Page 86 of Destiny of a King

For one suspended moment, he simply looked at her. She had been afraid of him once. Now she rested willingly in his arms, trusting him with something neither of them could take back.

His hold tightened. He would remember that… always.

He carried her the remaining steps to the bed and lowered her to her feet beside it.

She was unlike any woman he had ever bedded. Those women had been experienced and there to please the king. There had been no uncertainty, no need for anything beyond pleasure.

Adira was different.

She stood before him with no experience to guide her, yet there was no mistaking her willingness to be there. She trusted him, but that wasn’t all.

She loved him. He saw it in her eyes. It sparked like a flame, an eternal flame that would never dim or fade away. It would remain strong and grow ever brighter. He knew it. He could feel it.

The realization settled heavily upon him.

Trust and love were not easily given, especially by a woman who had once feared him. Yet somehow, over the months they had spent together, she had come to trust and love him.

And bloody hell if he did not feel the same about her.

He ran his finger along her cheek faintly as he held her gaze.

He wanted her. Gods, how he wanted to make love to her, but wanting her was no longer enough. He wanted her to remember this night and know they had chosen every moment of it.

His fingers went to the ties of her blouse and undid them slowly, waiting to see how she would react.

He watched her gasp silently and moved his hand to his own garments and began to slowly disrobe.

Adira was not ignorant of the act of coupling, having seen animals during mating season and coming upon a man and woman when at market one day. Feena had quickly pulled her away from the entrance of the alley where the man had the woman against the wall, both fully dressed and he shoving into her hard. She did not understand what pleasure mating could bring… until now.

She ached with the want of the king, to mate with him, to give her heart to him, and though nervous, she began to undress.

Dravic hurried and finished to stand naked in front of her, his hand reaching out to stop her. He wanted the pleasure of undressing her, revealing her little by little, enjoying the torment that would grow his manhood ever harder and flame her growing desire.

Adira let her hand fall away, letting the king have his way. He took his time, slipping her garments off piece by piece ever so slowly. His hand grazed her skin lightly, the side of her breasts, the curve of her waist, along her hips, and she silently gasped when his fingers brushed the triangle of hair where Feena had made it clear she was to let no man ever touch.

But she wanted this. Wrong or right, she wanted this.

How could it not be when she loved him and she saw the love in his eyes he had for her?

It would all settle later, for now, she simply wanted to get lost in their love.

When the last of her garments dropped at her bare feet, she smiled softly and ran a slow gaze over him and a shiver of pleasure ran through her. Another tingle of pleasure surfaced when his fingers brushed over her nipples that had puckered tightly. His faint touch grew them even more taut, and she would be only too glad for him to touch her again and again.

She stepped closer to him.

He lifted her chin with his finger as he brought his lips down on hers, not soft or hard but with urgency as if he simply could not resist her. He lifted her then, holding her close, their naked bodies firm against each other and he held her there a few moments before placing her down on the bed. He followed her, stretching out beside her.

He did not want to wait. He wanted to slip into her, ride her fast and hard, but that was not the memory he wanted her to have of this night. Besides, he wanted to explore every inch of her with his hands and his lips. Make certain he left his mark on her. Make sure he claimed every inch of her.

Everywhere he touched was soft and yet firm, like no woman he had ever felt. She responded to his every touch, moving into it eagerly as if she could not get enough, as if she never wanted his hands to leave her.

And he didn’t want to stop. His lips traced the path his hands traveled. There was a sweetness to her skin that he favored and so enjoyed.

Her breasts were just the right size, full and firm in his hand, her nipples taut against his tongue, her waist a slender curve that flowed over perfectly rounded hips, and the softest triangle of hair that covered the precious bud his fingers eagerly skimmed over.

Adira was lost in the pure pleasure of his tender touch. And she wanted to do the same, touch him. She reached out to touch where she could. His muscled arms. His hard chest. Along his firm back. And she loved running her fingers through his hair and holding tight there when his mouth settled on her nipples.

It was a dance of movement, of touch, of kisses that worked in unison. No awkward movements. It was as if they knew each other, that they were meant to be. Always meant to be.