Beauty And The Beast

She worried her lower lip while he gently prodded, his hand cool against her heated skin.

"The swelling has gone down, but I think you should stay off it today."

"If you insist, Your Highness."

He seemed to bristle at her formal tone, but he said nothing more. He dipped the cloth in the water basin, wrung it out, and returned to the bed to apply it to her foot. When he was finished, he covered her legs again and stood. "I will bring you your breakfast shortly."

She shivered as he left, her heart racing. How did he affect her so with just the simplest of touches?

He returned carrying a tray laden with breads, fruits, juice, and three books. She raised her gaze from the latter to his eyes, and he simply said, "To keep you occupied."

He helped her sit up, propping pillows around her and under her injured foot, and then he proceeded to sit on the bed facing her. As he picked up a cluster of grapes and plucked one, placing it in his mouth, she realized he intended to eat with her.

It did not bother her, it was his house, his bed. However, each time his fingers picked something from the tray or raised the food in his mouth, she thought of what they had done to her last night. Part of her wanted to ask him why he had done it. But she was too embarrassed.

Best to pretend it had never happened.

When the tray contained only crumbs and rinds of fruit, he placed the books on the bedside table and removed the tray from her lap. "I have matters to attend to, but I will return to check on you." And then he excused himself and closed the door on his way out.

Kristiana stared at the decorative brass bars crossing the heavy wooden door. Who was this man? He seemed to change from night to day, mean and beastly one moment, kind and generous the next. Her head hurt after awhile, tired of trying to understand him. She turned to pick up the top book, and soon lost herself in the story.

###

Prince Dalemond brought Kristiana a tray for the noon meal, sharing it with her again. He left her reading a book, but she was sleeping when he looked in on her later. At dinnertime, he roused her for the meal, helping her to the chair by the fire before they dined together.

Once they were finished, he made her comfortable in bed again before checking her ankle. Satisfied that a day of rest had begun healing it, he rewrapped it.

Her gasp of surprise pleased him when he began to repeat the rendezvous from last night. He did not ask permission this time, her moans and writhing body under his ministrations confirming her consent in his mind. He left her satisfied and drowsy, choosing the chair by the fire again for his bed.

In the morning, her ankle still seemed too tender to apply weight to it. And so, he ordered another day of rest...and another night of pleasuring her followed.

On the third day, she insisted on getting out of bed. When she asked to take a bath, he prepared it for her in her chamber...and he remained outside her closed door. He told himself he was only being cautious—in case she needed anything. But deep down, he wished he were in there, assisting her.

Both thoughts bothered him. Surely he wasn't having feelings for this woman...this guest...this prisoner in his home? Once, he had considered letting her leave, to go home to her father. But now...now that she seemed to desire him, and he wouldn't need to travel to find relief for his sexual tensions, he didn't want to let her go.

##

Kristiana had convinced him to let her spend the day in the library. Even though her ankle felt better now, he'd brought the noon meal to her and shared it with her.

It felt good to have washed and dressed properly for once—a simple red gown with an empire waist today—but she half wished she were still in her nightdress...still in his bed.

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth when she thought of how his eyes would wander down to her breasts while they ate, as if he were hungry for more than just food. At night, after tending to her injury, the nightdress made it easy for him to seduce her.

Suddenly, she felt constrained in her gown and undergarments. Her breath caught, remembering how he had not asked for her consent the last two nights. How that aroused her even more than spending the day wondering if he would return and do it again after the evening meal.

"You have not turned a page in quite some time, my lady. What thoughts occupy your mind?"

She cried out, and heat rushed to her cheeks, as if he had been reading her thoughts. Part of her wanted him to. Wanted him to know she craved for him to do more than just pleasure her with his fingers...

###

Prince Dalemond felt his heart beat increase when her cheeks colored, almost matching the shade of her dress. And it was a lovely dress, despite its simplicity, especially on her petite frame. He couldn't resist smiling, knowing he had been correct to presume she had not been reading for the past several minutes.

