Page 26 of Prince She Shouldn’t Crave (Royal House of Halrovia #2)

No. She didn’t have to think about it now.

She’d go back to Isolobello, figure out her family’s problems and then think about herself.

Her aim had always been to secure her future and her finances first and then, maybe, consider a man in her life.

Even though the idea of another man left a sour sensation in her gut.

She was a loyal person, that was all. Lena didn’t believe in cheating.

She allowed herself this, Gabriel’s tenderness.

Because it was nice to know there was someone who might think about her, who seemed to care.

For a few moments, she just rested her head on his chest. Listening to the solid sound of his heartbeat as he cradled her in his arms. Letting her tears silently fall.

Lena realised she’d never really cried about this before.

She’d spent her whole life trying to rein in her emotions, so nobody could hurt her.

She wanted to be soft and vulnerable, just for a little while. She owed herself that much.

She drew in a shuddering breath. Gabe pulled back. Lena tried to look down at the floor so he wouldn’t see her tears. He placed his fingers gently under her chin and tilted her head up.

‘Lena,’ he murmured, his voice full of concern. ‘Do you want any more to eat?’

She shook her head. Wiped her face. ‘Why do I always seem to cry around you?’

‘I wish you were crying because of pleasure, not pain.’

A kindle of heat ignited at her core. She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want looks of pity or sympathy. He was right. He could give her something else. Pleasure sounded good. Pleasure could wipe away the pain, the fear. It was what she wanted more than anything in this moment—to simply forget.

‘You’d prefer to see me with tears of pleasure rather than pain? Then there’s something you can do about that,’ Lena said, stepping in close to him once more. Placing her hand on his chest. ‘I want you to take me to bed.’

‘I want you to take me to bed.’

Lena’s tears of sadness almost broke him.

He couldn’t bear to see her like this, yet he knew what her request was all about—avoidance.

Hadn’t he buried himself in a warm, willing body more than once in the past, trying to forget things in his own life?

But this was different. Something about her was different.

Whilst he could happily give Lena exactly what she craved right now, he wanted to make sure it was the right thing for her.

He knew that he could bring a look of ecstasy to her face.

That he could make her forget everything that caused this sadness.

Maybe it really didn’t matter, allowing Lena to run away from her problems for a little while.

He could do that for her, then maybe she wouldn’t mind him exploring legal options with his lawyers, to see if there was any way of getting money for the family to which they had to be entitled, given her father had still been supporting them when he died.

There must be some bequest for them, no matter how ‘complicated’ things were.

‘I’m happy to take you to bed and make love to you till everything but us is forgotten. But I want to be sure that it’s the right thing for you.’

‘It’s what I want. I want to forget for a little while, remember what it’s like to feel alive.’

Yet somehow, it felt wrong. As if he wasn’t solving any problem at all.

There was a story there, and one day he’d get to the bottom of it.

He had a terrible suspicion that she was holding something back from him.

Still, she was entitled to her secrets in this affair they were having—though part of him rebelled at classing it as that.

Why did he feel as though that word cheapened everything, when what they had between them felt like so much more?

Sure, there’d been no promises of a future, only a ‘now’.

He took a deep breath. ‘Now’ was all that he could give her, even though, in this moment, it didn’t feel like enough.

Still, she wanted him to pretend that everything was okay?

If that was all she’d allow, that was the gift he’d grant her.

‘Then come into my bedroom,’ he said.

It was as if all the tension leached out of her. She seemed to slump a little before coming back into herself.

‘Thank you.’

He hated that she thanked him as if he were doing her some favour. Later he’d question why she was like this. For now, he’d ratchet up the tension, play whatever game she needed to forget.

‘You want me to make you scream?’ he asked as she hurried after him.

‘Yes.’

She stopped at the end of his bed. He couldn’t wait to get her out of her dress. Tonight, a beautiful halter neck, patterned with what looked like peacock feathers. The fine fabric of her skirt drifting around her body.

‘Undo the halter,’ he commanded. Her pupils darkened and lips parted.

She reached behind her neck and tugged. Her top fell free, exposing Lena’s breasts, the perfect handful.

Her skin a warm gold. He stalked forwards, cupped her breasts.

Her nipples tight and dusky. Gabe stroked his thumbs over the diamond-hard peaks.

