Page 80 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“You were able to deduce all of that, huh?”

I nodded. “I have indeed.”

He laughed, finally setting his hat on the table to the side and lying down, opening his arms to invite me with him.

I went easily, wanting to feel wrapped in his warmth again. He tucked me against his shoulder, lying against his chest. His tail came up and wrapped around my back, surrounding me on all sides. I’d never felt so secure in my life.

Looking at his chest let me see all the small scars he had littered over his body. There were a few that looked extra painful. One running over the edge of his chest, the slightly lighter raised skin telling how big it once was.

I ran a finger over it without thought, and felt him tense at my touch. “Did that hurt?” I asked.

“No, that’s long healed,” he said.

“What was it?”

He blew out a breath. “I couldn’t tell you. A wandering hook that caught me just right, a cut from someone’s sword, a rough night out.”

I paused at his casual mention of being cut by a sword. “Do you get into swordfights often?”

He shrugged. “I am a pirate. Comes with the territory.”

I imagined Sorcha practicing out in the field. I liked to watch her sometimes, usually from a window tucked far away. It was fun watching her throw grown men to their asses so often, but imagining what it would look like without practice swords and real ones in their place always made me nervous. And now I knew Shadowhart had done the same thing.

“Don’t do that anymore,” I said, my voice not as sharp as I wanted it to be.

“Do what?”

“Get hit by a sword.”

He huffed a laugh. “I don’t think I have much say in the matter.”

“I don’t care,” I said. “Don’t.”

“For someone who doesn’t listen well, you sure like to bark out orders.”

I shrugged. “What can I say. It’s my right as a princess. And the youngest at that.”

“Ah, I see now.” His hand wrapped around my chin, tipping my head so I was no longer looking at his chest, but at his eyes. “You just need someone to tame that brattiness huh?”

I swallowed hard, my entire body heating, as if I’d been baking in the sun. “And you think you’re up to the challenge?”

“I’m more than qualified.”

“Then prove it.”

His mouth was on mine, kissing me just as intensely as he did the other day. I didn’t think there was anything he did half-assed. Everything from running his ship to kissing me was done with the same intensity and focus. Which made me want to fall for him even further.

I let my hands go back to exploring over his chest, feeling the hard muscle over soft skin. My fingers found his shirt buttons and started unceremoniously pulling at them.

If I ripped a few, I could always fix them later.

Once the buttons were undone, he threw the shirt behind him, never breaking our kiss. Not until I pulled back, needing to look at his full, bare expanse.

He was all muscles everywhere. I had already known that, with everything he wore being a bit snug, but actually seeing them was hot in a whole different way.

His hands reached for the back ties of my dress, pulling away for a moment. “May I?”

I nodded. Somehow, he managed to untie the whole thing without his lips leaving mine.