The King's Bride By Arrangement (Sovereigns and Scandals, Book 2)

by Annie West

  Once more he found her tone difficult to read. That almost sounded like doubt in her voice. As if he’d left any doubts about his desire for her!

  ‘Absolutely.’ He swallowed hard. ‘I suspect we’ll be phenomenal together.’

  When still she said nothing, Paul frowned and made himself lift his hand away.

  After what they’d done downstairs it seemed impossible but perhaps, after all, he’d read Eva wrong and she didn’t want...

  A slim hand grabbed his and settled it palm-down on her bare thigh.

  Paul’s heart leapt high in his throat, the throb in his groin pulsing even harder.

  He splayed his fingers, sliding them round her silky skin, and she shifted, parting her legs a little to give him better access.

  Doubt vanished in a flash, replaced by excitement.

  Eva’s heartbeat quickened as Paul caressed her leg in long, deliberate strokes. They were as easy and regular as waves rippling in to shore, but with each slide of his hand her pulse pounded harder and she became more aware of that aching spot between her thighs.

  He reached down to circle her ankles and calves, pausing to massage her soles, and a blissful sigh escaped. She tried to tell herself it was because she’d worn high heels for hours but even a woman as innocent as she knew the difference between relaxation and arousal.

  By the time Paul worked his way back up her other leg to the hem of her dress, she was twitching and eager for so much more.

  ‘I want to see all of you, Eva.’ His low voice burred across her skin as he pushed the material up her thighs in slow, breath-stealing increments.

  It was what she wanted. Yet the thought of lying naked before him, like some carnal offering, made her supremely uneasy. She’d never been naked for any man. She wanted Paul, wanted to be possessed by him, but, despite what they’d just done to each other, shyness rose in a baffling wave.

  How could she be shy after that scene in the kitchen?

  Yet it was true. More, she feared revealing her inexperience. This was her only chance to make love with Paul. She was under no illusions that sex would alter his decision to call off their wedding. She’d take tonight gladly, though, and give him no reason to back off.

  ‘You first.’ Her tight vocal cords turned the words into a throaty command instead of a tentative suggestion.

  Paul didn’t seem to mind. He shrugged, those wide shoulders rising. She caught the white gleam of his smile. ‘If you like.’

  He half-turned from her and she clamped her mouth shut over an instinctive protest at the loss of contact. It took only seconds for him to remove his shoes and socks, then he was standing by the bed, shucking the rest of his clothes off, and Eva’s eyes rounded at the sight of him.

  Even in the half-light he was magnificent. Tall, lean but powerful across the chest, with a flat abdomen, narrow hips and long, muscled legs. His erection stood out proud and ready for her and Eva squeezed her thighs together as moist heat drenched her.

  ‘Would you like to put the condom on me?’ He picked up a packet from the table and tore it open.

  Eva swallowed, torn between excitement and horror. She did want to, but if she fumbled too much he might guess she’d never done this before. It was a wonder he hadn’t already. Down in the kitchen she’d acted on instinct rather than experience. Presumably he’d been too aroused to notice.

  Four years of celibacy, he’d said. That must explain it. No wonder he’d been so responsive to her touch.

  Her heart dipped. Paul’s eager reaction hadn’t been to her specifically. He’d been primed by abstinence to respond to a woman’s caresses.

  Even so, Eva wanted this. Wanted him. This was her one opportunity for intimacy with the man she still, despite everything, loved.

  So much for pride. But pride was a cold bed-fellow. She craved the warmth of his loving, even if it was only a travesty of the emotional response she needed from him.

  Whatever the reason, Paul wanted her. She couldn’t refuse him or herself.

  ‘No. I want to watch you do it.’ Her voice was a rough croak but he didn’t seem to mind.

  Paul laughed. ‘Do you, indeed? Well, it’s probably better. I don’t want to disgrace myself again like I did downstairs. This time I intend to last long enough to satisfy you.’

