Page 33 of A Touch of Charm (Miracles on Harley Street #3)

D espite all her best efforts, Thea could not find Andre anywhere at Cloverdale House. Was it possible that he had returned to Harley Street without telling her?

She convinced Stan to let her take the carriage there, searching for him and when she opened the door to the practice, there was a flurry of activity. Patients waited in the hall, some women chattered excitedly in the apothecary, which had a door ajar, and a man with a small parcel of ice came down the stairs, holding it to his cheek.

There was ice.

Andre couldn’t be far if he was the one to chisel it off the block in the cellar.

“Princess?” a voice came from the side room. “Can I help you?” It was the nurse Mary had liked so much.

“Miss Wendy Folsham?”

The young woman nodded gently. “Is Prince Stan alright?”

“Oh yes. I’m looking for Andre.”

A hollow ache joined the turmoil in her chest—an ache she despised for its weakness.

Wendy showed Thea the way to Andre’s chambers upstairs. Thea knocked.

“I’m not home,” came Andre’s voice. He’d left without speaking to her.

The anger wanted to bloom, demanded it, but so too did hurt. There was no room in her heart for both, and yet both surged, unwilling to be silenced. She swallowed hard, forcing her chin up, though the trembling of her shoulders betrayed her.

“Me neither,” she called back.

The door opened abruptly. “Thea! What are you doing here?

“I could ask you the same! Where have you been?”

His eyes narrowed, and Thea entered his small but neat room, shutting the door behind her. An overstuffed bookshelf leaned against the wall, with a desk, lamp, wash basin, and bed. But what Thea noticed was that the scent of Andre was amplified in this room. This was him, raw and unkempt in simple beige breeches and a white linen shirt.

“I’ve been looking for you at Cloverdale House, and you didn’t return.”

“I can’t be with you, Thea. I’d drag you down.” His voice sounded unconvinced and sad, as if he were forcing himself to speak to them.

“That’s not true. Everything I know about tells me you would only lift me up.”

He dropped his head and avoided her gaze.

Thea’s heart leaped at the sight of this firm, tall, and ruggedly handsome man with the manners and breeding of a prince but the golden hands of the doctor. “You’re too humble.”

She crinkled her nose. “It doesn’t suit you.”

At that, he met her gaze. “Humility has nothing to do with insufficiency. I wish I were enough for you, but I can’t ever be. And now that you know why, I can bear the loss. I knew I couldn’t have you, but losing you hurts even more.”

She knew what he meant, of course. Although he was born an illegitimate child, his parents married and gave birth to his siblings after that. By blood, he was a Habsburg. He could just never be legitimized.

“Let me ask you this. If I told you that my parents had me out of wedlock, would you feel differently about me?” Thea asked.

He swept toward her, put his arms on her shoulders, and let them rise slowly to her cheeks until he cupped her face and drew her closer. “Nothing in the world, especially no trifles like society’s rules and technicalities, could ever affect how deeply and fiercely I love you, Thea.”

“That’s exactly how I feel.”

He exhaled, and his hands melted off her. Then he took a step back. “Thea, this is different. You’re a princess. A princess! I’m nothing.”

Enough was enough.

“First of all, I may be a princess, but that doesn’t mean that all the men in my life, my father, my brothers, and now you have the right to tell me what to think, do, and feel. I love you and don’t need anybody’s permission but yours to show it.”

“Show it?”

She had his attention again.

Good!

“Second, I am supposed to become a Habsburg, and besides your sister Anna, you’re the only one I’ve ever met—and I know most of them personally or by reputation—who has a beating human heart inside that rock-hard ribcage of yours.”

“Ribs are bones; they’re supposed to be hard.”

“Well, the ribs, maybe, but everything about you is just so… so…” She sucked in the air between her lips and then bit her lower lip. “Hard.”

“Hard? Yes, so hard, difficult, Thea.” He took a step back and almost reached the door with his back. “But it shouldn’t be so difficult.”

“It’s not difficult at all.”

“Yes, it is! I can’t stop thinking about it, and no matter how I look at it, there’s no angle here that I can use to set things right.”

“I’m not a dislocated shoulder, Andre; this is my life. And my heart.”

“And I won’t break it.”

“Then you have no choice but to be with me.”

He blew out the air. “Thea—”

“I mean it.”

