Did he want me? Or was it just because we were partially naked, and the feeling of lust and passion hung over our heads?
I’d read what to do to him in one of my mother’s ghastly romance books. She had no idea I’d stolen it off her bookshelf one
day while she was out hunting with Father. I’d just happen to stumble into her room when the castle was quiet one day and the
book cover caught my eye.
“Do you still wish to claim me?” I asked, wondering if he said those words out of desire, or if he truly did crave me.
“Only if you allow me to.”
He truly was a gentleman deep down, under the hard shell of a king who punished those who disobeyed or angered him.
But it seemed, with me—at least for the most part—he tried his best to be considerate, thinking of my needs and feelings.
Another one of his masks to add to my list.
“Do you…,” he trailed off before asking, “Will you allow me?”
I wondered if what I said was true earlier. We would be married by the end of tomorrow and then we’d need to
consummate—letting the entire kingdom know then, their king had claimed his wife.
But, did I really want them all to know? As far as anyone was concerned, I was a virgin after all. Only Nicholas and
Kathlyn knew what had happened to me. I knew without a doubt they’d take it to their graves.
“I want to say yes,” I began to say, biting my lip. He interlocked his fingers with mine. “I am just worried.”
“About what?”
His warm breath tickled on my neck as he leaned forward and brought his lips against the skin beneath my ear. He kissed it
gently, sending shivers down my spine.
“I am—” the word caught in my throat. I didn’t want to admit it to him, the confession causing myself more shame.
“I…eh, um.”
“Spit it out, Annwyl. There will never be any judgement from me,” he murmured as he kissed my neck again. His lips were
not helping as I tried to concentrate on keeping my composure from breaking before him.
“I am unclean—defiled. No good man would really, truly want me,” my voice cracked with my confession.
“Then I am the most wicked man you will ever know,” he jested and I held back a small laugh, intrigued by how easily he
threw my words away. “You will, and always have been wonderful. You are perfect, especially in my eyes, Ornella Light. And
tomorrow, I will show everyone why I had to make you mine.”
He turned my face towards him and kissed my cheek then wrapped his free arm around my waist, pulling me in closer.
“You are and never will be unclean. You could do horrible, unspeakable things and I would still see you as flawless.”
Butterflies flung themselves around my stomach as I shifted . Turning around completely to face him, I straddled his waist,
making sure not to tease him too much. Our noses touched, our lips a breath away from touching and I had to keep myself from
