Page 73 of Her Royal Houseguest

‘Yes.’

‘I want,’ she repeated. ‘But…’

He swallowed. ‘But.’

She nodded. No words as she pulsed against him, her arms shaking as she gasped.

‘Trust me,’ he whispered. And so he guided her hips further down his shaft. He would not penetrate her this way. But he did groan at the feel of her all along his kway.

Then he thrust with his hips. A slight movement that pushed along her slit but not inside it.

‘Oh!’ she said. ‘Oh yes.’

He rolled his hips again, echoing her words. ‘Oh, yes.’

And so they matched rhythm. He kept it slow. If he lost control, she would not remain a virgin and he would lose all honour. He let her move as she wanted, grinding down, shifting along his shaft.

Before long, his hunger began to take over. He moved his hips with hers. Pushing upwards as she ground down. For a brief, glorious moment, he caught her breast with his mouth again. He caught it and sucked while she went wild above him.

That was too much for him. He thrust forwards, his head thrown back. If he hadn’t kept hold of her hips, it would have ended differently. It would have ended gloriously.

But he held her back as he thrust forwards. He thrust and thrust while she spread herself over him. Flesh to flesh. Not inside but along.

Heat.

Friction.

She cried out.

He exploded.

And together, they kept pumping, kept moving, kept flying.

For a time.

Then their eyes met again as their bodies slowed.

Gazes locked.

Breath returned.

‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘I will marry you.’

Chapter Twenty-Four

Anna watched Deva’s eyes widen with shock. It was an unguarded reaction of horror as his body tightened beneath her.

Then she realised what she’d said. The words had spilled out without thought. And why wouldn’t they? He had already proposed once. And now that she knew him better, look what she’d done with him! This was something husbands and wives did. This was an act of love between two people.

Was it love? Did he love her? Did she love him?

Hard to know now as he firmly set her back from his body.

‘I—I’m sorry,’ she stammered, as she gathered herself and her clothing. Her dress was at her waist, her body still unsteady after what they’d done.

‘No apology!’ he said, his voice rough. ‘No, no,’ he said, speaking more to himself than to her.

‘Not an apology,’ she agreed as she scrambled to her feet. She pulled up the shoulders of her gown but she couldn’t manage the buttons herself. She twisted her arms around, managing to find the lowest ones but her hands were shaking and the position was awkward.