Why do you want that with him, though?
Because she’d married him. No, he hadn’t given her much of a choice in the beginning, but he’d given it to her the night they’d first slept together. She’d told herself then, in a haze of desire, that she was fine with that—and she was still fine with it. But she was starting to want more. More of him. A chance to dig beneath the surface of the King and find the passionate man who lost himself in her arms every night.
And there was more there—she could sense it. He was like a fire burning in a cosy room and she was only looking at it through the window. She wanted to get closer to that fire…see how hot it really burned.
And even if those concerns were for herself, there were also potential children to consider. She wanted to give them a better childhood than the one she’d had, and certainly better than what Tiberius’s father had given him. Was that really too much to ask?
So, yes, she would have to teach him what joy and happiness looked like, and she’d likely have to do it by stealth. She’d have to make him give her some time every day, and if she couched it in terms of it being for Kasimir’s aid then surely he couldn’t say no.
‘No,’ said Tiberius shortly. ‘I do not have the time.’
‘I’m not asking for much. A couple of hours every day. Perhaps in the morning, when we wake up, or at night before bed?’
‘Like I said—’
‘It has to be you, Tiberius,’ she said insistently. ‘You’re so passionate about Kasimir and none of your aides could teach me about being a queen better than you could. We have to rule together, remember? So wouldn’t it be best for you to show me how you do it, so I can match you?’
His gaze narrowed, clearly looking for reasons to disagree, but she knew he couldn’t argue with her last statement. After all, therewasno one more passionate about Kasimir than he was, and if there was one thing she knew about him, it was that he was a control freak.
Perhaps he just doesn’t want to spend time with you.
The thought made a sharp sliver of glass slide under her skin, cutting her in a way she hadn’t been expecting, but she ignored it. If he didn’t, he didn’t—but she was going to make him give her this despite that. This wasn’t about her and her needs. It was about him.
‘A couple of hours…’ he murmured, still eyeing her narrowly. ‘That’s not nearly enough time to learn how to be a queen. It took me many years before I fully grasped what being King meant.’
‘Yes, it might take time,’ she allowed. ‘But I’ll learn more directly from you than anyone else. Also, I could get further instruction from your aides when you’re busy.’ She gave him a sunny smile. ‘I’m a quick study. I’ve been reading all I can about Kasimir—all the things that my father didn’t tell me—so I’m familiar with its difficulties.’
He said nothing, still looking at her as if he was debating.
Guinevere moved over to him and placed her hands on his broad chest, loving the feel of him beneath her palms. He really was the most eminently touchable man… ‘If you like,’ she murmured, ‘we could do it bed in the mornings. Or, if you’d prefer, before we retire at night.’ She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. ‘There must be more I need to learn about how to show proper respect for my king.’
As she’d hoped, the silver flames she’d become addicted to ignited, burned suddenly and intensely in his eyes. She really was getting the hang of flirting with him.
‘Perhaps,’ he said, his voice hot and rough. ‘Perhaps there are…certain things I can teach you.’
Guinevere rose up on her toes and pressed her mouth gently to his. A soft, butterfly kiss. ‘I’m sure you can, Your Majesty,’ she whispered. ‘I can hardly wait.’
His hands settled on her hips, holding her close. ‘How about I give you a few tips now? Here?’
A shiver ran through her. He was never physically demanding outside of the bedroom. He would be absent all day and only at night would her take her, often in a wild rush, as if his desire was a river he kept behind a dam and only at night would he open the floodgates.
It felt intoxicating to ignite his passion this way…to make him forget his never-ending workload with only a kiss.
‘I thought you had more important things to do?’ she said, teasing just a little. ‘Taxation, I think you mentioned.’
He frowned, his gaze dipping to her mouth and back up again. She could feel him hardening against her, and the hot press of his body made her feel dizzy, as if she’d had too much champagne far too quickly.
‘That can wait for a few minutes.’
A few minutes…
At night, when finally the day was done and they came together in bed, it was a flash fire. But they never indulged in any lazy aftermath, any idle conversation. Never simply enjoyed being together. He would take what he wanted, give her what she wanted, and then, inevitably, he would fall asleep. Because he was exhausted.
It would be like that now, she knew. They would take their pleasure, and it would be quick, hurried and intense, and then he would leave for yet another meeting, likely not coming back to bed until much later that night.
You are giving him everything he wants and he is giving you nothing in return.
That wasn’t quite true. He gave her as much pleasure as she could handle, and then some. He wasn’t a selfish lover by any stretch of the imagination. But she was starting to realise she wanted more than mere physical release. She wanted his time too.
