kings liked their queens.” Zale leaned past her, opened her door for her.
“Sounds like a common theme around here.”
He released her hand but didn’t move very far back. “Not to be completely contradictory, but I’m beginning to like you.”
Her heart did a funny little jump. “How horrifying for you.”
“I know,” he answered dryly. “It complicates things.”
“How so?”
His lashes lowered and his gaze moved slowly across her face. “I won’t want you to go if I really like you.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Her skin suddenly tingled. “But you don’t
really
like me yet.”
He looked down into her eyes, heat in his eyes, his expressionintense. “I wouldn’t be so sure, Your Highness. You’ve begun to grow on me.”
Her pulse raced and her stomach did wild flips. “Heavens,” she murmured, her heart suddenly so full it’d begun to hurt, “what a disaster.”
“My sentiments exactly.” And yet his voice was deep and rough, a sexy rumble of sound that made her feel absolutely breathless.
Hannah was falling for him, falling hard and fast. “Do you want to come in?” “It’s late—”
“Not that late. Just ten now. We could ring for coffee or a glass of port.”
He gave her a long look. “If I came in, I wouldn’t want coffee.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks and her belly tightened, her body feeling impossibly hot. “We could just talk.”
“You know we wouldn’t.” His gaze dropped, rested on her mouth, as if imagining the feel of it against his own. “If I had you behind closed doors I’d do what I’ve wanted to do since the night you arrived.”
She struggled to breathe. “And what is that?”
“I’m trying hard to remain controlled here.”
“I’m just curious.”
“And you know what curiosity did to the cat.”
She locked her knees, her inner thighs clenched tight. “Yes, but did it feel good?”
A light blazed in his eyes. His jaw thickened. Stark hunger hardened, was etched across his face. “So damn good,” he said thickly, reaching for her, and pulling her to him.
She tipped her head back. “So it was pleasure that killed the cat?”
“You are impossible.” His voice was a rasp of sound. “And completely irresistible. If you’re not very careful, I’ll strip you right here in the hall and kiss every inch of you.”
She shuddered against him, desire making her womb ache.She wanted him. Needed him. “That might be too much of a show for your palace security.”
He drew a rough breath, color warming his cheekbones. “You are testing my resolve.”
He was so hard and warm and his body felt amazing against hers. She pressed herself to him, rubbed like a cat against him. “You feel so good.”
He was gritting his teeth, strain evident on his face. “Can’t do this here. Won’t. It’d feel wrong in my mother’s room.”
“Then let me come to yours.”
He gazed down into her eyes. “You’re serious?”
She nodded. “I want this. I want you.”
“Wait one hour. Cool down. Think it through. Because once we do this, once we make love, there’s no going back.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
H ANNAH entered the King’s Bedchamber wearing a black coat over her nightgown and black velvet slippers on her feet. She tried to act nonchalant as she walked through the bedroom door even though butterflies were flitting wildly in her middle, making her heart beat too fast.
She saw Zale immediately, barefoot at the far end of the ornate chamber and her stomach flipped all over again. He’d shed his dark jacket, and had unbuttoned his white shirt at the collar and rolled the crisp sleeves back on his tan forearms.
“Brave girl,” Zale said from the far end of the chamber where he stood before one of two gold marble fireplaces anchoring the room, and it was a magnificent room, the high ceiling covered in rich paneled wood and Flemish tapestries hung on the dark paneled walls.
But nothing was more awe-inspiring than the enormous canopied bed that
“Sounds like a common theme around here.”
He released her hand but didn’t move very far back. “Not to be completely contradictory, but I’m beginning to like you.”
Her heart did a funny little jump. “How horrifying for you.”
“I know,” he answered dryly. “It complicates things.”
“How so?”
His lashes lowered and his gaze moved slowly across her face. “I won’t want you to go if I really like you.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks. Her skin suddenly tingled. “But you don’t
really
like me yet.”
He looked down into her eyes, heat in his eyes, his expressionintense. “I wouldn’t be so sure, Your Highness. You’ve begun to grow on me.”
Her pulse raced and her stomach did wild flips. “Heavens,” she murmured, her heart suddenly so full it’d begun to hurt, “what a disaster.”
“My sentiments exactly.” And yet his voice was deep and rough, a sexy rumble of sound that made her feel absolutely breathless.
Hannah was falling for him, falling hard and fast. “Do you want to come in?” “It’s late—”
“Not that late. Just ten now. We could ring for coffee or a glass of port.”
He gave her a long look. “If I came in, I wouldn’t want coffee.”
Blood rushed to her cheeks and her belly tightened, her body feeling impossibly hot. “We could just talk.”
“You know we wouldn’t.” His gaze dropped, rested on her mouth, as if imagining the feel of it against his own. “If I had you behind closed doors I’d do what I’ve wanted to do since the night you arrived.”
She struggled to breathe. “And what is that?”
“I’m trying hard to remain controlled here.”
“I’m just curious.”
“And you know what curiosity did to the cat.”
She locked her knees, her inner thighs clenched tight. “Yes, but did it feel good?”
A light blazed in his eyes. His jaw thickened. Stark hunger hardened, was etched across his face. “So damn good,” he said thickly, reaching for her, and pulling her to him.
She tipped her head back. “So it was pleasure that killed the cat?”
“You are impossible.” His voice was a rasp of sound. “And completely irresistible. If you’re not very careful, I’ll strip you right here in the hall and kiss every inch of you.”
She shuddered against him, desire making her womb ache.She wanted him. Needed him. “That might be too much of a show for your palace security.”
He drew a rough breath, color warming his cheekbones. “You are testing my resolve.”
He was so hard and warm and his body felt amazing against hers. She pressed herself to him, rubbed like a cat against him. “You feel so good.”
He was gritting his teeth, strain evident on his face. “Can’t do this here. Won’t. It’d feel wrong in my mother’s room.”
“Then let me come to yours.”
He gazed down into her eyes. “You’re serious?”
She nodded. “I want this. I want you.”
“Wait one hour. Cool down. Think it through. Because once we do this, once we make love, there’s no going back.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
H ANNAH entered the King’s Bedchamber wearing a black coat over her nightgown and black velvet slippers on her feet. She tried to act nonchalant as she walked through the bedroom door even though butterflies were flitting wildly in her middle, making her heart beat too fast.
She saw Zale immediately, barefoot at the far end of the ornate chamber and her stomach flipped all over again. He’d shed his dark jacket, and had unbuttoned his white shirt at the collar and rolled the crisp sleeves back on his tan forearms.
“Brave girl,” Zale said from the far end of the chamber where he stood before one of two gold marble fireplaces anchoring the room, and it was a magnificent room, the high ceiling covered in rich paneled wood and Flemish tapestries hung on the dark paneled walls.
But nothing was more awe-inspiring than the enormous canopied bed that
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