Arabella’s smile hasn’t left her face since we left the atrium, and her joy is infectious. I can’t recall the last time the palace was filled with true joy. It isn’t just us—it’s every member of the staff.We have people walking through the atrium barefoot. Some are dancing and singing, while others have brought out our limited supply of liquor. It has been years since my people had hope the way they have it today, and we owe it all to Arabella.“I knew we could do it,” she says. “You didn’t believe me. You might not have said it, but I could see it in your eyes.”I pause in the hallway, surprised she managed to see through my attempts to hide my worries. “No one has ever been able to read my mind like that,” I tell her.“I can, Felix.” She looks proud and stubborn, a chastising look in her beautiful eyes. There’s something so ethereal about her at this moment. She looks at me the way a wife looks at her husband—with intimacy and a level of knowledge only a married couple can share.“Is that so?” I ask, a smile stretching across my face. “Tell me what I’m thinking of right now, my darling wife.”I let my eyes roam over her body and imagine undoing her corset. Arabella’s eyes widen and her cheeks turn rosy as she turns away from me and takes another step toward our bedroom.“I have no idea!” she answers, her voice high-pitched. I love seeing her flustered. I think scandalizing my wife might well be my new favorite hobby. Making her blush and seeing her eyes widen… it does something to me.“Are you quite certain you don’t know what’s on my mind?” I ask, trailing behind her.Arabella looks over her shoulder and attempts to glare at me, but I see the thinly veiled desire in her eyes. I chuckle and count the steps to our bedroom as I watch her walk in front of me. Deciding that I can’t wait that long after all, I reach for her with my powers, undoing her corset from behind.Arabella gasps and looks at me over her shoulder. “Felix!” she chastises, and I grin at that wide-eyed look she throws at me. Beautiful.I continue to undo the laces of her corset, and Arabella giggles. She looks back at me again, and then she breaks into a run.noveldramaI find myself frozen in surprise for a moment, and then I grin as I chase after her. Her giggles sound through the hallway, and my heart nearly overflows. When was the last time these halls were filled with happiness?Arabella escapes behind our bedroom door, and I follow close behind her. “Where do you think you’re going, wife?” I need her with a desperation I can’t contain, and I’m running out of patience.Arabella laughs as she runs up to our bed. She leans against one of our bedposts and looks at me, her breathing uneven. Her eyes are dark with desire, and my heart skips a beat when her gaze roams over my body.I rest my back against the door and watch her, lifting my hand to undo the rest of her corset. Her lips fall open, wiping the smile off her face, and I chuckle. “Hiding from me, my love?”“Maybe,” she whispers, her voice husky. I twirl my fingers and swallow hard when her corset comes undone. I look her in the eye, wondering what she’ll do, and I tense when she lets it drop to the floor.I’m breathing hard as I undo the tie at the top of her skirt. Arabella lets this garment, too, fall to the floor, her eyes filled with the same desire I’m feeling.She stands before me in her chemise and leans back against the bedpost, facing me. Her eyes are on me as I send a sharp tug through her chemise, ripping it apart. I move it off her shoulders, and that joins the rest of her clothes on the floor.Arabella raises her arms to hide her naked body, but I shake my head as I close the distance between us. “No. You’re too beautiful to hide away.”I pull her arms apart and pin them above her head, making her gasp. “Felix!” she whispers, and I smile.“I like the way my name sounds on your lips, beloved. I’d rather enjoy making you scream it.”The way she looks at me has me straining against my breeches painfully, yet what I want more than anything else is to take my time with her. I want to please my wife and drive her as crazy as she makes me. I want my name on her lips, over and over again, until tomorrow’s responsibilities tear us apart.I walk up to her and pinch her chin, tilting her face up so I can kiss her. I take my time with her, entwining my tongue with hers in the way I’ve learned makes her tremble with need.“Felix,” she whispers against my lips, her tone pleading.Arabella pushes against my shadow, and much to my surprise, she unravels it, undoing my hold on her wrists. No one has ever been able to do that. I smile as her hands roam over my chest, tugging at my uniform. My beautiful wife has no idea just how strong she is. I can’t imagine how much stronger she’ll get.“You’ve teased me quite enough,” she tells me as she pulls my uniform open. I’m startled when she leans in, pressing a kiss to my neck. Never once has she been this brazen, and I’m enjoying every second of it. While her body has always betrayed her desire, this is different.Arabella pushes against my chest, and I take a step back, curious. She grins and pushes me toward the bed, until she’s got me standing right in front of it. “Not so fun being thrown around, is it, husband?”I smirk as she pushes against my chest again, making me fall backward onto our bed. I lean on my elbows to look at her and shake my head. “On the contrary, wife. I’m rather enjoying this.”“You see,” she tells me. “Elaine loaned me some of her romance novels. They were quite a bit more graphic than the ones we had in the library.”I wonder if she realizes that she refers to everything as us and we now. She calls my people hers, and my palace is granted the same treatment. I wonder if she considers me hers, too. I’ve never found myself jealous of my own citizens before, but today that’s exactly what I am. I’m jealous.“Elaine, huh? I have a feeling I’m about to be grateful for whatever wicked books she gave you.”Arabella chuckles, the sound making my heart overflow with feelings I don’t dare name. For so long, I’ve associated love with the curse; now I don’t dare taint what I feel for Arabella.“I think you might just be. I’m not so sure. It all seemed so appealing in the books, but it might not be quite as easy in reality.”“Good thing we have plenty of time,” I murmur, wishing it were true. “I would be happy to subject myself to what I’m certain will be torturous practice events.”Arabella bursts out laughing, and I can’t help but chuckle in return. I’ve never experienced anything like this: joy entwined with lust, humor entwined with desire.“Torturous… if I do this well, it might just be.” She leans over me and runs her hand over my chest.“Beloved,” I whisper. “I’m not quite that patient. If you want my clothes off, just say the words.”She looks at me through lowered lashes and nods, an enticing smile on her face. I snap my fingers, and my clothes end up on top of hers, leaving me bare and entirely at my wife’s mercy.She kneels in front of me, palming my erection without hesitation, and I moan. “Fates, Arabella…”She looks at me as she lowers her head, and I almost lose it when she wraps her lips around my cock, her mouth wet and hot. Arabella moves her head up and down, her touch hesitant and determined all at once. She’ll drive me insane, which I’m certain was her objective all along.She swirls her tongue the way she loves to kiss me, and I groan, unable to take it. “My love,” I tell her. “Keep going like that, and I’ll mess up your pretty little mouth.”She has no idea what she’s doing to me. No idea what she looks like, her breasts on display as she takes me in so deep.I lift her up into the air, repositioning her so she’s on top of me. “Felix,” she protests, but I shake my head. I can’t take another second of the torment she’s putting me through.“Grab it,” I order, and she obeys, guiding me inside her slick wet heat. “Ride me, my love. Use me however you want to.”She starts to move on top of me, and I smirk as I use my shadows instead of my fingers, teasing her, until I feel her muscles contract all around me.I can’t get enough of her. I agreed to let her go if we manage to mitigate the curse’s effects, but I’m not certain I can. Losing her isn’t something I can survive.