Page 35 of His Unexpected Heir

The stairs leading to the dungeon, were worn smooth, angling downward slightly. Obviously, these stairs had been used a great deal. She walked carefully, keeping a hand on the wall to make sure she didn’t fall.

When she reached the bottom, she peered around. The lights were dimmer down here. Plus, there was an aura of…sadness? Desperation? It was almost as if she could “feel” the souls that had been imprisoned here.

Or was she merely fantasizing about those sensations because it was cold and damp and everything in eyeshot was a stark reminder of the brutal, merciless activities that had taken place within these walls. The lights were wrought iron and flickered like the ones at the top of the stairs. But there was an additional layer of sadness. The walls seemed too damp, almost as if they were weeping. In reality, the walls were probably wet because of ground water seeping through the mortar, but her imagination took her to places that weren’t happy.

Still, she could tell Antonio was down here. Why, she had no clue, but she pressed her notebook closer, needing the reassurance of life and happiness.

Walking carefully along the stone hallway, she saw a light flickering further down the long, bleak hallway. She kept her hand against the wall as she made her way towards the light.

There he was. Antonio stood outside of what was obviously a dungeon cell. The iron bars were reminiscent of past centuries. The bars weren’t smooth like in the movies. They were rough, as if a blacksmith had hand forged them with a hammer.

Astra froze, watching Antonio. His shoulders were stiff and tight as he gazed into the cell. There was a bleakness to his eyes that she’d never seen before. With a small cry, Astra dropped her notebook and hurried forward.

He saw her a split second before she wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “You are not that person!” she told him with a fervent tone. “You’ll never be locked up in this place ever again!”

Antonio felt the softness of Astra’s breasts press against his arm as well as the firmness of her pregnant belly. That was odd, he thought. He’d always imagined that a pregnant belly would feel soft, maybe a bit squishy.

No, that wasn’t right. He supposed that he’d never really thought about the sensation of a woman’s pregnant belly. To be honest, his thoughts about women’s anatomy were more focused on the softness of her breasts and the warmth of her core when he entered her. Pregnancy had never entered his mind because he’d never thought to bring a child into this cruel, miserable world.

It took him a moment to process the fact that Astra was hugging him. The sensation felt good. No, good wasn’t an adequate description for what he was feeling. She was warm and soft and gave him the sensation that the world wasn’t as miserable as he’d always believed it to be.

Still, it took him several moments before he remembered to lift his arms and hug her back. When he did so, it felt even more amazing. Subconsciously, Antonio had longed to hold Astra in his arms again. The last five months without her had been hell. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d missed her until she’d returned to his life.

Remembering the pain of being without her, he started to pull away. But her arms tightened around him and he gave up.

“Why are you here?” he asked, lowering his head to breathe in her sweet, feminine scent.

“Because you need me,” she whispered against his chest. He felt her lips brush against his shirt and he longed to feel those lips against his bare skin.

He started to pull away, but again, she tightened her arms. “If you don’t let me go, Astra, I’m going to make love to you right here.”

In response, she kissed his chest again. That was all it took. He pulled back, stared into her eyes. He saw the welcome there and groaned.

“Not here,” he hissed and pulled back, lacing his fingers through hers and tugging her down the hallway. Never here, he swore silently. There were too many bad memories in this place. Miserable memories.

Antonio didn’t want anything to tarnish the feelings he had for Astra. She might leave him again, but he couldn’t think about the future right now. He wasn’t going to dwell on the future pain of losing her again. He’d had only one night with her. If she was offering him more, then he was going to take it. He was going to savor every moment.

Upstairs in his room, he closed the door, then looked down at her again. “Leave now if you don’t want this,” he urged. “Because if you don’t leave, then I’m not letting you out of this room until we’re both satisfied.”

He’d given her fair warning. Her soft, sweet smile lit up her eyes. Her next move shocked the hell out of him. She stepped closer and lifted up onto her toes, reaching up to bring his head down to hers. And then she kissed him.

For a stunned moment, he allowed her the control. It took him that long to realize what was happening. Astra…in his arms. And she was kissing him!

Kissing Astra was like devouring honey. He couldn’t get enough of her. His mouth moved back and forth, taking another sip, and then another. Astra’s kisses and smiles pushed away the vicious memories of his youth and gave him hope that there was a future brighter than what the present predicted.

When she pressed herself more firmly against him and he could feel the pressure of her breasts and the lush ripeness of her pregnancy against him, his head spun with desire. This was Astra. How many nights had he dreamed about having her back in his arms? How long had he craved her touch? It seemed like he’d wanted her all his life even though he’d only met her five months ago.

Stripping off their clothes, he pulled her back into his arms, feeling every inch of her warm, soft skin against his body. He started to lead her to the bed, but he thought about her pregnancy and, instead, lifted her into his arms. Settling her down in his bed, Antonio pulled back and looked at her. He really looked at her this time. Ever since she’d arrived at the castle, he’d kept himself from admiring and appreciating every soft, perfect curve of her luscious body. But now, he’d look his fill because Antonio wasn’t sure he’d ever see her like this again. She was warm and welcoming and he was a selfish bastard because he was going to take everything she offered.

His hands smoothed over her body, pausing at her rounded stomach as he explored. “Do you feel our baby kicking yet?” he asked.

She kissed his neck, sucking on the soft skin. “Not yet,” she whispered back. “Hopefully, I will feel her soon.”

He grinned as he moved further down her body. “So, you think it’s a girl?” He’d love to have a daughter. One that looked exactly like Astra.

“I don’t care,” she said, then gasped when his mouth captured her nipple. She pulled away slightly, then explained, “They are extra sensitive right now.”

He grinned, delighted by the idea of her nipples being more sensitive than they’d been the last time he’d made love to her.

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