I smiled as if he’d just offered me the world wrapped up in those honeyed words. “Of course,my darling.”
CHAPTER 37
LUKAS
Iwas going to murder whoever chose this room to be our suite for tonight. We’d been walking for what felt like hours. Through endless corridors, hallways, up – and down – an obscene number of stairs. I knew Lady Raena came from wealth, but her family’s estate was practically a castle. And a castle was the last thing I wanted standing between myself and my new wife tonight.
Wife. She was mywife. Mine.
That perfect blonde hair, long enough to kiss her upper back but not too long that it hid her soft curves. Mine. Those eyes, a deep swirling blue, and behind them, a mind wittierand more determined than I could ever know. Mine. That voice, smooth and lilting like a songbird, and damn it when she laughed, I just wanted to drown in it.
All of her.Mine.
But Forges, if I hadn’t been hers since the moment she waltzed up onto that table all those months ago and hit me with that damned sassy mouth. That same mouth I couldn’t wait a single moment longer to press my lips against.
“Naria, please I—”
“We’re almost there.” She tossed me a dazzling smile, and I was done for. The moment we arrived at the top of a set of stairs, I pulled her towards me and crushed my lips against hers.
“So impatient,” she giggled, gasping when her back touched the wall.
“This is torture, forest princess,” I growled against her lips. She tasted so sweet. Like berries, honey, and those funny little herbs she mixes into her tea.
After allowing me one more kiss, she tipped her chin towards a nearby door. “We’re here.”
The door could’ve been on fire and I wouldn’t have cared. Swiping up her hand, I swung the door open and pulled us both inside.
The room was smaller than I expected, with just a double bed and a few pieces of furniture pressed against the wall. Moonlight spilled onto the white bedsheets from a small window while several candles sat flickering along the dressers, basking the room in a warm glow. At the foot of the bed lay a scattering of red rose petals beside a tray of little chocolates from the wedding.
“Raena told me she picked this room for us because it’s so far from everyone else,” Naria explained, stepping over to the tray and helping herself to a chocolate.
Ah. So it’d be Lady Raena’s name at the top of my murder list.
But when those two ocean eyes glinted, all thoughts of murder were long forgotten. “She said it’d give us more privacy for tonight.” Naria smiled.
“Did she now?” Shrugging off my coat, I hung it over a chair before joining her by the foot of the bed. “And what might we need that for?” I plucked a chocolate from her fingers and popped it into my mouth.
Her cheeks flushed my favourite shade of crimson. “Well… We…”
I smirked. “Let me help you out of this gown, Naria.” My voice was low as her lips clamped shut. “Would you turn around for me, darling?”
When her eyes darted around shyly before she turned away to show me her laces, it took everything in me not to rip the delicate gown apart.
Damn it, I needed her. More than I needed air to breathe.
My fingers worked quickly to untie the laces from her corset. When the gown fell to the floor, she turned back to face me in nothing more than a flimsy lace chemise and a pair of white stockings.
I scrubbed a hand over my jaw, holding back a choke.
“Is it too much?” She blushed again. “Should I have worn something else?”
“No.” The word shot out with a ragged breath. “Youlook…” My gaze caught on the creamy strip of her thigh between the short chemise and her high stockings, and I almost groaned.Damn it.“You look beautiful.”
Her smile returned. “Good,” she breathed.
I couldn’t last another second. Throwing off my tunic, I took her into my arms.
Lips crashing together, I nudged her backwards until her knees hit the bed. She let out a nervous giggle before collapsing back onto the white sheets, pulling me with her. Though any attempts she made to climb over my legs and straddle my hips were futile.
