Page 74 of The Love Potion
More.
Yes.
Now.
Bliss.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ras stretched outbeside her, gathering her close. Sleep tugged at the edge of his awareness, but he fought against it. He did not want to miss a second of his time with this glorious woman.
He could hardly believe his luck. He was going to have pleasure in his marriage bed. So many of his peers did not, but her responsiveness filled him with joy. And desire as well, given how quickly his cock was already responding to having her pressed tight against him.
Her eyes were drifting closed, and he watched her face as she relaxed into sleep. He couldn’t join her, of course. It would be too easy for him to drift off and then they would face unwanted consequences in the morning. So he let her rest while he enjoyed the feel of her body against him, the rhythm of her breath matching with his own, and the wonder of a future he planned now with meticulous attention to detail.
She didn’t believe he could love her. In truth, he was a little startled by how quickly he had tumbled into it. As a duke, he’d had the opportunity for lovers galore and in his younger days, he had indulged as much as a randy teenager could. But he quickly learned the emptiness of such liaisons. And the two times he was foolish enough to think he was in love, his mother had made things crystal clear. She hadn’t forbidden him to marry. Instead, she had told him to spend all his time with the woman for a full month. Every second of every day and night. If he still believed he was in love, she would give him her blessing.
It was a feasible arrangement because the ladies had climbed into his bed first, then convinced him they were in love second. And so he had thrown himself into their presence, demanding their company non-stop, certain that his love for them would grow.
The first woman had lasted two weeks before he was heartily sick of her. The second made it almost a month before he began to question her. There were little things remembered differently between them. Stories she told that did not make logical sense. Bit by bit, his rationality asserted itself and he quit the woman the next day.
That was ten years ago. He’d never believed in love again.
Until now.
Looking back, he didn’t know how he could have thought that was love. What he felt for Kynthea in a few weeks was so much richer, deeper, and truer than anything he’d ever experienced before. This was love. It had to be. Because he was about to defy a royal command in a rather spectacular fashion in order to bind her to him permanently. And he wanted to do it in such a way that she would never question her worth to him again.
It took nearly an hour for him to decide on a path, one he would have to implement with care. He didn’t relish the deception that it required, nor did he want to be apart from Kynthea for the next two weeks, but there was no choice in the matter.
But first he had to wake her.
“Kynthea,” he whispered as he kissed her. “Kynthea.”
She came awake with a start, her eyes wide. “Is something the matter?”
“Nothing,” he soothed. “But we can’t sleep here. We’ll be discovered.”
“Oh.” She started to get up, but he held her back.
“We need to speak about a few things first,” he said. “Then I’ll escort you back to your room.”
“Escort me?” Her lips curved in a sleepy smile. “I’m a demirep now. I don’t think such women get courtesies.”
His expression hardened. He didn’t like her saying that word much less putting herself in that class. “If you are my mistress now, then I get to establish a few rules of my own.”
Some of the dreamy happiness in her eyes faded, and he cursed himself for what he was about to say. Especially when her gaze dropped as if she were surrendering to him.
“Of course, Your Grace. What do you require?”
He groaned at her formality. “First off, you’ll call me Ras when we’re in private.”
She nodded and bit her lip. Very impish of her. “Very well,” she said. “Ras.”
“Good.” He kissed her lips to show he wasn’t annoyed, and he indulged until he felt her relax against him. “I have the housing of you now, correct? And you’ll wear what I ask, yes?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“Then I’ll tell you now that I want you to stay at your aunt’s house through Zoe’s presentation at court. That’s in three weeks, yes?” Both the Regent and Zoe’s father had suggested he attend.