  Eva’s indrawn breath was fire and molten metal as her brain provided a picture of him doing just that.

  Then he was on the bed, knees straddling her legs.

  ‘Sit up, sweetheart.’

  Eva’s silly heart somersaulted at the casual endearment. Part of her brain screamed she was a fool. The other part urged her on.

  She raised herself so Paul could reach behind to her zip. Slowly he peeled the narrow straps down her arms. Then gently, almost reverently, he undid her bra.

  Any hesitation she felt about baring her breasts died as he leaned in and kissed her, murmuring how beautiful she was as he cupped her with his big, warm hands.

  Heat shot through her, another arrowing dart of fire, and then she was on her back, lifting her hips as he dragged her dress down and away. Their knees bumped and she didn’t know quite what to do with her hands. But none of that detracted from the shivery delight of Paul’s hands on her, his mouth caressing hers, and that possessive-sounding growl as he palmed her bare hips.

  Finally, they were naked. He turned her towards him so they lay on their sides, facing each other. Then he pulled back and looked down, grinning.

  ‘You’re exquisite.’

  It was on the tip of her tongue to refute it, knowing he didn’t mean it, but then his fingertips touched her nipple in the most delicate touch and her breath fractured.

  When he touched her like that she felt different. Special. She imagined his eyes glowed with a light she hadn’t seen before, even though common sense said she couldn’t really read his expression. She tried to tell herself it was simply lust but her aching heart wanted to believe it was because at last Paul saw the woman she really was.

  The harping voice of caution was silenced by the sheer magic of this moment with Paul.

  His caresses as he skimmed her body brought fire in their wake, and when he bent to kiss her breast, then suck her nipple, Eva arched into him, a lightning bolt of desire ripping through her.

  She was panting when finally, after exploring her thoroughly with his hands and mouth, he rolled on top of her. Eva was bombarded with sensation. The weight of him, pressing her down onto the bed. He was taller and broader than her. It might have felt suffocating but instead she welcomed it, wrapping her arms around him. His skin was smooth as silk, swelling intriguingly over lean muscle and bone. His hairy legs tickled hers and the hair on his chest abraded her breasts so deliciously, her breath caught.

  ‘You like that?’ He settled more firmly between her legs, and that was new too, the feel of her thighs cradling his hot, hard body.

  Eva nodded, her throat constricted. She didn’t want to talk.

  ‘What else do you like?’ He propped himself on his elbows above her, his patient stillness as he waited for her response warring with the sexual promise implicit in his preternaturally still frame.

  Eva didn’t want to wait. She wanted him to deliver what his body promised.

  ‘You, just you.’

  She lifted her feet, hooking her ankles around the back of his thighs, feeling him sink deeper against her, his erection stiff and long. Almost daunting, but she refused to think that way. Instead Eva lifted her hands to the back of his head, driving her fingers through his thick hair, cupping his skull, pulling him down. ‘I want you inside me. Now.’

  Finally, he succumbed to her tugging and lowered his mouth to hers.

  Once again she felt it. Not just the sharp tug of desire but the overwhelming tenderness of love. That it was all on her side no longer mattered. She wanted Paul so badly. He would be her first love
r. That would be something wonderful, even though they were destined to go their separate ways tomorrow. At least she’d have the memory of tonight to take with her.

  Paul’s kiss was surprisingly tender. She felt a tremor of tension running through him and the heavy press of his erection. Eva sensed he was suppressing his own urgency for her benefit.

  Then his hand slipped between them, his fingers arrowing straight to the achy, wet place between her thighs that throbbed with such need.

  His head lifted and he smiled. A secret, intimate smile that tugged at her heart strings.

  Then she had no time to think about anything but the extraordinary feeling of Paul pushing against her, into her, so full and heavy and...

  Her breath fractured on a searing slash of pain. She stiffened all over at the sharp sting that went on and on. For some reason she hadn’t expected it, assuming that years of riding and other exercise would have removed the physical proof of her virginity.

  Paul froze. ‘Eva?’

