he lifted his head and looked down at me with eyes saturated with humor and desire (I knew what it was now, faith, but I knew) and sweetness.
“We’re no longer kissing, my bride of the silver soul and the candied mouth, because if we do not stop now, there will be no wedding as I’ll lock us in these rooms for the next two weeks.”
“Oh,” I whispered.
He grinned. “Yes, my Silence, oh.”
“It is not…unheard of…in my land…for a woman…though, I have never…uh—”
“Calm, Silence. I know.”
He knew
He knew I was virgin?
How did he know?
He continued speaking.
“And this is why we will take some time, even if we don’t have much of it, to get to know one another in that way. Tomorrow night, after dinner, you will come to my rooms and I will share a little more with you so you’ll be better prepared for the next night when we will share everything.”
“More kissing?” I asked.
His lips twitched. “Yes, amongst other things.”
I smiled up at him. “I’d like that.”
He smiled down at me. “You did not hide that, mia bellezza.”
My smile fled. “Was I brazen?” How could I ask that? I was completely brazen. “Oh no!” I cried. “I was brazen.”
He threw his head back and roared with laughter, holding me to him as he did, even pulling me closer.
He tipped his head down again and through his laughter said, “You were brazen, yes. And I liked it. Very much so.”
I felt heat hit my cheeks and murmured, “Oh.”
“And this ‘oh’ I feel in parts of me I cannot wait to have in her mouth,” he murmured back, his gaze roaming all over my face (but mostly, it must be said, my lips and cheeks).
“I think I should probably go to my bedchamber now,” I told him, belatedly prudently.
“I think this is wise,” he replied, his black eyes dancing.
But he did not let me go.
He bent again to me, pressed his lips hard to mine, then straightened away, only then to release me (which I did not like).
He took my hand (which I did like).
And then he walked us toward the bathing room.
We strolled past his leather shirt on the floor and it was on the tip of my tongue to suggest he don it before walking me all the way down his very long hall to my rooms at the other end.
I did not do that.
This was his home.
His palace.
And it was now my home.
My palace.
And he should be just as he wanted to be in his home.
As he was showing me it was all right just to be…me.
“Where is Piccola?” he asked after we entered the hall.
“Tril has her. I’m going to teach her to sleep on the pillow beside mine at night.”
“My Silence, as you’ll be sleeping on the pillow beside mine, I think we should have a discussion about this, no?”
I’d be sleeping on the pillow beside his.
This gave me another tingle.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” I mumbled.
He chuckled and said, “I’m very glad you like her.”
I looked up at him as we strolled, hand in hand. “I love her.”
He smiled warmly down at me and gave my hand a squeeze.
“Though I don’t like her in a cage,” I shared.
“She is very clever, like her mama. She will learn soon to stay close to you.”
At that, timidly, I gave his hand a squeeze.
I didn’t need to be timid.
He again gave me another warm smile.
We made the door to my rooms, but before I could reach to the handle, he drew me into his arms.
“Now we bid goodnight,” he declared.
I tried not to pout.
I must have failed for he roared with laughter again.
I grinned up at him as he did.
When he sobered, he tipped his chin down to me.
“Tomorrow will be a busy day, but I will not miss dinner with you again,” he promised.
“I’m glad,” I told him.
“And we will have our time after dinner.”
I pressed my lips together as that gave me a shiver.
I released them to say, “I look forward to that.”
His fingers slid along my hairline as he said gently, “And the next night, we’ll be wed.”
“I look forward to that too,” I whispered.
He gave me another smile, this one soft and sweet, before he bent again and touched his lips to mine.
“Until the morrow, my Silence,” he murmured against them.
“Until then, my king.”
I received yet another smile, this one from his eyes, before he straightened and jerked his bearded chin to my door.
I opened it and rushed inside, beginning to shut it