Page 44 of The Pakhan’s Accidental Bride

Except for the armed guards I can see patrolling the grounds. Or the tattoos that peek out from beneath his shirt collar that send both a warning up my spine and excitement coursing through my veins. I want to unveil those tats and trace them with my fingers, with my tongue, even as he looks at me like I'm already his.

After breakfast, he stands and offers me his hand. "Come. I want to show you something else."

He leads me through the gardens to a massive pool. It's stunning, with a waterfall feature at one end and lush shrubbery surrounding it, creating a private oasis. The water is crystal clear and inviting.

"I don't have a bathing suit," I say.

Emil gestures to a nearby pool house. "I had several brought in. Choose whichever you'd like."

Of course he did.

I find the pool house stocked with women's bathing suits in various styles and sizes. It should creep me out, how prepared he is, but instead I'm oddly touched. I choose a simple black bikini and change quickly, trying not to think too hard about what I'm doing.

When I come out, Emil is already in the pool. He's shirtless, and I can't help but stare. His chest and arms are covered in intricate tattoos with jungle animals that seem to move as his muscles flex. His shoulders are broad, his stomach flat and defined. He's beautiful in a dangerous, masculine way that makes my mouth go dry.

He watches me approach, his dark eyes glued on the movement of my hips and the curve of my breasts in the bikini top. I feel exposed and powerful all at once.

The water is warm as I slip in. I swim toward the waterfall, letting the spray cool my heated skin. When I turn around, Emil is closer than I expected.

"You're beautiful," he says, his voice low.

My heart hammers in my chest. "Emil…"

He moves closer, his hand coming up to cup my jaw. His thumb brushes across my lower lip, and I can't breathe. Can't think.

His mouth comes down on mine, and the kiss is hungry and demanding. His other hand slides around my waist, pulling me against him, and I can feel every hard inch of him through the thin fabric of our swimwear. My hands find his chest, his shoulders, tracing the lines of those tattoos I'd just been fantasizing about.

This is such a bad idea. I should push him away. I should get out of this pool right now and demand to be taken home. Instead, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him.

20

EMIL

Kiera wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me.

Fuck.

Every rational thought I had about taking this slow evaporates the moment her lips meet mine. She tastes like chlorine and sweetness. My hands slide down her back, gripping her ass and pulling her flush against me. She gasps into my mouth, and I swallow the sound, deepening the kiss until we're both breathless.

"Emil," she whispers against my lips, and hearing my name in that breathy voice sends a jolt of lust through my dick.

I walk us backward until her back hits the pool wall, the waterfall cascading nearby and creating a curtain of privacy. Not that I give a shit if anyone sees.

My mouth moves to her neck, tasting the water droplets on her skin. She arches into me, her fingers threading through my hair and tugging. The slight pain sends another wave of heat straight to my cock, which is already hard and pressing against her stomach.

"Tell me you want this," I growl against her throat. I need to hear her say it.

"I want this." Her voice is shaky with desire but certain.

That's all I need.

I hook my fingers into the sides of her bikini bottoms and pull them down her legs. She kicks them off, and they float away somewhere in the pool. I don't care where. My hands return to her thighs, spreading them as I lift her. She wraps her legs around my waist instinctively, and the feel of her bare pussy against my stomach makes me groan.

"You're so fucking beautiful," I tell her, pulling back just enough to look at her. Her wet hair is plastered to her head, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen from my kisses. But it's her body that has my full attention now. The way her breasts strain against that tiny bikini top, water droplets sliding down the curves and pooling in her ample cleavage. I reach up and pull the top down, freeing her tits. They're perfect. Not too big, not too small. Just right for my hands. And mouth.

I lower my head and take one nipple into my mouth, sucking hard. She cries out, her nails digging into my shoulders. I lavish attention on one breast, then the other, until she's writhing against me and begging.

"Please, Emil. Please."