The Formidable King Read online

  ‘I want to.’

  Gabe saw the desire in her eyes, but he also saw the uncertainty. ‘India, I want very much to be your lover. Of course, I want to find my physical fulfilment with you. But, even more importantly, I want to help you break through the reserves and fears you have. I want to help you enjoy lovemaking with me and to banish your nightmares forever.’ He brushed his lips over hers, coaxing her to trust him. ‘We have a lifetime together. We’ll take it slowly and keep building your trust one step at a time. If you’ll let me, we can start tonight. If not, we’ll wait until you feel the time’s right.’

  He saw the hesitancy in her eyes. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Gabe. The last time I tried, the guy nearly ended up needing to consult a plastic surgeon for the damage I did to his face with my nails.’

  Gabriel laughed at the image her words conjured. ‘Sweetheart, had you been open with him about your past?’

  ‘No, of course not. I was too embarrassed—too ashamed.’

  ‘You had nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed about, but you were on a mission. You thought you felt comfortable with that guy, but you hadn’t told him the truth.’ He ran his hand over her silky soft hair. ‘I’m thinking you couldn’t have felt entirely comfortable with him or you would’ve told him first.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right.’

  ‘I know what you’ve been through. I’m sensitive to your fears.’ He dipped his head again and claimed her lips in a light kiss, then murmured against her mouth, ‘We have trust and respect as well as desire. I promise you, you’ll never feel threatened by me and your nails will never score my face.’ He winked at her. ‘My back might be another story.’

  She smiled, then nestled her face against his shoulder on a sigh.

  Gabe lost track of time as he simply held her and stroked up and down her spine, but it seemed like an eternity passed before she moved so she could look up at him.

  ‘You’re right. I trust you and I want you to help me through the block I have. I want very much to have a normal marriage.’

  ‘Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here for you.’

  India’s smile was full of her trust. ‘That’s what I’m telling you. I’m ready. I want to start. Tonight.’

  The full force of the responsibility she’d entrusted him with hit hard. Even upon his coronation, he’d never felt like he was about to take on a task of this level of importance.

  He kissed her again. ‘Just relax and keep remembering, you’re with me. You have control, India. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, all you need to do is tell me.’

  Chapter 16

  She could do this.

  Looking up into the deep blue eyes of the man she loved, India wanted to try.

  If she froze—if she lashed out and scratched at him, Gabriel would understand. He’d be patient with her.

  He understood her.

  He loved her.

  No more holding back. She thought of the seagull she’d seen outside Gabriel’s window and how she’d envied the bird’s freedom to soar. Nobody was holding her back, least of all Gabriel. India was doing that and it was time she stopped.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered as a self-affirmation. Such a little word, carrying a mountain of meaning. ‘I love you, Gabe. I trust you.’

  Relief broke over his features as he cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head slowly and deliberately. There was a promise in his eyes—a promise to cherish her.

  Anticipation escalated through her and her pulse pounded at the base of her throat. The sense of intimacy between them increased as her breath mingled with his.

  ‘We’ll take it slowly, darling.’ He whispered the promise.

  He used his teeth to nip gently at the fullness of her lower lip before his tongue tip swept over the spot in a soothing action. Then his tongue delved deeper to tangle and dart with hers in an erotic foray she found tantalising and incredibly seductive.

  Gabriel meshed his long fingers into the golden curtain of her hair. Fingertips massaging against her skull, he urged her to tilt her head so he could gain greater access to the sensitive flesh at the column of her throat.

  Lifting her hand to his cheek, trailing her fingertips hesitantly over the roughness of the stubble at his jawline, India was thrilled at the masculine-feminine differences between them. The thought of those differences caused a curl of sexual tension low in her pelvis and she increased the intensity of her responses, kissing him back with fierce demand to communicate the fervent desire swamping her.

  True to his promise, he was in no hurry. It was an all-out campaign to drug her senses into a state of sweet bliss as he kissed her with a savouring sensuality that made her press her chest closer to his and wrap her arms up around his shoulders.

