Reign: A Royal Military Romance

by Roxie Noir

  “That’s true,” Leah said. She was halfway through her drink, and Nathan could tell in her voice that she was starting to feel the whiskey. After all, if she’d ever drank before, it wasn’t very much. “This place could be a lot worse.”

  Nathan nodded.

  “It doesn’t get you off the hook, though,” she went on, smiling a devilish smile. “Just because someone else is worse.”

  “Oh, come on,” Nathan said. “I was just waiting for you to come along and decorate however you like.”

  Leah laughed. “Liar,” she said.

  Nathan just shrugged, smiling. “You can’t prove I wasn’t.”

  “The state of your bathroom sink is a pretty good indication, though,” she said.

  “Those toothpaste stains are some of my best friends,” he said.

  Leah took another drink, her whiskey cocktail now close to done, her bare feet propped on the leather ottoman.

  “I went clothes shopping today,” she said.

  She looked over at him, a sparkle her eye. Nathan felt his bear wake up and growl in response.

  It was that kind of sparkle.

  Leah drained her glass.

  “What did you get?” he asked, trying not to seem overexcited, even though his brain immediately suggested all sort of delicious, sexy things that he’d love to see Leah in.

  Instead of answering, Leah put her glass down and then, in one quick movement, straddled him on the couch.

  With the drink occupying one hand, Nathan put his other hand on her thigh and slid it up, slowly, just grazing his fingers under her panties as his bear roared. It took all his self-control not to throw her back on the couch, tear off her white panties and mate her, right there, but he had to let her go at her own pace.

  This is zero to sixty for her, he reminded himself yet again. We’ll get there. Give it time.

  Leah’s eyes lit up and she bent down and kissed him, hard, her mouth hot against his. He slid his hand up to cup her full, luscious ass, letting his fingers sink in.

  He was rock hard already, of course. It had been a near-permanent state for the last forty-eight hours, just about.

  Leah broke the kiss off and sat back on her heels, her hands on his chest.

  “Want to see what I got?” she asked.

  She was turning slightly pink, either from the alcohol or her suggestion. Nathan couldn’t tell which.

  “Absolutely,” he said, beginning to go breathless with desire.

  That means something sexy, right? He asked himself. She’s not going to come out here in a job interview outfit, is she?

  Leah playfully bopped his nose with one finger, then stood, walked to the bedroom, and closed the door behind her.

  For a moment, Nathan imagined Leah in a job interview outfit. One of those tight skirts that came down to the knee, perfectly showing off her small waist and generous hips and ass, letting him watch it move as she walked. Or a white, button-down shirt.

  He thought of undoing the buttons, one by one, then sinking his face into her cleavage, hiking her skirt up around her waist as she straddled him, and then...

  Shit. His cock was tenting up his jeans, and even though he tried to adjust and hide it, even a little, it was far too obvious to do such a thing.

  Nathan sighed and drained his drink, setting the glass on a side table and then leaning his head back against the sofa, trying to wrestle his bear into submission.

  Then, the bedroom door opened, slowly, as if Leah was hesitant.

  Nathan leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.

  She walked into the room, and his mouth dropped open.

  Leah was wearing something silky and slinky and short, a white garment that had two thin straps over her shoulders and ended only a couple of inches down her thigh. Her nipples stood out under the thin material, and she was twisting her hands in front her, biting her lip nervously.

  “Holy shit,” he breathed. “Holy fucking shit, you look incredible.”

  Even his bear was silent for once, too busy practically drooling.

  “You like it?” she asked, pushing an orange curl out of her face.

  “Yes,” he said, nodding feverishly.

  Now Nathan was standing, his hands on her shoulders. If he’d thought he was using all his self-control before, he hadn’t known anything yet.

  He ached to take her, make her his mate, bite her shoulder and listen to her scream his name.

  “Well,” she said, that glint back in her eye. “Are you just going to stand there or do something about it?”