  She watched his shoulders rise away from her as he pulled back.

  Instantly she tightened the grip of her legs around him and grabbed at him, sinking her fingers in the taut flesh of his buttocks, pulling him close so that he sank deep inside.

  Tears pricked the backs of her eyes at that final flash of pain, and she arched up. Eva rested her forehead against his hard collarbone, inhaling his reassuringly familiar, outdoorsy scent as she gasped for air.

  The world stilled. She heard the thrum of her pulse in her ears and felt it pound through her whole body.

  His hand stroked her head, making her long hair slide around her shoulders.

  ‘Oh, Eva.’ His deep voice was a caress in itself. ‘It’ll be all right soon.’

  Finally, trembling, she sank back against the pillows. Above her she made out the wide line of Paul’s shoulders against the darkness, and the glint of his eyes.

  ‘Are you okay?’

  Eva nodded. ‘Fine.’ She almost was. She just felt...disoriented, adjusting to the unaccustomed weight of him. The fullness that she’d somehow never expected but which now made perfect sense.

  Cautiously, she breathed deep. Her muscles relaxed a little more. Again his fingers brushed her hair back, then lingered to caress her cheek, lips and throat. By the time he lifted his hand she was arching up, eager for that hand on her breast. He obliged, gently squeezing there, and a little sizzle of excitement shot through her.

  ‘You should have told me.’

  Eva didn’t want to talk about it. She just wanted this, him. Them. For now, her body had relaxed, and this no longer felt like an impossible burden but a potent promise of pleasure.

  ‘Shh.’ She put her fingers to his mouth, tracing those beautifully sculpted lips. Something rose inside her. The familiar welling of love and with it the need for him.

  Raking her fingers through his hair, she drew his head down, lifting her other hand up to clutch his shoulder.

  Then, everything changed as Paul began to move slowly, cautiously, but even so she felt the phenomenal power of them together. Her untried body responded with a tentative tilt of the hips that made him sink deeper, touching a spot that sent sheet lightning blasting through her.

  There was a hiss of breath and Eva realised it came from Paul. She was so wrapped up in wonder at new sensations as they moved together, still slowly, but with increasing confidence. They were like two halves of a whole, melding then almost separating, only to join again in a way that made even the orgasm he’d given her seem insignificant.

  Because now they were one, sharing the same ripples of delight, so closely joined it seemed impossible they’d ever again be two separate people.

  Eva’s heart ached with the beauty of it. She revelled in the husky, velvet undertone of Paul’s deep voice, so deep now she barely heard it, but rather felt it like an approving rumble shuddering through her.

  His hands were gentle, his mouth on hers deliciously languorous, enticing her to open wide and share all that she was. Meanwhile that honed, lean, powerful body moved with her, drawing her away from everything she’d known and up into the starlit night.

  She wanted to sigh at the beauty of it but the tempo of their coupling quickened and she had no breath to spare. Little explosions of excitement began to prickle her body, from her scalp to her soles and everywhere in between.

  Her toes curled and she locked him close, hanging on as their rhythm disintegrated into a pounding, desperate rush.

  ‘Eva!’ Her name on his lips sounded beautiful.

  But she had no time to concentrate on that as he bit down on the sensitive spot where her shoulder curved up to her neck, and a shot of electric energy tore through her. Paul’s hand slid between them, unerringly locating that sensitive nub and pressing hard as he powered hard and fast into her, again and again and again.

  It was too much, even though she didn’t want it ever to end. Eva felt the flex of his powerful thighs against hers, his glutes bunch hard and a vibration begin in his body and end in hers.

  The shaft of pleasure from their joining was so intense, so profound, it obliterated all else.

  She heard a shout of triumph, felt heat consume her and then she was lost in a whirl of ecstasy.

  When a lifetime later she floated back to earth to find herself sprawled across Paul’s damp, heaving chest, she couldn’t stop the smile that curved her lips.

  That had been the single most wonderful experience of her life.

