Page 42 of Protected By the Elf Prince

Or I should say better?

Honestly, I still hadn’t decided.

Okay, screw it. I’d stand my ground right now and say kissing Dashiel, both times, had been the best I’d ever had with anyone.

The attentiveness, the way he made my body come alive with just a touch, and the feel of his mouth.

It was addictive.

He was addictive.

Yeah, there’d been no confusion left after that.

I liked him, and it wasn’t because Fate said I should.

Maybe the bond helped.

But I believed it was more.

Fate had been right to put Dashiel in my life. There was so much I wanted to learn about him. I knew I could talk to him for hours and never grow bored.

Hell, my cock had been like a steel rod for the guy.

Yes, a guy.

An elf guy.

And to me, he wasn’t just some magical being who apparently considered arson a reasonable emotional response. He was real and worth being around.

I liked him.

The realization still felt strange.

But it was also exciting, nerve-racking, and somehow incredibly right.

I dragged a hand down my face. “Pull yourself together, idiot,” I muttered.

The spreadsheet remained uninteresting to my brain, and it wandered right back to last night.

More precisely back to the moment we’d finally pulled apart and the way Dashiel had looked at me.

Like I’d just given him something precious.

The memory spread warmth through my chest.

He hadn’t stayed long after our second kiss. Even when a part of me had wanted him to. A large part, actually. But I also knew I didn’t want to rush this with him. And maybe Dashiel could sense it, or see the slight hesitation about doing more or making that moment longer than it was, because he gently explained that I looked exhausted and should get some sleep.

Then he’d told me he would return in the morning to walk me to work.

I smiled to myself, then immediately groaned. “I’m hopeless.”

The walk that morning had been nice.

Right away, it had felt comfortable and easy. Even when my cheeks burned every time I looked at him and remembered having those lips on mine or how I’d gone to bed and touched myself once more over the man.

I was like a school kid with a big old crush.

On the walk, we’d talked about tea and how it was the drink most elves enjoyed, regardless of occasion. They had their wine, but tea was still preferred. He mentioned some of the flavors he thought I would like, and I had to admit, they did sound good. I’d never been a tea drinker, but maybe I just hadn’t had the right type.