to Brynn and she took it, her fingers brushing his and causing his nerves to spark—for a second, he thought he might see lightning flash between their hands, the feeling was so strong. "It's full of roses, just like his rose. But his rose is special."
"How?" Brynn asked.
"Because it's his rose," Eliot said, remembering the story as his mother had told it to him. He should reread the book with Brynn. It had been too long. "Because he loves it."
Brynn put the flower up to her nose and inhaled, closing her eyes. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks.
"I miss my grandmother," she said. Her voice was so quiet that Eliot leaned forward, not understanding at first.
"Your grandmother?"
Brynn looked up at him, her eyes shimmering. Was it the moonlight or tears pooling in her eyes? He could not tell until her voice caught and choked.
"I don't know...I don't know how to say..."
"It's okay," he said, pulling her to his body in a bear hug. His arms wrapped around her completely. She was so warm against his chest. He felt himself becoming aroused, and fought the sensation. "Let's go to sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow morning." Perhaps it would be alright. Perhaps she would want to leave Hungary as well.
"Okay," she said, and the way she looked up at him so gratefully caused his guilt to rise up again. He was not good enough for her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Brynn
Back in bed, Eliot took me in his arms, and I kissed him. He kissed me back so tenderly that my skin flushed hot. I was glad that it was dark and he could not see me redden.
I paused, and he sensed my hesitation. He drew me close to his chest and pressed his lips to the top of my forehead.
"It's late, princess," he said. "Let's go to sleep."
"Yes," I murmured. I would talk with him tomorrow about Nagyi. Relief flooded through me, and I let my body snuggle up against his. His breathing was slow and even, and soon I found myself drifting off to sleep.
The dream started off so realistically I could not tell that I was dreaming. We were in bed and Eliot kissed me hard, so hard that I could not breathe. He rolled over on top of me, began to thrust himself inside of me. Slowly at first, then harder and harder. As he thrust, he kissed me again and I gasped, all of the oxygen torn from my body. The air in the room was like fire in my lungs and we moved together. My legs wrapped around his thighs and we moved together and it was fire, fire everywhere, every square inch of me burning up in a frenzy of passionate lovemaking. Even in my dream I knew that it was not real, for I had never been so brash in bed.
He shuddered over me in what I knew was his release. I moaned, but no sound came out. The fire had died to embers and Eliot lay by my side, stroking my hair.
He looked at me as though he was uncertain of something. I sat up on the side of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Eliot asked.
"We have to leave," I said. "Follow me."
All of the rooms in the castle were the same as I walked through them, and it was only my newfound confidence that reminded me that I was still dreaming.
We went down the stairs, down to the baths that were built up around the hot springs underneath Eliot's castle. The lights of the torches were shining all around us, the gilded edges of the tub glittering. The pools of the baths were filled with white rose petals floating on the top of the water. It was a sea of white, almost like snow on top of the water.
I walked toward the pool, unconscious of my nakedness. The water glinted in the torchlight where the petals separated. Welcoming me.
I took one step in. I could feel Eliot's breath on my neck, urging me forward. He did not touch me, but his presence was calming. My feet were warmed by the hot water of the springs. I took another step forward, and when I looked down I gasped.
The white rose petals were turning red, the color spreading outward from my feet.
"Forward," Eliot whispered, his voice faint. I stepped in farther, the water now
"How?" Brynn asked.
"Because it's his rose," Eliot said, remembering the story as his mother had told it to him. He should reread the book with Brynn. It had been too long. "Because he loves it."
Brynn put the flower up to her nose and inhaled, closing her eyes. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks.
"I miss my grandmother," she said. Her voice was so quiet that Eliot leaned forward, not understanding at first.
"Your grandmother?"
Brynn looked up at him, her eyes shimmering. Was it the moonlight or tears pooling in her eyes? He could not tell until her voice caught and choked.
"I don't know...I don't know how to say..."
"It's okay," he said, pulling her to his body in a bear hug. His arms wrapped around her completely. She was so warm against his chest. He felt himself becoming aroused, and fought the sensation. "Let's go to sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow morning." Perhaps it would be alright. Perhaps she would want to leave Hungary as well.
"Okay," she said, and the way she looked up at him so gratefully caused his guilt to rise up again. He was not good enough for her.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Brynn
Back in bed, Eliot took me in his arms, and I kissed him. He kissed me back so tenderly that my skin flushed hot. I was glad that it was dark and he could not see me redden.
I paused, and he sensed my hesitation. He drew me close to his chest and pressed his lips to the top of my forehead.
"It's late, princess," he said. "Let's go to sleep."
"Yes," I murmured. I would talk with him tomorrow about Nagyi. Relief flooded through me, and I let my body snuggle up against his. His breathing was slow and even, and soon I found myself drifting off to sleep.
The dream started off so realistically I could not tell that I was dreaming. We were in bed and Eliot kissed me hard, so hard that I could not breathe. He rolled over on top of me, began to thrust himself inside of me. Slowly at first, then harder and harder. As he thrust, he kissed me again and I gasped, all of the oxygen torn from my body. The air in the room was like fire in my lungs and we moved together. My legs wrapped around his thighs and we moved together and it was fire, fire everywhere, every square inch of me burning up in a frenzy of passionate lovemaking. Even in my dream I knew that it was not real, for I had never been so brash in bed.
He shuddered over me in what I knew was his release. I moaned, but no sound came out. The fire had died to embers and Eliot lay by my side, stroking my hair.
He looked at me as though he was uncertain of something. I sat up on the side of the bed.
"What are you doing?" Eliot asked.
"We have to leave," I said. "Follow me."
All of the rooms in the castle were the same as I walked through them, and it was only my newfound confidence that reminded me that I was still dreaming.
We went down the stairs, down to the baths that were built up around the hot springs underneath Eliot's castle. The lights of the torches were shining all around us, the gilded edges of the tub glittering. The pools of the baths were filled with white rose petals floating on the top of the water. It was a sea of white, almost like snow on top of the water.
I walked toward the pool, unconscious of my nakedness. The water glinted in the torchlight where the petals separated. Welcoming me.
I took one step in. I could feel Eliot's breath on my neck, urging me forward. He did not touch me, but his presence was calming. My feet were warmed by the hot water of the springs. I took another step forward, and when I looked down I gasped.
The white rose petals were turning red, the color spreading outward from my feet.
"Forward," Eliot whispered, his voice faint. I stepped in farther, the water now
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