The King's Bride By Arrangement - Annie West Page 0,22

inside her softened.

Watching Paul come, feeling his potent explosion, was the single most exciting moment of her life.

He turned away, cleaning himself up, and Eva supposed she should do the same. Her hand was sticky. But she stayed where she was, her brain whirring on overdrive, her body revved. Because she loved how she’d affected him.

Just for a short time, he’d been hers.

Their kiss had been everything she’d hoped for. Passionate, beautiful and definitely mutual. Her heart had soared. Yet she’d feared it wouldn’t last. She’d known Paul would pull away, because she was the fiancée he no longer wanted. And she’d been right, though he’d couched his rejection in terms of looking after her, not wanting to take advantage.

Take advantage! Was that what she’d done? Shoving her hand in his trousers?

Even now she could barely believe she’d done that. It was so out of character.

Because all her life she’d conformed, agreed, been polite and never pushed for what she wanted. Except when her parents had asked if she wanted to marry Paul of St Ancilla and she’d said yes.

But all those years of polite waiting, of doing the right thing, being gracious and amenable, hadn’t got her what she wanted. Because Paul had never wanted her, Eva. Just a royal princess who’d do her royal duty and, as a bonus, bring her fortune with her.

Something had snapped in her tonight. Maybe because of the danger she’d been in at the hands of a stranger. Or maybe because Paul had snarked at her, as if she’d been to blame.

Whatever the cause, Eva had finally had enough. She was about to lose him. That knowledge had spurred her on to kiss him, touch him, as she’d previously only dreamed of. To snatch at least a moment for herself.

It had been glorious.

But now it was over.

She heard the sound of his zip, saw the straight set of his shoulders as he turned on a tap, his back still to her. Paul hadn’t looked at her once since that gleaming, sexually charged stare that had pierced straight to her womb.

Just thinking of it, another tremor raked her from head to toe. Once more it ended at that sensitive place between her legs.

Paul turned and she braced herself for rejection.

His face was unreadable, his features tight, the curve of his cheek and the angle of his jaw pronounced. He looked more handsome than ever and even more unattainable.

Eva’s heart dropped.

His mouth twisted up in a grimace that reinforced her fears. ‘I’m sorry, Eva.’

‘Sorry?’ she parroted. She should be the one apologising. She’d been the one to force him to kiss her, to touch him.

He closed the space between them with a couple of strides and she found herself pressed up against the table.

‘I lost control.’ His brow furrowed into a scowl.

‘I know.’ And it had been glorious, but she didn’t say that. ‘You didn’t...enjoy it?’

Now she was confused. Surely that powerful climax told its own story?

The scowl eased a little and the curl of his lip looked a fraction softer. ‘Of course I enjoyed it. But I shouldn’t have. I don’t know what came over me. One touch.’ His voice lowered to a mutter. ‘One touch and I was done for.’ He shook his head. ‘I showed all the finesse and self-control of a teenager.’

Eva tilted her head, trying to gauge whether it was embarrassment or genuine regret behind his words.

‘What’s the problem? That you came so fast or that it was me that made you?’

Her eyes widened a little as the words shot from her mouth, for this was the sort of straight talking she never engaged in. She raised her chin too. She wasn’t ashamed of what she’d done.

Unless Paul saw it as some sort of assault. The idea made her flesh crawl. Had she been so wrapped up in her own desire she’d misunderstood his protests? How unwilling had he been?

His crooked smile eased her fears. ‘I’m a big boy, Eva. If I hadn’t wanted your touch, I’d have fended you off.’

So he’d wanted her touch.

The constriction that had hampered her last few breaths eased.

‘I’m not usually so gauche.’ Another shake of his head. ‘But it’s been a long time since a woman touched me.’

‘It has?’ She’d imagined that with his looks and charm he’d have a bevy of women waiting to provide comfort to the lonely Prince who saw so little of his fiancée.

Paul’s gaze caught hers. ‘Of course. We’ve been engaged for four years. I exchanged promises with you