The Stone Prince i-1

by Gena Showalter

  She was too aroused to be embarrassed by her admission. Liquid warmth was whirling in her stomach, and lower. “Between my legs,” she told him passionately. “I ache between my legs.”

  Watching her face intently, he tunneled her pale curls with his hand, almost reaching where she craved him. But just when she rocked forward, he darted away.

  She followed.

  Over and over he teased her, giving her a glimpse of pleasure, only to stop. He touched her briefly. Her head fell back, and she cried out, “Yes. Right there. No, come back. Oh, yes, there. No!” As the dance continued, her breath came in short, erratic pants. “I have another rule,” she managed to croak.

  “And what is that?” He was beginning to lose his playful air. In fact, the teasing light had completely abandoned his eyes, and now he watched her with a deep intensity. “What is that?” he demanded again, this time a rough edge to his tone.

  “When engaged in lovemaking—hurry!”

  His eyes darkened to a deep sapphire-blue. “My adjustment is simple. I will hurry, but only when I want to.”

  She ripped off her robe, hoping her brother’s advice would not lead her astray. “If you don’t hurry up, I’m going to break every one of your fingers.”

  “How fortunate I am, then, that I am ready to hurry.” In the next instant, she found herself flat on her back. While on his knees, Jorlan jerked her to the edge of the bed, spread her legs and kissed the hot wetness between her thighs. At the first lick of his tongue, she exploded. Fire, joy, pleasure all rocked her, sending thousands of twinkling lights through her mind. Her head reeled. She lost touch with where she was, who she was, only feeling an incredible shiver race through her again and again. And when she thought she might die from the sensation, Jorlan kissed her again with his heavenly tongue until she could only gasp his name. He tasted her, sucked her, made her want him all over again. He expertly maneuvered his tongue and fingers in a way that made all her fantasies pale in comparison.

  Suddenly he was standing up over her. His hair seemed darker than the night sky that framed her window, and his eyes…his eyes were blazing with passion, bright and crystalline. He gazed down at her body, at her spread legs and wet arousal.

  “You amaze me,” he said, his voice strained.

  Jorlan knew at that moment he had never seen, nor would ever see, so beautiful a sight again. Katie’s cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were brilliant and wide, her lips swollen and parted from his kisses. Her nipples were as ripe as pink berries and her woman’s flesh was damp with arousal he had caused.

  Muscles bunching, he crawled over her. They both cried out as skin met skin. He’d wanted to prolong the moment, to prolong their pleasure, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last. He rocked himself against her, careful not to enter her yet.

  “Just like that,” she panted.

  So he did it again, gliding back and forth in the slick V of her thighs while she rubbed herself wantonly against him. Finally, Jorlan had pushed himself to the edge of his control. He wanted this woman too desperately and for too long to stop himself now. He kissed her breasts, dragged his teeth over her nipples and positioned himself for entry.

  He didn’t push inside immediately.

  “You have said no so often, I need to hear your assent once more before I go further.”

  She had been so bold about everything else; he yearned for her boldness in this as well. Her eyes were the warm color of honey and passion misted in their depths. Yet they had been so glazed before. When he took her, he wanted it to be with her cries of acquiescence in his ears. When she remained silent, looking up at him through her thick, spiky lashes, he teased her opening with his cock. “You have to say the words, katya. Say the words.”

  Another heart-stopping pause, then, “I want you to fuck me, Jorlan.” Her voice was so sweet he was taken aback by the contrast of her words. “Now,” she commanded, no longer so sweet, but a vixen aroused to the point of pain. “Do it now.”

  “My pleasure.” He grinned slowly, wickedly. She was a warrioress through and through, even in lovemaking, and that fueled his desire as never before. “’Tis indeed my pleasure.”

  He plunged inside her.

  She cried out as her virginity gave way, as her sleek tightness encased him. He stilled. Her nails deeply scored his back as she uttered expletive after expletive.

