Royal Sins: Bound to the Warrior King / Protecting the Desert Heir / Pursued by the Desert Prince

He looked down at her, at the gleam in her blue eyes. Wicked, provocative. She squeezed him gently and a wave of desire moved through him.

He was a man after all. For surely stone could not feel these things. She sat up, getting onto her knees, leaning into him, increasing the pressure of her touch.

His throat tightened and he swallowed hard, his chest aching. Being stone, he imagined, was in many ways easier than being a man. But a stone could feel no excitement at the touch of Olivia’s hand. And that meant he had no desire for the ease that might come with life as a rock.

She surprised him then, not going to the closure of his trousers, but to the buttons on his shirt. He stayed motionless while she set about her task. Removing his tie, pushing his jacket to the floor, followed by his shirt. And then her hands went to the closure of his pants. Her movements were deft, certain, as she divested him of the rest of his clothing.

When he was naked before her, she pressed her palm against him again, her breath hissing through her teeth. He had no idea what expectation females might have of the male body. And he had never had a reason to cultivate modesty. So he found himself now standing before her, not nervous, but assessing.

A small sound escaped her lips that was akin to a whimper.

“Tell me your thoughts,” he commanded.

Perhaps this was not the best time to be talking, but he found that he needed to know what was on her mind. And he had no experience of reading people. Not like this.

“I’m impressed,” she said, her voice thick, husky. She traced the ridge of his erection with the tip of her finger, her eyes never leaving his. “You are most impressive.”

“Am I?”

She blinked. “Surely you know. I cannot be the only woman to praise your natural endowments.”

“You are.”

Her eyes widened. “Then, the other women you’ve been with have very bad manners.”

“I have never been with a woman before.” The admission broke past his lips and his best intentions to keep this a secret.

She jerked her hand back as though she’d been burned. “What?”

“I told you. I had taken a vow to cast off earthly pleasures. I had to keep my focus. I could not be allowed to be distracted, even for a moment.”

“Somehow I didn’t imagine you meant you had cast off everything.”

“Is it so unusual?”

Something in her expression softened. “In my experience, that would be the last thing a man chose to discard.”

“I can see that. My brother was consumed by his lusts. For power. For women. I thought it best not to taint myself with those needs.”

“And now?”

“My responsibilities have changed. They now include you.”