The Mad King (The Dark Kings #1)(103)

Strong hands clamped onto her shoulders, and this time it was Hatter. Her true Hatter, his wicked, molten brown eyes gleaming like rich black earth as he looked at her reflection in the mirror. The crackle and pop of his energy mingled with her own, stoking the embers that always glowed whenever she was around him.

“This is my heart, where I guard my greatest treasure.”

Stunned, she looked back at herself.

“You are my treasure, Alice. You.” His deep voice coiled around her heart, squeezing it in a tight fist and making her ache for him.

Tears sprang to her eyes. She turned in his arms, her words momentarily fleeing a throat too full of a giant lump, making it hard to speak.

“From the moment you entered my world, took me as your man, and called me your own, I have never been the same. I was dead when you found me.”

Falling deeper into the cradle of his arms, she smiled, not fighting the tears any longer.

“My world was shattered, ruined, it wasn’t good. Wasn’t right. But you fixed me.” His finger touched the tip of her widow’s peak before trailing softly, languorously, down her forehead, across the bridge of her nose, and finally landing upon the corner of her lips. “I love you, my mate, my heart.”

Sniffling, she shook her head. “You’ve got it all wrong, Hatter.”

He cocked his head.

“I didn’t fix you. You fixed me,” she whispered.

Kissing each knuckle of her hands before he spoke again, he leaned into her lips, speaking so close she could taste the wintery wash of mint upon her lips.

“Happy birthday, Alice. Was this a good surprise?” He asked it with a note of trepidation, and she read the worry scrawled upon his brow.

Laughter filled her soul. “You’ve given me the best birthday gift anyone could ever give.” Framing his face, she took the time to once again admire the masculine beauty of the man before her.

Warm brown eyes, a long and regal nose, thick dark brows, the slashes of cheekbones, and the square jaw dusted with day-old stubble, there wasn’t a thing about him she’d ever change.

Brushing back a lock of dark hair that’d slipped over his eyes, she never let her gaze waver as she said, “You’ve shown me your soul, how can I not be in awe of this amazing gift?”

His lashes fluttered.

“I love you more now than I did yesterday.” She moved deeper into him, wiggling every inch of hers against him, purring as his thickness twitched against her thigh. “I will love you more tomorrow than I do today, and the day after that, even more. I do not deserve you, Hatter, but I will never give you up.”

Eyes that’d seemed full of worry just moments ago now flared to life with another emotion altogether. The heat that always simmered just below the surface between them grew hotter. His large hands slid slowly and oh so torturously down her lower spine until they rested against the swell of her backside.

A mound of downy softness encased them a moment later.

Alice didn’t need to look around to know they were back at their cottage, within the room of silken pillows. Hatter was laying her down on a bed of them, crawling his large, muscular body on top of hers with a predatory gleam in his eyes that made her toes curl and heat slither through her stomach. With a blink, their clothes were gone and the magnificence of his body was all she could see.

“Hatter,” Alice whispered with an impish grin.

Hot lips pressed against the column of her throat. “Hmm?”

Tracing her fingers along the corded muscles of his back, she nipped at his shoulder playfully—just hard enough to draw a hiss from him.

“Do you think that maybe you could”—she blushed—“turn back into water, just long enough to—”

With a deep laugh, he morphed before her eyes, becoming the shimmering man of glassy beauty.

“Oh gods,” she breathed, opening her arms to him. “Best birthday ever. How am I ever going to top that?”

“Too much talking,” he growled, then claimed her lips, and with a sparkle of laughter, Alice fell headlong into his spell.

She loved her Mad Hatter, now, forever, and always...