He was captivated by her, entranced by the laughter that finally radiated from her again. How had he ever thought that she wasn’t beautiful? She may not be perfection in the classical sense, but her spirit was glorious and it shone from her like the sun. He’d sensed her spirit even before he could actually see it.
And he had no idea what was to become of her, of him, of them.
He took a step back, intending to return to the palace. She had so few moments of peace and tranquility, he wasn’t about to intrude upon this time with her brother. She turned suddenly, her head tilting to the side as she spotted him. Her smile grew as her cheeks colored beautifully. William frowned at her for a moment before turning toward him. Their hands remained joined, but the game was forgotten as they stared at him questioningly.
Even from here he could hear the increased beat of her heart, feel the joy that suffused her, along with the shy hesitance that she’d experienced briefly this morning when they’d awoken. He’d hoped it would be gone by now, but he had a feeling it had more to do with her brother, than being around him as she glanced nervously at William. Her brother looked between them; heat rose in his face as he released her and rose to his feet.
“You don’t have to go,” Braith informed him, hating to break them up, especially for the reasons that he had come for.
“Yes.” William glanced back at Aria who offered him a small smile and nodded briefly. Braith sensed there was more behind their look, but William was already turning back to him. “I do.”
William squeezed Aria’s shoulder briefly before moving around the bench and leaving the gardens. Braith walked around the bench and sat beside her. “Do you remember the first time you brought me here?” she inquired.
He stared at the fountain, clearly recalling that day. He hadn’t known what to make of her then, hadn’t known what to make of anything that was happening to him. She’d thrown him off balance, rattled him; confused him in a way that he’d never been confused before. She still did. He didn’t think he would ever get used to her, the way she made him feel; the way she could melt him, infuriate him, and drive him nearly to his knees all in the same moment.
“I do.”
“I was so uncertain of you before then.”
“You sure didn’t act like it,” he muttered.
She released a velvety laugh as she leaned against his side. He loved the way she looked at him like that, from under lowered lashes, playful and joyful. It almost made him believe that she wasn’t still aching inside, but even through the smile he saw the persistent torment in her eyes. It would be there for a long time to come. He took hold of her hand, pressing it gently between his as he placed it in his lap. “Well I couldn’t let you know I was a little scared of you, you’d take advantage of me then.”
He couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that escaped him. “Oh, I’m sure, as you’re just so easy to take advantage of,” he retorted dryly.
“Only with you.” Her cheeks colored even more, and he couldn’t help the increase of his laughter. It was so rare and fleeting to see her embarrassed or shy about anything.
“Even then you’re like a thorn.”
A burst of astonished laughter escaped her; she leaned over to press a brief kiss to his lips. He knew she’d only meant it to be chaste, a small show of affection, but the minute her lips touched his heat flashed through his body. He grabbed hold of her shoulders, holding her in place as memories of the night and morning burst hotly through him. He was shaken, for a brief moment he was unable to control the powerful wave of desire that swamped him. He’d most certainly never loved another woman before, but he’d also never been this enthralled or rattled by one either. He’d thought that possessing her would ease the need somewhat, he’d been wrong. It had only increased.
She was breathing rapidly, her face flushed with a different kind of heat when he regained enough control of himself to finally separate from her. Her eyes were wide with awe, her lips parted and swollen from the force of his kiss. He craved nothing more than to take her back upstairs and forget about everything as he lost himself to her, but there were things that had to be done. Things they had to settle between them. There was only so long they could push reality away, and though he would have liked a few more days, he knew it would only make things more difficult in the end.
“There is something I have to tell you Aria.”
Reality crashed over her as she straightened her shoulders and thrust her chin out. “There is something I have to tell you too.”
“Does it have to do with what has been between you and Jack recently?”
She paled visibly as she leaned away from him. “You knew?”
“I suspected something, I’m not a fool. You haven’t been the same since The Swamplands. I’m aware you were trying to put some distance between us; I suspected it was because you were nervous that one of us wouldn’t survive, but I’ve come to believe it was more than that, wasn’t it?”
“You’re going to be mad.”
He shifted uneasily, but he’d known that he would be. “I don’t doubt it for a minute.”
“Just please try and control your temper.”
His jaw clenched. “I’d never harm you.”
“I know that!” she cried. “But I do enjoy this garden, and that fountain, and I’d like to keep it all in one piece.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “It’s that bad?”
She shrugged, but there was no casualness to the gesture. “Depends on your point of view.”
“From my point of view?”
“You’re probably going to feel like breaking something, but for me, please don’t.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “For you Aria, I can do just about anything.” He wasn’t going to promise her though, not when he didn’t know exactly what it was that she was going to tell him. He didn’t believe for even a moment that anything romantic had passed between her and his brother, but there were other things that might set his temper off.
She took a deep breath and blurted her words so fast that in the beginning he had a tough time trying to follow what she was saying. The faster she spoke though, and the more she spoke, the more anger and dread began to curl within his belly, through his chest, and into his outer extremities. He was struggling not to shake, trying hard not to clench down on the hand he held.