She raised a brow. “Luckily women do have an equal say now. At least in civilized countries.” He saw the glint of a challenge in her eyes.
“I suppose it remains to be seen whether Montmajor is civilized in your eyes.” He couldn’t keep a smile from his lips. “Though it’s a hard thing to quantify. We do bathe somewhat regularly and use utensils at the table.”
“I’ll make up my own mind.” A smile tugged at her soft, pink mouth. “I certainly have my doubts about their king.”
“I imagine a lot of people do.” He loved that she wasn’t intimidated by his titles and all the pomp and circumstance that came with them. “I do my best to convince them that under this rough exterior beats a heart of gold.”
Her laugh bounced off the weapon-laden walls and filled the air with its soft music. “No one could accuse you of being modest.”
“Modesty is not a quality people seek in their king.” He let his hungry eyes feast for a moment on Stella’s delicious body. Her dress wrapped snugly around her waist, then flared out, concealing the curve of her hips and those silky thighs. Lucky thing the memory of them—and her seductively elegant underwear—was imprinted on his brain like a freshly switched-off lightbulb.
“I suppose arrogance and a sense of entitlement are more appropriate to a monarch.” She lifted her neat chin.
“But only in measured doses, otherwise people might want to rise up and overthrow me.” He grinned. “We don’t want them storming the castle.”
“No, it would take too long to get all these weapons down off the wall.”
“Don’t worry. The palace staff is trained in kung fu.”
“Really?”
“No.” He took her hand and kissed it. Couldn’t help himself. He knew it would be soft and warm and feel sensational against his lips.
The color in her cheeks deepened. She was ready. He could tell she was interested. Hell, he’d seen the first sparks of it in her eyes during his first surprise visit, somewhere behind the alarm and fear. Now she’d had time to get to know him and his world a little, to relax and realize that he wanted the best for her and Nicky. Even if she was still wary, she was open-minded and prepared to like both him and his country.
Now he needed to apply a little glue.
He stepped toward her and her eyes widened. Before she had a chance to move, he cupped her head with his free hand and kissed her gently but firmly on the lips.
She tasted fresh, like summer wine. A jolt of arousal crashed through him, and his fingers sank into the softness of her hair. His tongue slid between her lips, prying them open, and he longed to press his body against hers.
But two small hands on his chest pushed him back.
He blinked, aching as the intoxicating kiss came to an abrupt end.
“I don’t think we should do this.” Stella sounded breathless. Her eyes sparkled with a mix of shock and arousal. “Things are so complicated already.”
“Then let’s make them simple.” He stroked her cheek. The hot, flushed skin begged to be cooled by kisses.
“This doesn’t make anything simple. We barely know each other.”
“We share the strongest bond any man and woman can enjoy—a child.”
“That’s what worries me. We owe it to Nicky to keep things harmonious between us. Once…romance comes into the picture, that’s when problems start.”
“Has that been your experience?” He raised a brow. Maybe she was single with good reason.
“I was in a long relationship that I ultimately decided wasn’t what I wanted.”
“What made you decide that?”
She hesitated, blinked. “Partly, at least, because he didn’t want children.”
He smiled. “So, problem solved in this case.” Her mouth looked so lush, and now that he’d tasted it he couldn’t bear to simply look at it.
“But what if we decide we hate each other?”
“Impossible.”
“So you think we’ll just kiss and live happily ever after?”
“Why not?” Happily ever after was an awfully long time, but the sight of her tempting body a few hot inches away made him ready to promise almost anything. He liked Stella immensely. She’d gone to a lot of trouble to come here and adjust herself to Montmajor for Nicky’s sake and his sake, and he could tell she was a woman with a big heart as well as a lovely face.
“Why not?” She blew out a sharp breath. “I’d love to live in a world of fairy tales but reality does keep poking its ugly head back up. What will the other people at the palace say?”
