It took another half an hour to say their goodbyes before they could finally escape. Tomorrow they would fly to Australia but he puzzled as to whether she would want to go, the way she suddenly clung to her mother.
The bridal suite within the palace was warm and inviting. An open fire roared in the huge fireplace taking the chill from the cold evening. There was a magnificent four-poster bed with soft, subtle drapes surrounding it and beyond the bedroom, the suite expanded into a lounge plus two adjoining bathrooms and walk-in robes.
“This is normally kept for visiting royalty,” she remarked as she tossed her tiny jeweled bag on to the bed.
“Well, you
are
visiting royalty.” Jack smiled at her as he loosened his tie. “God, I’ll be glad to get out of this suit.”
Lara stood silently in the middle of the room as he checked out the bottle of champagne set in a silver ice bucket on a side table together with a plate of beautifully arranged strawberries.
“Would you like a glass of champagne?”
“No, thank you.”
He turned to stare at her. She appeared to be frozen in time. His Ice Princess. Was she afraid of him and if so, why? What had changed so much? Sure, it had been a rough few days—well, even weeks he conceded, but they were married now. He decided attack might be the best method to jolt her out of this strange mood.
“What’s the matter? We can legally have sex now, Lara. I though you would be leaping into bed waiting for me.”
Faint color rose in her pale cheeks but her words were cutting when she replied, “You’d better get on with it then. The sooner you impregnate me and we produce an heir, the sooner we can separate.”
Eleven
Lara bit her lip at the expression on Jack’s face. He was shocked. She had horrified him by her rude and callous remark.
Oh, Jack, I didn’t mean it. I only want you to love me…just a little
.
Say you love me.
“I think we’ll forget you ever said that,” he replied at last, moving toward her. “Are you tired?”
“Yes.”
He touched her arm and she flinched, immediately regretting her action when she saw the fleeting hurt in his eyes.
“Lara, we are both exhausted. It’s been a long and nerve-racking day. How about we just go to bed…to sleep.”
Almost sagging with relief, she nodded. He was right, as usual. She
was
exhausted. Every muscle ached with tiredness and tension. She would have a shower and lie in that bed and sleep. Glancing at the bed, she saw her nightdress, all lace and frills, arranged carefully across her pillow. It was a huge bed. They could sleep without touching. Besides, she could see her tiredness mirrored in his drawn face.
If she had found the day a trial, then what must it have been like for him a straight forward man who, today, had faced every royal protocol imaginable, plus meeting hundreds of strangers all of whom would have been surreptitiously analyzing him. He had handled everything with eloquence and dignity. She had been so proud of him, the handsome man who was now her husband.
“I can’t undo my dress. I’ll need to ring for a maid,” she said, reaching to pick up the telephone.
He placed a hand over hers, stopping the action. “No. You don’t need a maid, Your Highness. I’m quite capable of undoing a few buttons. Turn around.”
Obediently turning her back toward him, she closed her eyes at the light touch of his fingers against her neck as he undid the tiny pearl buttons.
“When we’re in Australia, you won’t have a personal maid waiting on you hand and foot, Lara.”
Was she being told off? She wasn’t sure. His voice was certainly aimed at putting her in her place.
“I’m quite happy to live without servants.”
“There’s a housekeeper and a gardener at my place in Port Margaret but other than that, I prefer to look after myself.”
As he finished undoing the buttons she turned, holding the dress in place over her breasts. “Well, good for you, Jack. Although, you might need to add one or two security people to your list, unless you’d like to pay out another billion dollars if I’m kidnapped.”
His expression was thoughtful as he studied her. “I look after my own,” he said, as he reached to touch the diamond necklace around her throat. “Did you like my present?”
She felt flustered. His scrutiny was unnerving and she was horribly embarrassed she hadn’t had chance to acknowledge his gift. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“It matches your personality. Fire and ice, which are two of your many fascinations. And at the moment you are all fire and want to pick a fight with me, don’t you?” He smiled and she caught her breath at the wonderment of this magnificent man.
“Yes,” she admitted, moving a few steps away from him.
“You are still mad that you’ve had to marry me instead of some puffed up royal. You thought you would put me in my place, as befits a commoner like me, when you challenged me to have sex with you.”
“I…I didn’t.” Lara floundered, unable to form the words to reply to such an accusation.
“But, my beautiful wife, I’m quite happy to bide my time no matter how long it takes. So, you can stand there and argue with yourself for all I care. I’m going to have a shower and go to bed.”
She managed to close her gaping mouth as he stripped off his clothes down to his underwear and disappeared into one of the bathrooms. Moments later, she heard the sound of the shower.
Well, that’s that, she thought, pulling off the heavy wedding gown and carefully hanging it in the walk-in robe. He didn’t want to argue with her—he didn’t want to make love to her—he wanted to sleep. Fair enough.
