"My god! You are so obnoxious!" Anastasia whispered angrily, totally embarrassed by now. She could take a little embarrassment, and the heat in her body would dissipate like a gentle pitter patter during summer. But this... Gods.

Ileus let out a deep low laugh that she was sure everyone must have heard. He continued, "How would Aed Ruad feel when he would come to know that the woman he intends to marry rode with me all the time, slept with me and also umm... did you kiss me?"

Anastasia knew all the puns he was aiming at. "You are loathsome, Ileus," was all she managed to say. As anger mixed with awkwardness increased, she shifted away from him not wanting the touch or his protection anywhere. But the man was too strong. He pulled her right back to his chest. "Stay close princess, otherwise you are going to freeze."

She scowled at the tease. He rubbed her arm and then slid it under her sweater towards the waist of her breeches. She tensed and lifted her hand to place it on his to stop him.

"Did you want to kiss me, Anastasia?" he asked with his chin resting on her head. His chest was heaving. And his shaft was hard as steel. Her heart skipped a beat and she found herself clenching her thighs, feeling aroused.

Yes, she wanted to kiss him badly. His warmth poured over her. He entangled his legs with hers and she was immediately surrounded by his woodsy and misty smell. Things were getting out of control. She tilted her neck a little and his breath caressed over her skin. His hand flattened against her stomach.

When she didn't say anything willing to control her emotions, he gritted. "Your smell intoxicates me." He dipped his head in her hair and inhaled.

She had heard that vokudlaks had an incredible sense of smell. And she cursed herself hoping that he hadn't smelled her arousal, because at this point of time even though he had thrown so many innuendos at her, she was enticed as hell. She rasped, "I seriously, utterly, bitterly, loathe you." Lies.

"I know you don't, princess," he replied. "In fact you like me, and you like me very much." His hand went back to her stomach and he drew circles around her navel. "I am sure there is no one else in this world whom you want as much as you want me now." His lips brushed the skin of her neck. "Or tell me that you like someone else."

Was there an undertone of jealousy in his voice or was he just distracting her? She rolled her eyes for overthinking. "Keep spouting nonsense Ileus. I am not interested." She hadn't felt like this with Kaizan.

Her eyes went back to Aidan whose jaw had slackened and his hand was between his thighs. Her eyes became wide. What the hell was in that book?

"Really?" he said and brought his fingers to the lower swells of her breasts. "Do you want to know what is in that book? I can assure you it is most interesting."

"No." That was a lie. She was dying to know what was in that book.

"Are you sure? I can get that book for you."

Anastasia felt ticklish and all the more aroused. She should have felt pushed away by his act but she only found herself leaning in his chest, squirming against the cradle of his hips. She pursed her lips tight upon realizing that she was smiling like a silly, but as soon as her thoughts went wayward, her lips kicked up. Something was wrong with her at the base level. Maybe she really needed exposure with men. "I don't want that book," she snapped. Then as if to refute his statement that other men hardly affected her, she said, "You have to understand that I had very limited experience with men."

God, she was as innocent as a dove. "Is it so? Can you elaborate on your limited experience? And I used to see you glancing at me every now and then when I was your guard at Vilinski," he said brazenly. "Though I also knew that you couldn't do a thing because of your impending marriage with the Crown Prince. Were you trying to be pure for him? Or were you attracted to me?"

Why did she feel a tinge of jealousy in his voice? His chest was heaving so much that his breath was falling on her neck heavily.

I wasn't attracted to you!" She blurted immediately. But she was. "Also if I was being pure for Aed Ruad, then why would I escape, you fool!" A moment later she added, "That too with you?"

"You sound like you were in a dilemma, princess."

Her words must have calmed him because his breath evened out. He became quiet and settled behind her. Moments later, he said, "I am glad that you escaped with me. I had seen you suffering for too long. I- I couldn't take it any longer..."

Did her pain affect him so much? "And I can't thank you enough for that," she said in a tone full of gratitude.

"You don't have to thank me, princess. I did what I had to."

"You mean you were waiting for me to slip from Vilinski?"

"Amongst other things..." He sighed. "It is too complicated..."

"Yes, nothing is as simple as it looks." She opened up a little to him and shared a memory-one that affected her to nightmarish levels. "I remember the day when the guards had flooded the gates of the palace and waged a war against my parents. It was so sudden. My father didn't have a clue about it. Usually as the king of Vilinski, he was considered to be the most well informed and most powerful ruler. Till today I can't understand as to why he couldn't gauge that he was going to be attacked that day. I just remember that the palace grounds were filled with hundreds of soldiers and they massacred everyone who came in the way. And Aed Ruad and Maple were leading them. Cold-hearted bastards." Her hands fisted until her knuckles became white. "They threw my parents in the celestial prison and suspended all my education. I became a means to their end."

He made her turn towards him. "Anastasia, you-" he curled his fingers on her chin and tipped her face towards him. He brushed his thumb under her lower lip.