groaned and deepened the kiss.
His tongue surged into her mouth and Kalena got a sample of the fire in him. She whispered his name, her voice hoarse with pleasure.
Eyes closed, her mouth flowering under his, Kalena was only dimly aware of Ridge's hands on the fastening of her tunic. A moment later she felt the beautiful material slip to the floor, forming a pool of soft color at her feet. She was left wearing only thin, narrow trousers and soft velvet boots. Kalena was bared to his touch from the waist and the knowledge made her insides tighten with anticipation and desire.
"You have a dancer's back," Ridge murmured wonderingly, letting his fingers knead the sensitive curve above her lush buttocks. "Very proud, very elegant. How did a farmer's daughter absorb such pride and elegance into her very bones?"
But he wasn't waiting for an answer. He urged Kalena closer until her nipples touched his chest through the opening of his shirt. Crisp, masculine hair teased the sensitive tips of her breasts until she couldn't tell if the sensation was exquisitely exciting or exquisitely painful. She sucked in her breath and pulled back slightly.
"Don't be afraid of me, Kalena. I'm going to be your husband. It will be my duty and my pleasure to take care of you. Relax and learn to trust me, sweet wife-to-be. You must learn to trust me."
Ridge lowered her down onto the pallet and knelt on the rug in front of her. Steadying herself once more with her hands on his shoulders, Kalena watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he carefully removed her boots.
"Are you very sure, Ridge?" She wasn't certain of the exact nature of her question, but knew that she needed some kind of assurance from him.
"I'm very sure." He eased her back against the pillows and flattened his hand on her soft stomach. When she looked up at him with a wordless longing, he murmured something under his breath and stroked the delicate trousers down to her ankles in one easy, sweeping motion.
For a moment he simply gazed at her, and then, sitting on the pallet, he impatiently yanked off his own boots. He got to his feet, golden eyes gleaming down at her in the shadows. He discarded his shirt and unbuckled his belt. The sheathed sintar clattered lightly as it struck the floor beside the pallet. With one last, swift movement, he was naked.
Kalena looked at Ridge, fascinated by the hard, male shape of him. She had lived all of her life in the country and had been raised by a professional Healer, but she had never seen an unclothed man before.
She was absorbed by the sight of Ridge, and put the image of him into the only context she knew.
He was a fine male animal in his prime, smoothly muscled and boldly, aggressively formed. The taut planes of his chest gave way to the flat, hard surface of his stomach. Below that the powerful outline of his manhood was enlarged and heavy with the unmistakable evidence of his desire.
"Do you like looking at me, country girl?"
"Yes," she whispered, vividly aware of his strong hands on her waist as he came down beside her.
"Then we're in luck. Because I like looking at you. Very much."
He moved his hand to her breast, cupping her gently as he bent his head to taste the skin of her throat.
Kalena stirred beneath him as he used his thumb to tease and tantalize a nipple. Her hands went around him instinctively.
"Go ahead and touch me." Ridge groaned heavily as she obeyed. "You're so soft, so beautifully soft and round and warm," he muttered against the curve of her breast. Then he was taking the erect nipple into his mouth, tugging gently until Kalena cried out softly. "That's it, my love. Those are the words I want to hear tonight."
His hand slid lower, shaping the small curve of her waist and finding the gentle roundness below. Kalena's breath came more quickly as the sensual heat was stoked higher in her body. The fire in Ridge was reaching out to consume her. She let her own hands slip down the length of him, delighting in the
His tongue surged into her mouth and Kalena got a sample of the fire in him. She whispered his name, her voice hoarse with pleasure.
Eyes closed, her mouth flowering under his, Kalena was only dimly aware of Ridge's hands on the fastening of her tunic. A moment later she felt the beautiful material slip to the floor, forming a pool of soft color at her feet. She was left wearing only thin, narrow trousers and soft velvet boots. Kalena was bared to his touch from the waist and the knowledge made her insides tighten with anticipation and desire.
"You have a dancer's back," Ridge murmured wonderingly, letting his fingers knead the sensitive curve above her lush buttocks. "Very proud, very elegant. How did a farmer's daughter absorb such pride and elegance into her very bones?"
But he wasn't waiting for an answer. He urged Kalena closer until her nipples touched his chest through the opening of his shirt. Crisp, masculine hair teased the sensitive tips of her breasts until she couldn't tell if the sensation was exquisitely exciting or exquisitely painful. She sucked in her breath and pulled back slightly.
"Don't be afraid of me, Kalena. I'm going to be your husband. It will be my duty and my pleasure to take care of you. Relax and learn to trust me, sweet wife-to-be. You must learn to trust me."
Ridge lowered her down onto the pallet and knelt on the rug in front of her. Steadying herself once more with her hands on his shoulders, Kalena watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he carefully removed her boots.
"Are you very sure, Ridge?" She wasn't certain of the exact nature of her question, but knew that she needed some kind of assurance from him.
"I'm very sure." He eased her back against the pillows and flattened his hand on her soft stomach. When she looked up at him with a wordless longing, he murmured something under his breath and stroked the delicate trousers down to her ankles in one easy, sweeping motion.
For a moment he simply gazed at her, and then, sitting on the pallet, he impatiently yanked off his own boots. He got to his feet, golden eyes gleaming down at her in the shadows. He discarded his shirt and unbuckled his belt. The sheathed sintar clattered lightly as it struck the floor beside the pallet. With one last, swift movement, he was naked.
Kalena looked at Ridge, fascinated by the hard, male shape of him. She had lived all of her life in the country and had been raised by a professional Healer, but she had never seen an unclothed man before.
She was absorbed by the sight of Ridge, and put the image of him into the only context she knew.
He was a fine male animal in his prime, smoothly muscled and boldly, aggressively formed. The taut planes of his chest gave way to the flat, hard surface of his stomach. Below that the powerful outline of his manhood was enlarged and heavy with the unmistakable evidence of his desire.
"Do you like looking at me, country girl?"
"Yes," she whispered, vividly aware of his strong hands on her waist as he came down beside her.
"Then we're in luck. Because I like looking at you. Very much."
He moved his hand to her breast, cupping her gently as he bent his head to taste the skin of her throat.
Kalena stirred beneath him as he used his thumb to tease and tantalize a nipple. Her hands went around him instinctively.
"Go ahead and touch me." Ridge groaned heavily as she obeyed. "You're so soft, so beautifully soft and round and warm," he muttered against the curve of her breast. Then he was taking the erect nipple into his mouth, tugging gently until Kalena cried out softly. "That's it, my love. Those are the words I want to hear tonight."
His hand slid lower, shaping the small curve of her waist and finding the gentle roundness below. Kalena's breath came more quickly as the sensual heat was stoked higher in her body. The fire in Ridge was reaching out to consume her. She let her own hands slip down the length of him, delighting in the
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