Her words touched him more than he could have imagined. Kardal wouldn’t have thought the opinion of a spoiled, wayward princess would have mattered, but now that he knew the truth about Sabrina, he found he respected her view of the world.
“Thank you,” he said, reaching out to touch her face. “I know that you do understand. I’m sorry your parents have treated you this way. You deserve more.”
“Really?”
Sabrina couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice. No one had ever seen her side before. When she’d dared to confront her father about him ignoring her, he always told her about his responsibilities as king. He made it sound as if he barely had time to sleep an hour a night and that she was a selfish child for demanding his attention. Her mother never stayed in one place long enough to listen at all. But Kardal understood.
In a way she supposed it made perfect sense. Who else had lived with a foot in each world?
He swept his thumbs across her cheeks again. “No more crying,” he told her. “Your eyes are much too pretty to be filled with tears.”
He thought her eyes were pretty?
Before she could ask, or even revel in the compliment, Kardal moved closer. She suddenly realized they were alone in her room, on her bed. But instead of getting scared, she found herself filled with anticipation. Was he going to kiss her again? Heat flared inside of her at the thought.
He wrapped his arms around her and eased her back onto the mattress.
“Sabrina.”
He breathed her name before he touched his lips to hers. The shivers began as he lowered himself next to her. There was a tiny flicker of fear, but she ignored it. Need and curiosity were much greater.
His mouth brushed against hers, moving back and forth. The movement was familiar—he’d done it before—and allowed her to relax slightly. The pillow was soft beneath her head. Her hair fanned out across the white cloth. Kardal twisted his fingers in her curls, tugging slightly, making her feel as if she wouldn’t be allowed to escape. The thought should have terrified her. Instead it made her reach up and rest her hands on his shoulders.
The pressure of his mouth increased. She tilted her head to the left, then parted her lips, allowing him entrance. But instead of dipping inside and touching her intimately, he nibbled on her bottom lip.
Fire shot through her. Intense flames licked at her breasts, making them swell, then moved lower, between her tightly clenched thighs. One of her hands moved to his head where she ran her fingers through his silky, dark hair. Her other hand moved to his back where she felt the thick strength of his muscles.
He gently bit down on the fullest part of her lower lip, then rubbed her with the tip of his tongue, as if easing some imagined pain. His teasing made her want more. She wanted the deep kisses from their previous encounter. She wanted to feel herself melting again.
Restless energy filled her as he continued to nibble and kiss. Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore and she grabbed his hair to hold him still. She was the one who thrust her tongue into his mouth. She stroked him, circled and danced.
She felt his chest rumble as he groaned. One of his legs slipped over hers, pinning her to the bed. His hand came to rest on her shoulder.
“You seek to tame me?” he asked, drawing back slightly.
Sabrina was embarrassed by her boldness. She wouldn’t meet his gaze. “No. Of course not. I just…”
He touched her chin, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t be ashamed. I am excited by your desire. Your passion fuels my own until we are in danger of going up in flames.” He smiled slightly. “Perhaps it is because I’ve never kissed a princess before.”
“I haven’t kissed a prince.”
“Then let me show you how wonderful that can be.”
She thought about pointing out that she knew from their last kiss, but already his mouth was claiming hers and she found she didn’t want to interrupt the experience with something as boring as words.
This time he swept his tongue inside her mouth, discovering her, making her strain against him. The heat grew until her bones nearly melted. But as parts of her relaxed to the point of being unable to move, tension filled other places. Her breasts swelled and ached. Her bra seemed uncomfortable. Between her legs there was an odd pressure that made her want to shift on the mattress.
She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. If she pressed more tightly against him, perhaps she would feel better. Kardal seemed to understand what she was doing because he moved his leg so that his thigh pressed between hers. At the same time he drew away from her mouth and began kissing her neck. His hand moved from her shoulder down her chest toward her breasts.