  “Katya,” he gritted against her ear, struggling not to go over the edge, and struggling even more to give her time to adjust. This bold, passionate woman was— nay, had been—untouched. He was the first, the only man to ever fill her this completely, to ever be a part of her, and the knowledge very nearly felled him.

  How had this enchanting creature gone so long without knowing a man’s touch?

  Were the men of her world fools? Jorlan shook his head in wonder, for aye, they were. For what manner of man left such a prize untouched? Delight, wonder and awe all wound through him. He was no fool. He had wanted her, needed her, and so he had taken her. He was the only man to have ever seen Katie so flushed, the only man to have heard his name on her lips. What a sweet gift she had given him, a gift he would cherish all the days of his life.

  “We’re not done, are we, Jorlan?” she asked hesitantly. Her teeth chewed at her bottom lip.

  He gave a strained chuckle. “Nay, my katya. We will not be finished for a long while yet.”

  “Oh.” Her legs wrapped around his waist, sending him deeper inside of her. She winced.

  He almost groaned at the exquisite sensation. “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.”

  But he knew he had, and he knew, as well, that she needed more time to adjust to his size. He’d never taken a virgin before, so he did not know exactly how long he should wait. Not long, he hoped, for sweat was already beading on his forehead. His muscles were already clamoring for more. But he was determined to finish as slowly as he’d begun.

  “Tell me when you are ready,” he ground out. His restraint was quickly breaking, and he was fast losing his control.

  Her breath fanned across his cheek. She moved her leg experimentally, sending him even deeper inside. The movement drove him nearly mad with his needs. If she pulled back now, if she said no more, he wasn’t sure he would be able to stop.

  “Jorlan?” The tone of her voice did not bode well for him.

  “Aye.”

  “Move,” she said.

  Dread speared through him, desperate and achy. “Just give it more time. You’ll feel better and become used to my presence. Just give it some time,” he repeated almost savagely.

  “No.” She chuckled, a rich, husky chuckle that poured over him like thick, sweet honey. “I don’t want you to move away. I want you to move inside me.”

  Comprehension dawned, and with it, his movements spurred into action. Like a dam that had burst, he sank into her, then pulled back, over and over thanking Elliea for sending him to this woman. At that moment he might have thanked even Percen. He hooked her knees over the corner of his arms, spreading her wider, pressing against her center. She purred like a sweet little kitten.

  He reached between their bodies and circled the center of her desire with his thumb. She gasped, cried out. He felt her inner walls tighten and spasm against him, and he moved faster. Harder. Deeper. Only when he heard his name rip from her throat did he spill inside her.

  When the last pulse subsided, he remained as he was, surrounded by her essence. Silently, he gazed down at her. Katie’s eyes were closed, and she appeared to be asleep. That had been the most intense, satisfying experience of his life, but he didn’t have the strength to examine why just yet. By Elliea, he was not sure he would be able to move ever again. Still, he didn’t want to crush Katie during the night. Careful not to wake her, he leaned slightly to the side. After a while, his eyes began to grow drowsy, the sounds of their breathing filling his ears.

  “Jorlan?” Katie asked softly.

  “Hmm?”

  She paused. “Nothing.”

>   Silence enveloped them like a thick blanket.

  Katie lay still, unable to sleep as she waited for him to say something, even though she hadn’t asked him anything. She couldn’t help it; she craved words of praise. She knew she’d been good. After all, her body would not feel so sated if she hadn’t rocked his world as he had rocked hers. But just as he had needed to hear her acquiescence, she needed to hear his adulation. Yet minute after minute dragged by and he remained quiet.

  “Jorlan?”

  “Aye, katya.”

  Again, she paused. “Nothing.”

  His warm, silky breath fanned her ear, and he sat up, suddenly wide-awake and smiling. “Say what is on your mind or neither of us will sleep this eve.”

  “That was wonderful, Jorlan.”

  The corners of his lips faded to a frown of disappointment.

