Royal Obsession Read Online Free PDF Page A

and collided with the edge of the chair.
    An insult wrapped in flattery. Were all captives this amusing? “I didn’t choose this life; I was born into it.”
    “Would you leave the Shadow Maze if you could?” She raised her delicate eyebrows.
    “I leave the Shadow Maze whenever there’s a need. I’m not the prisoner. You are.” He was every bit as much a prisoner as she, but he would never admit it to her. He’d indulged her curiosity long enough. There was nothing more he could say to put her at ease. Tracing a path down her arm, he slipped his fingers around her wrist. “How old are you?”
    “Why?”
    “You’re rather old to be a virgin.” She resisted his attempt to lower her hand, so he continued to stroke her upper chest and the slope of her shoulders. “Your sister managed to find a lover. Why haven’t you?” He watched her eyes, waiting for her reaction to his touch as well as his question.
    She lowered her long lashes, hiding her gaze from him. “My sister’s lover is one of our bodyguards. It’s difficult to—”
    “Indulge your curiosity?” he suggested.
    “When you’re never left alone with a man.” Her lashes rose, but her eyes were shuttered now, all emotion carefully hidden.
    “We’re alone, and I assure you, I’m a man.” She looked at his lips. Good. He had that fertile imagination working again. “Did I witness your first kiss?”
    She didn’t answer.
    “I interrupted just when things were getting interesting.” He slid his fingers along her jaw and traced her lips with his thumb. Her eyes widened then narrowed as he bent to kiss her. Reining in his hunger, his need to dominate, he brushed his lips against hers. For a long moment her mouth was pliant yet unresponsive. Then her breath hissed out, and she parted her lips.
    He deepened the kiss, curling his tongue around hers, drawing her breath into his lungs as their lips slid. Her murmurs urged him on, fueled his simmering desire. She swayed against him, her hands still clutching her dress. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her against him, aligning their bodies as he possessed her mouth.
    She touched his tongue and encouraged his penetration, but she’d yet to venture into his mouth. Easing back, he whispered, “Come to me now. Kiss me like I was kissing you.” Before she could debate the right or wrong of his directive, he kissed her again. Her tongue was tentative at first. He sucked her deeper into his mouth and she groaned.
    Distracting her with slow, drugged kisses, he eased her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. The front of her dress was stiff with a combination of embroidery and support strips. He tugged on the skirt, easing it past her hips. The gown pooled around her legs. Finally!
    He pressed her against his chest and rubbed her back, hesitating over his next move. He could spread her out on his bed or restrain her between the tall, thick poles cleverly designed into the bed frame. The vertical position would give him access to her entire body. He shook away the thought. She had to accept the basics before he introduced anything exotic.
    He lifted her into his arms and carried her across the room. She dragged her mouth away from his and made a distressed sound when she realized their destination.
    “You don’t have to do this. There are other, better, ways to—”
    “We’ll explore those later.” He placed her in the middle of the bed and slipped off her shoes. Her legs were long and shapely, encased in sheer purple stockings. He only glanced at the scrap of lace covering her mound, not trusting himself with more. He would know every inch of her supple body before this night was through. Still, he had to give her time to accept the inevitability of their joining. He reached for the wrist cuffs attached to the stout headboard.
    “Wait a minute!” He guided her hand toward the cuff, and she started tugging, hard. “I don’t want to be restrained. Why is this necessary?”
    He closed