Sophia
“I’m sorry. I was just too excited.” I muttered as he hugged me.
Erick’s arms were now a fortress around me, strong and unyielding.
The scent of him clean, woodsy, with a hint of the sea air still clinging to his clothes wrapped around me as tightly as his embrace.
My cheek rested against his chest, and for a while, I didn’t move. His heart was steady now, but I could still feel the remnants of the earlier tension in the way his muscles held me, like he was afraid I might slip away if he loosened his grip.
Finally, I tilted my head up to look at him. His golden eyes had returned to their usual shade, though they still carried a shadow of what had just happened.
“You shouldn’t have spoken like that to Queen Elise,” I said softly. My voice wasn’t accusing, just honest.
His j