  30

  Leah

  Leah curled her toes against the hardwood floor of Nathan’s — no, their — house, wondering what she was so nervous about.

  Obviously Nathan was going to be excited about the lingerie she’d bought, even if it had been the most conservative choice at Victoria’s Secret.

  Her stomach twisted as Nathan’s jaw dropped open for a split second, before he bounded to his feet, his hands hovering near her, almost like he was afraid to touch her.

  The whiskey in her stomach gave her courage, though, and she managed to say something saucy to Nathan.

  Then she put her hands on his chest and pushed him back down on the couch before he had time to even think, straddling him in a moment, the silk of her chemise gliding up over her thighs as Nathan moved his hands to her ass, leaning forward and squeezing as his lips sought hers.

  When he realized that she wasn’t wearing panties, he made a slight noise and then pulled her against him, hard, grinding himself against her.

  The whiskey had been exactly what she needed, that tiny bit of extra liquid courage to shut off her brain and awaken her own bear, roaring and absolutely ready to go.

  Nathan pushed his tongue into her mouth and Leah pushed back, her hands pulling at his shirt, running all over his perfect, broad, muscular chest. When he pulled away from him she bit his lower lip and pulled gently, just a little, then tugged his shirt off over his head, running her fingers down his torso, to his rock-hard abs.

  He pinched her nipples through the silk of her chemise, harder than he usually did, then ran his palms over her breasts, the fabric sighing against her and Leah moaned softly, leaning back a little.

  “You’re the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” Nathan growled. He tugged at the straps of her chemise, pulling them a little roughly over her shoulders, revealing one breast at a time.

  He ran his tongue over each nipple, sending a thrill of arousal through Leah. Her hips felt like they were moving on their own, rising and falling against Nathan’s jeans, and she could feel her juices flowing, her channel slick with excitement.

  She knew that Nathan could smell how ready she was, just as she could smell the sharp, musky smell of his arousal.

  As he bit her nipple, gently, moving his tongue over it again and again he put one hand between her legs, barely even touching her, running one finger along her lips, feeling how swollen and slick she was.

  “More,” she sighed.

  Nathan chuckled, moving his fingers up to her clit and circling it slowly, almost touching that nub of pleasure but not quite, driving Leah wild.

  Then, slowly, he pushed one finger inside her.

  “Mmm,” Leah said, moving her hips back and forth in circles. Nathan crooked his finger inside her at the same time that he pressed his thumb against her clit and she grabbed his shoulders hard, digging her fingernails into his hard muscles.

  “More,” she demanded.

  Nathan bit a nipple and slowly slid a second finger into her waiting channel. Leah bucked in pleasure, her body aching, desperate for release.

  She wanted him to fill her, to claim her as his. She wanted him to take her as she wrapped her legs around his back and screamed his name.

  “More,” she said, the words coming out like a moan as she moved her hips forward, rubbing herself against the huge bulge in Nathan’s jeans. Leah felt like she barely had control over her own body — all she could feel was desperate wa
nt, pure desire for Nathan.

  He bit her neck, not quite gently, and inserted a third finger.

  Inside, Leah felt a slight pinch, and made a noise in the back of her throat, even as she wriggled, trying to pull Nathan’s fingers further inside herself.

  “Am I hurting you?” he whispered.

  “No,” she said, pushing herself forward. “It feels good.”

  His thumb kept on rubbing a circle on her clit, and Leah thought that she might go out of her mind soon. The urge to take him inside her was almost overwhelming.

  “Take me,” she whispered into his ear.

  His fingers and thumb slowed, and he looked up at her, his handsome face somewhere between lust and caution.

  “Are you sure?” he said.

  Leah stood, Nathan’s hand coming out of her and her skirt falling back over her thighs. She was nearly dizzy with lust as she pulled her arms free from her lingerie, letting the top pool around her waist.

  She grinned saucily at Nathan, then put her hands on his knees and leaned over him. He looked stunned.

