Elysia’s worries eased with the tender kiss and the concern in his eyes. He would not hurt her. He would not force her. He was a good man and she was lucky to have him for a husband.
She eased back away from him, her hands going to remove her shift. His hands followed to help, lifting her when she tried to wiggle the garment up off her bottom. When she had it rolled up to her waist, his hands took it from there, easing her arms out of the sleeves, then over her head. He tossed it to the bottom of the bed. It lingered there only for a moment, then slipped off to fall on the chest at the foot of the bed.
That it was gone from sight gave her a strange feeling of vulnerability, of being completely exposed to her husband, but then he was the same—completely exposed to her. There was nothing between them. They would start their marriage bare in each other’s eyes and build a life together as one.
The thought had her smile.
Saber eased her back on the bed and stretched out on his side next to her. He wished his ability to speak wasn’t limited, his throat a bit sore from talking more than usual. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was. How amazing her wee body was from her small breasts to the slight curve of her waist, the slimness of her hips, and the gentle curve of her backside. He loved every bit of her even her small feet she had tucked against him and almost had him jumping from how cold they were.
He reached down and drew the blanket up to their waists and she smiled and grabbed hold of it.
“Thank you. I’m a bit chilled,” she said, the chill more from anticipation than the cold.
He maneuvered his legs to capture her cold feet as he slipped his arm beneath her waist and eased her up along his side until her face rested close to his.
“Warm you,” he whispered close to her ear and a slight smile touched his lips when his hand caressed her arm and felt gooseflesh run along it.
He was eager to explore her more and his hand went to cup her breast, easily devouring its gentle size. Her hard, rosy nipple poked at the palm of his hand and he couldn’t resist—he lowered his head and ran his tongue over it.
Elysia shuddered, the sensation that shot through her pleasantly surprising, though a bit shocking as well since she never expected his lips to touch there. Nor did she expect his tender touch. She had thought it would be done with quick, but obviously she was wrong.
When his mouth settled over her nipple, she was struck with a sensation that grew her damp between her legs and intensified the unfamiliar, needy ache that had been growing there, and a soft moan fell unexpectedly from her.
His need grew as his hand explored, caressing along her waist, over her hip, and down her backside to squeeze it firmly and shot a tingle through her that had her arching her body, and another moan fell from her lips.
Saber kissed his way from her breasts up, lingering at her neck to finally whisper in her ear, “Beautiful.”
The way the word fell lovingly in a raspy tone had her heart soaring and her stomach fluttering. He thought her beautiful. Her husband thought her beautiful and any worry or fear she had of this moment with him faded away.
She rushed her lips to his and kissed him, not a gentle kiss but one she hoped let him know how much she loved what he’d said to her.
Various women had aroused Saber through the years, but not one of them ever aroused his heart as Elysia did. His manhood was more than ready to complete their coupling, but it was his heart that swelled with a sense of wholeness that made him realize he had found a special woman. She did what no one had been able to do. She had opened his heart to feel joy, to feel—love. It struck him at that very moment, without an ounce of doubt, that he loved his wife.
His hand eagerly continued to explore as they kissed, though she pulled her head away and gasped when his hand slipped between her legs. She turned wide eyes on him, a bit of fright in them. He kept his eyes on her as he eased his finger inside her and he stilled it when she gasped once again. He worked his thumb through her triangle of hair to graze the sweet nob hidden there.
“Oh!” Elysia said, her body arching in response.
Seeing her wonder, pleasure, and innocence of her first coupling flared his passion and he fought to keep control of it. He wanted her to linger in their shared pleasure, in this special time between them. He wanted her to know he cherished her and what they were about to share.