"You seem to enjoy startling me." Kristiana closed her book and set it aside.

"Do not blame me for your ignorance of my presence." If possible, her cheeks darkened even more. It occurred to him he might have insulted her.

"Maybe your presence does not garner such notice as you presume."

He smirked at her bravado. Maybe he would keep her around for enlightening conversations such as this long after she ceased to please him in bed.

"Your Highness thinks very mightily of himself."

He meant to snap at her retort this time, but she had stood and began to approach him when she stumbled. Instinctively, he rushed her side, catching her before she hit the floor. "Are you all right?"

She nodded and winced as he helped her regain her balance. "Too much resting, I think. My ankle is not used to serving its purpose...keeping me upright."

For a moment, they stood silently. Then she must have realized his arms were still around her—supporting her—because her eyes shot up to meet his, and she gasped softly.

He bit back a groan, enthralled with the feeling of her in his embrace, as loose as it was. His arms tightened around her, drawing her closer, and her eyes widened. She had to tilt her head back now to see his face. Without thinking, he lowered his mouth.

She struggled at first, but as his lips moved against hers, her small hands gripped his arms. Soft mewling sounds escaped with her breathing. Her lips parted when his tongue glided over them.

He tasted the sweet berries from their recent meal when he swept into her mouth. Her inexperience showed as she tried to copy him, their tongues battling awkwardly. He moved to cup her cheeks in his large palms, holding her still while he deepened the kiss, slowly instructing her what to do. It took several attempts, but she seemed to finally catch on. When she subtly rubbed her breasts against him, he growled and nipped at her lower lip, drawing a startled moan from her.

The softness of her body pressing against his hard chest. The taste and smell of her. Her petulant attitude, even. It all made him weak in the knees. This was not how it was supposed to be. She was just another woman. He was supposed to seduce her. And yet, he felt that his plan was backfiring on him.

She must have shifted her balance to her injured foot because she suddenly cried out, her grip on his arm tightening as her legs gave out.

He realized he wasn't thinking rationally when he picked her up, one arm under her legs, and resumed kissing her, muffling her startled cry. And then he was crossing the room, striding down the hall towards his chambers.

Damn his plan. He didn't care anymore who was seducing whom. He wanted her. And he wanted her, now!

###

Kristiana flung her arms around Prince Dalemond's thick neck as he carried her down the hall, never ceasing his assault on her now swollen lips. The paintings and tapestries on the walls passed by in a blur of color. Her head felt light, and the dull throbbing of her ankle battled against the pounding of her heart in her chest.

She knew this was not going to end like the past three nights. And her body burned with a new heat in anticipation.

He set her back on her feet only when he'd reached his bed. Her breath came in deep gasps as she watched him pull back the quilt and sheets beneath it. When he turned to her, his eyes immediately went down to her heaving breasts. But they slowly rose to her face, and there, they locked onto her gaze. Then he swept her into his arms again and settled her on the edge of the bed.

His eyes were dark and shiny, as if on fire. His jaw was clenched. If he had not licked his lips and moaned softly, she would have thought him angry.

"Your Highness?" Her voice came out as a squeak, and she forced herself to swallow.

He did not answer but knelt before her, his face now level with her breasts. For a moment, she held her breath as a myriad of thoughts tumbled through her head of what she hoped he would do.

Slowly, he slid his hands over the tops of her thighs, the satin material of the dress slinking across her bare skin lower on her legs. His hands moved up to outline her hips, her waist, following the hourglass curve of her sides up to her breasts. There, they cupped her, stroking her through her dress.

She stifled a moan, resting back on her elbows as he moved his hands behind her to lower the zipper on the dress. The front became slack, and she gasped as he tugged the dress down her arms to her waist, finally exposing her to him.

He reached out reverently, cupping and caressing her breasts again. The rough texture of his hands grazed over her sensitive skin, and fire shot down to her loins. Her breath hitched when his fingers stroked her now taut nipples.

