Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 40

           

Chapter 40

Jai tried not to rush into kissing her, no matter how much he wanted to.  It was just a brush of his lips against hers.  He took his time, kissing her slowly as her hands slowly wound around his waist.  She clutched at the fabric of his shirt and whimpered when he pulled back after a few moments. 

He knew he shouldn't have been kissing her, not when she'd wanted to clear everything up with Destan first, not when they needed to talk about what happened in Escarral.  And Amory...gods above, he needed to tell her about him.  Keeping everything from her was to the point of causing him physical pain, especially now that he finally had her in his arms. 

So, he needed to stop kissing her...and did. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered raggedly as he pressed his forehead against hers, still holding her face in his hands.  He pulled back, brushing his thumb along her bottom lip.  "I know you wanted to wait..."

"Kiss me," she said, her voice hoarse.  "Please, just kiss me."

He barely heard her, pulling back slightly to stare at her mouth.  "I shouldn't have done that.  I..."

This time, it was the princess he held in his arms who kissed him, leaning up on her toes to shut him up. 

Of course, it was pure passion as soon as she did.  Jai couldn't help the groan he let out as he kissed her harder and she opened up for him.  He wanted to taste her, sweeping in as he moved to grip her hips.  That damn dress was going to get in his way soon, but at least the slits in the skirts made it easy for him to touch her, feel the skin of her upper thighs. 

He kissed her in a way he would only kiss the female who had been fated for him.  No other female would ever grab his attentions, just as it had been over the past two years since he first saw Lyv and knew.  He knew she was something special.  Knew she was the one who had been meant for him all along. 

Lyv's hands were clutching the fabric of the bottom of his shirt then, pulling it up so she could feel him underneath it.  He lost it then, wanting her, needing to be closer.  So, he reached behind his head and pulled it off in one swift motion, barely breaking his mouth from hers.  That dress was really getting in the way now, but Lyv was taking care of it, undoing the belt that held it in place to let it fall to the floor. 

There were only scraps of lace covering her then as he pulled back to stare, running a finger down her throat and chest, feeling the swells of her breasts in her corset beneath his palm. 

Jai leaned forward to kiss her again, slower but just as passionate, and they both knew.  They both knew it could go no further than it already had.  Not yet, even though the evidence of just how much he wanted her was pressed against her stomach. 

When they pulled apart, he couldn't stop staring at her.  Lyv reached up, trailing her fingers over his lips as she licked her own, still tasting him on her tongue. 

"I didn't think..."  She shook her head, still touching him.  "I never thought I would want someone like this again.  Especially not when it was you.  Before, all I wanted was you dead."

"And now?"

"Now...now, I want to do everything with you."

He was the one touching her then, one arm around her waist to hold her against him and the other touching her face, her swollen lips and flushed cheeks.  "I will always want you, too."

Even though he knew there was no way he was going to leave this room, he still needed to cool himself off from the pain of wanting her.  Letting go...it was like letting go of something that was physically a part of him.  The cold shower helped, but only a little.  He could still smell her, taste her, feel her skin under his hands.