  Gabriel shifted her so she sat across his thighs.

  Held securely against his solid strength, their kisses deepened—became hungrier, more demanding. But as he demanded with his mouth, so he gave with his hands. They trailed down her sides, and around her back, searing her with their touch.

  ‘Raise your arms, darling,’ he instructed.

  She did as he bade and her heart kicked as he whisked her silk nightie up over her head and looked down at her, admiring her breasts. Then, in one fluid motion, he got up from the bed with her in his arms and set her on her feet on the floor so she stood in front of him. Her matching pink panties were skimmed off her body with sure hands and fell in a pool of silk at her feet. She would’ve expected to have felt shy with him, but his look of sheer appreciation made her feel gloriously precious and wholly feminine. The way his gaze lingered on the region at the juncture of her thighs made her aware of her body dampening there.

  She shivered.

  ‘Cold?’ he asked.

  ‘No. I think it’s nerves.’

  ‘Remember, communicate with me, sweetheart.’

  He shrugged out of his dark-blue bathrobe, and revealed his perfectly proportioned physique. She was grateful she hadn’t pulled the curtains closed before she’d gone to bed—grateful for the full moon outside which outlined the powerful, muscular planes of his naked torso. Her gaze drifted lower to rest just above his thickly hewn thighs. The jut of his manhood in his dark boxer shorts was unashamedly blatant. It was simultaneously thrilling and threatening to her, and her mouth was suddenly as dry as the Sahara.

  When did he have the time to work out? she wondered vaguely. There’s no way he’d possess such a body without a daily gym session.

  ‘Come closer.’ His voice was gravelly. His need stamped on every feature as she moved closer and he pulled her very slowly against his heated, naked flesh.

  Excitement roared through her.

  Oh God! As much as she wanted to put a little distance between their bodies so she could feast her eyes on his nakedness, having skin-to-skin contact with him was divine.

  The dusting of fine dark hair that covered his chest abraded her sensitive nipples; the hard planes of his chest a perfect contrast to the soft fleshy mounds of her breasts.

  Wanton, wild desire poured through her, washing away all her fears and doubts. Her body was brilliantly alive, aching for a fulfilment she couldn’t even relate to. Hands that had been tentative now clutched at Gabriel’s shoulders. They were eager to explore—to learn the contours of his body—to commit his magnificent body to her tactile memory.

  His hands were on her back, shaping her to him—confidently yet gently. One hand lowered to her naked buttocks. He shifted and her heart jumped in alarm as his powerful erection pressed through his boxers and against the soft flesh of her abdomen.

  India stilled as desire was drenched by cold fear.

  ‘Open your eyes, India,’ Gabe told her.

  Her eyelids flicked up and she looked directly into his intense regard. ‘Keep looking at me.’ Her gaze didn’t leave his as he took her hand and brought it between their bodies. ‘Touch me there.’

  Her palm rested on his penis through the fabric of his underwear. It was the part of
the male anatomy she feared—the one she knew should bring her pleasure even though her only experience of it had caused pain. For a second she closed her eyes.

  ‘Don’t close your eyes, sweetheart, keep looking at me.’

  ‘Gabe.’ Saying his name helped quell the inner panic which started to rise.

  ‘I won’t hurt you, India,’ he promised. ‘Trust me.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Do you feel comfortable lying back on the bed for me? I’ll be careful. I’m not going to put any weight on you. Tonight, I just want to make love to you.’

  When she nodded, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms once again and moved the two paces to the king-sized bed with an athlete’s grace. Setting her down gently, he looked at her with such bone-melting intensity she almost forgot to draw her next breath. She felt the dip of the bed as he kneeled beside her body, then he was reclining alongside her—lowering his head to deliver more drugging kisses.

  ‘I’m only going to bring you pleasure, darling,’ he whispered against her lips.

  He proceeded to make good on his vow, covering her face with tiny, reassuring kisses that made her want to go against all her self-protective instincts and pull him down so she could feel his naked flesh against her own.

