One Night with the Forbidden Princess (Monteverre Marriages 1)

‘Isn’t that against the rules? Looking into my eyes?’

Was that her voice? That husky murmur? She could feel her heart hammering hard and slow in her chest. It was as though the simple act of being near him sent her vitals into chaos.

‘I’ve always hated rules.’

His mouth tightened, and tension spread through his hands and up his arms so that they felt like bands of iron on her shoulders rather than flesh and bone.

She bit her bottom lip as shivers spread down her arms. Roman’s eyes lowered to take in the movement, his pupils darkening as he pressed his lips together hard. She thought he might kiss her. He certainly looked as though he wanted to.

But she saw the moment that something changed in his eyes—something that made his mouth harden and his eyes shift away from her once more.

For one crazy moment she wondered what it might be like to lean across and kiss all that tension from his mouth. To just take a wild leap and not care about the consequences.

And then all of a sudden she was doing it.

She closed the gap between them and laid her mouth against his, feeling his shocked intake of breath as their lips connected and her breasts pressed flush against the hard, strong plane of his chest.

* * *

He was going to hell.

There were no two ways about it.

Roman felt something inside him roar to life the moment Olivia’s lips gently touched his, her feather-light caresses against his mouth almost completely undoing him. His hands found their way to her hair, releasing the clasp that held it wound at the nape of her neck.

He was letting this happen.

More than that, he wanted it so badly it made him ache.

She gave just as good as she got, her hands travelling over his shoulders and down his waist. Sharp fingernails grasped his hips just above his jeans. The sensation sent pulses of heat southwards and he felt himself grow hard against his zip.

The fleeting thought of stopping the madness came and went quickly as Olivia moved against him, her abdomen in direct contact with his erection. Far from being shocked or appalled, she kissed him even harder.

Their breath mingled into one frantic cloud of white-hot need. He kissed a trail down her neck, his hands sweeping deftly to the front closures of her blouse. With each satisfying click he was treated to a delicious sliver of creamy soft skin and the smallest glimpse of white lace.

Her breasts were small and firm, perfectly rounded and straining against the lace fabric of her bra. With one hand he reached behind her, undoing the clasp.

She exhaled long and slow, biting her lip as he pulled the garment away and lowered his mouth to her breast. Her skin tasted like a smooth ripe peach, the softness unbelievable against his tongue.

As he drew one peak into his mouth she hissed out a breath. ‘Roman...’ she breathed in awe.

Her fingers wound through his hair, anchoring him to her as he explored one taut peak and then gave ample attention to the other.

Their position on the steps made things difficult. It would be so easy to carry her down to the landing below and take her hard and fast on the floor. He could tell she was ready for him by the way she moaned at the slightest touch. She was his for the taking...

Except, she wasn’t, was she?

The thought stilled him, stopping his body mid-motion.

She wasn’t his.

Roman stepped away from her as though he’d been burned. His breath escaped his nostrils in harsh bursts as

his body screamed in protest. He cursed out loud, his voice echoing in the cavernous space as he realised what he had been doing. What his body was still deeply invested in doing.

Olivia fell back at an uncomfortable angle, her breasts still bared to him. She looked up, confused and flushed.

‘That shouldn’t have happened,’ he breathed, bracing his back against the cold wall and forcing himself to look away from the tantalising curves on display.