The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

“True.” His arm eased off me, and I started to rise when
he lightly smacked my rear. I let out a little squeak, and
those damn dimples appeared in both of his cheeks.
I stared down at him. “That was very inappropriate.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” He didn’t feel even a hint of shame.
Still flushing to the roots of my hair, I started to move
but stopped. Tension crept into my muscles, a contrasting
mixture of reluctance and determination.
“What?” Casteel’s gaze searched mine. “What is it?”
“I…” It was hard to explain what I felt. It was a mixture
of several things. I shifted onto my knees between his legs.
“I almost don’t want to leave the bed. Things…everything
feels different here. Like nothing outside of this place exists
or matters. And I know…” I looked over to the latticed door,
to the night beyond. “I know when I do, I’ll have to face all
the things that do matter.” My gaze fell to the journal I held
against my chest. “That probably makes me sound like an
immature child.”
“No. Not at all. I get what you’re feeling.” He folded his
fingers under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. “When Malik
and I went to the caverns, it was our way of escaping.”
“What were you two escaping?” I asked. He’d never
expounded on that.
“Malik and I stumbled into many conversations.” A wry
grin formed. “Ones that were probably more like arguments
between our mother and father. My parents love each other
fiercely and have always had the same goal in mind—to
provide a better life for all who call Atlantia their home. To
make sure that everyone is safe and well cared for. But their
methods of achieving that goal don’t always line up.”
I thought about that. “Ruling a kingdom and actually
wanting what is best for the people you’re responsible for
cannot be easy.”
“No, it’s not,” he agreed. “My father has always had
more of an aggressive mentality toward achieving that
goal.”