Page 49 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
I could feel the warmth radiating off his body, like an embrace around me. Slowly, his hands reached toward my wrists, holding them with a feather-light grip as he traced small circles on my skin.
His touch was far too soft and far too personal.
Warmth radiated down my spine, my body already softening and breath hitching. I felt my pulse like a steady drumbeat throughout my body. He was only touching my wrists, and that small touch was all I could think about.
“No,” I protested, attempting to pull away even as my voice betrayed the effect he was having on me
“If you drop that candle,” his voice was nothing more than a whisper against the shell of my ear. “This entire ship will go up in flames.”
I gasped, realizing at the last second that my loss of focus had left the candle falling toward the wooden floorboards of the ship. My power lashed out, grasping it in the nick of time and raising it back into its position in the air. Clay only laughed and returned his fingertips to my wrist, beginning to trail them up the insides of my arm.
His fingers climbed further, their touch impossibly slow and tender. He traced the bare skin of my collarbone before resting his hands on my shoulders. When his thumbs pressed into the tender flesh there and began moving in firm circles, I almost moaned aloud.
Dear Gods.
“What are you doing?” I asked, hating how breathy my voice sounded.
Despite all the reasons I was angry with him, I was entirely unable to stop myself from relaxing under his touch as he began massaging out the tension I’d been carrying in my shoulders since first discovering my unavoidable seasickness. Somehow, that made me even angrier.
“I’m distracting you,” he whispered, lips tickling my ear. “And I think it’s working.”
Well, yes. He was certainly distracting. With every delicious circle of his thumbs against my shoulders, my stomach quieted until the only feeling left for me to focus on was the heat in my lower abdomen and my irritation at feeling it.
Traitorous heart.
Traitorous body.
I didn’t want to be so consumed by Clayton Vail, but he was my light in a midnight world. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, helpless to do anything other than fall hopelessly for him.
“You’re wicked.”
“You have no idea princess, but one day I am going to show you just how wicked I can be.” He reached across my neck to pull my hair back. I shivered at the sensation of his fingers trailing across the delicate skin. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m sure you could convince me to distract you another way.” His voice was thick with double meaning. “I would be more than happy to oblige you.”
I turned, smacking his chest in frustration. “You’reengaged, Your Grace.”
“The flame, Miss Moore.”
Without looking, I held out my hand, and the candle flew into it. I blew it out in a quick, angry breath and shoved it at him. “I believe I have finally found my sea legs.”
Clay put an arm around my waist and pulled me close, pinning me against his chest. “We’re on a ship, my dear. There’s only so many places you can run. If you want to make a scene of forcing me to chase you, that’s your choice. I will, however, catch you, and the entire ship can bear witness to this conversation then.”
I lifted my leg and slammed it down, hoping to smash his foot, only for him to move it out of the way before I even got close. All I got for my effort was a breathy chuckle brushing the hair by my neck.
“Fine!” I huffed. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Elaina.”
“She is quite possibly the last thing in all the realms I want to discuss, Clayton.”
He rolled his eyes at my use of his full name but released me, allowing me to cross the tiny room and put some much-needed space between us. Distance was what I needed to cool the heat in my blood. My mind might have been well aware that I couldn’t have him, and my heart might be finally learning that Clayton Vail brought me nothing but pain, but my stubborn body wanted him all the same.
And it certainly didn’t help that his days at sea had been good for him.
Spending his time chatting on deck with the sailors had lightened his hair and tanned his skin. The farther we traveled from Athenia, the warmer the weather became. Which meant he had resorted to wearing loose cotton tunics, open low over his sculpted chest and rolled high over his muscled forearms.
