CHAPTER 25 #3
“Ah, I wouldn’t call this a luxury, more of a treat.
” He grabbed a spoon and scraped the top of the substance in the bucket.
I watched as it curled and wrapped in on itself.
He scooped it up, placed it in one of the bowls, then did the same for the other one.
He stabbed the spoon into the top of the scoop and then pushed the bowl towards me.
The substance was soft and hard at the same time, so I dug my spoon in and grabbed a heaping spoonful.
I brought it closer and took a sniff; the scent of vanilla bean filled my nose.
Here goes nothing. I placed the spoonful in my mouth, and the flavors danced on my tongue.
“Oh! Avyn, wait!” He said, reaching out towards me, but it was too late.
A sudden rush of pain swarmed the back of my throat that radiated to my head. I closed my eyes and swallowed the ice cream. He burst out laughing, and I brought the palm of my hand to my forehead, pushing on it.
“It’s not funny! It hurts!” I squished my eyes closed as much as possible.
“It’ll pass. You only want to take small bites.” He said through breaths of laughter.
It took a moment, but the pain subsided, and I was back to normal.
“Whew, that sucked.” I wondered why people would indulge in something that could cause so much pain.
He showed me his spoon so I could see the tiny amount on it and said, “Small bites.” And then he took a bite himself. He moaned lowly, a sound that stirred heat throughout my entire body. “Mmmmmmmmm. You should try it again.” He said, gesturing with his spoon towards mine.
Dipping my spoon back in the ice cream, I picked up a much smaller portion this time, and when I put it in my mouth, the flavors delighted me.
Hints of vanilla, mixed with the sweetness of sugar, and the ice crystals of the cream were divine!
I let out a low moan myself, following his lead. “Mmmmmmm.”
His eyes darkened at the sound. “I like that sound…” he said in a low husky voice, “but I want to be the one making you make it.”
My mouth dropped open as I held the spoon there. Did he just say that?!
Yes.
Go away! I closed my mouth around the spoon.
He leaned on the table, putting his palms flat on the edge, and my eyes drifted to his muscles straining against his tunic.
He noticed, and a wicked grin matched the dark storm swirling in his eyes.
Heat surged through me, and the cold from the ice cream could not keep up.
I pulled the spoon from my mouth and put it in the bowl as my hand started to shake with nerves; I had to steady myself.
I leaned in on the table and looked up at him.
Even leaning, he was still taller than me.
Was I doing this? Was I going to play with fire?
Play with darkness? He was no longer hungry for the ice cream; he was hungry for me.
I stared directly back at him… and bit. My.
Lip. I could see his nostrils flare as he inhaled sharply at the motion.
He pushed off the table and moved around to the side where I was.
My heart pounded so violently, it felt like it might burst right out of me.
I turned around and faced him as he made his way towards me, and he placed a hand on each side of the table, pinning me in between it …
and him. But he was not touching me…. yet.
“I told you what biting your lip does to me, and here you are, biting your lip again.” He tugged on my chin, releasing it from my teeth.
My lip was swollen from biting it so hard. Clouds of darkness started to envelop the room, but I knew he controlled them.
“Do you see what you do to me. I lose control.” He purred into my ear.
He leaned in closer, and the room grew darker. Wisps of clouds drifting from one surface to another.
“What are you two doing here?” Mrs. Prast stood in the doorway, wafting away his black mist, as the fairy lights lit the room up.
“Just eating some ice cream, Mrs. Prast.” He responded calmly and pushed himself off the table. Acting as if we weren’t about to tear each other's clothes off.
“It sure looked like it.” She crossed her arms and gave us a stern look that would give my mother’s look a run for its money. “Well off to bed now, we have a big day tomorrow… well, today.”
Was she telling the Prince what to do?
“Yes, Mrs. Prast.” He replied, not even attempting to fight her on this.
Was he listening to her? He grabbed his bowl of ice cream, and I did the same.
“Just like when you were a child, sneaking to the kitchen for ice cream in the middle of the night.”
She smiled at him as he walked by and gave me a knowing, raised eyebrow glance as I followed.
We made it back to my hallway, and he said goodnight while scooping a small spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
“Goodnight.” I turned and walked into my room. I sat cross-legged on my bed, thinking about what ALMOST just happened. I finished the ice cream and placed the bowl on the side table. Curling up under the blanket, I pulled it close to me, imagining that it was him surrounding me instead.