In this moment she felt powerful. Sensual. Desired. She played with the hem of her dress, slowly revealing more leg, hip, stomach and breast as she pulled it over her head. Every cell in her body felt alive as she knew he watched her. His shortened breaths when he saw her in her black lace bra and panties made every second worthsavoring.
He traced her skin and it felt like she was a flower about to bloom. He stared at her breasts and said, "Take that off. I want to see allofyou."
"Likewise," she said and he tugged his slacks off and threw them in one perfect swiftmotion.
She unclasped her bra and her breasts stayed pert for his everyattention.
He stroked her nipples. His touch was at first light but became firm. She studied his body, muscles all over, her breasts heavy with need. "Look at me," heinsisted.
She stared into his eyes, brown with flecks of green. The sensation of being his and enjoying every second coursed through her veins. “Take me,Antonio.”
He kissed her neck and she backed up toward the bed, her legs bumping the mattress. She put her arms around his shoulders and felt his hands on her hips, and knew without a doubt she'd say yes.I willmarryyou.
Chapter9
Antonio heldKristin close to his bare chest, their bodies cooling after intense love play. He’d brought her to the guardhouse to share his past, to convince her with words to be his wife. But their physical attraction had overcomeconversation.
Antonio's body still felt relaxed. Everything about Kristin was better than he’d expected. Before he met her, he had read her personality profile at least a hundred times while he avoided looking at her picture too much. He had her entire life history in his computer files to gather everything he could about her. He had trusted his logic skills far more than physical, and he’d dismissed caring as an essential component to his would-bewife.
He had gathered files on about ten women who might match before he used his last demand, her physical looks, to truly decide. His brother Lucio had been the opposite and claimed he needed to have a physical connection if he must bemarried.
Kristin was the logical choice and even more so now that he understood they could be like this. Her naked body next to his sent embers of desire through him, even after what they’d justshared.
Reluctantly, he sat up and tugged on his pants. "We should probably head back to thepalace."
"Yes, Antonio." Kristin slipped out ofthebed.
She walked to the modern bathroom attached to the room to get ready. They had already washed and cleaned off, but the dawn of evening meant they could dawdle, and holding her in his arms was more pleasant than he expected. Now that she wasn't in his arms as he tucked in his shirt, he already felt a loss. He lifted his eyebrow. "Kristin?"
"Yes?" She tied her sneakers, then flipped her hair over her shoulder to glanceathim.
She truly glowed. His heart whispered that he wanted no other bride. He slipped his black shoes on as he felt a genuine smile grow on his lips. "You seemhappier."
"I am." She winked at him and checked herself in the bathroom mirror so that her clothes were allstraight.
He joined her by the mirror and took her hand in his, acknowledging the spark he’d felt with no other. "Good. Want to give a hint on what I must do to get you to marrymenow?"
She looked up at him with her face still flushed from their afternoon. Her smile was hypnotic. "Askme."
"What?" He blinked. Had he heard her correctly? He swallowed and tried nottomove.
Her voice grew softer. "Ask merightnow."
He went down on one knee on the bathroom floor. She swayed and stared at him with wide blue eyes. She was the best thing that ever happened in his life, and his chest puffed with pride. "Kristin Wells, will youmarryme?"
She nodded with her eyes misting and tugged for him to stand. The moment he did, she threw her arms around him andsaid, "Yes."
"Really?" He hugged her waist, lifting her off the ground. Kristin was his now and for the rest of theirlives.
She brushed his jaw and laughed. "Why do you sound surprised? I couldn’tsayno."
He put her back on the ground, but his heart still beat faster than normal. "I haven’t been able to think straight since you spilled your pocketbook in my office. You bent over and I saw the sliver of delicate skin at your throat, the way you blinked behind your glasses, the peek of thigh when you crossed your legs and your dress inched up. Another woman might have run from embarrassment but you held your own and captured my admiration. I had tochooseyou."
She tilted her head and somehow she made him feel alive in a way he never had been. "If being with you is like this, then we should bemarried."
He brushed her hair away from her soft face and inhaled her rosy scent though she wore no perfume and then lowered his head forakiss.
She tasted better than any other woman, like spice and wine and chocolate. Somehow he'd found the woman that men whispered about as special. Their fingers interlaced and they walked to the door that he held open for her. "We'll stop at the local jeweler, if you’d like, and you can pick out your ring. I'm sure my mother mentioned some ancient ring I'm to give you once we tell her overdinner."
