Page 44 of Stolen Princess's Secret

But of course.

He put his face to the spray and she put her mind to drying off and pushing back the bedclothes. Wouldn’t want to obstruct his view.

He took her to pieces all over again once he finally joined her. Generous with his tongue and touches in all the right places and when he finally entered her she could no longer keep her hands to herself, weaving them in his hair and putting all her joy and hopes for them into a kiss that brought tears to her eyes.

‘I dreamed of you,’ she murmured when he broke the kiss and rolled his hips and made her gasp. ‘Soon as I saw you after all those years away, I started dreaming of being spread open beneath you and feeling so cherished.’

‘Are you feeling cherished yet?’ He set his lips to the tender skin of her neck and she was so close to orgasm she could almost reach the stars.

‘I am.’ And then he rolled her atop him and put the pad of his thumb to her centre and surged up into her with those strong, muscular thighs and she closed her eyes and surrendered. ‘I’m feeling everything.’

When she clenched around him and stilled his hand and brought it to her stomach, he tumbled after her.

Mornings were hell. This was Claudia’s reality. Not even a night of bliss and a soundly sleeping Tomas at her side could alter that reckoning. She slid from the bed and made it to the bathroom without retching but she was glad to shut the door behind her. She clung to the basin, head down and begging for her nausea to recede before glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Bird’s nest dark hair, pale face, and redness on her neck where Tomas’s facial hair had rasped her skin. He had no beard but he must have to shave every day. Soon she would know many such personal details.

Husband. She touched the extra colour around her nipples. He’d used her incredibly sensitive breasts to ruthless advantage last night and she’d loved every bit of it.

Father. Her father had not been a kind man. Tomas’s father, for all his sternness and adherence to rules, had been patient, protective and kind, and Tomas would be too. He would be the kind of parent every child deserved. Her hand went to her still flat stomach. All she needed to concentrate on right now was bringing this baby safely into the world and being a decent wife to an honourable man who would never have chosen to marry her if not for the way she’d pushed.

‘Work with it,’ she whispered to her reflection. Hadn’t that been her motto for all the long years she’d spent in exile? Make it work for everyone involved. She took a deep breath and stood up straighter and summoned a smile.

C’mon, Claudia, where are you? You don’t have to be loved to be happy. You don’t even have to be especially wanted as long as you’re useful to have around. You can be useful, can’t you? Just do it and don’t think too much about what could have been. Just make the most of whatever you’re given.

There you are, girl. Don’t fail me now.

Claudia the unwanted child, the resourceful survivor, the woman who, for all her faults, had never hardened her heart against hope. Bravado too would see her through, because she had plenty of that. Bravado and hope.

‘It’s the best way forward for all of us,’ she murmured and sealed the deal with a nod.

And promptly doubled over and lost the contents of her stomach.

By the time she poked her head around the bathroom door, Tomas was up and dressed and the fire was crackling in the hearth. His dark eyes searched her face, a frown between his eyes.

‘I used the bathroom in the other room,’ he said. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘I’m pretty good by mid-afternoon, but most mornings are a bit rough. Would you mind passing me my clothes?’

He moved gracefully for such a big man.

‘They’re bringing breakfast,’ he said as he gathered up last night’s clothes and gave them to her. ‘I ordered everything.’

‘I hope you’re hungry enough for two then, because I’m making no promises when it comes to keeping anything down.’

‘Is that normal?’

‘Apparently.’

‘Is there anything else you need?’

Where did she begin? This was her wedding day, after all.

‘I can ask people to bring your belongings here. I can go and get them.’

‘No!’ She took a deep breath and promptly swallowed hard on a fresh wave of nausea. ‘No leaving me.’ And boy, was it going to take a world of therapy to unpack that little outburst. ‘I can make do. We discussed this last night. I’ll be out in a minute.’

She dressed quickly and braided her hair and made good on her promise to emerge from the bathroom. She’d only taken a few steps before there was a knock on the door and a cheerful girlish voice called out, ‘Breakfast!’

What was the young woman’s name again? Kaity? Catherine?

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