As muddled as my mind feels right now, I know he’s never going to find his mate with that kind of attitude. “I don’t believe that.”
He glances over at me, then my bedside table. “Drink your water.”
I grab the glass and slide closer to him, close enough my thigh brushes his. “I’ll make you another deal. Fae like bargains, right?”
“Only the evil ones.” He brushes a stray piece of hair away from my face.
“I’ll drink this water if you go to the ball.”
He laughs, a low, soft rumble in his chest. “Even for a human, that is terrible. You want me to return to the realm I have not visited in twenty-five years for an event I will loathe, for you to what? Drink a glass of water before bed?”
“Exactly.” I smile up at him. “I want you to come to the ball. You want me to drink this. See? We both win.”
He stares at me for a long moment before he whispers, “Drink.”
Cool liquid pours down my throat. I’m not sure this will stop me from suffering the hangover of a century tomorrow morning, but it can’t hurt.
I place the empty cup on the bedside table and stare at him expectantly. He brings his hands to my lips and wipes away the excess droplets with a brush of his thumb.
Clasping his hand with my own, I hold it against my cheek. “Come to the ball, Kel.”
“No one wants me there.”
“I do.” I stare into his eyes, willing him to believe it. “Isn’t that enough?”
“It is enough.” He drops his head against mine in a sort of surrender. His lips brush my ear as he whispers, “I will go to your ball, Rose. But I will not find my mate there.”
41
Rosalina
Afeelingofcontentmentwashes over me. I can’t remember a more pleasant sleep. I savor the warmth of the sheets, the aroma of pine and winter hanging in the air. Have I ever been this relaxed?
My eyes flutter open. The red morning sun flickers over the ice coating the room. I sit straight up.
Oh shit.
Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
Did I really spend the night in the room of the Winter Prince?
“Keldarion?” I call tentatively.
There’s no movement. The room is empty and my head pounds.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I drink some water and try to recall the events of last night. The stuff with Dayton and bugging Keldarion is all pretty clear, but when did I fall asleep?
My whole body cringes as I recollect sleepily leaning on him. Did I put my head in his lap? Or was that a bad dream?
I’m never drinking alcohol again.
I scramble around the room and retrieve my beautiful purple dress from the ground. My mind flashes with the image of Dayton pushing aside the fabric, his lips sucking on my breast…
The door creaks open, and Keldarion steps into the room. He’s got a breakfast tray in his hands.
As soon as I see him, another memory flickers before me. His hands in my hair as I leaned over the bed and vomited into a bucket.
A literal fae prince had to stay up all night with a stupid human because she couldn’t hold her liquor. And now I’m ruining his morning too.