“Who cares? I’m the king. I don’t trouble myself with the thoughts of other people.” He grinned. He hadn’t troubled himself all that much with them when he wasn’t king, either, but no need to mention that.
He trailed his fingers down her neck and to her shoulder. Her collarbone disappeared into the pretty aqua dress and he followed it with his fingertips. Stella shivered slightly, and he watched her chest rise and fall.
She wanted him.
His own arousal strained uncomfortably against his pants. His need to seduce her into bed tonight was becoming urgent. He slid his arms around her waist. “Trust your instincts.”
“My instincts are telling me to run a mile.” The smile dancing around the corners of her mouth made him doubt her statement.
“No, that’s some silly part of your brain that wants to prevent you from enjoying too much pleasure.”
“Is it really?” Her eyes twinkled.
Almost there.
“Absolutely. You need to switch it off.”
“How do I do that?” She raised a brow.
“Like this.” He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers again, this time deepening the kiss right away, enjoying the hot softness of her mouth with his tongue.
Her arms rose around his neck and he felt her sink into his embrace. A tiny sigh rose in her throat as their bodies bumped together, her nipples brushed against his chest through the fabric of their clothes. He let his hands roam lower, to enjoy the curve of her backside and thigh.
Stella writhed against him, pulling him closer, her hot cheek against his and her eyes closed tight. Desire built inside him almost to the boiling point as her lush body tempted him into a state of rock-hard arousal.
With great difficulty he pulled back an inch or two. It was time to transfer this scene to a room with a comfortable surface of some kind. Like a bed.
“Come with me.” He was half-tempted to pick her up and carry her, to reduce the chance of her changing her mind, but he managed to resist. Holding her hand tightly, he led her out of the armaments chamber and up the flight of stairs into the east tower.
He’d ordered fresh sheets for the round bedroom in happy anticipation of this moment. With windows on all sides, but no one outside to see in, this room was the most private in the whole palace and had no doubt been used for royal trysts for hundreds of years.
He pushed open the door and was pleased to see a vase filled with fresh flowers glowing under an already lit lamp. The grand hangings on the bed shone, the embroidery shimmering with gold thread, and the covers were turned back to reveal soft, freshly laundered linen.
“What a lovely room.” Stella hesitated in the doorway. “It’s not your bedroom, is it?” She’d seen him change clothes in his own bedroom.
“It’s our bedroom.” He pulled her into his arms and shoved the door closed behind them with his foot, then drew her into a kiss that silenced all thought, let alone conversation.
Stella couldn’t believe she was able to kiss Vasco and breathe at the same time, but it must be happening because the kiss went on and on, drawing her deeper into a sensual trance.
She’d never experienced anything like this kiss. Sensation cascaded through her, bringing every inch of her alive and making her aware of her body in an entirely new way. Colors danced behind her eyelids and her fingers and toes tingled with awareness as Vasco’s tongue jousted with hers.
When he finally pulled bac
k—she would have been totally unable to—she emerged blinking and breathless back into reality like a creature startled out of hibernation.
So this is what people made such a fuss about. She’d always wondered about the poems and songs and all the drama surrounding romance and sex. Her own love life had been prosaic enough that she thought they were all exaggerating for effect. Now she could see she’d been missing out on the more exciting aspects of the experience.
And they hadn’t even had sex yet…
Vasco’s eyes shone with passion that mirrored her own and electricity crackled in the air around them. This was the chemistry people talked about, she could feel it like an explosive reaction about to happen, heating her blood and stirring her senses into a witches’ brew of excitement.
Vasco reached behind him and switched off the light. A fat pale-gold moon hung outside the windows, bathing them both in its soft glow, turning the dramatic round room into a magical space.
Her hands were buried in the soft cotton of Vasco’s shirt, clutching at the muscle beneath. She longed to pull the fabric from his body, but some vestige of modesty prevented her. Vasco had no such scruples. He undid the tie that held the waist of her dress together and unwrapped her like a gift. For the second time that night her dress descended to the floor and she stood before him in her underwear. This time, however, she had no armor to hide in.
