She liked the idea of him being overwhelmed by passion. “Just do the best you can,” she said soothingly.
“Gee, thanks.”
He moved over her, kneeling between her thighs. He parted her with his fingers, and she felt something thick pushing inside of her. It felt nothing like his finger. Her body stretched in a way that made her uncomfortable—more and deeper until he was buried inside of her.
It was done.
He loomed over her, supporting his weight on his arms. She gazed up at him and felt her heart contract. She’d waited a long time for this moment, and even though the journey had felt endless, she couldn’t complain about the destination. This was exactly where she wanted to be.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded.
He withdrew and moved back inside. She tilted her hips to help. Again and again he slipped into her, pulling out only to ease into her again. In time she didn’t feel quite so stretched. The gentle rhythm grew almost pleasant. Then Rafe reached between them and touched that bundle of nerves buried just below the skin. He rubbed the exact spot in exactly the right way. She felt herself tensing.
It was just as amazing and yet it was different. Better. She liked the sensation of him filling her. She grabbed his hips to pull him closer. He was forced to stop touching her, but she didn’t care. She needed more of what he had. More of him.
He lowered himself onto her and kissed her. Their tongues tangled, mimicking the act of love. Pressure build inside of her. More, she thought frantically. More and more and more.
Then she lost herself in a whirlwind of release. She pulsed and cried out and gasped and held on to him as her body spent itself. When she was nearing the end of her journey, she felt him stiffen and call out her name.
Zara opened her eyes to find Rafe looking down at her. She watched him climax in a moment so intimate she found she couldn’t breathe. They held each other close as the last shudders rippled through their bodies.
At that moment she knew she’d lost something more important than her virginity. She’d also lost her heart.
Rafe broke his second fundamental rule when he stayed with Zara into the night. They slept entwined, or at least she slept. He simply held her and stared into the darkness. Of course, when compared with actually deflowering a virginal client who happened to be the long-lost daughter of a ruling monarch, staying in said virgin’s bed for the night didn’t seem like such a big deal.
She breathed deeply as she slept, making occasional soft noises and cuddling next to him. He liked the feel of her bare skin against his, the scent of her and their lovemaking lingering. When he closed his eyes, he could see them touching each other and remembered what it had felt like to enter her. She’d been so willing, so responsive, so giving.
He tried to tell himself that the sex had been better than average and to let it go. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of having experienced something significant. He wanted to think it was because she’d been a virgin. He’d never been anyone’s first time before, and at his age it wasn’t supposed to be an issue. However, he sensed his unease was more than just the fact that Zara had never been with a man before. It had something to do with her having touched his heart along with his body.
As soon as the thought appeared, he dismissed it. Sex, he reminded himself. It had just been about sex. Zara turned him on. He’d resisted and then he’d given in. The situation wasn’t any more significant than that. Maybe they’d do it again, maybe they wouldn’t—no big deal.
Except he found himself imagining more than just another session of lovemaking. He found himself wondering what it would be like if she was a part of his life longer than—
Rafe disentangled himself from Zara and slipped out of bed. He walked to the open French doors and stood naked in the moonlight. He wasn’t going to go there, he told himself. No fantasies about putting down roots and giving away his heart. He knew better. Love didn’t exist, except in the most superficial way possible. As soon as it all got tough, people walked away.
He turned and glanced at Zara, still sleeping. He could see the curve of her shoulder and one bare breast. His body stirred with desire. More frightening, something deep inside stirred, as well. As if he wanted more than just sex. As if she’d come to matter.