Flames of Auriel (A Caeles Adventure Book 1) (10 page)

“So, I heard you caused an uproar this morning. It’s all the servants can talk about. ‘The Prince barged into his naked betrothed’s room in a jealous rage.’” Bryce chuckled, coming up beside him in the window. “Look at them; all wondering what could have possibly caused their prince to break propriety on a whim.” He glanced up at his Prince, “You told her how you felt about Garrett right?” When he did not get the reaction he anticipated from his friend, he turned an expectant look at him. “Asher?”

Asher gave a guilty smile, “Umm…not exactly.”

Bryce scoffed, grabbing his friend by the shoulder to shake him. “Come on, Asher. You were all hyped up last night about making sure she never looked at another man again. What happened?”

Asher pulled away from him, annoyed at his friend’s reminder of his complete and utter failure. “I don’t have to explain myself to you, Bryce.”

Bryce plopped down into a chair near the fireplace with a puff of displeasure. “I know, but you are my best friend. I don’t want to see you unhappy.” When Asher did not respond, he tried a different approach. “At least tell me what happened. Is the engagement off?”

“I don’t know what happened, Bryce.” Asher gave in and admitted. “One minute I’m yelling at her, I even called her a whore, but when she started to yell back at me and seeing her standing there all wet and only wrapped up in her little towel –”

“Wait, what? She was wet and in a towel? So that part of the rumor was true?” Bryce ran a hand over his face, not believing what he had heard. “Dark One save us, what did you do?”

Asher gave a dark chuckle, “What do you think I did in that situation? I assaulted her, threatened to kill her little bodyguard, and accused her of being soiled goods.” At the shocked look on his friend’s face, he smirked. “Then she did something just so completely
her
and I was even more attracted to her than I had ever been before.” He rubbed the strained muscle in his arm she had pinned him with. “Almost broke my arm off, she did.”

“We both knew she could wield a sword, better than wither of us. It’s not a complete surprise that she would be able to hold her own in hand to hand, despite the size difference.” Bryce mused and poured himself a scotch from the tumbler on the side table. “What else? She assaults you and then you…?”

“I kissed her.”

Bryce choked on his drink and coughed as he set the glass down. “She hurts you and makes a fool of you, and you thought the answer was to kiss her?” He rubbed his hand across his face again. He did not know why he even bothered trying to understand his friend’s relationship with the Aurelian Princess. They played by rules of their own. The last few years of endless arguments that led up to this summer finally fell together like pieces of a puzzle. “I knew it! I knew you had feelings for her. Why else would you provoke her and flaunt Melody in front of her unless you were trying to get her attention?”

Asher moved from his place by the window and approached his friend by the fireplace. “When did you think it would be a good idea to let me in on your little revelation?”

Bryce sniggered at his friend’s surprise, “You are as stubborn as she is. Would you have believed me?” He snorted at his friend’s silence, “Didn’t think so. Believe me, if I thought either of you would listen, I would have put you out of your misery years ago.”

“When did you know?” Asher still didn’t believe his friend knew his feelings for his betrothed before he did. It was hardly fair that he was to suffer, while his friend sat back and laughed at them.

Bryce smirked at him, “Know what? When you started to want her? Or when you fell in love with her?”

Asher shoved his shoulder.

“Don’t play games with me Bryce; I didn’t know until this summer that I felt anything more than repulsion for that pain in my ass. Now not only do I find out I’m in love with the brat, but that my best friend knew all along and didn’t tell me.” He beat his fist against the mantle and scowled. “When did everything become so complicated?”

“Around the time you were eleven. So, now the question is what are you going to do about it?” Bryce patted his friend on the back when he was silent to show his support. “She’s leaving soon, you know, and her bodyguard is going with her. You don’t really want to take the chance of her rushing back to him with open… arms.” Bryce smirked at the prince’s glare and raised his brows at him, “Do you?”

Asher shook his head at Bryce and smiled in memory. “I already took care of that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say we have an understanding.” He stroked his chin and wondered how he was going to survive another year without her now that he knew he loved her. Would she forget about him when she was gone? Asher was now determined to make sure their parting was something the princess would never forget.

Asher pulled the taut string of the bow back and took aim. He frowned even when the arrow hit its mark. She was avoiding him. Since their breakthrough in her room last week, he had not seen hide or hair of his betrothed and it was not from lack of trying. Anytime he would walk into a room, she would be on her way out. When he would come by her room to see her that irritating bodyguard of hers would say she was already in bed.

He did not know what her problem was. He thought they had made progress. She had agreed to stop seeing Garrett, and that time in the armory she had smiled at him. Yes, she had been running away at the time, but she still looked back at him and smiled. Does that not mean she was happy with what happened? Asher cocked back another arrow. Hell if he knew.

