to her torment. She could tell he was every bit as aroused as she. Was he going to torture her forever?
He entered her very, very slowly. First with his fingers, probing her slick depths. When he decided she was ready—and oh, was she ready—he probed her with the tip of his member. A tiny cry fled her lips as anticipation got the better of her.
She pushed her fingers into his back, unconsciously urging him on. Warmth and pleasure filled her as he slid inside her and his chest lowered over hers. His throaty moan filled her ear as he started to move. She arched against him, taking him deeper, welcoming him into her body and into her life.
I love you. She got an urge to say it, but something held her back.
It was too soon for love; the circumstances were too strange and pressured. She didn’t want to seem too demanding, as if she expected him to love her back.
And maybe it was just sheer madness, the delicious thrills cascading through her as AJ moved inside her.
AJ pulled her upright until they were in a sitting position, legs interlaced, facing each other, with him still buried deep. A perfect position for kissing.
AJ licked her lips, and she returned the gesture, tasting his smile, then enjoying the slight roughness of his cheeks. She could feel him inside her, slight movements, subtle throbs, letting her feel his arousal and the deep connection between them.
When kissing—and barely moving—threatened to drive her completely over the edge, AJ lay back until she was sitting on top of him. Alarm flashed through her. She was supposed to be in control, and she had no idea what to do.
“Anything,” he murmured, as if in answer to her question. “Whatever feels good.”
She trailed her finger along the middle of his chest, eyes half-open to enjoy the view. She wriggled a little, and felt him move inside her. A smile spread across her face and his at the same time. “This definitely feels good.”
Eyes closed again, she gently rocked back and forth, amazed at the new points of pleasure this position awakened. She found herself moving faster and higher, experimenting with rhythms to take herself right to the next peak, and then pulling back. Beneath her, AJ groaned, his hands stroking her skin, teasing her.
“Let go,” AJ urged her.
Could she? Something inside her kept holding her back. She’d never experienced this kind of arousal before. She could tell she was close to the brink of something big, and it scared her.
“It’ll feel good, I promise.” AJ’s soft voice penetrated her thoughts.
Living at the palace she’d grown used to being “on duty” all the time. Always polite and prepared and ready for anything—even the worst Vanu could dish out. “Letting go” was no longer in her vocabulary. She had been too busy shoring herself up.
A bird chirped overhead and a warm breeze caressed her skin. She’d almost forgotten they were deep in the jungle. Apparently she’d let go quite a lot already!
She quickened the pace, and AJ encouraged her with his roving hands. Hot spots of excitement seemed to become even more sensitive and the tension inside her built and grew until she felt white-hot all over.
Something in her brain told her to slow down, but her body urged her to keep going—and she obeyed, moving with more and more urgency until suddenly everything seemed to explode into a million pieces, showering stars down over them where they lay on the jungle floor.
She collapsed onto the solid expanse of AJ’s chest. His breathing labored, he wrapped his arms around her and held her in his soft embrace while the shower of stars gradually drifted down and settled around them, leaving her tingling and warm in all sorts of unexpected places.
“See what I mean?” AJ said after a while.
She nodded, not quite able to form words. She’d never imagined that sex could be like that. Her previous experiences had been so stilted, so fraught with tension, that she honestly hadn’t enjoyed them at all—though she’d certainly pretended to. Vanu had made no such pretense.
With AJ everything was completely, utterly and gloriously different. At least she thought it was. “Did you enjoy it, too?” Her voice sounded a little shaky.
AJ’s chest rumbled with laughter. “What do you think?” His dark eyes glittered with humor.
“I don’t seem to be able to think at all right now.”
“Good.”
AJ loved the feel of her in his arms. Completely relaxed, Lani sprawled over him like he was a giant mattress. It was intriguing that such a fiery vixen lived beneath that placid exterior. Well, he might have guessed, after the way she practically kissed his face off that first time.
“What are you laughing about?” Her voice tinkled in his ear. She sounded happy, which filled him with joy.
“At how my life is filled with surprises. In a good way.” He stroked her hair.
Who’d have ever imagined him planning to settle back in Rahiri? In truth, Vanu had been the reason he’d left. The future king, Vanu had been cherished and encouraged and adored. Intelligent and charming when he wanted to be, he’d wrapped his parents around his long and surprisingly strong fingers.
AJ could remember the cruel grip of those fingers all too well, though often as not Vanu used words with more brutal force. He employed his considerable genius in coming up with ways to make AJ look guilty of something, meaning that AJ was nearly always in trouble, even when he did manage to keep a lid on his admittedly rambunctious nature.
But now Vanu was gone. And with the happy result that he’d left a lovely wife in dire need of a new husband. Vanu must have turned on the charm with Lani. She had probably never gotten a glimpse of his dark side. Why spoil her memories? He decided to keep his to himself.
“Only seven months until our baby arrives.” He spoke softly, stroking Lani’s cheek.
She started slightly. “It seems so soon.”
“Tell me about it.” He was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of being a father. He’d decided that the baby would be his in every way. Well, every way that mattered, and that’s how he intended to approach the situation. “Do you have a nickname for him or her already? One of my producers used to call hers Jellybean while she was pregnant.”
Lani laughed. “I don’t. I guess I should come up with something.” She gazed skyward for a minute, her golden eyes thoughtful. “Puaiti.”
“Little flower. But what if it’s a boy?”
“Why can’t a boy be a flower, too?” She raised a slim brow.
“Good point. Why should girls get all the nice-smelling pretty stuff? How’s little Puaiti feeling? “
Lani closed her eyes for a minute and rested her fingers on her stomach, as if listening. “I’m not hearing any complaints.”
“Do you feel any kicking yet?”
“No. I don’t think that happens for a few more weeks. I don’t really feel different at all.