She took her time in her bathroom allowing the hot water to pummel away at her tense body as she reflected on her wedding. What a day it had been. She supposed it was what every young woman dreamed of and yet it had passed in a blur as she had made every endeavor to look happy and relaxed. It had certainly been different. She dried her hair and then spent time brushing the long, heavy tresses allowing them to lie around her shoulders in a golden cloud. Slipping into the lacy nightdress, she studied herself critically in the mirror. Yes, she had all the trappings of a bride on her wedding night, except for the pale face and faint shadows under her eyes. She patted her cheeks to add some color.
Nervously, she opened the door to the bedroom and almost laughed aloud. So much for worrying what Jack might think of how she looked. He was already asleep, the covers drawn neatly up to his chin.
She tiptoed closer and peered at him. In repose, his face looked much younger. Dark eyelashes protected her from that blue gaze and his sensual mouth was relaxed, inviting. She turned off the bedside lamp and making her way around the bed, pulled back the covers and climbed in. He didn’t stir. Staring into the darkness, Lara determinedly swallowed the lump forming in her throat and waited for sleep to overcome her.
~ * ~
She was warm and comfortable as she stretched against a man’s body, her cheek resting against a firm chest. Not any man, but her husband. Going very still, she listened to his quiet breathing. He was still asleep but at sometime in the night, he’d wrapped an arm around her and was cradling her. Oh, it was so good. A faint light from the window told her it was nearly dawn and in a few hours, they would be on their way to Australia and her new life.
She hesitated and then pressed closer to him, her hand lightly examining his chest and the sprinkling of dark hair beneath her probing fingers. She followed the hairline down to his waist and then stilled. He was naked. Her heart pounded as she daringly slid her hand over his flat abdomen and then gently encircled his sex.
She jumped as his hand grasped hers. “You’re playing with fire, sweetheart,” he said softly, his voice rumbling in her ear.
“I want that fire,” she replied, her lips against him, savoring the texture and clean smell of his skin.
She was aware of his tension.
Please don’t deny me this time. I’m your wife, your very virginal
wife.
She pulled the nightdress over her head as Jack turned on the lamp. They stared at each other and she could see the desire blazing in his eyes as he lowered his gaze to her breasts.
Drawing the sheet further from her, he seemed to drink his fill of her naked body. Under his gaze, her nipples hardened and her breasts swelled in anticipation of his lovemaking. Jack’s hand reached out and began to caress her, dwelling on her waist and the flare of her hip. He moved closer and slid his hand between her thighs, resting there, not moving.
She responded and stroked his strong jaw line and traced the outline of his sensual mouth. She wanted that mouth on her breasts, sucking and licking her. She wanted him so badly.
As if he had read her mind, he bent his head, capturing one nipple in his mouth and teasing it with his tongue. She gasped as the sensation spiraled through her body to her very core. Almost as if he sensed her every emotion, Jack drew her breast deep into his hot mouth and suckled her…hard. She held his dark head to her as she fought to breathe, her passion overtaking any other thought.
She didn’t know how to tell him what she wanted, but he knew. He slid down her body and pushed her thighs apart placing his mouth on her sex, his tongue moving on the sensitive nub.
“Jack. Oh, Jack.” Whether she cried out or not, she didn’t care as she was overcome with the sensation of her orgasm. She grasped his head as his tongue continued to caress her pulsating sex until her trembling had stopped.
He kissed his way up her stomach and stopped to once again suckle her breasts then looked into her eyes. “You are unbelievably responsive,” he grinned, his delight obvious.
She covered his face in a flurry of kisses. “I want you inside me, Jack.” Moving her hips, she felt his arousal pressing against her stomach.
“Shall I use protection?”
She shook her head. “I want your baby,” she whispered and was gratified at the look of satisfaction on his face.
His finger inside her gently massaged her already sensitive nub and she jerked involuntarily against him, not believing she could experience such longing. “I need you, Jack,” she encouraged and he moved over her. She grasped his sex, guiding it into her and tensed at his great size.
“Am I hurting you?” He hesitated but she immediately pushed against him, the brief stab of pain ending her virginal state forever.
“No. I love it,” she said, making Jack laugh.
“You are beautiful, my princess,” he murmured, suddenly serious as he pushed again and then again until he had fully entered her. He waited for a moment then began smooth, rhythmic thrusts into her welcoming warmth.
She couldn’t answer. She had to be in heaven, she thought, concentrating on the wonderment of Jack as her muscles stretched to accommodate him. No one had ever told her making love would be like this. It was the sun and moon and stars rolled into one.
She caught his rhythm, moving with him and urging him on. His hands cupped her bottom pulling her tightly into him as he thrust harder and faster, his breath coming in great gasps. She arched again as her climax took hold, and clung to his shoulders, sobbing as waves of ecstasy flowed over her.
“Ah, Lara!” His shout echoed as he came seconds later, filling her with his seed. She held his shaking body, loving the feel of his sweat-slicked skin and the sound of his heart hammering against hers.
“I’m almost speechless,” she said as she slowly recovered in his arms.
He pulled her closer. “I’ve waited so long for you. I think we may have made six babies just then.”