Page 5 of Twelve Nights In The Prince's Bed

‘Yes, and?’ He moved closer to her, reaching for her strap and sliding it down a little way so he could press a kiss to the naked flesh of her shoulder. Thought and sense fled.

What had she been trying to say?

What did she want from him?

She knew this night would mean nothing to Adrastos. His reputation preceded him, and, besides that, Poppy had taken a vested interest in the string of broken hearts he left in his wake. To a man like Adrastos, sex was nothing. She’d even heard him say as much, to his father of all people, when King Alexander had challenged his heir about his overactive love life.

‘Why shouldn’t I enjoy myself before signing my life away to serve this country?’

That was what tonight was.

Enjoyment.

Pleasure.

If Poppy overthought it, she’d be the one backing out, and she knew she didn’t want to do that.

‘But nothing,’ she said after a beat. Then thought better of it. ‘No one can find out about this.’ She couldn’t imagine how she’d ever be able to explain this to Ellie, or his parents.

His eyes narrowed, raking over her face, his lips tweaked into a slight frown. ‘I wasn’t planning on publicising it.’

‘No,’ she said, wondering why his quick agreement didn’t fill her with the rush of relief it should have. ‘I don’t know how I’d face your parents, or your sister...’

‘It’s no one else’s business.’

‘I know.’ She swallowed. She should really tell him about her lack of experience...but what if he changed his mind? What if...?

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t tricking him into taking her virginity. She just knew he’d have thoughts about that, that he’d feel betrayed if she didn’t give him any kind of warning or preparation.

‘I have to tell you something,’ she said, but as an insurance policy she took a page out of his book, reaching around to the zip at the back of her dress and sliding it down slowly, her skin lifting in goosebumps as she anticipated what was to come next.

‘Go on.’ He crossed his arms over his naked chest, but his eyes devoured her body, watching as the silky fabric slipped lower, and lower again, revealing a lace bra and matching panties.

‘I’m going to tell you,’ she said with a nod, more to herself than to him. ‘But you need to promise me it won’t change anything.’

‘I promise.’

She rolled her eyes again. ‘You don’t even know what I’m going to say.’

‘No, but I’m telling you, right now, you could say anything on earth and it wouldn’t change what I want to happen.’

His certainty was its own aphrodisiac.

‘I’m waiting.’

She nodded, nerves firing through her belly now.

‘Poppy?’

He moved closer, his warmth enveloping her, as his hands came around to her bra and unclasped it with effortless ease, reminding her how often he did this kind of thing. His mouth on her nipple caught her completely off guard and she cried out, tilting her head back instinctively to provide better access. His tongue encircled her areola and she whimpered because the feeling was so exquisite and sensual, heat pooled inside her and warmth slicked between her legs.

‘Adrastos...’ she groaned, and thought was no longer possible.

‘Can what you want to tell me wait until afterwards? Because, frankly, I need this like you wouldn’t believe.’ Not you.This.And to emphasise his point, he ground his arousal against her sex, so she felt the rock-hard heat of him and whimpered, moving her hips to be closer to him, needing so much of what he promised. He dragged his mouth to her lips at the same time he lifted her, cupping her bottom and holding her right against his arousal so if it weren’t for the barrier of their remaining clothes, he could have sunk inside her, taking her and pleasuring her as she’d been dreaming about all these long years.

He pushed her back against the wall of the room, holding her there with his body, his mouth ravishing hers, his hands roaming her skin, feeling her, touching her, driving her crazy with his perfect, sublime nearness. But it wasn’t enough. Maybe that was the point? She didn’t have enough experience to know but she guessed this was a kind of foreplay—to make her want when she couldn’t have, to fill her body with lust and desire until she was trembling and then take her just as she was about to lose her mind?

‘Adrastos, please,’ she cried out, her head hitting the wall as she tilted it back and stared at the ceiling, need bursting through her. In response, he repositioned himself so his arousal was pressed right against her sex, hard and strong even through his clothes, and he ground himself there as if they were actually together, so she was spinning out of control, pleasure making her eyes fill with stars.

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