hand from his chest. He turned her hand over until it was palm up, and he pressed a kiss into the center.
Simmering heat ricocheted through her body like a pinball before coming to rest between her legs and leaving a subtle ache of need.
“I often wish I had not been born a royal.”
Clearly he expected the soft confession to surprise her, but it didn’t. She might not be a royal, but she could understand the pressure that came along with being from a family that was constantly under the spotlight. The expectations and pressure.
She took a step closer to him in the water. “You don’t like being a prince?”
“What’s not to like? I can have anything I want, right? Fame? Money? Power?” He shook his head. “Or am I just the tail-end decoration of the royal family? The last-born son who will never be a king.”
Maybe she wasn’t completely certain on how royal ranking worked, but she knew the king was still on the throne, and that Kostas had an older brother.
“Would you want to be king?”
“I haven’t given it much consideration since childhood. My father is alive and healthy. When he passes on, which no one foresees for decades to come, then my brother will ascend the throne. I am the spare that I’m referenced to be.”
A lump gathered in her throat at the way he spoke the words. They were without bitterness. Without resentment. Simply stating a fact.
“I hate that tacky label. The spare. It seems offensive. You can’t write a human life off to being a spare to the heir.”
“It’s not offensive, glykia mou . It is simply the truth.”
“Well I doubt your parents chose to have you for that reason alone.”
“ Alone .” His lips twisted. “Your word choice indicates the truth. While perhaps it isn’t the only reason my mother chose to have me, it is one of them.”
The lump in her throat grew. That was the secret, she suspected, that he would never share with the world. She knew it wasn’t his confession, but rather the hint of sadness behind the words he spoke to her.
The sadness wasn’t part of the image people held of Kostas. There was nothing soft or vulnerable about him to be seen from how he portrayed himself.
She didn’t know what to say to that, and was afraid her words would just end up hurting him again. She just needed to distract him from the sadness. To interrupt those kinds of horrible thoughts he’d spoken aloud. Because she could argue it all she wanted, but he was probably right. While she didn’t doubt his parents loved him, his presence in this world had likely been due to needing to secure the throne of Mykorini.
Another micro step in the water closed the distance between them, until her chest pressed against his. She tugged her hand free from him and slid her arms around his neck.
After lifting herself onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips gently to his. He stiffened, making no move to return her kiss, and she knew he’d seen through her move. Knew he’d seen the sympathy in her gesture and probably resented the heck out of it. Had she angered him?
Ready to withdraw, she gasped as he crushed her wet body to his. His mouth effortlessly parted hers as his tongue plundered inside the depths to conquer. While she may have initiated the kiss, he was making clear who would control it from this point on.
While she may have initiated the kiss, he was making clear who would control it from this point on.
Chapter 13
The ravaging need to claim her overwhelmed Kostas. To strip her of the swim costume and take her here in the pool. To sate this need that had ridden him since he’d first encountered her on the beach this morning.
Had it not even been a full day since they’d met? Dismay stung him, almost penetrating the fog of desire that enveloped him. Then she gave a cry of pleasure and stroked her tongue against his and he was drowning again.
He smoothed his tongue against hers. Advancing and teasing before retreating and making her cling to
Simmering heat ricocheted through her body like a pinball before coming to rest between her legs and leaving a subtle ache of need.
“I often wish I had not been born a royal.”
Clearly he expected the soft confession to surprise her, but it didn’t. She might not be a royal, but she could understand the pressure that came along with being from a family that was constantly under the spotlight. The expectations and pressure.
She took a step closer to him in the water. “You don’t like being a prince?”
“What’s not to like? I can have anything I want, right? Fame? Money? Power?” He shook his head. “Or am I just the tail-end decoration of the royal family? The last-born son who will never be a king.”
Maybe she wasn’t completely certain on how royal ranking worked, but she knew the king was still on the throne, and that Kostas had an older brother.
“Would you want to be king?”
“I haven’t given it much consideration since childhood. My father is alive and healthy. When he passes on, which no one foresees for decades to come, then my brother will ascend the throne. I am the spare that I’m referenced to be.”
A lump gathered in her throat at the way he spoke the words. They were without bitterness. Without resentment. Simply stating a fact.
“I hate that tacky label. The spare. It seems offensive. You can’t write a human life off to being a spare to the heir.”
“It’s not offensive, glykia mou . It is simply the truth.”
“Well I doubt your parents chose to have you for that reason alone.”
“ Alone .” His lips twisted. “Your word choice indicates the truth. While perhaps it isn’t the only reason my mother chose to have me, it is one of them.”
The lump in her throat grew. That was the secret, she suspected, that he would never share with the world. She knew it wasn’t his confession, but rather the hint of sadness behind the words he spoke to her.
The sadness wasn’t part of the image people held of Kostas. There was nothing soft or vulnerable about him to be seen from how he portrayed himself.
She didn’t know what to say to that, and was afraid her words would just end up hurting him again. She just needed to distract him from the sadness. To interrupt those kinds of horrible thoughts he’d spoken aloud. Because she could argue it all she wanted, but he was probably right. While she didn’t doubt his parents loved him, his presence in this world had likely been due to needing to secure the throne of Mykorini.
Another micro step in the water closed the distance between them, until her chest pressed against his. She tugged her hand free from him and slid her arms around his neck.
After lifting herself onto her tiptoes, she pressed her lips gently to his. He stiffened, making no move to return her kiss, and she knew he’d seen through her move. Knew he’d seen the sympathy in her gesture and probably resented the heck out of it. Had she angered him?
Ready to withdraw, she gasped as he crushed her wet body to his. His mouth effortlessly parted hers as his tongue plundered inside the depths to conquer. While she may have initiated the kiss, he was making clear who would control it from this point on.
While she may have initiated the kiss, he was making clear who would control it from this point on.
Chapter 13
The ravaging need to claim her overwhelmed Kostas. To strip her of the swim costume and take her here in the pool. To sate this need that had ridden him since he’d first encountered her on the beach this morning.
Had it not even been a full day since they’d met? Dismay stung him, almost penetrating the fog of desire that enveloped him. Then she gave a cry of pleasure and stroked her tongue against his and he was drowning again.
He smoothed his tongue against hers. Advancing and teasing before retreating and making her cling to
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