His eyes roamed over her body, heating her skin with their warm admiration. His fingers followed, stirring currents of sensation wherever they touched. She let herself move under his hands, enjoying their sensual touch as she ran her fingers over his shirt, feeling the muscle beneath.
Soon enough her fingers found themselves plucking the buttons from their holes and pushing the fabric back over his shoulders. She’d had a glimpse of Vasco’s chest earlier—surely that was his real bedroom?—and it was even firmer and more enticing at close range. A shadow of dark hair disappeared into his belt buckle, and soon she found herself sliding the leather out of it and unzipping his black pants.
It was glaringly obvious that he was every bit as aroused as her. His erection jutted against his briefs. She let her knuckles graze against it as she pushed his pants down past his thighs, and the hardness of it made her shiver. Trevor had always needed a good deal of coaxing to get ready, by which point her interest had sometimes waned. Clearly Vasco did not need any encouragement.
She glanced up at his face, and his predatory gaze only deepened the intensity of her desire. His lips were parted and she could feel his breathing, watch his chest rise and fall as anticipation jumped between them like a spark. Her own heart thumped so loud she could almost hear it in the still nighttime silence. It grew louder and faster as Vasco reached around her back and unhooked her bra.
She could pretend it was the cool night air that tightened her nipples, but they both knew better. Vasco lowered his head and licked one, then looked up at her, eyes shining with desire. She pushed his underwear down and he kicked it away. Glazed with moonlight, his hard body looked like an ancient statue. She could hardly believe such a gorgeous vision was interested in her.
Vasco plucked at her scanty lace briefs, then slid them down her thighs, leaving them both naked. The moonlight felt like a warm robe around her, making her unselfconscious and hungry for the feel of his body against hers. She stepped forward, until the tips of her breasts brushed his chest. The tickling sensation almost made her laugh and step back, but Vasco’s big hands caught her around the waist and pulled her closer.
Their bellies met, Vasco’s fierce arousal trapped between them. He captured her mouth in a kiss that made her head spin and ran his fingers through her hair. Stella’s hands wandered over his muscled back, enjoying the athletic perfection of his body as the pressure of their desire built between them like water held behind a dam.
Stella felt the soft edge of the mattress behind her thighs, and realized they’d been moving backward to the bed. Vasco’s hands cupped her buttocks and lifted her onto the high surface, without breaking their kiss. The soft fabric felt cool beneath her hot skin, and she wriggled a little, enjoying the sensation. Vasco laid her backward, easing himself over her. He pulled back enough to look into her eyes. “You’re a very sensual woman.”
“Who knew?” She sounded as surprised as she felt. Her senses were alight with wonder and excitement she’d never imagined. She’d not given sex more than a passing thought in so long she almost wondered if she’d ever have it again. Or if she even cared.
Now she craved it like her next breath.
Vasco slid into her slowly and she arched her back to take him deep. A groan of sheer pleasure slid from her lips and flew into his mouth as it covered hers again. He moved with creativity and elegance, shifting his body over hers and drawing her closer into a tangle of delight.
As they writhed together on the bed, she felt like the partner of an expert dancer who knew how to bring out her own innate talent. She found herself guiding them, too, climbing on top to deepen the dramatic sensations coursing through her, then letting him tilt her body to daring angles and roll with her in perfectly executed moments that made her gasp for breath as passion crashed through her.
Vasco’s warm skin against hers felt so right. His arms around her waist or her shoulders, his fingers in her hair or caressing the skin of her face, every touch was gloriously perfect. When her climax reached the point of no return she let herself disappear into the ecstatic madness of the moment, clinging to him while the real world fell away.
In his arms afterward, wrung out by the intensity of the experience, she could barely remember her name or even breathe. His mouth and hands and tongue had explored every inch of her, making her whole body quiver with desire and anticipation, then giving her satisfaction she’d never known before. Now she felt soft and pliable, relaxed and content. Happy.