  Feeling her blood begin to freeze, she gazed over at him with wide eyes. “You didn’t think it was wonderful?”

  “’Tis not that…” He settled at her side. “I had thought you were about to speak your love for me.”

  “Oh.”

  A long sigh escaped his lips. “Mayhap you still need some persuasion, which I will most happily provide once your body is not so sore.”

  She waited for him to say more. When he didn’t speak again for a long while, she asked, “Is there anything else you want to say to me?”

  “Good eve.”

  She jolted upright, hitting his chin with the top of her head in the process. “Good eve? Good eve! Well, you can shove your good eve right up your as—”

  In the next heartbeat she found herself flipped over and pinned to the bed. Jorlan loomed over her. “Did you wish to hear something from me, little witch?”

  Mutinous, she glared up at him.

  “You were more than I could have ever dreamed,” he said softly.

  Well, that was better. “And?”

  “And what?”

  She slapped his chest.

  He chuckled. “You owe me money, katya. I should like to collect my payment now.”

  She gasped. “I’m not paying you for sex, you…you gigolo. In fact, I was so good, you should pay me.” Oh, my Lord, had she really just said that?

  He blinked. “You misunderstand. You owe me a quarter for every time you spoke a foul word.” His lips stretched in a grin. “The closer you came to your peak, the more profanities you uttered. And I—” he kissed her softly after every word “— loved every moment of it.”

  Her features softened. “Well, I’ve decided I’m not going to quit cursing and I’m not paying. It wasn’t working out for me, anyway.”

  “And I have decided you may quit. Later. Right now you still owe me, and I will allow payment in trade.”

  That sounded intriguing. “What sort of trade?”

  “You will listen to my next words without comment.”

  Curious at his sudden seriousness, she nodded. “All right.”

  He waited a moment to assure himself she listened. “Never have I experienced a joining like ours. You captivated me, amazed me and stole the breath from my lungs. Had I known you tasted so sweet, I would have sampled you that very first night, and every moment since, even without your approval.”

  Katie didn’t know what to say. His confession was more than she’d ever dreamed, headier than a kiss. Then he began touching her once again and the added sensation made her purr.

  Oh. Oh, my. Oh, yes.

  SIXTEEN

  WHAT WAS I THINKING, Katie wondered dreamily, to deny this man so long?

  Most of the candles on her dresser had long since ceased burning. She lay atop Jorlan, her head cradled protectively in the hollow of his neck. The rest of her was draped over his body like a winter quilt. They had just made love. Again.

  Right now, he was absentmindedly caressing a hand down the curve of her spine, making her shiver with delight. If she’d only known how delicious actual lovemaking would be, she would have demanded he take her that very first night. She knew now, however, and she would never let him out of bed.

  Oh, she felt so unbelievably wonderful. The things she’d done, the things she’d said, didn’t embarrass her. She reveled in them and the power they had over such a dominating man. Outside her window the stars twinkled brightly, like little diamonds scattered across black velvet. The world seemed to have slowed down. Everything, including the air and the softly chirping crickets, was quiet with the reverence of the moment.

  Her fingers stroked Jorlan’s chest, rising and falling with the ridges of his muscles. On each side of his ribs, four parallel welts slashed downward. She liked that she had put them there, a subtle reminder of her presence. She sighed, a breathy sound that rumpled what little chest hair he possessed. For the rest of her life, she would recall this night. Recall every sound, every scent, every sensation. Lord, she already craved more of the orgasms, the intimacy, and the afterglow. They were everything she’d never known she needed, and they were branded inside her memory in a way that no other man would ever compare.

  Forget First Date Syndrome. She now suffered from Comparison Disease.

  Katie couldn’t summon the energy needed to worry about it, though. Lying in his arms was weaving a slumberous spell around her brain. Jorlan’s heat seeped into her, drugging, comforting.

  Her eyes had just closed completely when Jorlan said, “Now, little witch, we will talk.”

  “About what?” Her voice was raspy and lethargic, and she didn’t open her eyes.