“It’s too difficult.” His protest sounded even less convincing now, yet he seemed to resist her with all his might.

“Then let me explain it for you.” Thea spoke in her governess voice that she’d reserved for Mary, but apparently, the most accomplished orthopedist in London needed a lesson. “I love you.”

He slumped.

“Wait!” She held out her index finger to enumerate the elements of this theory that would make her—make her heart—whole, she hoped. “You love me, don’t you?”

His eyes found hers and glistened with something black as if there were a void only she could fill.

“That’s what I hoped. Good. So it’s a simple equation: a plus b makes—”

“Thea, we’re not variables. There’s no way to recalculate that I’m just not enough.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You’re just right for me. No other variable—person—that fits into the equation… heart… life, I mean… argh! Andre, why don’t you understand that you are the only one right for me?”

He swallowed hard and looked rueful. His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he didn’t speak.

“The decision is mine. If everyone thinks I have such authority in diplomacy and importance for the kingdom, how is it that nobody thinks I can know my heart enough to decide—with all I am—that it beats for you?”

“Thea,” he rasped, his voice dropping.

“Don’t Thea me, Andre! This is between you and me, a man and a woman. If you want me, allow me to decide to give myself to you.” Her index finger bore into his chest. “You don’t need anybody else’s permission.”

Thea stood in the middle of Andre’s bedchamber, her heart thudding so fiercely she could almost feel it in her throat, and then… she felt something change. Although the room was only dimly lit, the soft flicker of the gas light cast long shadows on the walls; it seemed as bright as if a new dawn had brought on another chapter in her life. The clip-clopping of hooves from the street outside served as a reminder of the world beyond these walls. But there, at 87 Harley Street, they were finally alone, and nothing else mattered.

Andre squared his shoulders as if he’d come to a new realization. He fumbled behind his back, and Thea noticed that he had turned the key in the door, the metallic click echoing in the stillness. He looked at Thea, his dark eyes searching hers for the implicit permission she had already granted with a nod. Her breath hitched as he stepped closer, deftly untying the band that held his white linen shirt together at the neck. The shirt fell open, revealing the expanse of his chest, and the distance between them evaporated.

“Then take what you want and claim me, Your Royal Highness.”

She furrowed her brows.

“I mean it. You’re the princess and my superior. Do with me whatever you wish, for I’m yours with heart and soul and for as long as I shall live. If it is truly your wish—”

“It is.”

He exhaled, and his face brightened into a fleeting smile before his gaze locked on her lips.

“I only wish for you.”

“I’m not much,” he protested.

“You’re everything for me. Forever.”

He seemed unable to contradict her now, but when he pressed his lips against hers, Thea gasped, her mouth parting in surprise and desire. Andre deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring with such deliberate intensity that her knees nearly buckled. Each stroke of his tongue sent waves of pleasure coursing through her, making her insides clench and tremble.

Andre’s hands roamed up her back, his touch firm and possessive. He pulled her closer, the heat of his body seeping into hers. His scent—clean linen mixed with a hint of sandalwood—invaded her senses, intoxicating her further. She threaded her fingers through his dark hair, feeling the silken strands slide between her fingers as she pulled him closer. She wanted him, not merely to claim him, but with a ferocity that she couldn’t explain.

Yet, he seemed to know exactly how to proceed. Every touch and kiss of his was precisely what she hadn’t known she needed, and only he could complete her.

His lips left hers, trailing a path of kisses down her jawline and to the sensitive skin of her neck. Thea’s breath came in short, ragged gasps as he nipped and sucked, leaving a trail of heated sensations in his wake. She arched her neck, giving him better access, and he took full advantage, his mouth working magic on her skin.

Thea’s hands moved to his chest, fingers splaying across the hard planes of muscle. She felt the rapid beat of his heart beneath her palm, mirroring her frantic pulse. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her hands explored the contours of his back, feeling the strength and sinew under the smooth skin.

Andre lifted his head, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her shiver. “Thea,” he murmured, his voice rough with desire. “Are you sure you choose me? Here and now and forever?”

She nodded, unable to form words, her body already answering for her. She wanted this—wanted him—with a desperation that bordered on madness if she were denied.