Vasco whispered to her, sometimes in English, sometimes in Catalan, telling her how beautiful she was, what a sensual lover, what a fantastic mother and how pleased he was to have her here in Montmajor. And in his bed.
Everything he said seemed normal and natural and made her smile though she could rarely summon the energy to reply. That didn’t seem to matter. She rested her head on the firm pillow of his chest and drifted off to sleep, lulled by the rhythm of his big heart.
Her dreams were surreal visions of their imagined life in the palace. Walking, laughing and talking together. The perfect happy family living a comfortable and enjoyable life amidst the sandstone walls of a thousand-year-old castle. Normal and natural and predictable as the sunrise—which poked its bright harsh fingers through all those windows around the room and jolted her from sleep with alarming suddenness.
Only then did she realize what she’d done.
Seven
Stella sat up in bed and raised a hand to keep the bright sun out of her eyes. A quick glance at the pillow next to hers confirmed that Vasco was gone. When had he left? Did he sleep with her all night or disappear the moment she fell asleep?
Had he used a condom? She hadn’t spared a thought for contraception. Trevor had always been the one to worry about that, since he was so terrified of having children and the responsibility and expense it would entail. He’d always come armed with condoms despite the fact he’d convinced her to have an IUD fitted. She’d had the IUD removed to conceive Nicky, and hadn’t bothered with birth control since because she hadn’t been on a single date.
She swallowed. Her insides still pulsed with traces of the fierce contractions she’d enjoyed at the peak of their lovemaking. Vasco had turned her inside and out, guiding her to feats of sexual acrobatics that made her blink as she remembered them. Wow. Who knew there was a whole new world of sexual pleasure out there that she’d barely even dipped her toes in?
Now she’d dived in headfirst, with a man she barely knew, who just happened to be the father of her son.
She climbed out of bed, scanning the room for her clothes. Light blazed in through the windows, leaving her n
aked and exposed. She found her dress in a crumpled heap on the floor, and her skimpy lingerie under the bed, where it must have been kicked by eager feet. She fished them out and tugged them back on with shaky hands.
How easy it had been for Vasco to seduce her. Her face heated. She hadn’t even been here a week. Or all of three days. She’d leaped into bed with him the first time he even kissed her.
Her dress was crumpled, but she pulled it on and fastened the tie at the waist. She’d wanted him to see her as attractive, desirable. She didn’t want him to think that the woman who’d bought his sperm was someone who couldn’t find a man the old-fashioned way. Had she bent over backwards to convince herself she could tempt Vasco?
She certainly had put effort into looking nice and attempting to be a charming guest. He must know she wanted him to like her, and now he’d obliged by taking her to bed.
The large four-poster bed with its long curtains loomed over her. Whose bed was this? Not Vasco’s, for sure. Was this room reserved for sexual escapades with visiting women? There were no signs of habitation, no pictures or bits of clothing or toiletries. It looked like a museum recreation of an ancient castle bedroom. Except that it was the real thing.
The sun had just lifted over the horizon, so hopefully Nicky was still asleep, but what if he’d woken up in the night, wanting her? He could have been calling for her for hours and no one knew where she was.
Heartbeat quickening, she picked up her shoes from under a chair and hurried to the door. Hopefully most of the staff was still asleep and she could sneak back to her room without being seen.
She pulled open the tall, heavy wood door and peered outside. The lightless hallway looked like a black hole after the blinding light of dawn illuminating the bedroom. She hadn’t paid close attention on the way here, so she wasn’t even sure which part of the palace she was in.
The cold stone stung her feet as she tiptoed into a narrow corridor which led to a flight of spiral stone stairs heading up and down. She went down, and out through the next arched doorway into a small courtyard where dew clung to ornate iron railings. Had she come this way last night? She’d been so wrapped up in Vasco she hadn’t noticed. No doubt she’d assumed he’d be escorting her back, as well.
Claiming His Royal Heir Page 7