  Even if she’d been tempted to urge him on top of her, Gabe seemed to be taking extra care not to place any weight on her. He supported his body with his arms and let his mouth tease her. His teeth grazed the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. He made love to her with his tongue and lips, seeking out every sensitive spot.

  Exquisite tension coiled through her, tightening every muscle until she shifted restively and moaned with unfulfilled need.

  His confident hands stroked slowly down the entire length of her body, chasing fear away and causing a frisson of heat to twist low in her pelvis. The heat spread through her when his hands skimmed around her navel. He slid one hand up and down between her navel and pubic area, then his fingers ventured lower, combing over the curls that lay there.

  Each of his touches was barely there—feather light to the point where it was excruciating, yet electric tingles shot right through her and gathered at the very core of her femininity. She was unable to withstand it any longer. Instinctively she lifted herself up and pressed against his hand, urging him to increase the pressure of his caresses, but instead of heeding her silent plea, he lowered his head. The manly stubble on his chin was erotically abrasive against the smooth skin of her stomach, and when he flicked his tongue into the dip of her navel, she shivered in ecstasy.

  The torture of his tongue circling her navel continued while he raised one hand and brushed the pad of his thumb over the tip of one of her nipples. Then his lips kissed up her flat abdomen on a mission to unleash his carnal skill and use his tongue to lash the other dusky pink nipple.

  Oh God, yes. She remembered these sensations from the night of the ball in Santaliana, when he’d waltzed her off the dance floor and paid homage to her breasts with his mouth.

  Each swirling lave of his tongue worked to bring her nipple to an aching, straining taut bud. India was mindless with pleasure when Gabriel drew her more deeply into his mouth, sucking hard—flicking at the nub with his tongue until she tossed restlessly on the bed, arching into his mouth and making keening noises from the back of her throat like a supplicant beggar.

  He lifted his head away from her breast and his attention wandered to the small triangle of hair he’d been combing with his fingertips just moments before.

  ‘I want to taste all of you,’ he rasped against her chest.

  His declaration caused an uncontrollable rush of moist heat to that spot.

  His hands ran over her breasts again, then worked their way lower with what seemed to be deliberate, agonising slowness intent on escalating her need one notch at a time. His mouth trailed behind his capable hands, kissing every inch of skin they’d touched. Over the swell of her hips, down the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs, behind her knees, and down to the graceful arch of her instep. Each touch opened up a whole new insight for her into the meaning of physical arousal.

  A throaty sound forced its way between her vocal cords when his fingers traced through the pale curls that crowned her feminine mound, and proceeded to press on the small nub of flesh which housed her most sensitive nerve endings.

  Oh, dear Lord, it was divine but torturous pleasure.

  ‘Every inch of you, India.’ His breath was a warm teasing sensation against her inner thighs as he lowered his head between her legs.

  When he stroked his tongue along the seam of her feminine core, her choked-out gasp was in unison with the appreciative murmur from the back of his throat. India scrunched up huge handfuls of bed linen as he delivered the most intimate oral exploration possible. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and tried to stop trembling so she could absorb the sheer bliss of his ministrations. Even while she sensed there was something more waiting for her—something momentous, she didn’t ever want to stop this insane pleasure.

  Her skin prickled all over and she was certain she blushed from head to toe in the wake of his intimacy. Wave after wave of sweet pleasure buffeted at her. Her husband seemed to want to drive her beyond the peak of extreme pleasure. Skilfully, he alternated the tip and blade of his tongue to lick at her. He suckled her nub and worked his teeth against it. And, just when she thought she’d reached the upper limit of pleasure, Gabriel slipped one finger inside her.

  The sudden intrusion jarred her memory back to her rape and made her tense.

  ‘Stay with me, India,’ Gabe said as he worked his finger against her aching centre and resumed his relentless alternating pattern of sucking and lapping.

  His words calmed her.

  This is Gabe. He’ll never hurt me. The mantra went round in her head and she was able to relax.

  Need took over. It swirled tighter within her, demanding she forget every last inhibition and fear and give her complete trust to this man who was her husband.

