Page 40 of Back to Claim His Crown
‘You were worried about me,’ she whispered.
He stared into her eyes and his breathing roughened again.
‘Lucian,’ she added even more softly. ‘It’s okay. I’m fine.’
But his hands gently searched. Carefully he probed her neck, her shoulders, down her arms—feeling for himself that she was unharmed. Even more gently, he then swept the sides of her ribs, her waist...
Herbreathing began to quicken. He was merely checking she was unharmed but she was becoming aroused. She’d missed him today. She was going to miss him for ever soon. And she just wanted—
‘I need to see you,’ he growled.
His hands were on her collarbone and he looked directly into her eyes. That was when she saw the fire now building in his. The fire that matched her own. She nodded and the next second he ripped the front of her dress apart.
‘I cannot resist you,’ he groaned as his gaze dipped to her chest.
‘Why do you want to?’
‘I don’t know any more. I don’t know anything any more. I just need you. I need to feel you.’
He cupped her bra. Her breasts felt heavy and she simply melted—pressing right against him. Because he was like a furnace and she was cast deep into his fiery passion. His hands slid around her ribs. He unfastened the strap and took her bra off completely before returning his attention to her now bared breasts. Skin on skin. She gasped at the gentle sweep of his thumbs across her nipples and shivered at the smile that then curved his mouth.
‘Zara...’
He lowered her to the floor and joined her there. Her dress was in a puddle about them, while unbuttoning his shirt was almost impossible because he was so intent on kissing every inch of her. He removed her panties and slid the remnants of her dress up to her waist and kissed every inch he exposed in the process.
The intimacy was searing. He kissed her so wickedly that she groaned. But she wasn’t ashamed at how hot she was already. She felt the thickness of his arousal pressing against her and knew it was the same for him. There was this between them. There had been from the beginning. When she’d been supposed to be marrying another man she’d turned in that cathedral and seen him and it had been like a bolt of lightning. So hey, she wasn’t perfect either. But he’d held back for all these nights.
She reached for him. ‘Are you sure?’ she whispered.
‘I want this. Withyou,’ he growled, rising to lie between her legs.
He was heavy and she trembled with the delight of having him press against her so fully, so intimately.
She framed his face with her hand, feeling the heat of his skin. ‘You were upset. I’m sorry you were so worried.’
‘I haven’t had a panic attack like that in a very long time.’
‘You’re very tired. You have so much going on. Maybe it isn’t right to make this choice now...’ She bit her lip but she had to make surehewas sure. ‘I couldn’t stand it if you were to regret this.’
‘Regret is my constant companion,’ he muttered hoarsely. ‘I’ve regretted not doing this every night since we met. I wanted you the minute I saw you in that cathedral. I’ve only wanted you more with every day since.’
Stunned, she stared up at him.
‘I’m tired of fighting how much I want you.’ He pressed his pelvis against her to prove his point. ‘I’m tired of not giving in to what Ireallywant.’
And that was this. With her. She felt it in his straining muscles, in the care with which he kissed her and caressed her, she felt it in the huge erection digging against her now. And she could never resist because she wanted him too. To be so very much wanted was everything.
‘Lucian,’ she whispered.
She wriggled her hands between them and unfastened his trousers. He closed his eyes as she wrapped her fingers around his girth. She stroked him tentatively at first, then with increasing grip and pleasure as she watched his unfettered reaction.
‘I’m really selfish, Zara,’ he muttered through gritted teeth. ‘I wanteverything.’
‘Then take it.’
He gripped her wrist, stopping her strokes and lifting her hand away. He dropped his hips onto hers and she felt the hard head of him pressing against her slick seam. Then he thrust. Hard.
They both groaned—guttural and raw—as he breached her body at last. She met his gaze. They swapped a breath. Then swapped a smile. And both of them slid into a mingled sigh as he thrust again, even deeper. He was right there, absolutely inside her. It was so intimate. It was everything.