Andre’s hands moved to the laces of her dress, his fingers working quickly to undo the intricate ties. Thea felt the fabric loosen and slip from her shoulders, pooling at her feet. She stood before him in her chemise, the thin fabric doing little to conceal her heaving chest and the stiff peaks of her nipples under her stays.

He gazed at her, his eyes darkening with hunger. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice laden with reverence and longing.

Thea felt a flush creep up her neck. His words and gaze made her feel both exposed and cherished. She reached for him and pulled him back to her. Their bodies pressed together, and the heat between them was almost unbearable.

Andre’s hands slid beneath her chemise, skimming over the smooth skin of her back before cupping her buttocks. He lifted her effortlessly, carrying her to the examination table that doubled as a makeshift bed in his private moments of respite. He set her down gently, his hands never leaving her body.

Thea lay back, her hair fanning out around her like a halo. She watched as Andre shrugged off the rest of his clothes, the candlelight casting a golden glow on his bronzed skin. When he was finally as bare as she, he climbed onto the table, positioning himself above her.

Their eyes met, and a silent understanding passed between them. Andre kissed her again, his mouth claiming hers with a fierce tenderness that made her heartache. His hands caressed her skin, mapping every curve and dip, leaving no inch unexplored.

Thea’s breath came in shallow, staccato bursts as his lips traveled lower, worshipping her body with a devotion that left her trembling. He suckled her breasts, his tongue flicking over the sensitive peaks until she moaned, arching into his touch.

His hand slid between her thighs, finding her slick and ready. He teased her, his fingers dancing over her most intimate place, coaxing her pleasure higher and higher. Thea writhed beneath him, her body tightening with anticipation and need.

“Please, Andre,” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. “Show me how you feel.”

*

He obliged, positioning himself at her entrance.

“I don’t know how not to hurt you,” he said, frozen and looking down.

“I want to feel you all over,” Thea said, surprised at the urgency in her voice. She knew she was out of control, but she was so full of anticipation that she was both giddy with joy and quivering with excitement. Andre was perfect in every way that mattered, as a human being with a big heart, and she had no reservations about giving herself.

But what she didn’t anticipate was how much he could give her.

When he entered her, she felt a slight burn. He paused for an instant, but not too long. Then, with a slow, deliberate thrust, he entered her, filling her. Thea gasped, her hands clutching at his shoulders as he moved within her. He was large and complex. Somehow, she hadn’t expected him to fit inside of her as he did, but she considered it for a moment, pressed her hips against his, and it felt right. Oh, so right! The sensation was overwhelming, a perfect blend of pleasure and pain, making her feel more alive than ever before.

The discomfort had subsided momentarily, and she felt their bodies meld into perfect harmony.

“Does it hurt?” Andre asked, concern etched on his face.

“You feel as good inside my body as in my heart,” Thea rasped.

Andre held Thea’s gaze, his words a tender caress. “Thea, you are the flame in my heart and the calm in my soul. With you, I’ve found the love I never knew I craved, but I do. You’ve become my light and the reason for every heartbeat.”

She inhaled at his words, unsure how to answer. He slid even more profoundly with the motion, and she arched her head back.

She felt her cheeks tighten, her brow furrow because nothing was left to say—they could only show each other how deep their love ran.

Andre set a steady rhythm, each stroke eliciting cries of pleasure from Thea. She matched his movements, meeting him thrust for thrust, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only that moment, that connection, that shared ecstasy.

As the tension built, Andre’s movements became more urgent, and his control slipped. Thea felt herself nearing the edge, the pressure mounting almost unbearable. They both shattered with a final, powerful thrust, the release crashing over them like a tidal wave.

Andre collapsed onto her, his breath hot against her neck. They lay there, tangled in each other, their hearts pounding in unison. Thea’s body hummed with the aftershocks of their lovemaking, a contented smile playing on her lips.

At that moment, she knew she was irrevocably his and he, hers. There was no going back, no denying the truth of what they had become together.

Andre lifted his head, his eyes soft and filled with a tenderness that melted her heart. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, his thumb tracing the curve of her cheek. “Thea,” he whispered, his voice a gentle caress. “I love you so very much.”

Tears welled in her eyes, not from sorrow but from his words’ overwhelming joy and certainty. She cupped his face, her thumb brushing over his lips. “I love you too, Andre,” she replied, her voice steady and sure. And she’d hold on to him forever.