I talk her into taking an outdoor shower, and I promise to keep an eye out for whisperers, but there are a few moments as we wash where hands wander and I get a bit distracted. It’d be safe to assume the wandering hands belong to yours truly, but I’m happy to announce Anna was the culprit. Can’t keep the girl’s hands off me.
Afterward I wrap her in an oversized towel and take her inside to feed her berries and cheese and crackers.
She falls over with laughter when I turn on Marna’s music and belt out the chorus of “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful.”
“Oh my gosh!” she says through her laughter. “You sound just like them, and you know every single freaking word!”
“Bit hard to avoid that song, yeah?”
We laugh together and I happen to glance over and see the hilt, wrapped in its case by her bag. My smile falls and my pulse spikes.
I know Anna is ready, but that stupid fear rises up, clawing at me. I rip my eyes away from the sword and stand to stare out the window at the blackened night. If the Sword of Righteousness rejects Anna, it will be my fault.
“Hey,” Anna says softly, coaxing my eyes across the room to her. She stands on the opposite side of the bed, still in her towel, as am I. “It’ll be midnight soon. Our wedding day is almost over.”
I want to tell her it’s not too late to change her mind. That I’ll understand if she wants to remain a virgin, but then she says in a seductive voice, “Come here,” and I know her mind is set.
I slowly walk to my side of the bed, across from her, and put my hands on my head. Her hair is damp and her cheeks have pink spots. I feel so bloomin’ lucky for this entire day—the best day of my life.
In the next moment, when I blink, Anna opens her towel and drops it to the floor. Her chest rises and falls faster as she watches me. Then she climbs onto the bed and crawls, like a prowling cat, toward me. My body stiffens, in shock.
By the time she makes her way to me, rising up onto her knees, I am awake and alert.
“Are you scared?” she purrs. “Been too long? Out of practice?” Her head cocks to the side, a bad-girl grin on her face.
And then her words register.
Too scared to shag her? I can’t even dignify that with a response. I can’t even sputter. And then she gives me a purple-nurple, twisting my nipple.
“Oy!” I grab her wrist, the mad little cat. I should spank her arse for that.
Suddenly my towel is gone and my body is announcing just how much I’ve enjoyed her naughty act, complete with the ripping-off-of-the-towel finale. There’s laughter in her eyes. Time for me to take control.
I swing an arm behind her legs and a hand behind her waist, and I have her on her back before she can blink. I’m pressed heavily on top of her, and from the satisfied smile on her face, this is exactly what she wants.
“You win,” I say.
She doesn’t gloat. She simply reaches up and cups my face, running her fingers down my cheek and jawline. I lower my forehead to hers, overcome.
“This is right, Kai. We love each other.”
I close my eyes. Is our love enough to blot out my past? It’s always there, in my mind, a foul and murky swampland. How can Anna not feel it when she’s with me? She seems so certain this is right. And sword or no sword, this will at least keep her safe from Father for the time being.
“I’d do anything for you,” I say.
“Just love me.” She strokes my cheek again.
There’s so much I’ve never had the nerve to tell her. So much I should have said before now. She watches me intently.
“I need you to know this is different for me,” I manage. “I’ve never felt like this with someone.” I take a shaking breath. “I don’t just love you, Anna. I adore you.”
She kisses me, her hands traveling over my arms and shoulders until they’re at my face again and her eyes are on mine.
“Don’t look away from me,” I whisper. Her eyes will tell me if I’m hurting her.
She nods and whispers back, “Okay.”
“If you need to stop—”
“Kai. I’m not fragile.”
“Right.” She’s strong, I know that. I also know how to make her first time a very pleasant