awakening her body.
Andreus smoothed his hand down her arm. “What was it like for you, Ariana? How did he make you his own?”
She glanced down at the large rise under his cloth, her pulse skipping. She had never seen Hanken’s body completely naked. He’d undressed in the dark before taking her virginity.
“He kissed me first.” Ariana rested her hand over his stomach, the bronze skin flinched beneath her fingertips. A light sprinkling of hair began just beneath her palm, leading the way to the mystery beneath the damp cloth.
“How was his kiss?” The words were tight, edgy.
“It was quick, a few thrusts of his tongue. He kissed my neck next, but then not again.”
Andreus stroked her hair. “Then what happened, Ariana? Did he give you pleasure?”
She lifted her head, peered into those eyes the color of the sea. “Why do you want to know so much?”
“Because you cannot make a decision for your future without knowing what you are missing.”
“I cannot possibly experience everything there is in the span of a few days.”
His sexy grin returned, curling her toes. “Not everything, but enough to make you realize you are making the wrong decision.”
Ariana rose to her elbow. “Are you so certain of yourself?”
A wicked gleam danced in his eyes. “I don’t need to be.”
In the next instant, he rolled over on top of her and ensared her beneath his body. The hard length of him stretched across her body, shielding her, trapping her. Awareness swarmed through her like the gale of a tempest.
She wanted him gone, to be free of his sweet temptation. But she could not say it. The frantic whoosh of her pulse would not let her speak.
“Give me the chance.” He kissed her ear, nuzzled her neck. “Allow me to show you what you missed, what you will miss if you go back to him.”
Her throat was parched as she tried to defend Hanken. “It-it always hurts the first time.”
Andreus lifted his head, pinning her with his direct stare. “Yes, but the pain does not have to linger. Had he cared enough he could have given you pleasure.”
Ariana opened her mouth to defend her betrothed but found she had nothing to say. Hanken did not take his time with her. He had found relief within her, murmured an apology, then rolled away. Later, he wanted to take her again, but she demurred, claiming the ache remained between her legs.
Now, with Andreus’s rigid arousal throbbing on her thigh, a different sort of ache left her feeling hollow. As if she needed something to fill her deep inside.
“Perhaps he will change after we marry.” The claim was weak, even she knew that, but still Ariana felt a loyalty to the man who asked for her.
Andreus raised an eyebrow. “Or not.”
Twilight brought the sounds of insects and cooler temperatures. Her stomach hungered for dinner, but the comfort Andreus provided her outweighed any meal.
He kissed the curve of her ear, his tongue leaving a damp trail to her shoulder. Then it circled over the hollow spot at the base of her throat before continuing over to the other side.
“Will you allow me, Ariana?” He spoke against her neck, hot breath lighting a fire on her skin. “Allow me to show you what he did not.”
She closed her eyes. The insects chirped, like the songs of early morning birds. Leaves rustled in the evening breeze. Fire crackled and snapped. And somewhere, not too far in the distance, waves crashed along the sandy beach. Surprisingly, she felt at peace.
As long as she was not in the water.
Ariana moved her fingers up Andreus’s back, sighing as the corded muscles tensed beneath her touch. “Show me.”
He did not need to be told twice.
Like the strong current of the sea, desire blazed within his cells. Ariana tasted like the sweetest nectar and he wanted to feast on it until he could feast no more.
His fingers grazed over her tunic, flipping open one button at a time. Unlike his culture’s clothing, where buttons were made of seashells, her
Andreus smoothed his hand down her arm. “What was it like for you, Ariana? How did he make you his own?”
She glanced down at the large rise under his cloth, her pulse skipping. She had never seen Hanken’s body completely naked. He’d undressed in the dark before taking her virginity.
“He kissed me first.” Ariana rested her hand over his stomach, the bronze skin flinched beneath her fingertips. A light sprinkling of hair began just beneath her palm, leading the way to the mystery beneath the damp cloth.
“How was his kiss?” The words were tight, edgy.
“It was quick, a few thrusts of his tongue. He kissed my neck next, but then not again.”
Andreus stroked her hair. “Then what happened, Ariana? Did he give you pleasure?”
She lifted her head, peered into those eyes the color of the sea. “Why do you want to know so much?”
“Because you cannot make a decision for your future without knowing what you are missing.”
“I cannot possibly experience everything there is in the span of a few days.”
His sexy grin returned, curling her toes. “Not everything, but enough to make you realize you are making the wrong decision.”
Ariana rose to her elbow. “Are you so certain of yourself?”
A wicked gleam danced in his eyes. “I don’t need to be.”
In the next instant, he rolled over on top of her and ensared her beneath his body. The hard length of him stretched across her body, shielding her, trapping her. Awareness swarmed through her like the gale of a tempest.
She wanted him gone, to be free of his sweet temptation. But she could not say it. The frantic whoosh of her pulse would not let her speak.
“Give me the chance.” He kissed her ear, nuzzled her neck. “Allow me to show you what you missed, what you will miss if you go back to him.”
Her throat was parched as she tried to defend Hanken. “It-it always hurts the first time.”
Andreus lifted his head, pinning her with his direct stare. “Yes, but the pain does not have to linger. Had he cared enough he could have given you pleasure.”
Ariana opened her mouth to defend her betrothed but found she had nothing to say. Hanken did not take his time with her. He had found relief within her, murmured an apology, then rolled away. Later, he wanted to take her again, but she demurred, claiming the ache remained between her legs.
Now, with Andreus’s rigid arousal throbbing on her thigh, a different sort of ache left her feeling hollow. As if she needed something to fill her deep inside.
“Perhaps he will change after we marry.” The claim was weak, even she knew that, but still Ariana felt a loyalty to the man who asked for her.
Andreus raised an eyebrow. “Or not.”
Twilight brought the sounds of insects and cooler temperatures. Her stomach hungered for dinner, but the comfort Andreus provided her outweighed any meal.
He kissed the curve of her ear, his tongue leaving a damp trail to her shoulder. Then it circled over the hollow spot at the base of her throat before continuing over to the other side.
“Will you allow me, Ariana?” He spoke against her neck, hot breath lighting a fire on her skin. “Allow me to show you what he did not.”
She closed her eyes. The insects chirped, like the songs of early morning birds. Leaves rustled in the evening breeze. Fire crackled and snapped. And somewhere, not too far in the distance, waves crashed along the sandy beach. Surprisingly, she felt at peace.
As long as she was not in the water.
Ariana moved her fingers up Andreus’s back, sighing as the corded muscles tensed beneath her touch. “Show me.”
He did not need to be told twice.
Like the strong current of the sea, desire blazed within his cells. Ariana tasted like the sweetest nectar and he wanted to feast on it until he could feast no more.
His fingers grazed over her tunic, flipping open one button at a time. Unlike his culture’s clothing, where buttons were made of seashells, her
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