Royally Not Ready(43)

“Not quite. It’s used only by farmers.”

“Have you ever tried it to see if it will attract sheep?”

“No.”

“Then you don’t know.” She sits up on her knees, takes a deep breath, and—

“What the hell are you about to do?”

She glances down at me where I’m lying on one of the pillows, looking up at the blue sky.

“I’m about to call the sheep. You know, make that kunnn-nuuuu sound. I have quite the vocal range.”

“Great, but we don’t need you making that sound while we’re attempting to lay low.”

“Who could really hear it? We’ve been up here for over an hour and we haven’t seen one life form. The only company we have are your surly attitude and those white birds that keep eyeing us like we’re a late-night snack.”

“Surly attitude?”

“Yeah. Very unpredictable. Makes me think we should put Torskethorpe on hold and dive deeper into the man training me.” She pokes my chest.

“That’s not happening.”

“Oh, come on. Give me a break for a second. I think I deserve it after you told me about the history of kulning. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just . . . you know, not my cup of tea, especially since you won’t let me try it.” When I don’t answer her, she pokes my side again. “Please, Keller.”

I heave a heavy sigh. “Fine, you get three questions.”

“Oh, yay, that’s more than I expected. But you need to ask me questions, too. Okay, this is a little get-to-know-you sesh.”

“Fine,” I say, exasperated.

“Calm down, dude, don’t get too excited.”

I crack a smile and glance away so she can’t see it. Maybe she’s right. Maybe a brief break will be good for us. Refresh the mind—plus, there’s been something I’ve wanted to ask her for a bit.

“Okay, I’m going to go first since you’re silent over there.” She taps her chin. “Hmm, I’ll start off easy, what’s your favorite color?”

“You’re going to waste one of your questions on that?”

“It’s not a waste. Someone’s favorite color tells a lot about them. So, what’s yours?”

“Black,” I answer.

“Ah, I presume like your soul.”

“A percentage of my soul,” I answer while sticking my hands behind my head. Lilly has yet to lie down, she’s sitting cross-legged, turned so she’s facing me. If she wanted to, she could rest her hand on my stomach, that’s how close she is.

“Ooo, so mysterious, just like your favorite color.” She winks. “Okay, ask me a question.”

I want to ask her about her sexual behavior, what she liked the most at the sex club, and what turned her on. I want to dive deep into that conversation, but I know it’s inappropriate. Probably not something I should ask the future queen of Torskethorpe. Plus, what am I going to do with that information when she answers? Just sit on it? Stew with it swirling around in my head over and over again, reminding me how much I want her but how much I can’t have her?

Probably not smart.

“What’s your most prized possession?”

“Ooo, okay, coming in with a solid first question.” She rubs her hands together. “I guess it depends. I have a box of memories from my parents that I cherish, but it’s hard to go through those memories because I end up missing them so much. The pain can be debilitating at times.”

“I can understand that,” I say quietly.

“So even though those memories mean the most to me, I put them in another category in my head. Therefore, my most prized possession? Hmmm, that would easily have to be my vibrator.”

My eyes snap to hers, finding her smirking, completely pleased with herself. “That is not your most prized possession.”

“Yes, it is.” She wets her lips. “I’m a very sexual person. I love getting off, and I found a vibrator that’s the perfect match for me. It’s so valuable that I packed it and brought it with me, with extra batteries. But to my dismay, I can’t use it because we’re practically sleeping in the same room since the doors to the bathroom won’t shut.”

I would probably lose my goddamn mind if I heard her getting off in the next room. There’s no way I’d be able to lie there in bed and not do something. Not storm through the bathroom, take the vibrator in my hand, and do the work for her.

“And trust me, I’ve thought about using it. I’m not making a move on you or anything, but the night of the broom, seeing you in a pair of briefs . . . I have to be honest, Fitzy, you have a great body. I could have easily masturbated to that image.”

Fuck.

Me.

“We shouldn’t be talking about this,” I say, as I feel this overwhelming need to roll her to her back and let her feel how her words are affecting me. How I’m hardening at the thought of her masturbating to me.

“Don’t be such a fuddy-duddy.” She pushes at me playfully. “I told you I wasn’t trying to make a move, just speaking the truth, and the truth is always healthy. You’re incredibly handsome. It’s facts.”

Not facts that I need in my head.

“Next question,” I say.