  She and Paul together... Hadn’t she known they were made for each other?

  Eva lay where she was, her ear pressed to his chest, inhaling the rich, spicy scent of him. Slowly her breathing evened out and her racketing pulse returned to something like normal, but her arms and legs remained boneless. Never mind. She didn’t ever want to move.

  Except slowly, finally, her brain began to work. To register more than the aftermath of intoxicating pleasure.

  That was when her skin began to chill.

  Not just her skin, but her blood too.

  For, held in Paul’s loose embrace, plastered to his magnificent body, her own still humming with the joy he’d given her, she realised the huge mistake she’d made.

  She’d loved him since she was fifteen. Had been overwhelmed by hurt and dismay when he’d told her he didn’t want her in his life. But instead of walking away with her head up she’d proved just how desperate she was for him. She’d come on to him even though he didn’t want her.

  He might have called out her name as he’d climaxed but he’d only come to bed with her because he’d been primed for sex. Any woman would have done. And this way he hadn’t broken his promise to be faithful to his fiancée.

  Tonight had changed her life. Yet for Paul it had simply been a convenient and welcome release from celibacy.

  That wasn’t the worst, though.

  Her breath backed up in her lungs.

  No, worse by far was the realisation she’d only increased the burden she bore.

  Loving Paul from afar had been bad enough. But now she’d had a taste of glory. He’d opened her eyes to a world she’d never known. A world not just of sexual delight but of profound joy. She’d been lucky enough to know the wondrous rapture of sharing herself body and soul with the man she loved.

  It was a gift some people never knew. She supposed she should be grateful.

  But this gift came at an unbearable cost. It would make leaving, never to see him again, so much more difficult than she’d believed possible even a few short hours before. Because she knew now what she’d be missing.

  Eva stared dry-eyed across the room and wished with her whole heart that she’d never laid eyes on Paul of St Ancilla.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  SHE WAS STILL asleep when he came back from the bathroom.

  As they’d lain entwined in each other’s arms, he’d spoken he
r name and brushed the hair gently from her cheek, but she hadn’t responded.

  Paul had been almost certain she was awake. She’d held herself so still.

  He’d opened his mouth to quiz her then shut it again. He had so many questions, but perhaps this wasn’t the time, no matter that his curiosity was insatiable.

  How she’d come to be a virgin at twenty-four.

  Why tonight she’d suddenly let him past that rigid wall of reserve.

  Whether she regretted what they’d done.

  He’d drawn in a slow breath and remained silent. No, he was happy to wait for her answer on that one.

  Soon after her body had softened against him, her breathing slowing, and he’d known she was indeed sleeping.

  He’d waited a little then had gone to dispose of the condom. Now, back in the bed, he lay close enough to feel her warmth, but didn’t touch her.

  Because if he did there’d be precious little thinking done. Sex with Eva had been phenomenal. He tried to tell himself it was because he’d abstained for so long. It was true he felt a strange, muted triumph at being Eva’s first lover, but until now he’d sought experienced partners. If she’d said she was inexperienced, he wouldn’t have touched her.

  Yeah, right. You’d never have been able to resist. Just looking at her in that short dress drove you to the brink.

  A shudder passed through his sated body as he recalled Eva in that slinky dress. He felt a tightening in his groin. A feather of arousal skimmed his spine as she shifted beside him and he inhaled her delectable scent: hot, sexy woman with an intriguing hint of spring flowers.

  Even her long hair, almost waist-length, was seductive. The way she looked with it down around her shoulders, her pert breasts peeping out from beneath the silky curtain. The feel of it caressing his flesh as he moved against her.

  Gritting his teeth, Paul rolled away and stared towards the window. Already dawn was coming. He saw the first glow of morning.

  It was far too soon. He needed to think, and fast. Because dealing with Eva had just got incredibly complicated.

  He’d planned to give her her freedom. Except she didn’t seem to want it. Now, if he was truthful, letting her walk away held precious little appeal. The way they’d been together...