Page 38 of Markets & Mooncakes

My laughter bubbles up from within me at the thought. "Not unless you need to sleep in the fire and have never told me about such a strange thing."

"No. I don't need to stay in the fire."

"Good." I take a deep breath. "So, I guess now we go to bed." I get to my feet and hold out a hand to him, my heart beating fast, but it's in anticipation rather than fear. There's no need for any of that around Nate.

He takes it and gets to his feet, tidying up the tray and setting it on the table before allowing me to draw him into my bed chamber. The fire is still going here, having been set in order to last the night. He glances at my bed and swallows hard.

"Do you have a side of the bed?" he asks.

"This one." I gesture to it. "Unless that's a problem?"

He shakes his head. "I've never shared with anyone."

"No, me neither." I meet his gaze. "But it's just me."

He laughs, breaking a little of the tension. "You say that as if you're not the person I've been thinking about constantly for years."

"Have you thought about this?" I step towards him.

"I've thought about what it would be like to have you in bed with me," he says. "And what it would be like to see you first thing in the morning, before anyone else sees you."

"You can find out," I say softly. "Tomorrow, you'll find out."

"Yes." His voice is hoarse.

I put my arms around him and pull him close so that I can kiss him, hoping that he can sense how comfortable I am around him, and how much I do want to spend the night with him.

"You're not the only one who has thought about what it might be like to be in bed together," I whisper against his lips. "I've thought about not having to say goodnight, and having your arms around me."

He smoothes his thumb over my cheek, looking into my eyes. The attention doesn't make me uncomfortable like it does from anyone else, it just feels right, like this is what it's supposed to be like.

"Besides, tonight is just the first of many." I put my hand on his chest.

"It is," he agrees.

"Though maybe I should have mentioned this properly so that you could bring something to sleep in."

"My shirt is fine," he promises. "I sleep in an older one anyway."

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that."

"Not all of us are princesses with special wardrobes for bed," he jokes.

"Well, I am." I step back and untie my robe, not quite able to shake the way he's looking at me as I do, or how much I like it. Even though I know my nightdress covers everything, it feels very intimate to remove the robe. I hang it up on the hook beside my bed, and slip under the covers, feeling a sense of anticipation that I'm not used to, but isn't unwelcome.

Nate removes his waistcoat, along with the rest of his outer clothes and neatly places them on a chair before getting under the covers with me.

I move closer and rest my head on his chest, feeling a sense of comfort and belonging as he puts an arm around me and pulls me closer, like this is something that was always supposed to be.

Chapter 17

The darkness makes things feel more intimate than I expect, and the weight of Nate's arm over my waist is a welcome addition to any time spent in bed. I shift towards him, reaching out to touch his face. I lean in, pressing my lips against his and kissing him deeply.

His hand on my lower back burns in a way I don't expect it to, but I like it and shuffle even closer to him, trailing my hand down his arm.

The kiss isn't like one we've shared before, but I can't fully explain what's different about it. It's just a deeper kiss, one that I can feel with more than just my lips. I push my body against Nate's, wanting to feel more of it and to experience the new feelings that are growing within me.

And then he pulls away.