So beautiful, irresistible. Her nipples tightened even further with his attention.

He pinched them. Not too hard, just enough.

Her eyelids fluttered shut and she moaned.

‘I love how responsive you are, yet tonight, I demand silence,’ he said as he kept up his ministrations. Teasing her pebbled flesh.

Her eyes flew open. ‘What?’

She sounded almost drunk with desire. Lena wanted pleasure to make her forget? He’d heighten it a thousandfold.

‘You might want to scream. What I want is quiet. You scream. I stop. You’re silent, and I’ll give you all the pleasure you need. Do you agree to my rules?’

He’d make her mindless with trying to comply. To fight her instincts. Of course he’d never leave her unsatisfied. Even if she did scream, he wouldn’t stop, although he might tease. But he looked forward to her attempts to hold everything in. How she’d break under his lips and hands.

She nodded. ‘Yes.’

‘Good.’

He stalked to the head of the bed, grabbed his pillows and propped them up against the bedhead before returning to her.

‘Turn round,’ he said. Lena did. Gabe traced a finger down her spine and goosebumps dusted her skin.

He drew the zip of her dress down. It fell from her hips to the floor, leaving her only in fine lace panties.

Gabe placed his palm on her belly. Drew her back to him so she could feel his hardness.

How much he wanted her. Then he kissed the back of her neck, the side at the juncture of her shoulder, till she squirmed, pressing her backside against his body. Inflaming him. He gritted his teeth.

‘Shoes off. On the bed propped up on the pillows.’

As she obeyed he turned off the lamps. He’d spent time decorating this room with candles as well. The soft light flickered, painting her in light and shadow.

Gabe slowly undid his shirt, tugged it out of his trousers. Cast it aside. Lena propped herself on her elbows, watching as he put on a show.

‘Relax back,’ he said as he came forwards onto the bed, sliding her panties down her legs. Dropping them on the floor. Her gaze looked almost out of focus, but she was now nestled deep into the down pillows, as he’d demanded.

He sat on the bed next to her, his hand tracing down her stomach, fingers slipping between her legs, which fell open at his touch.

‘What’s my rule again?’

‘You want silence,’ she whispered.

He smiled, kept stroking her. Lena’s hips beginning to move in time with his rhythm. She was so wet. If he kept going much longer she’d come, he was sure of it.

‘And what happens if you scream?’

‘You stop.’ Her voice was almost a whimper.

‘That’s right, but you won’t scream, will you? You won’t make any noise at all.’

She shook her head. He stopped touching her. Lena opened her mouth as if to object, then closed it again.

‘I want you to watch what I’m doing to you,’ he said.

He manoeuvred himself between her legs. Lay on the bed. Her eyes widened. ‘Just lie back and enjoy.’

Her legs opened further to accommodate his shoulders as he propped himself on his forearms and dropped his head between her legs.

Traced his tongue over her. The sweet salt, the scent of her arousal.

He groaned. It would be a challenge to see who’d come last. He was so aroused, craving her orgasm almost as much as his own.

He wanted her mindless, replete. Forgetting everything but his lips, tongue, hands.

He didn’t know if she watched—all his focus was on her pleasure.

Her breaths came heavy and fast. Panting as he stroked her flesh with his tongue.

Concentrating on her clitoris, the centre of her pleasure.

Her body trembled as she fought not to cry out.

Her fingers gripping the coverlet till they blanched white.

Gabe knew she needed more. He slid one finger inside, then another.

Her legs shook, as if an earthquake were overtaking her body.

Her back arching off the bed. His fingers slick with her arousal.

He wasn’t sure she was even breathing when he stopped the relentless rhythm of his tongue and sucked.

She stilled. Stiffened, then broke in two.

A high-pitched keening noise shattering the room.

He didn’t care. His plan had never been to deny her, but to give her everything.

She pulsed around him as he waited for her to come down from her orgasm.

Then he moved up to her. Lay on his back.

Took her, lax and replete, into his arms.

Hoped, for a while, he’d allowed her to forget.

‘It’ll be fine, Lena,’ he murmured. ‘It’ll all work out.’

As he said the words, Gabe wasn’t sure whether he was talking about her family problems, or their time together.