Excerpt: Stolen Moments

Marietta reached towards him, taking the scroll lightly as she always did. Unlike the usual pattern, Prince Luca brushed his hand against hers. The same feeling of pure lightning shooting through her body as when she first locked eyes with the Prince rocked her completely. She knew in that instant it had not been by accident. He was always so careful to avoid touching her. He would not unless he had actively wanted to. As if confirming her thoughts, he took her hand in his and gently lifted it to his lips. All the fury at his attitude fled her in an instant, her mind locked entirely of the feeling of his delicate lips on the back of her hand. All reason and thought left her as she locked her self purely in the moment, quite unable to think of any thing else, even if she wanted to try. She struggled to regain the ability to think as Prince Luca leant forward, curling an arm behind her neck and pulled her in gently towards him. Some part of her wanted to fight him, flay him alive for presuming she wanted any form of physical contact with him. That part was quickly quashed by the flood of warmth that ran through her body at the feeling of his lips on her own. She melted beneath his touch and he lifted her gently to standing, breaching the last of the space between them as he held her closely. It seemed the whole world whirled around her, seasons passed, babes born and buried before reason once more returned to her. When it did, she was pissed.