Page 33 of Always a Princess

His heart, which had felt entombed after spending a year at war, had only shown signs of returning to life upon his arrival in England. But it was this woman that seemed to stir the remembrance of joy within it once again.

“Let me show you to the library. We will sit and talk.”

“I would like that very much,” she said.

He took her ungloved hand in his, savoring the softness of her skin upon his. It was a hand he very much wanted to hold for as long as humanly possible.

She has to say yes. He could not imagine his life without the color and vibrance she had brought to his existence.

His future had seemed bleak at the war’s end. Life lacked meaning, and he felt as though he would never be happy again. Coming to England was a journey of last resort. His despondence had not gone unnoticed, not even by the tsar. The fun-loving young man he had been had disappeared completely, and he despaired of never becoming more than a battle-scarred shell of himself again.

Being sent on behalf of the empire to learn about English society and its advancements was nothing more than a made-up mission by the tsar, Alexander knew. But still, he was willing to try new scenery to release him from the darkness he had found himself trapped within.

And here, on a small island of fog and rain, he found hope and then sunshine unlike any other—in living, breathing form. Pursuing Thea gave him purpose again. His heart beat for her.

To woo her had brought him back to himself.

And now that she was here, in his new home, he never wanted her to leave. She belonged here. With him.

Sometimes, the blood of his ancestors that ran through his veins reminded him of times when the men of his line had taken the women they wanted, regardless of their assent. But he wanted Thea to choose him willingly.

She gasped as they walked into the library, gripping his hand tighter as she turned, wide-eyed, and took in the two stories of books and the rolling ladders required to reach them.

He knew having her choose him of her own free will was a gift much more gratifying than anything his conquering ancestors had ever felt.

“Alex …” She whispered the English version of his shortened name.

“Alexei to you, Thea” he replied, dipping his lips closer to her ear.

Pink rose on her cheeks, as if being overtaken by sudden shyness. She peeked up at him from beneath lowered lashes.

“Alexei.” She pressed her lips together as he pulled her into his body.

She was petite and fit perfectly within his broader, taller frame.

“Do you like it?” he asked her with his gaze on her lips, which were fast becoming the most entrancing sight of his life.

“I love it.”

The thrill that coursed upward through his body was the first of its kind that he’d felt in nearly three years.

She had restored him to a vibrant, red-blooded man, and his gratitude for her was only outweighed by his fascination with her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life learning what made her so unique.

“I am falling in love with you, Thea. There is nothing I want more right now than to taste your lips.”

She inhaled, and her lower lip dropped.

“Then kiss me,” she whispered, and it was all he needed to hear.

His arm wrapped around her lower back as his lips descended upon hers.

As soon as they met, it was as if God himself had ordained the kiss. A burst of light flashed through Alexander’s awareness as she let out a soft moan and pressed harder against his body. The taste of her was pure bliss, and the softness of her lips was a balm to his soul. The heat of her mouth was a bold reminder of the intoxication only a woman could unleash.

Wars had been fought over a woman such as this. Entire empires had risen and fallen over a man’s desire to have such a prize for his very own.

Alexander stopped thinking when her arms wrapped around his neck, as if to pull him closer. He lifted her and blindly carried her to the armchair in front of the fireplace. He lowered his body into it, fully absorbed with the heaven of her mouth as his tongue swept in to tease hers.

The soft sounds from her throat, combined with the tangle of her fingers in the locks of his hair, inflamed his passion. Curled in his lap, she leaned upward, bringing their faces to equal height, and kissed him with matching abandon.