sighed as his soft lips caressed her mouth, her lashes fluttering shut. Nothing had ever seemed so perfect before. His lips tugged and pulled and searched hers until she thought she would melt, sending a series of exciting sparkles throughout her whole form.
It was by far the most deliciously wonderful thing she had ever done.
And she never, ever wanted to stop.
“Aubrynn Sloat!” the voice bellowed beyond the door. “It is I, the king. Do I have permission to enter and see if you have achieved all that your father promised me you would? Am I a rich man soon to have a bride? Or will your father be hanged?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
RUMPLE PULLED AWAY FROM her and then quickly came in for another swift kiss as she was attempting to scramble to her feet. “I do not wish to stop,” he murmured into her mouth.
“Nor I,” she whispered back.
“Do you think he will go away if we are silent?”
She grinned. “You are completely impossible.”
He kissed her cheek and then let her go, his eyes dancing before her. “Yes, I know.”
The king pounded on the door this time. “Awake maiden and speak to me or I will burst through this door.”
“I am up, Your Majesty. A moment please to arrange myself,” she called out.
“And that would be my cue,” Rumple hissed. Holding his hand out, he allowed her to assist him to his feet. “Hand me the bundle of food and I will hide it here in the passageway for you.”
She quickly did as he asked and fetched the striped stone too. The room was still a bit in shambles with straw littering the floor, but that could not be helped now. “Hurry, please. And be safe.”
There was a distinct limp that was not there before as he hobbled over to the hidden door.
“You are hurt!” she cried on a whisper as she followed him.
“Shh…I am fine. Just stiff.” He silently cracked the panel of stone a bit and looked into her worried face. Such a heart as she had, such a sweetness. His own heart beat wildly within his chest and he promptly kissed her once more. “Good luck.” He stepped through onto the stairs. Bouncing down a step or two he placed the bundle next to the door.
“Thank you,” she called as he closed her off into her own room again.
“Maiden!” The king was clearly an impatient man.
In her eagerness to allow the king in, Aubrynn did not have a moment to truly dread the prospect of him coming. Indeed, she was quite eager to show the miracle before her. She smiled. “You may come in now. I am ready.”
Immediately the large clanking lock clicked and King Marcus was in the room. His eyes frantically going around until he beheld the piles of gold. “You have done it!” he exclaimed in a hushed tone. “You, my dear, are simply wondrous!”
He walked over to the coiled piles and tried to lift one. It was simply too heavy without the magic stone. “My, they are real!” His hands caressed the gold lovingly, and he seemed a bit entranced by it all. “So beautiful. So perfect. So, so, so incredible!” He spun around and stared at the tired maiden before him. Sprigs of straw stuck out all over her. She looked worn and exhausted, but happy. Indeed she should be happy! She had just secured herself a king for a husband.
“Do you know what this means, my dear Aubrynn?” He came forward and clasped her hands within his, not noticing the wince in her eyes as the blisters rubbed. “It means you and I will have a very prosperous life together.”
She blinked her large brown eyes at him, her brain too fuzzy and focused on the pain to fully comprehend all that he was saying. “So you are happy then? You are well pleased?”
“Happy?” He barked out a laugh. “My dear maiden, you have made me much more than happy! I am exuberant! I am ecstatic! I am so well pleased with you, I mean to move you out of this room this very instant and do something simply divine with you! Something—something to reward you for your tremendous talents.” Wildly he picked her up and spun
It was by far the most deliciously wonderful thing she had ever done.
And she never, ever wanted to stop.
“Aubrynn Sloat!” the voice bellowed beyond the door. “It is I, the king. Do I have permission to enter and see if you have achieved all that your father promised me you would? Am I a rich man soon to have a bride? Or will your father be hanged?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
RUMPLE PULLED AWAY FROM her and then quickly came in for another swift kiss as she was attempting to scramble to her feet. “I do not wish to stop,” he murmured into her mouth.
“Nor I,” she whispered back.
“Do you think he will go away if we are silent?”
She grinned. “You are completely impossible.”
He kissed her cheek and then let her go, his eyes dancing before her. “Yes, I know.”
The king pounded on the door this time. “Awake maiden and speak to me or I will burst through this door.”
“I am up, Your Majesty. A moment please to arrange myself,” she called out.
“And that would be my cue,” Rumple hissed. Holding his hand out, he allowed her to assist him to his feet. “Hand me the bundle of food and I will hide it here in the passageway for you.”
She quickly did as he asked and fetched the striped stone too. The room was still a bit in shambles with straw littering the floor, but that could not be helped now. “Hurry, please. And be safe.”
There was a distinct limp that was not there before as he hobbled over to the hidden door.
“You are hurt!” she cried on a whisper as she followed him.
“Shh…I am fine. Just stiff.” He silently cracked the panel of stone a bit and looked into her worried face. Such a heart as she had, such a sweetness. His own heart beat wildly within his chest and he promptly kissed her once more. “Good luck.” He stepped through onto the stairs. Bouncing down a step or two he placed the bundle next to the door.
“Thank you,” she called as he closed her off into her own room again.
“Maiden!” The king was clearly an impatient man.
In her eagerness to allow the king in, Aubrynn did not have a moment to truly dread the prospect of him coming. Indeed, she was quite eager to show the miracle before her. She smiled. “You may come in now. I am ready.”
Immediately the large clanking lock clicked and King Marcus was in the room. His eyes frantically going around until he beheld the piles of gold. “You have done it!” he exclaimed in a hushed tone. “You, my dear, are simply wondrous!”
He walked over to the coiled piles and tried to lift one. It was simply too heavy without the magic stone. “My, they are real!” His hands caressed the gold lovingly, and he seemed a bit entranced by it all. “So beautiful. So perfect. So, so, so incredible!” He spun around and stared at the tired maiden before him. Sprigs of straw stuck out all over her. She looked worn and exhausted, but happy. Indeed she should be happy! She had just secured herself a king for a husband.
“Do you know what this means, my dear Aubrynn?” He came forward and clasped her hands within his, not noticing the wince in her eyes as the blisters rubbed. “It means you and I will have a very prosperous life together.”
She blinked her large brown eyes at him, her brain too fuzzy and focused on the pain to fully comprehend all that he was saying. “So you are happy then? You are well pleased?”
“Happy?” He barked out a laugh. “My dear maiden, you have made me much more than happy! I am exuberant! I am ecstatic! I am so well pleased with you, I mean to move you out of this room this very instant and do something simply divine with you! Something—something to reward you for your tremendous talents.” Wildly he picked her up and spun
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