Presley,” he murmured, his mouth close enough to brush hers in a tantalizing tickle.
With a soft laugh, Sara said, “I think you’d better look again, Prince Charming. I’m the one held captive.”
Did that breathless, sexy voice belong to her?
“What shall we do about this?” he murmured. “What shall we do?”
Sara had no answer. They could never return to their carefree youth, nor could they move forward with no trust between them. No matter how attracted she was, her heart remembered the long, lonely years after he’d left. Regardless of his excuses, he had left her. And he had not returned.
If Nico hadn’t fallen ill, Aleks would never have contacted her. He would have forever kept her son a secret.
How could she forgive him for that?
Yet, she’d been the one to give away their child. His loathing was not without reason.
She sighed. The dilemma had no resolution. She could not change what was.
She studied the strong lines of his aristocratic face andknew she desired him, but more than this, she still loved the man inside the handsome body. What kind of crazy woman continued to love a man who hated her?
Or did he?
The emotion emanating from the prince was not loathing. It was desire.
Was desire enough?
“Aleks,” she murmured, every nerve in her body more alive than she’d been in years.
He shook his head slightly, his rapid breath fanning her cheek. “Shh. Shh.”
His heart pounded against hers. Two hearts beating. One restrained, the other yearning but afraid to trust again, afraid to hope.
Tension pulsated from Aleks in waves. He wanted her but he didn’t want to want her.
Sara experienced a rush of power in that sudden realization. She longed to break through that control of his, to force him to be her Aleks again even for a moment.
Though she would willingly remain trapped against the wall for as long as Aleks was here, the hard, irregular stone was cold against her back. Aleks, on the other hand, exuded heat.
“Are you going to kiss me or kill me?” she murmured, so close to his mouth that she could have made the first move if she’d wanted to. But she wouldn’t. She might be the captive, but Aleks needed to surrender.
“So impatient,” he whispered, but one hand slid down to stroke her cheek. She shivered. He smiled. She turned her head to one side. He brought it back to center and traced her mouth with one finger.
“Arrogant pig,” she said.
“Tempting wench.”
She nipped at his finger. He laughed softly, dark eyes glittering like onyx, as he finally, finally touched his lips to hers.
He was worth the wait.
A shock of sensation washed through her like a tidal wave. She twisted free from his grip, wanting, needing to touch him. With both arms, she clasped him to her, reveling in his power and maleness.
When Aleks felt her response, he dropped his hold to thread his fingers through her hair, capturing her more completely with his kiss than he ever could with stocks and chains.
She murmured softly, feeling the hum of yearning take control. It was as though her whole being had been in a state of suspension, waiting for her prince to come along and bring her back to life.
She wanted the moment to never end. Reality had problems neither she nor Aleks knew how to resolve. But here, in his dungeon hideaway, she could forget all of that, forget the reasons they could not be together, forget the years of heartbreak.
When the kiss ended, far sooner than she’d have liked, Aleks didn’t move away. He kissed her nose, her eyelids, her forehead before resting his face in her hair. His strident breathing matched her own. She could feel the powerful beat of the pulse in his throat.
For a while, they remained still; both seemed satisfied just to hold the other.
Aware now that she had one arm around his waist and another around his neck, she let her fingers trace the coarse outline of hair at his nape and gloried in his soft murmur of pleasure.
Did the tough warrior prince
With a soft laugh, Sara said, “I think you’d better look again, Prince Charming. I’m the one held captive.”
Did that breathless, sexy voice belong to her?
“What shall we do about this?” he murmured. “What shall we do?”
Sara had no answer. They could never return to their carefree youth, nor could they move forward with no trust between them. No matter how attracted she was, her heart remembered the long, lonely years after he’d left. Regardless of his excuses, he had left her. And he had not returned.
If Nico hadn’t fallen ill, Aleks would never have contacted her. He would have forever kept her son a secret.
How could she forgive him for that?
Yet, she’d been the one to give away their child. His loathing was not without reason.
She sighed. The dilemma had no resolution. She could not change what was.
She studied the strong lines of his aristocratic face andknew she desired him, but more than this, she still loved the man inside the handsome body. What kind of crazy woman continued to love a man who hated her?
Or did he?
The emotion emanating from the prince was not loathing. It was desire.
Was desire enough?
“Aleks,” she murmured, every nerve in her body more alive than she’d been in years.
He shook his head slightly, his rapid breath fanning her cheek. “Shh. Shh.”
His heart pounded against hers. Two hearts beating. One restrained, the other yearning but afraid to trust again, afraid to hope.
Tension pulsated from Aleks in waves. He wanted her but he didn’t want to want her.
Sara experienced a rush of power in that sudden realization. She longed to break through that control of his, to force him to be her Aleks again even for a moment.
Though she would willingly remain trapped against the wall for as long as Aleks was here, the hard, irregular stone was cold against her back. Aleks, on the other hand, exuded heat.
“Are you going to kiss me or kill me?” she murmured, so close to his mouth that she could have made the first move if she’d wanted to. But she wouldn’t. She might be the captive, but Aleks needed to surrender.
“So impatient,” he whispered, but one hand slid down to stroke her cheek. She shivered. He smiled. She turned her head to one side. He brought it back to center and traced her mouth with one finger.
“Arrogant pig,” she said.
“Tempting wench.”
She nipped at his finger. He laughed softly, dark eyes glittering like onyx, as he finally, finally touched his lips to hers.
He was worth the wait.
A shock of sensation washed through her like a tidal wave. She twisted free from his grip, wanting, needing to touch him. With both arms, she clasped him to her, reveling in his power and maleness.
When Aleks felt her response, he dropped his hold to thread his fingers through her hair, capturing her more completely with his kiss than he ever could with stocks and chains.
She murmured softly, feeling the hum of yearning take control. It was as though her whole being had been in a state of suspension, waiting for her prince to come along and bring her back to life.
She wanted the moment to never end. Reality had problems neither she nor Aleks knew how to resolve. But here, in his dungeon hideaway, she could forget all of that, forget the reasons they could not be together, forget the years of heartbreak.
When the kiss ended, far sooner than she’d have liked, Aleks didn’t move away. He kissed her nose, her eyelids, her forehead before resting his face in her hair. His strident breathing matched her own. She could feel the powerful beat of the pulse in his throat.
For a while, they remained still; both seemed satisfied just to hold the other.
Aware now that she had one arm around his waist and another around his neck, she let her fingers trace the coarse outline of hair at his nape and gloried in his soft murmur of pleasure.
Did the tough warrior prince
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