Read Online The Goblin King's Lovers by Marie Medina - Free Book Online Page B

one or
both of you, hurting myself.”
    Lorne nodded. “What can I
do?”
    She thought quickly. “Find another
page and have him send Davin out to me. Don’t tell him we
spoke.”
    “ I can’t lie to him. Ever.
Not even to protect him.”
    “ I’m not asking you to.
Just don’t tell him until after. That’s why I want you to send the
page. All right? He’ll tell you everything later, I’m
sure.”
    Lorne nodded again. “Yes.” He kissed
her one more time, briefly, and then left her there.
    She managed to gather herself by the
time Davin came to her a few minutes later. He was at her side
immediately, pressing close. She didn’t pull away, but he did seem
to remember himself and back up when she looked at him and
pointedly noted his closeness.
    “ Forgive me. I didn’t
expect you to be willing to see me so soon,” Davin said.
    “ I had many hours to
think.”
    “ Ask me anything, tell me
anything.”
    She already knew what she wanted from
him. “Why me?”
    “ Because I love you. You
make me happy. I’m always delighted to be with you, and I feel the
same joy when I see you with Lorne, dancing or talking or
laughing.”
    “ Things are good between
you and Lorne … physically?” Heat rose to her cheeks, but she
wanted to know.
    He nodded. “Yes. Just holding his hand
excites me. When we touch, I’m so happy.”
    She’d always seen it but had never
realized their bond went so deep. Now she felt like laughing at her
own blindness. “I see.”
    “ And I think of
you.”
    She hadn’t expected that. Could he
mean what she thought her meant? “When you touch him?”
    “ Yes. I imagine you with
us. Yesterday, we made love for the first time. It was beautiful,
but I kept picturing you. I suppose saying so is lewd, but I don’t
care. As much as I love him, we aren’t complete, not
yet.”
    “ You were both raised to
expect this. I didn’t even know about it.”
    Davin cupped her face, his touch so
similar to Lorne’s yet still different. “I think of you between us.
What we could do to make you sigh and cry out. I’d never be jealous
of either of you.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Watching
Lorne make love to you would be the most beautiful thing in the
world.”
    She sucked in her breath and turned
her head to bring their lips together. This kiss was softer and
less passionate, yet the emotion was just as sincere. When they
released each other, she said, “But I can’t lie. I care for Lorne
and find him attractive, but I’m not in love.”
    “ He’ll understand. We both
will.”
    She pulled herself from his arms.
“Then give me a week. I’ll have an answer.”
    “ May we see you at
all?”
    She paused, and then an idea hit her.
Seeing them would be too overwhelming, and their kisses told her
she’d not stand a chance if they tried to seduce her. She couldn’t
give in to that kind of pleasure until she was sure, as they meant
too much to her. Hurting them … herself … she couldn’t let it
happen. “Write to me. I’ll write back. I haven’t been courted. You
declared your feelings and asked me to marry you. What girl could
give an answer so fast?”
    He had the good grace to blush. “My
fault. I assumed we had an understanding. It was foolish. Lorne
tried to warn me.”
    She stood and smoothed her skirt.
“Write to me. Starting tomorrow.”
    “ We will. There’s a lot in
our hearts.”
    “ I’m sure there is,” she
said as she kissed his cheek and then walked off.
    And now I must find out
what there is room for in mine.
    * * * *
    Eva sat at the table and opened the
two new letters that had been waiting for her that morning.
Everyone for miles talked of nothing else, as messengers had been
coming and going constantly for the past week. Nika hadn’t pried,
but it was no secret the prince had proposed. No one else had
actually said anything to Eva either. She’d been upset at first
when it became obvious on the second day that people knew what had
happened, but now