When they parted, she glanced around the empty hall, suddenly aware of the stillness. “So… now what?”
Alexander’s mouth curved into a slow, unmistakable grin. “Now,” he said, stepping closer, “we consummate the marriage.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. “Alexander?—”
Before she could finish, he swept her off her feet in one smooth motion, lifting her into his arms.
“Alexander!” she gasped, half laughing, her hands gripping his shoulders.
He only tightened his hold and widened his grin. “You are my wife now, Theodora. I am allowed to carry you.”
She rested her head lightly against his chest as he carried her through the corridor, past the fading scent of roses and the last traces of the celebration. The estate was quiet now; the afternoon sun lit the staircase as they ascended towards the private wing.
Theodora’s pulse quickened with every step.
“Will it be painful again?” she whispered.
Alexander looked down at her and smiled. “No, this time it will only be pleasurable.”
At the end of the hall, he nudged open the door to their chamber with his shoulder. The room was warm, lit by the soft glow of candles and fresh flowers sitting on the table. The bed was turned down. Alexander stepped inside, still holding her. Theodora lifted her head, meeting his eyes as he closed the door behind them.
He carried her inside as if she weighed nothing, one arm securely beneath her knees, the other supporting her back. Theodora lifted her head from his shoulder, meeting his eyes in the warm light. They were dark with intent and a thrill of anticipation travelled straight through her.
Alexander lowered her gently onto the edge of the bed, but he did not step back. Instead, he stayed between her parted thighs, hands sliding up her sides to cup her face.
“No rushing this time,” he murmured. “Last time I took your innocence. But tonight, I want to show you how good it can feel when there is no pain.”
Theodora’s breath caught. Her body already remembered and ached for him from their first joining. The soreness between her legs had faded into a low, persistent throb of awareness. She nodded, fingers curling into the front of his shirt.
He kissed her slowly, deeply, his tongue sliding against hers in a lazy dance that made heat pool low in her belly. His hands moved with purpose now, unfastening the buttons of her gown with practiced ease. Fabric whispered to the floor, followed by her corset and chemise, until she sat completely bare before him. This time there was no frantic urgency, no virginal fear.
Only anticipation.
Alexander shed his own clothes quickly, revealing the hard planes of muscle and the thick, heavy length of his cock already straining upward, flushed and glistening at the tip. Theodora’s mouth went dry at the sight. The first time they made love he had stretched her to the point of pain and pleasure. Tonight, she could not wait to feel him sliding inside of her and the knowledge made her clench with need.
He climbed onto the bed, guiding her to lie back against the pillows. His mouth found her throat, then her breasts, sucking one nipple into wet heat while his fingers teased the other into a tight peak. Theodora arched with a soft moan, her hands threading through his hair. Every touch felt amplified, her skin hypersensitive after the long day of tension.
“You are already wet for me,” he whispered against her skin as his hand slid between her thighs. Two fingers parted her folds, stroking through the slickness he found there. He circled her clit with slow, firm pressure, then dipped lower to push one thick finger inside her. “So ready. No more hurting, Theo. Only pleasure this time.”
She gasped as he added a second finger, curling them gently against that sensitive spot inside her. The stretch was there, but it felt delicious now. Her hips rocked instinctively, chasing the building heat.
“Alexander…” she breathed, voice trembling.
He kissed his way down her body, lips brushing over her ribs and stomach, until his shoulders settled between her spread thighs. Theodora’s breath hitched as he looked up at her, eyes blazing.
“Let me taste you properly this time.”
His mouth descended.
The first slow lick along her slit drew a sharp cry from her throat. He took his time lapping at her folds, circling her swollen clit with the flat of his tongue, then sucking it gently between his lips. Theodora’s hands fisted the sheets as pleasure coiled tight and fast. He hummed against her, the vibration sending sparks up her spine, then thrust his tongue inside her while his thumb worked her core in steady circles.
She came undone with shocking speed, back bowing off the bed, a broken moan tearing from her lips as waves of intense pleasure crashed through her. Alexander didn’t stop. He gentled his touch, licking her through the aftershocks until she was trembling and oversensitive, then crawled back up her body.
He settled between her thighs; the thick head of his member nudged at her entrance. This time there was no burn or tearing sensation. Only a slick, eager welcome.
“Look at me,wife,” he ordered her softly.
Theodora met his gaze as he pushed inside of her. Slow, steady, and relentless. Inch by inch he filled her, stretching her walls in the most exquisite way. She felt no pain only a deep, throbbing fullness and the perfect drag of his sheath against every sensitive nerve within her. When he bottomed out, hips flush against hers, she let out a long, shaky moan.