"So beautiful. So, so beautiful." His voice was barely a whisper, and then he lowered his mouth to one breast, his tongue extending to drag across her nipple.

"Oh!" She gripped his head, her fingers burying in his hair as he sucked the aching bud into his mouth and flicked his tongue at it repeatedly.

He mumbled against her skin, his teeth nipping at her. His hands moved up and down her sides, his thumbs caressing the skin over her ribs. And then they slid around to her back, holding her against his mouth as he kissed and licked and worshipped her some more.

She closed her eyes, sighing when he moved to her other breast. She had dreamed of this very moment. And yet, she wanted more. So much more.

"Shh, Kristiana," he said when she whimpered. "There will be time for that soon enough."

He proceeded to linger at her breasts, his hands massaging her back, her spine, and her shoulderblades. She shivered, his hair brushing against her as he buried his face between her breasts, his tongue darting out to lick at the sweat that had gathered there.

And then he rose up and kissed her lips again. She let his mouth guide hers; let his tongue play with hers; let him drive her mad with the control he exuded. He stood, his mouth still on hers, and gently turned her, laying her back on the turned-down sheets.

Her eyelids felt heavy, drunk with desire for him. She watched him slide her dress down her legs. The knee-length undergarment followed, exposing her completely. A spasm rippled low within her, and she arched her back, moaning.

He echoed her and then proceeded to remove his own garments.

She glimpsed the thick length of his erection before he laid down beside her. The spasm rippled through her again as he captured her face in his hands, his mouth covering hers once more. Her body turned into him, seeking his heat, his firmness. Their arms wrapped around each other, and then their legs entwined as he rolled her onto her back again and his body lay atop hers. The dull ache in her ankle was eclipsed by the deeper one in her loins.

He licked at her lips as he pulled away slightly, his eyes skimming over her face. She reached up and brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes, which closed for the briefest moment. The thought flitted into her mind that he was having second thoughts, but it departed just as quickly when he opened his eyes and she saw the fire flickering deep within them.

"Dalemond." She whispered his name, caressing his cheek, encouraging him. If he didn't follow through, she would go mad. Her whole body was burning, throbbing, begging for release. It was more than what she'd felt the past three nights. He'd awakened a monster within her, and it demanded to be appeased.

He shifted, causing her breasts to rub against his bare chest. They both moaned, and then she gasped as she felt his erection jerk against the inside of her thigh. So much like his fingers had done. And yet, she knew the pleasure he'd already brought her was nothing compared to what she could experience.

She held her breath, not wanting the delicious torture to end, but also wanting to feel that soaring explosion once again, in spades.

###

Prince Dalemond watched her strained expression—her tense forehead, the way her eyes silently pleaded—and then brushed his lips against hers once more.

His chest ached in a way it never had before. He could deny it no longer. Kristiana was not just another woman he wanted to bed. She was the only woman. Yet, he could not form the words. He would show her instead.

Her eyes closed when he moved his fingers down over her breast again, gliding over her hip, and then dipping into the slickness between her thighs. Her hips lifted to meet his hand, and he thrummed her hidden bud. She gasped, her legs parting further. He knew she was ready and wanting.

Never had he wanted to take such care to ease an innocent's pain. There would be some, that was a guarantee, although their previous encounters had allowed her body to be accustomed to being penetrated. He would be as gentle as possible, making the final moment quick, distracting her as much as possible so she would feel more pleasure than discomfort.

She whimpered, and he realized she was waiting for him.

"Shh...shh, Kristiana. Do not worry." He kissed her forehead and then rubbed the head of his erection against her bud.

"Oh!" Her body shuddered, and she clutched the back of his shoulders. "I am not worried, Your Highness." She gasped as he rubbed against her again. She licked her lips. "I am delirious with passion. You tease me."

