Page 79 of The Warrior's Innocent Captive

‘As much as Jarin respects your brother, I think he enjoys it when he is suffering a little. I don’t think Sir Braedan made things easy for Jarin when he wanted to marry Katherine.’

‘Oh, I didn’t—’

‘Linota, I may look like I’m calm, but I’m slowly dying over here. Will you give me your answer?’

He nearly laughed at the look on her face, but he didn’t. This was too important.

‘Answer to what?’

He stepped closer, coming to within a hair’s breadth but not actually closing the gap between them. He gazed down into her wide, blue eyes.

‘Will you marry me?’ he asked softly.

‘Are you sureyouwant to marryme?’The uncertainty in her voice nearly killed him.

Unable to suppress it any longer, he barked out a laugh. ‘I am not worthy of you.’

She muttered darkly and he laughed again. She was a feisty one, his Linota. She would stand her ground and challenge him. He was looking forward to finding out exactly how in the many years to come.

‘I don’t mean I’m not worthy of you by birth. Only that no one is worthy to be married to you.’

His fingers reached out and lifted a length of her glorious hair. He watched as the candlelight lit up the different shades of gold within the strands. He was going to spend hours exploring her body, learning all the many ways he could bring her pleasure, but for now he was going to make sure she knew there was nothing he wanted more than to be joined with her in marriage.

He dropped to his knees before her, taking her hands in his. ‘I love you and want to be married to you more than I have ever wanted anything. Please will you consent to be my wife?’

For a long tortuous minute, she said nothing. His heart began to pound painfully in his chest as the moment stretched. Surely he hadn’t been mistaken in her feelings? Surely she still loved him?

‘Oh, Erik,’ she said eventually, sinking to her knees in front of him. ‘I love you so much. Yes, I will be your wife. I thought—’

‘What did you think, my love?’ he whispered against her lips.

‘That—’ His tongue flickered against the seam of her mouth and she opened for him. The first taste was more intoxicating than wine. The second weakened his knees.

‘Tell me.’ His lips trailed down the length of her neck, his fingers loosening the ties of her tunic.

‘I—’

His soul roared in triumph as he slipped her tunic from her body. She was incapable of forming a sentence and he loved it.

He returned to her mouth, his tongue more insistent now. He wanted to consume her. His hands roamed over her body. He wanted to see all of her, but she was kneeling on her dress, pinning it to the floor.

Instead, he pulled her dress down over her shoulders, his hand moving across her skin to trace the small, perfect breasts he had revealed.

She moaned as his fingers skimmed over her nipples and his cock strained towards her, desperate to be inside her, desperate to make her his once and for all.

But he didn’t want to rush. He hadn’t waited for so long and desired her this much for it to be over in a few short moments. He wanted their first time to last all night, if possible. Hell, he didn’t want to move from his chamber for a week.

He moved back slightly to look at her, his resolve nearly breaking as he took in her heavily dilated pupils, her swollen lips and those achingly beautiful breasts peeking over the top of her dress.

‘I love you so much. Being married to you is going to be perfect.’

She reached over and gently pushed a strand of hair away from his face. ‘You are perfect,’ she whispered. ‘I love you so much it hurts. Being married to you is going to be...’ Her lips quirked. ‘Being married to you is going to be an adventure.’

He laughed and pulled her to him. ‘We will have an adventure.’ He picked her up and carried her over to the bed in the corner. ‘Preferably one that doesn’t involve risking your life.’

He perched her on the edge of the bed and then knelt between her legs once more. ‘I think the first adventure we should undertake is my exploration of your body. Don’t you?’

He didn’t give her time to answer before he placed his mouth over a nipple, drawing it into his mouth, licking and pulling until her fingers stole into his hair.

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