Page 82 of Captive of the Stolen Empire

I had to be sure. There could be no mistakes tonight. Not with her.

“Yes.”

That word broke the seal on my control. It still rang in my ears when I pulled her into my arms and claimed her mouth with mine.

Soft. Warm. Sweet.

Something caught between a sigh and a moan slipped between us as her body molded to mine. Her arms wrapped around my neck, her long fingers sliding into my hairline in a way that sent a bolt of desire straight to my cock.

Fuck. None of my imaginings compared.

It didn’t matter who she was. A fallen heiress. A captive. My enemy. She saw me, and nothing could stop me from wanting her now.

I spun her around until her back pressed against the narrow wall. Little whimpers teased me as I trailed kisses along her jaw, her earlobe, down into the crook of her neck. Savoring. Tasting. If the feel of her skin against my lips wasn’t enough, the scent of olive flower transported me far away. Away from the confusing memories I couldn’t understand, from the mystery of my parentage, from Emperor Ryszard’s lust for conquest and the movement of rebels seeking to disrupt it.

This night was mine. Mine and Ilya’s. If those fucking bells rang this time, I’d ignore them. Consequences be damned.

Daring fingers threaded through my hair and dug into my shoulder. Each touch only fueled my raging desire. My hand slid up her chest, the soft material of her dress silken against my calluses. I swallowed a moan as I claimed her mouth again, my thumb teasing the bottom swell of one full breast. Risking her rejection, I slid higher, taking the sweet globe in my palm. A stiff nipple teased me through the folds of fabric, urging me to continue my pursuit.

And Gods, her taste. Sweet. Better than whiskey, than wine, than cake at a feast. My tongue tangled with hers, teasing, conquering, unwilling to relinquish a moment.

Ilya moaned against me as I toyed with her stiff peaks, her back arching off the wall. When her hips pressed into me, rubbing against my ready cock, I didn’t stop myself from bucking into her in return. Each movement of her body against mine nearly had me spilling in my pants.

I grabbed the skirt of her dress, urging the fabric higher despite the friction between us, baring her legs, the start of her thighs…

“Lucien.” Her voice was thick and slow as I broke our kiss. Warm breaths tickled my face as I held her hooded gaze.

“May I?” I tugged the dress in emphasis.

She’d stopped me in Trale. She’d had her reasons, but would she again now?

She bit her perfect, pink lip and nodded. “Please.”

I nearly groaned as she spread her legs.

Without hesitation, I pushed the bunched material out of the way. My hand slid up her bare thigh until I reached the edge of soft underthings. My muscles tensed; my eyes locked with hers as my thumb slid under the hem.

Delicate skin, soft hairs, and—

“Fuck, Ilya. You’re wet.” Her body’s proof of desire. For me. I nearly crumbled in disbelief.

Her cheeks flushed, matching the pink of her well-kissed lips. “I want you,” she replied in a husky whisper. “I don’t care where you’re from or what you’re called. Do you believe me now?”

Her truth. Our truth.

“And I want you. I did even when you would have slit my throat in the night.”

It had been pure lust then. And something else I couldn’t understand. But the more I watched and learned the woman beyond the title, I couldn’t help but fall under her spell, a magic all her own.

She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before letting it go. “Then what are you waiting for?”

The smolder in her eyes undid me. “Nothing.”

Ilya gasped as I adjusted my stance and lifted her off the ground, one arm under her back and the other under her knees. Her arms wove around my neck, muddling my thoughts as I carried her back into my room. I’d never had a woman in this bed. My dalliances had been purely physical. Out of my room, out of my heart.

Not so with Ilya.

Laying her gently atop the bed felt right. Especially as I stepped back to admire her there, face still flushed, dark hair trailing down over her dress of pale violet.

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