“Evander saved me,” she explained. “He was the first to come back to the room, and after he pulled me from the man’s lap, Evander beat him to a pulp. I thought he was going to kill him, I truly did. And what might be worse was that in that moment, I wanted him to. Adrian came in not long after and pulled Evander off the man. When Evander told him what had happened, he and Adrian dismissed the rest of their friends, who were starting to return, and they dragged the man out of the room. I do not know what happened to him, but no rumors were spread, and it was the last game they ever held.”
“I remember,” Constantine murmured. “I was supposed to attend that game, but Augustus had found himself in trouble again. I told your brothers that I would make the next one, but it was never scheduled.”
“My brothers sequestered me inside for a time after that,” Elara explained. “They explained in great detail that true gentlemen did not act as that man had, and that I should not judge all men on such a poor character. They taught me how to play the game. Spent more time with me, and eventually, the horror of that moment started to fade. I became curious and adventurousagain, and was looking forward to meeting such fine gentlemen they spoke of. Then Evander went missing, and my debut was put off.”
“Then we met,” Constantine murmured, finishing her sentence. “No wonder you bit me.”
Elara let out a weak laugh.
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “Though I must tell you that you did not frighten me as that other man did. Annoyed me? Verily. But you did not frighten me.”
Constantine looked at her with apologetic eyes.
“I am glad I did not frighten you, Elara,” he whispered. “In fact, I never want you to be afraid of me. And I promise you, for the rest of our lives, whether we are married or not, I will be the one who protects you. We may lose our marriage in a few days’ time, but you will not lose that.”
Elara shifted on her feet, both calmed and discomforted by his words at the same time.
“Eight days,” she sighed, shaking her head. “Eight days until we discover whether or not our marriage will end.”
Constantine reached out and stroked his fingers along the back of her hand. She let go of her stomach, took it, and allowed him to pull her to his chest.
“Until then,” he whispered, nuzzling his cheek against her forehead. “What say we make the best of it?”
Elara sighed, feeling her entire body melt as she sagged into the warm, solid form of the man holding her. She nuzzled her chin into his chest and caressed her bottom lip against his baremuscle. Pleasure surged through her as she felt him tremble at the small touch.
“I think we should,” she whispered, tilting her head up as Constantine smoothed his hand down her back.
She met his green eyes, hooded already with yearning, and drew in a trembling breath.
“Kiss me,” she breathed.
Chapter 24
“Kiss me,” Elara breathed, and that was all the permission Constantine needed.
A needy, rasping sound escaped his throat as he dipped his head and brushed his lips against hers. This time, their kiss was gentle and slow. He enjoyed the softness of her lips as he caressed them with his own; he savored the sweet taste of her tongue when she parted her lips to give him access.
In his arms, Elara whimpered and trembled. Desperate to feel her closer, he ran his hands down her waist, over her backside, and cupped her thighs, lifting her off her feet and onto the counter. Once she was seated, he moved between her parted legs, drew his right hand up her curves and to her throat, and reveled in the way she moaned into his mouth as he tightened his grip there.
Last time, he had rushed too quickly to reach her body. This time, he decided, it would be different. Elara likely felt the same way because instead of just gripping the back of his hair, her hands wandered down the muscles of his back and shoulder blades, her nails playfully scratching over his spine, making himshiver as his blood heated and raced to his cock.
With effort, he broke away from the kiss, and as he pulled back and took in the hooded look of need in her piercing blue eyes, Constantine felt his own need heighten. He had wasted so much time, he realized right then. So much time arguing and searching when he could have been like this from day one if he had not held a grudge against her family name.
His anger spiked suddenly at the thought, and he kissed her again, using her mouth to drive it away. Elara whimpered at his rising intensity, but she must not have minded, as in the next moment, he felt her hands move from his back to his chest. She gently dragged her nails down his pectoral muscles, over the ridges of his abdomen, and down to his hips, where his trousers loosely hung.
“Oh, God,” Constantine breathed, breaking the kiss as her nails raked softly over his hip bones. It was a sensation he had never felt before. One that sent a heavy jolt of desire from the spots she touched straight to his groin, making his cock harden further.
“What?” Elara breathed, opening her eyes as Constantine caught his breath. “Did I do something wrong?”
A throaty laugh poured from his lips as he shook his head.
“No,” he panted. “In fact, I have never had a woman make me feel so right.”
He glanced into her eyes, worried for a moment that he might have offended her by alluding to the fact that he had been with other women. Instead, he found satisfaction glimmering in those blue eyes of hers, and as she smiled seductively, she drew her nails over his hips again. Again, his hips thrust forward of their own volition, and he let out a groan.
“I like that,” she whispered, trailing fire down the column of his throat with her kisses. “I like that something about you is just mine.”
Constantine’s lashes fluttered shut as her kisses continued while her fingertips drew closer to his cock. Like she had the first night he had tasted her, she drew her palm over the bulge in his breeches and cupped him.