  “Take your pants off,” she said, slowly, her all-consuming lust making her bold.

  Nathan didn’t need to be told twice, tearing his pants and boxers off like they were on fire, and then pulling Leah back on top of him, squeezing her breasts in his hands, hard, making her cry out.

  This is it, Leah thought. She could feel her juices just barely begin to slide down her inner thigh as she grabbed Nathan’s rock-hard, thick cock, pointing straight up in the air.

  He moaned as he pulled her toward him on the couch, and she pumped his cock twice, then moved the tip of it to her swollen, slick hole.

  For a moment, Leah paused, a bolt of nerves running through her.

  What if it hurts? A part of her whispered.

  It’ll only hurt once, she thought. And god, it’s going to feel good.

  Then, before she knew what was happening, Nathan had lifted her off of him. It was like she weighed nothing, as he stood with her in his arms, carrying her almost like a child as he marched to the bedroom. Leah squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, her feet briefly in the air before he entered the bedroom and tossed her on the bed, still unmade from that morning.

  She hardly had time to wrap her arms around his neck again before he was on top of her, growling and primal, and she wrapped her legs around his back, trying to pull him inside her.

  She wanted him there. She needed him there, the urge ardent and primal, like nothing she’d ever felt before, and then the tip of his cock was there at her entrance.

  Very, very slowly, he nudged inside Leah, millimeter by millimeter. She could feel his arms shake with the strain of being so delicate and slow — she knew he wanted to take her hard, all at once. To mate her and make her his, there and forever, and she ground her teeth together and dug her fingers into his back as he stretched her wider and wider, just to the point of pain.

  Then, suddenly, she felt a sharp pinch and she gasped in pain.

  “Am I hurting you?” Nathan asked.

  “Don’t stop,” Leah said, her voice husky with lust.

  He stroked her hair with one hand, halfway inside her, not moving at all. Leah panted and waited a few moments for the pain to subside, biting her lip and running her hands down Nathan’s perfect, hard back.

  Then, at last, she moved her hips up and tightened her legs around his back, trying again to draw him in deeper. She wanted him all the way, as deep as he could go, and even though he resisted her for a second he couldn’t resist her for long, sliding himself inside her until he was fully hilted, the two of them completely united.

  For a moment, he rested his head on Leah’s shoulder and she lay still, savoring the feeling of being so completely, blissfully filled.

  “You feel amazing,” he whispered. “I love you.”

  “I love you too,” she said, and pulled his mouth to hers.

  As they kissed he pulled out slowly, his body shaking with the effort of holding himself back, and then sunk himself in her again, making Leah sigh and moan.

  “Faster,” she whispered.

  Sex felt better than she’d imagined — it had only hurt for a moment, and the mind-blowing pleasure was utterly worth it. She felt like she’d had an itch for a long time and it was only just now getting scratched, the ache deep inside her beginning to subside as Nathan began to thrust into her harder and harder, each time hitting the pleasure spots deep inside her body that she’d never felt before.

  “Baby, I can’t last long,” he admitted.

  “Don’t hold back,” she moaned. She could tell that she wasn’t far from coming herself, and Nathan kept thrusting faster and harder. “God, just like that, baby.”

  Nathan growled, the sound feral and untamed, from deep in his chest, and it was all that Leah needed to fall over that edge into pure bliss, her hands tightening on Nathan’s back, her nails digging in.

  “Nathan!” she shouted, her eyes closed as the pleasure coursed through her, rocking her entire body. “God, yes, Nathan, yes!”

  It was all she could do to hang on as the orgasm traveled through her body, tightening her thighs around Nathan’s torso and curling her toes, making her throw her head back as she moaned wordlessly, not caring even a little about the neighbors.

  “Oh, baby,” she moaned quietly as the jolts subsided. “Mmm.”

  Nathan stopped thrusting for a moment to kiss her deeply, his cock fully inside her.

  “You enjoy that?” he murmured.

  “Yes,” she said, the fuzzy feeling of bliss settling over her. “Come on, it’s your turn.”

