“Are you correcting my use of the English language, or bragging like a schoolboy?”
He moved closer, and she felt hot hardness nestle at the base of her spine. She gasped. A gentle, lingering kiss was placed at the back of her neck under her ponytail, and Serena jumped, the potato dropping into the sink as she whirled to face him. She stared up at him, seeing the playfulness in his eyes.
“I would never correct your English, Princess Serena, but I wouldn’t brag, either.”
He rubbed his palms up over her arms but didn’t attempt to kiss her again. She waited for the frenzied dance of her heart to subside so that she could breathe, and yet, she became aware of the presence of his heat at her waist even as she tried to edge back against the sink counter. Her heart danced harder, leaving her unable to do anything but wait for him to move away.
“When I make love to you, Princess,” he said huskily, “I want you to call it heaven. I want you to know that you have been loved in a way no other man could make you feel.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, her temple, the tip of her nose, lingering just at her cheekbone. “If I make love to you, and you get out of my bed unsatisfied that we have consummated our union, I will put you back in my jet and take you home to Balahar. I make that promise to you.”
She shivered, down to her sandaled toes. “I did not mean to insult you…your, um…lovemaking ability, Prince Kadar.”
He laughed, moving his lips to her hairline. He warmed her with his nearness, even to the middle part in her hair. “I am not insulted. I am telling you that I want to please you and make you happy, notconform to a legal definition. When I am inside you, we will be man and woman, not prince and princess.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she murmured. Her mind had never stretched to hearing words like these. Never had her imagination conjured up a romantic relationship. She had always thought in terms of royal lineages, countries bonded through mutually advantageous arrangements, marriages of respect but not necessarily love. “You are not what I expected in a man at all.”
“I can breed horses all day long if I want to, Serena. Breeding is for animals. Making love is part of marriage.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, at her part. “I am trying to seduce you.”
“It’s working, I think,” she said on a nervous laugh. “In the palace, many people say flowery things to earn favor, but I look upon them with scorn. I do not like flowery words, and yet I like yours.”
“You’re talking about bootlicking, or in your case, maybe it’s sandal-slobbering,” he told her, brushing his lips against hers. “I’m romancing you, and glad to hear you like it.”
“I do,” she said softly. “Let me romance you.”
He lifted a brow, yet his smile was kind. “Go ahead.”
She cleared her throat. “Ah, let me see. Okay. Prince Kadar, when I make love to you, you willknow that strands of ephemeral silk tie your heart to mine, and you will never want to break them.”
She leaned up against him, lightly pressing her breasts against his lower chest, and Cade felt his own body igniting.
“And,” she continued, her eyes full of earnest purpose, “you will thank the stars that you are not a palace eunuch because you have known such pleasure at my hands.”
He closed his eyes, unwilling to allow her to see the laughter there. His princess’s first attempt at seduction should be cherished. “I can’t wait, Serena,” he said with a smile.
“I am pleased that you are happy,” she said with a sweet smile for him. “I appreciate you explaining to me the difference between consummating a marriage and making love.” She turned back to the sink. “And I very much appreciate you teaching me how to properly peel potatoes.”
He frowned at his princess’s back. Her swift escape from the romantically playful mood they’d been in spoke to her innocence, but it also made him wonder
He moved closer, and she felt hot hardness nestle at the base of her spine. She gasped. A gentle, lingering kiss was placed at the back of her neck under her ponytail, and Serena jumped, the potato dropping into the sink as she whirled to face him. She stared up at him, seeing the playfulness in his eyes.
“I would never correct your English, Princess Serena, but I wouldn’t brag, either.”
He rubbed his palms up over her arms but didn’t attempt to kiss her again. She waited for the frenzied dance of her heart to subside so that she could breathe, and yet, she became aware of the presence of his heat at her waist even as she tried to edge back against the sink counter. Her heart danced harder, leaving her unable to do anything but wait for him to move away.
“When I make love to you, Princess,” he said huskily, “I want you to call it heaven. I want you to know that you have been loved in a way no other man could make you feel.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, her temple, the tip of her nose, lingering just at her cheekbone. “If I make love to you, and you get out of my bed unsatisfied that we have consummated our union, I will put you back in my jet and take you home to Balahar. I make that promise to you.”
She shivered, down to her sandaled toes. “I did not mean to insult you…your, um…lovemaking ability, Prince Kadar.”
He laughed, moving his lips to her hairline. He warmed her with his nearness, even to the middle part in her hair. “I am not insulted. I am telling you that I want to please you and make you happy, notconform to a legal definition. When I am inside you, we will be man and woman, not prince and princess.”
“Oh, my goodness,” she murmured. Her mind had never stretched to hearing words like these. Never had her imagination conjured up a romantic relationship. She had always thought in terms of royal lineages, countries bonded through mutually advantageous arrangements, marriages of respect but not necessarily love. “You are not what I expected in a man at all.”
“I can breed horses all day long if I want to, Serena. Breeding is for animals. Making love is part of marriage.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, at her part. “I am trying to seduce you.”
“It’s working, I think,” she said on a nervous laugh. “In the palace, many people say flowery things to earn favor, but I look upon them with scorn. I do not like flowery words, and yet I like yours.”
“You’re talking about bootlicking, or in your case, maybe it’s sandal-slobbering,” he told her, brushing his lips against hers. “I’m romancing you, and glad to hear you like it.”
“I do,” she said softly. “Let me romance you.”
He lifted a brow, yet his smile was kind. “Go ahead.”
She cleared her throat. “Ah, let me see. Okay. Prince Kadar, when I make love to you, you willknow that strands of ephemeral silk tie your heart to mine, and you will never want to break them.”
She leaned up against him, lightly pressing her breasts against his lower chest, and Cade felt his own body igniting.
“And,” she continued, her eyes full of earnest purpose, “you will thank the stars that you are not a palace eunuch because you have known such pleasure at my hands.”
He closed his eyes, unwilling to allow her to see the laughter there. His princess’s first attempt at seduction should be cherished. “I can’t wait, Serena,” he said with a smile.
“I am pleased that you are happy,” she said with a sweet smile for him. “I appreciate you explaining to me the difference between consummating a marriage and making love.” She turned back to the sink. “And I very much appreciate you teaching me how to properly peel potatoes.”
He frowned at his princess’s back. Her swift escape from the romantically playful mood they’d been in spoke to her innocence, but it also made him wonder
Similar Books
