“To… sleep,” she repeats. “Are you saying you don’t expect to”—her cheeks flush—“consummate our vows?”
I want her. Need burns through me like fire.Gods, I’ve never wanted anything more.But I will not take what is not freely given. Even if it kills me to wait.
“I would never take anything from you that you do not willingly give,” I assure her. “But if you’d like, I’m more than happy to—”
“Absolutely not,” she hisses, dragging me toward the bed.
For one wild moment, I think she’s changed her mind, but then she tosses several pillows onto the floor.
“You can sleep there,” she declares.
I sigh, lifting our joined hands, reminding her we are physically bound.
When she moves to undo the ribbon, I catch her wrist. “Please, Vivienne. It cannot be removed until morning. Otherwise, we’ll be cursed by the gods.”
I feel a small pang of guilt for the lie, but it’s not entirely untrue. There is a belief that breaking the binding before morning brings bad luck for the first year of marriage, and judging by the suspicious look she’s giving me, I’m going to need as much good fortune as possible.
“Fine,” she grumbles. “But you’re still sleeping on the floor. I’ll simply hang my arm off the bed.”
“As you wish, my dear wife.”
I begin unfastening the remaining armor, but I struggle with the back clasps. Each piece is connected by straps designed for quick removal, but I’ve never undressed with my wrist bound to another’s, and it’s not quite as simple as I’d imagined. I sigh. “I need assistance.”
She purses her lips. “You really think I’m going to help you undress?”
I smirk. “Unless you want me to sleep in full armor, yes.”
She mutters something under her breath but steps forward, working the clasps loose.
The moment the armor drops away, I roll my shoulders, enjoying the release of tension.
“Your turn,” I murmur.
She stills. “Excuse me?”
“You won’t be comfortable sleeping in your wedding gown.”
She glares but turns her back, motioning for me to untie the laces.
My heart stutters as the gown loosens, exposing the bare flesh across her back and shoulders, and the faint constellation of freckles scattered across her petal-soft skin.
I’ve noticed them before, dusting her cheeks, arching over the bridge of her nose, but I hadn’t known they covered her elsewhere too. For a moment, I pull back my hands, fighting the urge to trace them with the tips of my fingers, to count them slowly, as if they were stars meant only for me.
She shivers slightly as my fingers brush the fabric.
Once the bodice is removed, she glances back at me. “We’ll need to find something to cut away the sleeve because of our bound hands.”
“I have just the thing,” I murmur. Her eyes widen and a lovely, pink blush spreads across her cheeks as I extend my claws and slice away the fabric, careful of her delicate skin.
My breath falters as it falls away, revealing even more of her to me as the gown pools at her feet, leaving her in only her silken shift. My gaze travels over her before I can help myself. I’m completely mesmerized by my beautiful bride.
“Don’t get any ideas,” she warns, breaking the spell.
I huff a quiet laugh. “Perish the thought.”
She climbs onto the bed, and I settle onto the floor beside her.
When she glances down at me, I smile up at her. “Can I have another blanket, my lovely wife?”
