulum.”

Dain looked disgruntled as he pulled a flower from his hair. “They’ve taken some creative liberties with the story.”

Nikolas gave me a lazy smile. “He’s mad because they turned him into a woodland sprite who enchanted you with his singing voice.”

I put a hand over my mouth to smother my laugh. “Is that so?”

“I can’t even sing,” Dain rumbled, removing another flower. “It’s the inaccuracy that bothers me.”

Nikolas looked unsympathetic. “Try having your face plastered all over the kingdom with a double chin.”

My laughter joined the swelling music. I finished my cake, then shivered when Nikolas grabbed my hand and sucked the last of the frosting from my fingertips. The three of us melted back into the crowd, letting it carry us toward the music.

“We should dance,” Dain murmured in my ear.

I eyed the couples twirling around the square. Most of the time, life with two husbands was blissfully uncomplicated. But occasionally, problems arose.

“How would that work, exactly?” I asked, trying to imagine the three of us attempting the spinning maneuvers.

Nikolas’s lips grazed my other ear. “Not that kind of dance, love.”

Comprehension dawned, followed by a rush of heat. “Oh.”

A smile spread in his eyes. He lifted my hand to his mouth and sucked my finger. “Still just as sweet.”

The heat flowed faster. He was right. The three of us danced just fine when we were alone.

“All right,” I said, my voice breathless as I looked between them. “As long as I get to lead.”

Dain threaded his fingers through mine. Magic sparked, heat flaring between our palms. Love and desire gleamed in his blue eyes. “As my queen commands.”

The three of us smiled at each other. Then we took off running toward the palace.