Page 73 of Brighter Than Gold

“But what will he do?” I was suddenly so scared of Kaspian finding out. My chest and neck flushed with a damp hot sweat.

“Publicly, he’ll likely stand beside you. He’s already announced the marriage.”

“And privately?”

Callan sighed. “I don’t know, Reyah. He’s not going to be happy.”

I knew Kaspian when he was angry with me. I knew how he liked to correct me, but this,thiswould seem like a different kind of betrayal. And it was. I knew who I was when I married him. He didn’t.

“I’m scared, Callan. I’m scared of going back.”

He looked down at me sternly, his hands holding each of my cheeks as he stared into my eyes. “I took an oath to keep you safe. From anyone. Even Burke, if need be.”

An ounce of my fear melted away. Just an ounce, but I felt better. I pushed forward and closed the small gap between us, crashing my lips into his, needy and unfiltered. Callan gripped me tighter in his hands, taking a moment to just feel my lips pressing into his. He edged my mouth open so slowly that it immediately stalled my harried pace. I relaxed into him as he kissed me, firmly, deliberately. Instead of my heart racing, I felt my pulse slow, and my body calmed. He pulled away and rested his forehead against mine.

“Callan,” I whispered.

“Yes, Princess.”

“I…” I felt as though I needed to saysomething.

He leaned his lips forward into mine. The first and only time he had come to me.

The kiss was slow and guarded at first, as though we had never kissed before, this suddenly felt brand new, like an affirmation, an assertion.

Desire woke in my blood, and spread through me like wildfire. I felt the heavy ache of my breasts swelling, my skin feeling suddenly too tight across my body, and the low pulsing began between my legs.

There was need in Callan’s kiss now, every self-restraint he’d held in place snapping under the tension of that kiss. His hands were running through my hair, then reaching around me and pulling me in closer. He didn’t hesitate or push me away when I made for his clothing, tearing away at the belt and buttons of his trousers. He stood and helped me peel off the heavy layers, then he pulled me up beside him, not for a moment allowing our lips to part, and I gathered up the skirts and petticoats around my legs as he tore away at my underclothing.

Callan moaned into my mouth when his fingers reached into the delicate silks I was wearing, and I wiggled my hips as he tugged them down my legs.

I’d barely stepped out of them when he grabbed me and pulled me down to straddle him on the bed and I raced to arrange the copious amount of fabric so I could find him beneath me.

“Reyah,” he whispered in a hoarse voice. “If you—”

“Shut up, Callan,” I said into his mouth.

I found the tip of him and speared myself down. He was quick to throw a hand across my mouth as my sudden sharp cry would surely have given us away.

“Fuck!” I moaned behind his hand in a high pitch voice. It was so much; I was so full that it hurt. But oh Gods, it felt so good. He felt hot inside of me, and so big I was nervous to lower my body onto him again.

“Slowly,” he said, sitting up and holding me by the hips.

I pulled up slowly on him, and his muscles went rigid beneath me. I didn’t wait before pushing down onto him again, the smooth luxurious slide had me pinching my eyes closed.

“Look at me, Reyah,” he whispered. I opened my eyes and saw the man beneath me. The way he was looking at me made my eyes well, and I felt so completely wrapped up in him, in what he felt for me.

“There you are,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. And I don’t know when I started weeping, but my face was suddenly wet with tears.

Callan kissed them one by one as they fell, all the while guiding my hips over him in a steady tempo.

I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck as I worked my body up and down in luscious, languid slides. I leaned my head back down to find Callan’s lips with my own. His face was damp with sweat and his breath growing rougher.

“You feel so fucking good, Princess.”

His whispered words made my womanhood contract tightly in approval, and I felt him tense as he shared the sensation with me.

Finally, I finally had Callan exactly where I’d wanted him, and Gods it felt so right. Before I knew it, I was churning down harder and faster as I chased down my release. I moaned and whimpered into Callan’s mouth with each drive down onto his length, seeing stars every time I buried him deep into my belly.

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