  He rolled her onto her back and stared down at her. “About why you did not mention your untried state.”

  Her eyelids popped open. She absolutely did not want to have this conversation, but he seemed so intent, she realized there was no way he’d leave her alone until she confessed. “At what moment was I supposed to blurt out that I was a virgin?”

  “After our first kiss. After we almost made love on the bathing chamber floor. During our trip to see Mon Graig.”

  “Okay, so I had the opportunity.”

  “Aye, you did.”

  “I just didn’t want to seem inexperienced.”

  He nodded his understanding. “But why me?”

  “I’d never met the right man until you.”

  His expression became thoughtful. “That is part of the answer, I think, but not the whole.”

  He was too perceptive, damn him.

  “Has no man of your world ever courted you?” he asked.

  “Well, yes. Some have tried.”

  “And failed.” Pure masculine pride laced his tone. “Were they lacking in some way?”

  He meant the question to be rhetorical, she could tell, but she answered him anyway. “The problem wasn’t with the men I dated. The problem was with me. Something was lacking inside me, and they just didn’t fill the need.”

  His brows smoothed as he pondered her words. “What was lacking in you?”

  “Interest.”

  Slowly, he smiled.

  “I just…well…I wanted a man who was taller than me.”

  That smile of his continued to grow. “I am that.”

  “And I wanted a man who made me feel like a woman, not just one of the boys.”

  He kissed her eyelid as soft as a butterfly wing. “I do that.”

  “Yes, you do.” But she wasn’t finished. “I wanted a man who desired me despite my height, despite my temper, small as it is, and despite my unwomanly interests.”

  Lightly he pressed his lips to hers. “I desire you because of those things.”

  “Do you?” Her heart flip-flopped. “Do you really?”

  “How can you doubt me?” He planted his elbows on either side of her head. She felt his erection press between her naked thighs, though he didn’t enter her. Her body instantly responded, heating and rushing blood through her like an awakened river. But still he did not ease inside her, didn’t touch her more intimately. He became pensive. “We will not proceed until you tell me about your life.”

  Her lips p
ursed. So he’d caught her reluctance to share, had he? Lord, she wished he hadn’t. Especially now. She wanted so desperately for him to continue thinking of her as a woman, a sexy, ravishing female. If he knew just how unfeminine she was, he might stop lusting for her.

  “I’m tired. Why don’t we continue this conversation in the morn—”

  “Nay. You will speak of what I wish. Now.”

  “Or what? You’ll pummel me?” Her challenging air quickly became breathless arousal. The feel of him so near her entrance, yet not quite inside her was exciting and frustrating. Then he brought his fingers into play, teasing her in a way guaranteed to propel her toward mindlessness.

  “I will not pummel you, katya. I will beat you. Most soundly.” His lips twitched, completely undermining his threat. “You claim you desire a man who truly sees you, but how can I do that if you will not share your life with me?”

  How could she deny this man anything? She sighed. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything,” he said, mimicking her response to the very same question.

  So Katie told him about her life. He listened intently and chuckled every so often at her childhood antics. She told him about her fears, her hopes and dreams. At one point, he became so silent, so serious, she almost ended the conversation, but she decided to confess the worst of it before she lost her nerve.

  “I don’t like hair ribbons, or frilly dresses with bows. I don’t like long fingernails because they’re a nuisance. I do like tools and football games, fast cars and jeans.” She drew in a deep breath. “When my truck breaks down, and I mean the engine and transmission, not just the tires, I don’t have to take it to a mechanic. I do the repairs myself.”

  There.

  Now he knew all of her unfeminine attributes.

  She waited for him to laugh, to crack a joke at her expense.

  He didn’t.

  “Come here,” he said. He tugged her to her feet and ushered her to the body-length mirror on her right wall. He moved behind her, his palms on her shoulders.

  Blushing, she tried to pull away. He held her firmly in place.

  “Look, katya. See what I see.”