He chuckled and then slowly pressed deeper into the heat. They both moaned, and she let out a choked gasp when he entered her. He watched her face for any signs of pain, but he saw only the shininess of her eyes, the flush of her cheeks, and her swollen lips mumbling silent cries.

Time seemed to stand still as he sheathed himself within her. His own gasps mingled with hers, the tightness of her womb squeezing around him, milking him. When he reached the barrier, he paused, taking her face in his hands as he kissed her, and then he plunged forward.

He swallowed her cries, deepening the kiss, ignoring the sharp stings as her fingers clawed at his back. When he had buried himself within her, he paused to catch his breath. Then he shifted his weight and began the slow retraction, drawing gasps from her again.

Her body relaxed under his, only her right leg wrapping around his waist. He suddenly remembered her injured ankle and took care not to put any unnecessary pressure on her left leg and foot.

The reentry was smoother as she stretched around his erection, and her arching hips helped drive him along. Her breasts had become firm orbs crushed between them, her nipples hard points digging into his chest as her body rolled in waves under him. It was an extraordinary feeling he never wanted to end.

His own hips began a gentle rocking motion, and soon her slickness increased so that he was sliding easily in and out of her. He met her lips again, feeling the hunger in her own mouth as she pressed back against him, mimicking with her tongue what he was doing below.

Her fingers lightly grazed his back now, and shivers raced up his spine. He increased his rhythm, her moans growing louder as he felt her muscles tightening around him. He thrust deeper, amazed at the feelings flowing over him. He wanted her to climax first; he strove for it. This was the first time he cared not for his own release when engaging with a woman in this way. He wanted to pleasure her completely, and he wanted it to be perfect.

Strange sounds escaped from her now, a mixture of cries and whimpers, and he thought he heard her begging him, calling his name. And then she did scream his name, her body arching up to his and becoming still, her breath stopping for a moment before she was panting again.

"Don't resist it, my love. Enjoy it." He continued stroking within her, feeling the tingling pressure of his own release building. Then he was crying out her name, and she joined him as she climaxed again.

He rolled onto his side and pulled her against him, covering their naked bodies with the sheet. As her body continued to shudder, he caressed the small of her back. His lips brushed her forehead, and then he froze. He realized what he'd said to her. Wondered if she'd heard...or comprehended it.

"Kristiana?" He tilted her chin up, her eyes glossy as they blinked up at him.

"Yes, Dalemond?" She gave him a lazy smile, as a sleepy child would. Except on her it was sexy.

He groaned and brushed his thumb over her bottom lip. "I do not want you to feel like a prisoner anymore. You are free to leave the castle, to return to your father."

She blinked again, her eyes becoming clear and bright. But her smile faded. "Are you teasing me now? After you've just seduced me?"

"No, I do not jest." He stared into her eyes, feeling a lump rise in his throat, the pain in his chest like a vice. "You are free to go."

She sat up, and his hand fell to her hip. She glanced down at it, her breath hitched, and then she slowly raised her eyes to his again. Her breasts heaved as she inhaled and slowly exhaled.

"What is it?"

She worried her bottom lip, and her fingers clutched the sheet. "It's just..."

"You are free to go, Kristiana." He sat up, cupped her cheek, and drew her lips to his. "But I don't want you to."

A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye and traveled down her cheek. "Why?"

"Because I love you." His voice cracked, and for the first time in his life, he felt vulnerable. Afraid of being alone. "Will you stay?"

She considered him for the longest time. And then she kissed him back. "I will."

"Why?" He brushed his thumb at her damp cheek.

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled. "Because I love you, too, Your Highness."

He pulled her back into his arms, his heart bursting in his chest. "We have much to talk about. We will bring your father to live here, with us, too. But first..."

Prince Dalemond proceeded to roll Kristiana onto her back again, his mouth claiming hers as he gently pressed between her legs and sheathed himself in her slick heat. Her soft cries echoed in his head as he brought out the wild beast again in his beauty.

~ H