“Here you are.” Asher kept his eyes trained on the target and ignored Bryce’s comment. “You can’t woo any women in here you know.”

“I can’t woo them if they are avoiding me either.” He let the arrow go and cursed when it missed the mark by an inch.

Bryce walked over to the target and started pulling the arrows out. “You have to admit you would be avoiding you too if you had pulled that kind of stunt.” He held his hands out to his prince, “What were you thinking seducing Melody in a room you knew Zoe had to come to? Do you have a death wish?”

Asher had not heard the end of it, when he spilled not only what happened when he had confronted Zoe about Garrett, but about his ploy to get her to admit her feelings. Asher tightened his grip on the bow, “I was thinking about what would piss her off the most and it worked. Well, I thought it had and after the other day, I hoped she would come to me on her own, but once again she has thrown me for a loop. I can’t even follow up with her on it.”

His friend pointed an arrow at him, “You better figure it out soon because she is leaving soon and you are not much closer to getting her to marry you than when she arrived. Maybe bed her, but definitely not marry her.”

“I know Bryce, but I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do. I even went to her room around bedtime trying to catch her there, but she’s always asleep.”

Bryce sighed. He had to think of everything. “I highly doubt she is sleeping every time you come to call. You are the Prince of Aldabel. Demand Garrett to let you pass. What is he going to do, attack you? She’s your intended. You have every right to see her.”

Asher grinned and notched back another arrow, “You’re right, you’re absolutely right.” He let the arrow go, but walked away without see if it hit. He had a new target now.

***

Zoe slid under the covers of her bed just as loud voices came in from the outside her door. She paused in the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. She stifled a laugh at the rising sound of her bodyguard and her betrothed.

“She’s already sleeping.”

“I don’t care.”

“You can’t just go in there –”

“I’d like to see you stop me.”

There was a pregnant silence that followed his threat. Zoe thought about breaking up their fight, afraid that her friend would try and defend her honor more than was needed. No matter how many times he had seen her in action, he still tried to be her knight in shining armor.

Right when she had resolved to stop the fight before it began, the door knob turned and its opening revealed her annoyed intended. His grey eyes scanned the room and hardened when they landed on her figure in the bed.

She crossed her arms over her chest and set him with her own aggravated look.

“What do you want? I’m tired.”

Asher closed the door and paused at the vision she made sitting there. Her red curls spilled over her shoulders, her breasts peeked out from beneath it in the thin material of her night gown. Her intense gaze penned him and made him want to ravish her on the spot. Asher took a deep breath and sent a silent prayer for control and strolled over to her bedside.

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

She pulled the covers up to her chin, feeling naked at his scrutiny. Zoe turned her nose up in the air. “I’ve been busy.”

He grabbed the covers in his hand and drew them down from her face. The act earned him a glare from her in return. She was such a handful.

“Don’t lie, Zoe. It’s not becoming.” He could not help but smile when she bit her lip and looked away, embarrassed at being caught. Asher put a finger under her chin and turned her to face him. “Come now, Zoe. Don’t be mad. I was under the impression you liked what happened.”

“You tricked me.”

“I did no such thing. You are just upset I finally got under your skin.”

He let her jerk the covers away from his grasp and pull them back around herself. He had never seen her act so defensive. Usually, Asher would have teased her mercilessly about her behavior, but for once he wanted her placid.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Her voice muffled by the cloth around her mouth.

Asher plopped down on the mattress next to her, pretending to examine his nails. She was not going to make it easy for him. If she wanted to play it that way, he had all night.

“What are you doing?” Zoe’s voice still muffled by her covers, glowered at him.

“Waiting for you to talk to me of course.”

“What if I don’t want to talk?” She lifted a brow at him. She did not trust this new Asher for one minute. He was up to something. If only she knew what.

“Well there are other things we could do.” Stormy grey eyes scanned her exposed shoulders, causing heat to pool in her stomach.

Gulping at the intensity of his gaze, she lowered the covers. “No. We can talk.”

“Brilliant. Now, what should we talk about?” Asher tapped a finger on his face. “Oh, I know. Why are you avoiding me?”

“Like I said I’m not avoiding you. I’m just –”

“Just what?” Asher cut in.

“I’m just not being around when you are, is all.” She lowered her eyes to the cover in her hands. She still had not come to terms with what had happened between them. Lust was easy for her to admit to. He was attractive and it was only natural she would want him. Most women in arranged marriages would kill to feel even that for their intended. The part she did not understand, the part that made her avoid him, was the raw hurt that had come from seeing him with her. Not jealousy, but betrayal. She had thought they were getting somewhere, albeit begrudgingly, but better than they were before.

