He returned to his chambers two courses after Serenity left and was shocked at finding her in his rooms dancing. He hadn’t expected her, since they had separate rooms with a wide hallway dividing them. Melchior thought it best that he give his little human bride a chance to hide from him since he hadn’t expected her ready acceptance.
He hadn’t expected her to greet him with a dance, either. She wore a sheer, blue nightgown that came to her knees. One thin strap had already drooped off her shoulder thanks to her movements. Her naked body was clearly visible.
Serenity didn’t falter when Melchior entered the room. She smiled and danced towards him.
“Serenity?”
She said nothing, only moved past him to close the door and turn the latch. She trailed her hand along Melchior’s back as she made her way to his front. Her fingers ran over corded muscles that flexed at her touch. She balled her hands into his vest and dragged it in her wake. She danced away. Melchior allowed her to take the vest with her.
He asked, “How do you know how to dance like this? I know it wasn’t part of your training.” His gaze never left her and he felt his body reacting.
Serenity did a tiny spin and raised her hands over her head, dropping his vest. “I watched the court entertainers and then taught myself. Mother would never approve, you’re right.” She leaned into him and placed a kiss near his heart, then looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “So, I never told her. Only the Hell Hounds know.” She danced away from him with a small leap, then gave a graceful bow that opened into another turn. “And, now, so do you.”
“You’re not scared of what we must do to make this marriage binding?” His gaze followed her every movement but he kept his body still so he wouldn’t startle her. The telltale tightening of his loins was something he knew she couldn’t have missed, even beneath his long loincloth. Her dancing aroused him and not her as a human. A human female could never arouse him.
“Terrified.” She performed three kick steps that landed her in front of him again. “But, I’ll get over it.” She laid her hands on his chest. “I’m your wife and this is part of my duties.”
Melchior lifted his hands above Serenity’s shoulders but hesitated. He didn’t know how to hold her. Humans were more fragile than bhresyas and he didn’t want to hurt her carelessly.
Serenity interpreted his hesitation as uncertainty and decided to get things started. She reached up to the horns on either side of Melchior’s neck much the same way she had at the wedding ceremony. Instead of bringing him to her, she pulled herself up and planted her lips square over his, staring at his surprised expression. She planted her knees on his hips, thus taking her weight off her arms.
Melchior put his hands on her waist, giving her even more support.
She closed her eyes when he responded to her kiss. His lips parted and she slipped her tongue into his mouth, seeking out his. Once they touched, the two edges of Melchior’s forked tongue wrapped around hers and she sighed.
Available in Ebook:
Serenity by D. Reneé Bagby
They can have an everlasting love… if the demon will allow it.
Assassination attempts are nothing new for Princess Serenity. Since before her birth, many enemies have tried to end her life to stop her from fulfilling a marriage treaty that would bring an end to the war between humans and demons. She happily embraces her upcoming role and wants nothing more than to be a loving wife to her new husband, but that may be asking too much in a political union.
King Melchior is not a demon and his people aren’t savage monsters. He proposed the marriage treaty to prove to the humans that he and his people want peace. He didn’t expect to end one battle just to start a new one in his bedroom. No matter how eager his new wife proclaims to be, he has no intention of letting her in his bed or his heart.
The atmosphere of the palace is strained, and the estranged royal couple have made themselves easy targets for attack. The assassins will restart war the moment they kill Serenity, but one magic is strong enough to save her. In order to use it, Melchior must decide which is more important to him—his pride as the ruler of a strong and powerful people or his love for a small, determined human who was brave enough to offer her heart to a demon.
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