Page 51 of Her Royal Houseguest

She visibly paled but she did not back down. ‘I apologise, Your Royal Highness. I thought I was speaking to you, not the Siamese throne.’

He winced. He did not like being called to account like this. But honesty forced him to admit she was right. ‘I do not speak right now as the Golden Throne,’ he admitted. ‘And you are delaying out of fear or embarrassment. I do not know which.’

Her mouth opened in surprise, then she shut it with an audible click. ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said stiffly.

‘Yes, you do. We are speaking of your curse.’ He gestured impatiently at her. ‘You think denying my words is virtue. I say it is another example of your curse. You will not listen to accurate assessment. Instead, you respond as your curse does.’ His tone took on a note of mockery. ‘I am ugly. I am common.’ He snorted. ‘Do you say I am a liar?’

She swallowed. ‘No, Prince Deva.’

‘Then you will accept my assessment as truth?’

‘Yes.’ He could tell the word was hard for her. She was not one who accepted compliments easily but that was because she was so used to disparagement.

‘Good. That is your first step in breaking the curse.’

‘What?’

‘You will hear the truth from me. And using that truth, we can find the specific curse.’ He softened his tone. ‘Do you understand, Lady Anna? I am trying to ease you off the Wheel of Suffering. The first step is honesty.’

‘I understand,’ she said but her eyes were downcast as if she had been chastised.

He touched her chin, lifting her face. ‘Do not feel shame. You have not been taught these things.’

‘Certainly not!’

‘Then you are learning. You cannot know what no one taught.’

Her expression lightened and her eyes shifted to a darker blue. ‘You amaze me,’ she whispered.

‘Because I am foreign to you?’

‘Because you are honest and forthright.’

He smiled. ‘I like that truth.’

‘Do you want to hear another?’ she asked.

‘Yes.’

‘I want you to kiss me. Not for marriage. I want to be kissed by someone who thinks me beautiful.’

He grinned. ‘It is my delight to grant this request.’

Chapter Seventeen

What was she doing? No respectable woman asked for a kiss from anyone, much less a prince. Yet, she had done it. And she did not regret it.

Unlike the last time, she was not surprised when his lips pressed against hers. Shock did not prevent her from enjoying the way his mouth moved across hers. The heat of his lips, the press of his tongue, all combined to let her sink into the experience.

Her heartbeat soared and her limbs went weak. He caught her arms as she fell into him and he pressed her head back.

She opened for him. How wonderful to open to his heat and his demand. He was the master here and she willingly surrendered to every part of the experience. She relished his scent as her mind spun with dizzy awareness. She gloried in the thrust of his tongue as she duelled with him.

Yes, oh yes! This was a kiss to be remembered. A kiss worthy of a prince. And she was so lucky to be able to feel it, relish it and know she was safe. He was an honourable man. She trusted him and so she let him overwhelm all her restraint.

She kissed him back. She had no skill in this but it didn’t matter. She was all enthusiastic exploration. How he kissed fascinated her. He thrust his tongue deeper, then shallow. Harder, then with restraint. He pressed tiny kisses to her lips and she felt the scrape of his teeth along the edges.

Then his hand shaped the mound of her left breast.