Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44411 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
She giggled when he lifted her up and pressed her against his chest so they were face to face. Her legs dangled. He was so tall that her feet were nowhere near the floor.
He chuckled, too. “I would love for you to be able to wrap your legs around me, but this long dress and layers of material are in the way. I’m never putting something this constrictive on you again.”
She bit her lip. He’d mentioned his aversion to such modest clothing twice now. Apparently he meant it. The thought of her arms and legs bare was intriguing. She’d always hated the restrictive dresses that made it difficult to move around her canvases. She’d often splattered paint on her skirts or dipped her sleeves in it. What would it be like to work on her passion without all the cumbersome layers?
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her from the kitchen, but when she gave him a squeeze, they both froze.
Elias stopped moving. His breath hitched.
Leah’s eyes went wide as she stared into his. The sleeve on her right wrist had gotten shoved up a few inches, exposing her mark, which now pressed against her Daddy’s neck.
He started breathing heavier and held her tighter.
A fluttering sensation consumed her, making her heart race. Her breasts ached where they pressed against his chest. “Daddy…” Her voice was breathy.
Elias finally continued forward but at a faster clip. He didn’t stop until he reached his bed, where he lowered her onto her back and cupped her face. “I’m going to kiss you, Leah. It’s going to change everything.”
Her wrist was still touching his neck. She couldn’t seem to break the contact, or she didn’t want to. It scared the daylight out of her, all these feelings and emotions, but she was curious, and part of her wanted more.
She wanted to know…everything. “Kiss me.”
He dropped his lips to hers, starting slow, nibbling along her mouth and down to her neck and over behind her ear.
She was panting by the time he kissed a path back to her lips, and then he made good on what he’d said. Everything changed.
Elias angled his head to one side, licked the seam along her lips, and dipped his tongue into her mouth.
She hesitated only a moment before joining him in the exploration, letting her tongue dance with his as they tasted each other for the first time. Her body heated, and she moaned when he gently sucked her tongue, tugging on it just enough to make her eyes pop wide.
Suddenly he released her lips, leaving her panting and desperate. She whimpered. “Daddy…”
“Let go of Daddy’s neck, Baby girl,” he encouraged.
She didn’t want to, but she did as he told her.
In a flash, he flipped her over so she was on her stomach. It scared her, but at the same time, she was exhilarated. She only knew the basics about what to expect from the claiming. Her mother had never mentioned a word about being on her stomach.
Elias leaned over her and kissed her neck. “Relax, Little one. I’m just going to unbutton your dress.”
“Oh.” She took a deep breath as reason filtered in. Right. The buttons.
His fingers came to the buttons that started high on her neck, and he quickly worked his way downward. There were two dozen. She knew because she’d stood counting them this morning when her mother and sister had secured her into this ceremonial gown.
Urgency made her fidget. It was taking him too long to get the stupid dress off her. She wanted it gone. She wanted his clothes gone, too. She wanted to see his chest. She wanted to touch him. She wanted to press her mark against him again so she could experience that zing.
“Who thought these ridiculous buttons were a good idea?” Elias grumbled, chuckling.
“A sadist apparently,” she murmured.
He laughed again. “What do you know about sadism, Little firecracker?”
She shrugged. “I read books.”
Another chuckle rumbled through him as he got closer to her lower back. “There’s a disconnect between the mating habits of citizens in the valley and my people.” He bent and kissed her neck again before whispering, “I think it’s intentional. Your friends and family have no idea what kind of bond you and I will experience for the rest of our lives.”
She couldn’t breathe. His words and the way he breathed against her neck made the tingling pick up again.
He slid his hand under the open dress against the small of her back, but he wasn’t touching her skin because of the three layers of shifts. Suddenly she thought perhaps the most barbaric part of this entire show was actually this dress.
Elias slid off the end of the bed and then dragged her to the edge, lifted her, and set her on her feet in front of him. He held her gaze as he tugged the sleeves of her dress down so that the dress fell over her shoulders and eventually slid to the floor.