  Her hips tilted instinctively in a desperate attempt to ease the ravenous, torturous hunger of her body. Every second that passed, she found it easier to give herself over to his care a little more. The acute pleasure he wrought with his mouth overwhelmed her. His skilful finger stoked her passion, as he knew just where to touch and how much pressure to apply so that her inner muscles quivered.

  Gabriel.

  Her inner voice spoke his name.

  It was Gabriel who was with her. It was he who piled one layer of pleasurable sensation on another, causing wanton heat to burn through her. It was Gabriel who coaxed and caressed her. His experienced fingers that played her sexuality like a virtuoso violinist, intent on bringing her delightful desire—determined to wring out every pleasurable sensation he could from her as she moved under him, wild with anticipation.

  Her body burned. Her fingernails scored the flawless skin of his shoulders as her entire being was poised in pleasure bordering upon pain at the edge of an unknown precipice. Longing built to an unbearable pitch and just as excruciating tension gripped her and she lost the ability to take a full breath, a maelstrom of sensation consumed her. It spiralled out of control, forcing her off that precipice so she was flying—her body arching up against him from the bed as sheer euphoric rapture engulfed her and she came apart with the force of years of pent-up desire.

  It was impossible not to cry.

  ‘Hey.’ Gabe’s voice was all concern as he levered himself up and came to lie beside her. ‘Are you okay?’

  Mutely she nodded through her tears. ‘My world... exploded. It was so good. Thank you, Gabe.’

  ‘Feel like a cuddle?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ she told him with a bit of a sniffle. She wanted to snuggle up close to him. Unbelievably, she drew comfort from Gabriel’s masculine strength and felt protected by it. It was such an incredible revelation because she’d always felt so bothered at the thought of a man’s strength in bed—so threatened by it.

  Gabriel lay on his
back and pulled India over so she was lying almost fully on top of him. ‘You enjoyed that intimacy.’

  Heat burned through her cheeks. ‘I did.’

  ‘One step at a time, sweetheart. Tonight was a good start,’ he told her as he ruffled her hair gently with his hand.

  Tonight was a good start, yet despite part of her wanting to just lie here languidly, savouring the memories of the incredible sensations he’d wrought on her body, her love for Gabriel wouldn’t let her.

  Lifting her head up from his chest, she smiled at him. ‘I don’t want to be a passive partner in my own recovery, Gabriel. I love you. I want this to be about us, not just about me.’

  ‘You set the pace, India.’

  Yes. She could do that.

  Moving her body off his so she was half reclined next to him, she let her gaze wander over his powerful frame. Her fingertips trailed over his flesh, touching everywhere her gaze led. Well-developed shoulders. Hair-roughened pectoral muscles. Her fingertips traced a path through the sprinkling of hair and followed it down over the well-defined abdominal muscles and right to the bulge in his briefs.

  He was strong, but she knew he’d never use his strength against her.

  Tentatively, she used her fingernails to score lightly against the fabric of his briefs and watched in fascination as his erection jerked in response.

  Swallowing down on her nerves, she pulled his briefs down over his erection.

  He lifted his pelvis so she could ease the briefs down over his perfectly chiselled thighs and remove them completely. His gaze locked with hers, challenging her to look at his naked arousal.

  ‘Whatever you want, India. As fast or as slow as you want to take this,’ he told her huskily.

  She wasn’t sure how fast she wanted to go. She wasn’t even sure how far she wanted to go, but she knew she wanted to touch him. Reaching out, she took his penis in her hand. Even though it was hard, and thick, it didn’t seem threatening as it lay on its soft bed of curls.

  Experimentally, she moved her hand, stroking up and down the whole length of it with one hand while she used her other hand to cup and knead gently at the sac beneath. Gabriel’s moan was all it took to make her feel like she had the power here. He laid back, a willing supplicant to her ministrations. His body was hers to do with what she would, and an overwhelming need rose up inside her to seize the opportunity. She wanted to know her husband’s body intimately. She wanted to believe she could bring sexual satisfaction to this man she loved—this man who’d shown her so much love, patience, support and understanding.