  She wriggled her hips again and Nathan thrust, hard, acting on pure instinct, then thrust again, twice, grunting and groaning.

  Suddenly she could feel him cumming inside her, his cock spurting deep and hard as he buried his face in her shoulder, moaning. Leah wrapped her legs around him as hard as she could, doing her best to take him deeper and deeper until at last, he lay still on top of her, both of them breathing hard.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, finally pushing himself up on his elbows.

  Leah laughed.

  “Of course I’m okay,” she said. “I’m better than okay. That was wonderful.”

  Nathan grinned. “That’s a good review?” he asked, teasingly.

  Leah kissed him on the lips.

  “It’s a tentative review,” she teased, her eyes sparking again. “I’ll need more information to really decide.”

  Nathan pulled out and flopped on the bed next to her, taking her tightly in his arms.

  “Give me fifteen minutes,” he said.

  31

  Nathan

  Three days later, Nathan sat on the couch, waiting for Leah to come out of the bedroom again, though this time they were late to their own wedding reception.

  She could come out in lingerie again, Nathan thought. I sure wouldn’t complain.

  He was beginning to understand what men talked about when they said their wives took too long to get ready.

  At last, the door to the bedroom opened, and Leah came out. She was wearing a summer dress, one that nipped in at the waist and then flared back out, ending at her knees. It showed her figure off fabulously.

  “We could just stay in,” Nathan said, savoring her curves with his eyes.

  She bent over to kiss him.

  “Later,” she said.

  The party was at the same place that Leah’s betrothal had been, the Fjords Room. As Nathan drove there in his tiny car, he marveled that it had only been a week ago that he’d watched her get engaged to another man.

  Now she was his, of course, and he moved his hand to her leg, squeezing it as they pulled into the parking lot.

  “I can’t believe I was here a week ago, watching you get betrothed.”

  “I can’t believe I was ever betrothed to anyone else.”

  She kissed him on the cheek, once, quickly, and then they got out of the car and walked into the room.

&nbs
p; Beside him, Leah gasped.

  Every table had a huge bouquet on it, each in a slightly different large vase. The bouquets were rustic, mostly ivy and pine branches with the pine cones on, a couple big white flowers in the middle. Small white Christmas lights were strung up overhead and the lights were down, making it almost feel like the reception was taking place in the forest, under the stars.

  Out the big glass windows, Nathan could see the bay and the glaciers beyond that, the only home he’d ever known.

  Leah made a funny noise, and when he looked down, she was crying, her three sisters rushing over and practically tackling her before he could do anything.

  “How did you guys do this?” she said, wiping away tears.

  “Don’t cry!” said one sister, either Rebecca or Abigail.

  “Come on, Leah, it’s your wedding!” said the other.

  Emily said nothing, but the three of them wrapped her in a hug. Nathan put his hands in his pockets, feeling slightly extraneous.

  “But how did you guys afford all this?” she said, still flabbergasted. “Oh my gosh, look at all that food!”

  Nathan turned his head to see the food table and raised his eyebrows. Even by shifter standards, there was a lot — appetizers piled high, grilled veggies, salad, fried chicken, and at least three huge hunks of meat. That wasn’t even counting the dessert table.

  The reception was a whirlwind. Nathan barely managed to eat, because people from his clan — people who he’d thought were too afraid of him to ever speak to him again — kept coming up and congratulating them. Even odder, they sounded sincere.

  Finally, toward the end of the event as the sun went down over the water, Nathan grabbed a piece of cake and sneaked outside for a moment as Leah was talking to some distant cousins of hers. He walked to the edge of the rocky cliffs towering over the bay, took a bite of the cake, and couldn’t believe his luck in life.

  The sunset turned the sky orange and then pink, reflecting off the glaciers, making the world feel like it was on fire. Steps crunched toward him over the gravel parking lot, and then Leah was taking his hand, leaning her head against his shoulder.