Page 60 of This Prince Is Not Charming

She finished taking a drink and wiped her mouth. “Why not? We have this beautiful spread. It’s a beautiful day. Let’s make the most of it.”

I was temporarily distracted from my own problems as I stared at the wild look in those brown eyes. “Are you okay?” I asked.

“Another contestant just disappeared, and we still have no idea why. Have your guards found anything?”

I shook my head. “Harriet’s been searching outside the border of Fairwitch Isle, but she’s seen no signs of them.”

Ceri held up the bottle. “Then I think we could both use some of this today.”

I’d always been careful not to get drunk around Ceri, afraid I’d lose control and let something slip that would ruin our friendship, ruin everything. But I was already losing control, and if she got drunk along with me, it was likely neither of us would remember today.

This tonic didn’t seem to be working anymore, not with how my body and heart had been responding to Ceri lately. So why not try alcohol? Just today. One day with my best friend where we could get lost in a bottle of wine and let loose.

Tomorrow I’d face the consequences. I grabbed my own bottle and held it high. “Bottom’s up,” I said as I took a drink.

CHAPTER 26

Ceri

Igiggled as Cillian stood over me, arms folded across his chest, brows furrowed, and he did his best impression of his older brother.

“Me Wolfe. Me no talk. Me hate everyone.”

I lifted my mostly empty wine bottle into the air. “Except Niamh!”

He lowered his voice to a growl. “You no speak my wife’s name. Only me speak her name.”

I laughed so hard, my vision went sideways. “Oops!” I landed on the pillows and pushed myself back up to a seated position. “I think I’m a little drunk.”

Cillian gestured to the ice bucket, where more bottles of wine had appeared. “Not drunk enough.” He plucked out another bottle and uncorked it, drinking straight from it while I chanted.

“Go, go, go!”

Godwitches, this felt good. Margaret had said she’d stay with my father, so I figured why not? Why not get drunk as everything was falling apart around us? I wanted to fall apart, too, and there was no one else I’d rather do it with.

Cillian spit out some of the wine, laughing at my chanting as he put the bottle down. “Who should I do next?”

A very filthy thought entered my mind at that question, and I pressed my lips together, summoning all my self-control so I didn’t burst out with “me.” Maybe this had not been my brightest idea.

But Cillian’s body had been so hard and firm and delicious on top of mine, setting me on fire in a way I couldn’t handle. So I’d decided to get drunk and hope that numbed everything inside me.

It turned out I hadn’t gotten drunk in a very, very long time because instead of numbing all my feelings, they were spreading and making me itch with desire.

“Hello.” Cillian waved a hand in front of my face. “Ceri. Anyone in there?” His words slurred, and I attempted to swat away his hand but missed and lightly slapped his face.

“Sorry!” I clapped a hand over my mouth at Cillian’s widened eyes.

“Is it weird that I liked that?”

“Stop it,” I said.

He straightened. “Okay, okay. Who next?”

“Enid!” I said.

He grinned and adopted his best Enid accent, which was so lovely and lyrical. “Don’t touch that plant, now. It bites if you get too close, and I won’t save you if you’re stupid enough to mess with one of my plants.” He bowed, almost falling forward.

I clapped in delight. “You’re getting better at your Enid impression.”