ran through him, making his muscles tight with a passionate desire. She could sense it coiling inside him like a hungry predator, ready to lunge out and take what it wanted. But patience and respect held it back.
She felt safer and freer than ever before, like she could do anything and everything with him and nothing would taint the moment. Exhilaration loosened something hot and dangerous in her, made her bold as his clever hands explored her body beneath the thin layer of her shirt. Her flesh grew hot and tingly everywhere. She clenched her thighs tightly, but it only intensified her need.
"Ah Melinda. You're so beautiful," he whispered.
And just like that, the magical intimacy shattered. Melinda turned her face, breaking the kiss. "Edward--"
"Shhh."
"I can't." She shook her head. "You're supposed to be with Beauty."
He pulled away, opening his eyes. Their deep brilliance pierced her, and she trembled with two warring desires: doing the right thing and having him. She would never be able to live with herself if she knowingly stole him from Beauty. That would betray the true intent of the vow she'd made to Fairy Godmother.
"Melinda--"
"Don't." She stood up and pushed the hair away from her face with a shaking hand. "This doesn't mean anything. There has to be a rational explanation for what just happened." Edward needed to understand that she didn't go around kissing men who already had girlfriends. "I mean, we're both pretty emotional. We faced that murderous executioner mannequin and almost got crushed by the chandelier. People sometimes can't think very clearly when they're under a lot of pressure and stuff, right? I didn't mean to poach, and I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to betray your love for Beauty. We should ju--"
He finally put a finger over her lips. "You talk too much."
Another wave of longing surged up at the feel of his skin on her mouth. She needed to get a hold of herself before she embarrassed herself.
"I do not love Beauty," he said.
"Huh?"
"I do not love Beauty."
Melinda took a step back, frowning. "You don't?"
"No."
She peered at him. He wasn't lying.
Whoa.
"How can you not be in love with her? How can you break the curse otherwise?"
"The curse never said I had to be in love with her."
"What?"
"She has to be in love with me. I merely have to earn it is all. No trickery involved."
"But the happily ever after...?"
Edward smiled ruefully. "It initially has nothing to do with my love. Once the spell is broken, obviously I'm going to be grateful, which will likely turn into something more romantic over time, since Beauty is rather...aptly named. So we get our happily ever after."
"Oh."
"But until the curse is broken, I'm not in love with her. If you remember the story, she betrays me to her sisters."
Melinda nodded, but she couldn't help but think that Edward must feel something for Beauty if he forgave her and still fell in love with her at the end. And the knowledge squeezed her heart in a way that made it hard to breathe.
"Don't push me away," he murmured, running his lips over her jaw line.
She shivered. Edward might just give in to temptation, so she had to be strong for both of them. "Will you remember me after it's over? After we get Beauty and you return to your story?"
He stopped the delicate exploration of her face. "I don't know. No fairy tale prince has ever had to leave the Fairy Tale World for his happy ending."
"Would you want to?"
"Oh Melinda, Melinda." His warm forehead rested against hers. "You are a remarkable woman, strong and resourceful. Of course, I'd love to remember you, even if we have to part at the end and even if it makes my heart grieve over what I have lost." He drew back, looked into her eyes. "I shall remember you for eternity."
She swallowed. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," she whispered.
"The men of your world are fools." He kissed her. "Promise me you'll never give up on your happily ever after, no matter what happens on
She felt safer and freer than ever before, like she could do anything and everything with him and nothing would taint the moment. Exhilaration loosened something hot and dangerous in her, made her bold as his clever hands explored her body beneath the thin layer of her shirt. Her flesh grew hot and tingly everywhere. She clenched her thighs tightly, but it only intensified her need.
"Ah Melinda. You're so beautiful," he whispered.
And just like that, the magical intimacy shattered. Melinda turned her face, breaking the kiss. "Edward--"
"Shhh."
"I can't." She shook her head. "You're supposed to be with Beauty."
He pulled away, opening his eyes. Their deep brilliance pierced her, and she trembled with two warring desires: doing the right thing and having him. She would never be able to live with herself if she knowingly stole him from Beauty. That would betray the true intent of the vow she'd made to Fairy Godmother.
"Melinda--"
"Don't." She stood up and pushed the hair away from her face with a shaking hand. "This doesn't mean anything. There has to be a rational explanation for what just happened." Edward needed to understand that she didn't go around kissing men who already had girlfriends. "I mean, we're both pretty emotional. We faced that murderous executioner mannequin and almost got crushed by the chandelier. People sometimes can't think very clearly when they're under a lot of pressure and stuff, right? I didn't mean to poach, and I'm pretty sure you didn't mean to betray your love for Beauty. We should ju--"
He finally put a finger over her lips. "You talk too much."
Another wave of longing surged up at the feel of his skin on her mouth. She needed to get a hold of herself before she embarrassed herself.
"I do not love Beauty," he said.
"Huh?"
"I do not love Beauty."
Melinda took a step back, frowning. "You don't?"
"No."
She peered at him. He wasn't lying.
Whoa.
"How can you not be in love with her? How can you break the curse otherwise?"
"The curse never said I had to be in love with her."
"What?"
"She has to be in love with me. I merely have to earn it is all. No trickery involved."
"But the happily ever after...?"
Edward smiled ruefully. "It initially has nothing to do with my love. Once the spell is broken, obviously I'm going to be grateful, which will likely turn into something more romantic over time, since Beauty is rather...aptly named. So we get our happily ever after."
"Oh."
"But until the curse is broken, I'm not in love with her. If you remember the story, she betrays me to her sisters."
Melinda nodded, but she couldn't help but think that Edward must feel something for Beauty if he forgave her and still fell in love with her at the end. And the knowledge squeezed her heart in a way that made it hard to breathe.
"Don't push me away," he murmured, running his lips over her jaw line.
She shivered. Edward might just give in to temptation, so she had to be strong for both of them. "Will you remember me after it's over? After we get Beauty and you return to your story?"
He stopped the delicate exploration of her face. "I don't know. No fairy tale prince has ever had to leave the Fairy Tale World for his happy ending."
"Would you want to?"
"Oh Melinda, Melinda." His warm forehead rested against hers. "You are a remarkable woman, strong and resourceful. Of course, I'd love to remember you, even if we have to part at the end and even if it makes my heart grieve over what I have lost." He drew back, looked into her eyes. "I shall remember you for eternity."
She swallowed. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me," she whispered.
"The men of your world are fools." He kissed her. "Promise me you'll never give up on your happily ever after, no matter what happens on
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