“No. I’m still in my apartment in Paris.” He was still looking at me when I met his gaze.
“Hey, Eli.” I grabbed the lapels of his jacket.
“Yes?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I think you should show me to your bedchambers.”
His laughter rang out, echoing in the walls. I felt giddy and wondered how many kings had laughed in this room and actually meant it. I didn’t have time to wonder long, though, because Elias grabbed my hand and walked quickly in the direction of what I assumed would be the bedchambers. The halls seemed endless, but I knew we’d made it there when he opened an impossibly large gold door and led me inside. I stopped just inside the door, letting go of his hand.
“You can just . . . you’re allowed to touch things in here?”
“Of course.” He looked perplexed as he faced me. “This is my bedroom now, should I choose to use it.”
“Will you?”
“I don’t know, Addie. You asked me to bring you here. Will I?”
“I mean for sleeping.” I was smiling as I rolled my eyes. “Will you stay here tonight?”
“Will you?”
“I don’t think so.” I laughed. “Etienne and Joss are supposed to take me home.”
“Let me take you home instead.” He lifted my hand and kissed the back of it. “Mon trésor.”
Butterflies flapped their wings deep in my belly. I could have, should have, given into the moment, but I had questions and they wouldn’t stop until I had answers.
“Do you think you’ll live here now?”
“No.” He lowered my hand, but threaded his fingers through mine and held it as he looked around. “It’s kind of creepy, isn’t it?”
“And rich.”
“And rich.” He chuckled, then quieted as he searched my eyes. “What do you want to do?”
“I kind of want you to fuck me in King Louis XIV’s bed.”
“You mean my bed.” He licked his lips, his eyes darkening as he shrugged off his jacket and tossed it aside. Before I could respond, he lifted me into his arms, my legs wrapping around his hips automatically. He leaned in and bit my bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth. “Say it, Addie.”
“Say what?” I was already finding it hard to breathe and we hadn’t even started doing anything.
“You want to get fucked by your king. You want me to bury myself deep inside that wet little cunt.”
“God.” I moaned, throwing my head back. His mouth was on my neck, licking, sucking, as he drove his erection into me over our clothes. “Please.”
“Say the words, Adeline.” He bit the side of my neck. “Say it.”
“I want to be fucked by my king, please.” My voice was shaky, unsteady.
Elias walked me over to the bed and threw me down on it. It wasn’t a comfortable bed in the least, but comfort was forgotten the moment Elias’s lips met mine again. We kissed like starved teenagers, begging for more with each lash of our tongues, each clash of our teeth, biting, tugging.
“Please, Eli.” I pulled away momentarily, holding his face in my hands. “Please. I can’t take much more of this.”
“How much did you miss me?” he breathed against me, his gaze serious on mine, as if his life depended on my response.
“More than you’ll ever know.”
“Good.” He pulled away and unbuttoned his pants, pulling them down until he was exposed to me.
He wasted no time in pulling my dress up and ripping my panties off and discarding them quickly. I knew this wouldn’t be a long, slow night, but a fast and satisfying one. We were both too frenzied, too desperate for each other, to drag it out.
“Tell me again, Addie.” He positioned himself between my legs. “Tell me you missed me.”
“I always miss you when I’m not with you.” I reached for him and stroked him once, twice, relishing the way he threw his head back and groaned. “I want to be with you without . . . “ I bit my lip and stopped talking midsentence when he brought his gaze back to mine and I saw the heat palpitating from it.
“Tell me.” His voice was low, guttural. “Tell me what you want, Adeline.”
“I want to be with you like this.” I stoked him again. He bit his bottom lip hard.
“With no condom?”
I nodded. If he said no, I would be completely okay with it.
“I’ve never done that with a woman before.” His lip tugged, his eyes half-mast as I moved my hand again. “Trust issues.”
“It’s okay if you don’t – “
“I want to with you.” He leaned in, placing his forehead against mine, forcing my hand to drop as he brought his lips against mine. “I trust you.”
“I’m clean,” I whispered against his lips.
“I know.” He kissed me then, mashing our lips together roughly and parting my lips with his tongue. He pulled away, digging his fingertips into my inner thighs and spreading them wider. “Tell me again how much you missed me.”