Page 12 of The Warrior’s Forbidden Virgin

Katherine had never seen the knight so flustered. His face was red, and he was staring at the grove of trees as though he expected them to catch fire.

Her heart softened toward him, knowing that she had unsettled him so. He made her feel powerful, as though she could say or do anything and he would never leave her.

His marriage offer had taken her by surprise, but when she’d thought more about it, she believed it was a good match. Even after she’d fainted, Ademar hadn’t chastised her or looked upon her with disgust. He’d taken care of her.

By the saints, she didn’t know her own feelings right now. She wanted to lie beside him this night. She wanted to fall asleep with his arms around her, taking strength from him.

His head wound had held closed since she’d stitched it, though it wasn’t fully healed. She was proud of having faced her fears. But Ademar could have been killed by Lord Ceredys’s guards. The thought sent a shiver through her, for she was starting to question her feelings for this man.

“I would have…have helped your sister anyway,” Ademar confessed. “You don’t have to sacrifice yourself by wedding me.”

His words caught her unawares. It was as if he didn’t believe she wanted to be betrothed to him.

“It’s not a sacrifice, Ademar.” She left the shelter of the tent and went to kneel beside him. Taking his hands in hers, she settled them around her waist. Touch me, she thought. I need you.

Especially now, for she was letting go of Ewan. She needed to reaffirm that she was desirable, that nothing was wrong with her.

Ademar bent down, leaning his cheek against her hair. “I don’t want you to have regrets.”

“We have friendship between us.” Lifting her gaze to his blue eyes, she added, “Perhaps more.”

She brought his face down to hers, kissing him again. She explored his firm mouth, trying to tempt him to kiss her back.

When he did, he made her forget what she’d been trying to do. His mouth took possession of hers, his tongue sliding inside while he plundered her. His hands moved to fill up with her breasts, caressing and teasing the nipples.

He pulled her onto his lap, and she straddled his waist, feeling his hard length between her thighs. Ademar cupped her bottom, riding her against him in a new form of torment.

Against her neck, he murmured, “You shouldn’t have…have started this.”

Katherine was trembling with a dark need for him, the need to be taken. It didn’t matter that it would take time to finalize the betrothal and wedding. She didn’t care about the ceremonial bedding and everything expected of them. She wanted him to lie with her this night. She wanted to seduce him, to ensnare him the way he’d tantalized her. And she had no doubt that he would exorcise Ewan from her mind.

“Finish it, Ademar. Touch me the way you did that night.”

He glanced back toward the fire. “Be certain this is what you want.”

She rose, removing her garments until her shift pooled at her ankles. “I am certain.”

Ademar inhaled at the sight of her, his eyes burning with intense need. She was hardly aware of how long it took him to remove his own clothing, but he guided her inside the tent, drawing the flap closed.

The space was tiny, barely enough for one, let alone two. His large body wrapped around hers, his legs tangling up with her own. The hot male skin took her breath away, and she found herself growing wet when his hard manhood nestled against her. He lifted her leg around his waist, nudging himself at her entrance.

She shuddered at the contact, wanting him to slide deep inside her. But he caressed the skin at her waist, kissing her lips and face. “You’re the most beautiful woman I-I’ve ever seen.”

She smiled in the darkness and noticed that his hands were shaking. “Have you truly never been with a woman before?” She slid her palms over his back, and the soft hair of his chest brushed against her breasts, arousing her even more.

“No.” His hands moved over her bottom, reaching between her legs to the wetness of her entrance. Katherine gasped at the contact, moaning when he inserted his finger. “But I’ve dreamed of being with you.”

“What did you dream of?” she whispered, trembling when he stroked her womanhood, sliding deep inside and then out again.

He gave a low laugh. “My dreams were nothing compared to this.”

Her breathing quickened when she felt him rub his erection against her in shallow strokes. Then he raised her hips and guided the tip of himself inside.

“Tell me what you like,” he murmured. “I’ll do whatever you ask. What—whatever feels good to you.” He moved her body until she was sitting atop him, his thick hardness barely within her most intimate place.

She didn’t know how she dared to tell him. But instead, she guided his hand to her breast. For a moment, he teased her nipple until it grew hard, and then he startled her when he sat up slightly and covered it with his mouth. With his tongue, he traced the outline of her nipple, flicking it against the tip while her body took his manhood deeper. He caressed her other breast with his hand, and she grew wet between her legs at his touch. She was sliding against him, her body weight sheathing him.

Tight. It was so unbearably tight and hot as he breached the barrier of her innocence. And yet nothing in the world would make her let him go.