“And why is that?” He coaxed, his patience wearing thin with her delaying.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. How I feel about it. I –” She paused. She did not like this side of her. The uncertain little girl who lost all confidence and train of thought whenever he was around. So instead of being the bigger person she chose to let the anger she felt at his ploy fill her. Anger was better. Anger she knew. It sparked to life in her at a single whim. She let it seep into her eyes as she snarled at him. “You didn’t have to humiliate me so.”

“You are still upset about Melody?” He sighed when she stayed silent. “I admit I might have handled it badly, but it got the job done.” He shrugged. She was going to hold it against him too. She and Bryce needed to learn to let things go.

“What job? The only thing I saw getting done was the tiny thing you are so fond of.” It was a low blow, Zoe knew that. He made her question herself and her worth and that brought out the worst in her.

“Tiny? You weren’t complaining before, when you were rubbing yourself against it.” He growled. It was a never ending circle with her. That was going to stop now. Asher prepared himself for what was sure to be another fight. “Apparently, a reminder is in order.”

Asher grabbed Zoe’s arm before she could protest and drew her to kneel in front of him on the bed. As she fought to get out of his grasp, he wrapped his fingers into her hair and leaned his mouth down to hers. He swiped his tongue against the curve of her bottom lip to urge her to open up to him.

Zoe struggled at first, her anger still fresh, but after a moment she opened her mouth to him. As Asher’s tongue slid across hers all of her anger seemed to rush out of her at once, replaced with a deep clenching feeling. Zoe tried to get ahold of herself and forced the moan attempting to escape back down. She did not understand how one kiss from him could set her blood on fire, while it usually took Garrett’s hands on her skin to elicit such a reaction.

The thought of her friend reigned in her senses and reminded her that he was just outside her door. She pushed at Asher’s arms around her and tried in vain to dislodge her mouth from his. She groaned when his hands decided to move on to do delicious things to the inside of her thighs. If he did not stop she did not know how she was going to get free.

She pulled away from his mouth to catch her breath, “Stop. Garrett is outside.”

“Forget about him.” Asher whispered his mouth hot on her neck and shoulders. He pressed herself harder against him, his mouth recapturing hers.

A pounding on the door caused Zoe’s eyes to shoot open. “Your highness, is everything alright?”

Zoe shoved against Asher, but Garrett’s voice had only made him more determined. He held on to her despite her urging to stop. His aggression usually made it easier to keep a handle on her emotions, but this time she had let things get out of hand. Zoe bit down on his lip and smiled when he jerked back with a yelp. The blood on his lip made her smile change into a smirk.

“What was that for?”

The prince licked his lip tasting the copper fluid and winced. Asher should have known she would resort to violence when she did not get her way. He would have to be more careful with his other body part around her.

“You didn’t stop!”

“Well, you didn’t have to bite me.” Asher touched a finger to his mouth, testing the cut there.

“Well, I could have hurt something a little lower, but I thought it might hurt more with all the blood rushing in that direction.” She smirked as he narrowed eyes at her.

He kept his hands on her hips, his thumbs rubbed circles in the material there as he tried to soothe her temper. Asher cocked his head to one side as he watched her move her frantic gaze from him and back to the door. What was she worried about?

Asher frowned, “I thought we had an agreement. Are you backing out?”

“I haven’t backed out on anything.” Zoe crossed her arms over her chest. “Maybe I just don’t want my best friend to think I’m a complete harlot.”

“What he thinks shouldn’t matter.” He picked up one of her hands, bringing the inside of her wrist to his mouth. “You’re going to be mine soon anyway.”

“I don’t belong to anyone, least of all you.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp.

Zoe pushed him away from her; the force of it caused Asher to stumble over his own feet. He grabbed the nightstand next to him to try and regain his balance. Zoe took his distraction as a chance to jump up and stomp over to the door. She held it out to him, a sneer destroying her pretty face.

“Get out.”

Asher shoved a hand through his hair, shook his head and marched across the room. Things had not gone as he had planned. When he stopped at the door, he saw Garrett’s grinning face peeking in from the corridor.

“What are you grinning at?” Asher snarled at him. The prince had an overwhelming urge to punch that grin right off his face.

Garrett held up his hands and forced the grin from his face. “Nothing at all, your highness.” He knew he had done the right thing by breaking it off with her, but that did not mean that he had to make it easier for the prince to take what he wanted.

As Asher woke the whole castle up with his heavy footsteps, Zoe turned her gaze to Garrett. He was still watching the prince’s retreating figure, but now he was not even trying to hide his amusement at Asher’s distress. She cleared her throat to pull his smiling face back to her.

Garret fixed his grin toward the scowling princess. “Well, that was entertaining.”

Zoe just shook her head; his infectious grin forced the frown from her face. “You don’t know the half of it.”