The Princess and the Bodyguard by Morgan Ashbury Page A

mixed with the basic scent of sex took him higher. He knew she neared her orgasm. Deep within, he recognized the stirring of the primitive man. He fought the urge to simply plunder her mercilessly.
    “Come for me, sweetheart. I want to feel you shiver down my length when you come.”
    “ Yes! ”
    His words hurled them both over the edge. He felt the silken clasp of her sheath tighten and convulse around his penis, and he absorbed the overwhelming pleasure of her increased heat and moisture. Helpless to stop his own eruption, he groaned and held himself deep within her. Briefly, replete, he collapsed against her back, only distantly aware that her heart raced in concert with his.
    “Oh, God.”
    Alex quickly straightened his arms, lifting his weight off Hannah. “Was I too rough?” he asked, placing a kiss against the nape of her neck.
    “No. Never. It keeps getting better.”
    “Well, of course. It’s like my nanny always used to say. Practice makes perfect.”
    The sound of her laughter covered him like a warm, loving caress. It was a sound he’d already found completely addictive.
     
    * * * *
     
    Rachel had grown used to eating breakfast alone. Occasionally, Philip would join her, especially if he had an early shift at the hospital. But she generally never saw anyone else for the morning meal.
    Since coming home from Switzerland two years ago, she’d made it her habit to rise early. By six-thirty, she’d already spent a half hour in the gym, completed a brisk fifteen-minute swim, and was showered, dressed, ready for the day. Until recently, the challenge had been filling the rest of the day after breakfast.
    “Will you have your usual, Your Highness?”
    Rachel smiled up at Marie, one of several people who worked under Robert, the head chef, who poured her a large glass of orange juice.
    “Yes, please. I’ve looked over your cousin’s resume. I thought I’d let you know that I’ve selected her to move on to the next step. I should be scheduling an interview with her in the next few days.”
    “Thank you, Your Highness. My aunt will be so pleased to hear that! Dagmar has been having a hard time finding her place in life. But recently, it’s been like she’s a new woman, entirely. She became so very excited when she heard there might be a possibility of working for you. She went through some pretty wild times a few years back, but they are behind her now.”
    Rachel could well sympathize. She knew what it was like to go through wild times and come out on the other side a changed woman.
    “Tell your aunt that if all goes well, I’ll likely hire her to work in my shop.”
    “A designer label from Boisdemer. It is exciting, no?”
    “It is exciting, yes.”
    Marie curtsied slightly then left to get Rachel’s usual breakfast—yogurt, a bran muffin, and coffee. Rachel spread her napkin on her lap and waited for the younger woman to return.
    Although she sat with her back to the solarium’s door, she knew the instant Peter entered the room.
    “You’re up early,” he said. He moved around the table, choosing to sit where he had the evening before, right across from her. Looking at him, it wasn’t obvious he’d had his tongue down her throat and his hardening cock pressed against her only a few short hours ago. For an instant, heat flared in his eyes, but he blinked, and it disappeared. Maybe he wasn’t so indifferent, after all.
    Rachel kept her smile to herself when he frowned. “Actually, I’m not. I’m usually here at this time of the morning. I can’t say I’ve ever run into you, though.”
    She wondered what he was thinking. She was tired of this man throwing her off balance all the time. Perhaps two could play that game.
    “I’ll have those prospective employee files on your desk by eight. In each case, the references have been verified. But I’ve not taken the next step of calling anyone in for an interview. I’ll wait until you’ve weeded out the potential stalkers, terrorists,