AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Flattery would get him everywhere.
‘Your language skills would be of value to me,’ he added wryly. ‘Your listening skills would be an asset. You would not lack for political intrigue.’
She looked down past her knees to the water. The picture he’d painted was not an unpleasant one. There were worse lives to be had.
‘Would Sophia object to us marrying?’ he asked next. ‘Is that what’s stopping you?’
‘No. I don’t think she’d object.’
‘Then what’s stopping you? Because I know you’re attracted to me.’
‘What gave it away? My unfailing ability to fall into bed with you at a moment’s notice or my reduced brain capacity whenever I see you naked?’
‘I’m naked now,’ he pointed out. ‘And you’re still thinking.’
‘Yes, but not particularly well.’
‘I agree. Because you’re still saying no to my proposal.’ He came to her then, sleek shoulders and silky skin, the water running off him like raindrops down a window pane. Hot hands on her waist, plucking at the tie of her robe before sliding beneath and finding skin. ‘Marry me.’
It was hard to stay focused, with his fingers dipping lower and his lips nibbling their way up and over her ribs. ‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because you don’t love me.’ It was the same answer she’d already given him, only this time it was harder to give. Possibly because his lips had just closed over her left nipple and, oh, he was good at that, sending streaky, jagged slivers of lust through her body. She could feel herself moistening, her legs widening in invitation.
‘Do you remember the night we met?’ he said as his fingertips drew lazy circles on her skin.
She hadn’t forgotten. A shadowy bar and a glance that led to another glance. A smile, the offer of a drink, and then the slow roll of the pad of his thumb across her inner wrist as he’d introduced himself. His fingers had been hard and calloused and he’d been Casimir, just Casimir, and she’d thought him a man who worked with his hands.
He still had them, the calluses.
‘I’d never had anyone look at me the way you did,’ he murmured. ‘No titles. No expectations. Real life didn’t come into it.’
‘Mine did. I showed you everything.’ He’d had a good look around, poked through her hopes, her dreams and then left. ‘You lied to me.’
He reached out and caught the fist she’d made of her hand. He stroked her knuckles with the pad of his thumb, stroking her fingers open one by one and then he put her palm to his cheek. His stubble rasped over her skin as he leaned into her touch.
‘You rip my heart out every single time,’ she whispered.
‘Not this time. There are no lies left.’ He pressed his lips to her palm and she closed her eyes then and tried not to picture him. All that did was enhance her other senses. The puff of breath against her skin, the touch of his other hand, wet and warm against the back of her neck as he drew her effortlessly closer and transferred his lips to the blade of her cheek, the curve of her jaw and finally, finally to her lips.
He sank into the kiss as if it was the next breath he needed to take.
No words of love from Casimir, King of Byzenmaach, but his body was wide open to her and always had been.
Take it, every line of his beautiful body screamed it, even if he would never say the words. Take me.
She led him from the pool and stood him beneath a steaming shower. She towelled him dry, starting at his feet and working her way upwards, peppering his body with kisses while he shuddered and wound gentle hands in her hair and begged for more.
She took him to his bed and made him beg some more until he turned her on her back and entered her, smooth and slow.
‘Mine,’ he whispered, which wasn’t the same as I love you and never would be.
‘Not yours.’ Not even if her body and half her brain said otherwise. ‘You can’t own people any more. Didn’t you learn that at school?’
His grin flashed white in the darkness of the room. ‘I didn’t go to school. I had tutors.’
‘That explains…’ She sucked in a breath as his lips grazed her nipple. Whoever had taught him how to worship a woman’s body had taught him to excel. ‘Your arrogance.’
