Chapter 4

Eleanor

For a moment, I was frozen with surprise.

I couldn’t believe that something I’d been yearning for was actually happening.

My body responded, and I threaded my fingers through his hair, kissing him back with a kind of passion I didn't even know I was capable of.

My entire body was alive with pleasure.

I’d daydreamed about Eli kissing me thousands of times but this was better than any of my wildest fantasies and dreams.

Desire shot through my veins like a drug, and there was nothing in the world that could pull me away from Eli at this moment. The room could be burning down around us, and I’d keep kissing him.

Our kiss deepened, and his hand tightened on the back of my neck. His hold was possessive. Eli was gripping me like I was his. I wanted to be his.

My mind spun with happiness. Eli had been the one to kiss me. This had to mean that he reciprocated my feelings, right? He had to feel this connection between us, too. That thought made me feel lighter than a feather. Did that mean that his icy treatment toward me had been an act? Had he tried to distance himself from me because any relationship between us could be considered wrong?

I didn't care that he was royalty and I was not. It didn't matter that his parents were staying down the hall. All that mattered was Eli's warm body pressed against mine and his soft yet strong lips. Nothing else mattered besides us.

Eli kissed along my cheek until his mouth was by my ear.

“Your lips are even softer than your skin,” his deep voice whispered.

I grabbed his face to put his lips back where they belonged.

On mine.

Eli cupped my hot cheeks, drawing my body closer to his. My nipples hardened, pressing against his sculpted chest. I moaned into his mouth, and he darted out his tongue to taste me.

Oh my…

His taste was sinfully good. His mouth tasted like sweet honey with a little kick to it and a hint of champagne. Idly, I wondered why I could barely detect any alcohol on his breath since he was so drunk, but that thought jumped from my mind when Eli's hands began to roam my body. The feeling of his urgent touch was addictive.

Our tongues moved together, and I trailed my hands down his strong shoulders, then down his muscled back. He shivered under my touch. I wanted to memorize every inch of his body. I wanted to touch him everywhere.

His hands traveled down the sides of my dress, and he gripped the fabric, pulling at it like he wanted to tear the thin piece of fabric off my body. My warm center pulsed with desire when I glanced down and saw that his hard length was straining against his dress pants.

Was it possible that he craved me just as much as I did him?

When he bit my bottom lip, I groaned and tugged on his hair. My cheeks heated at the deep, guttural sound I just made. It seemed to come from my soul. I broke our kiss, placed my hands on his shoulders, and threw my head back in pleasure. I wanted this night to last forever.

Hungrily, Eli kissed his way down my chin, then began to nip and lick the sensitive skin of my throat.

“Eli!”

He pulled back and grinned down at me. His eyes greedily took in the tops of my breasts that were spilling out of my dress.

His heat-filled gaze made me tremble. This caused one of my nipples to pop out of the top of my dress slightly.

“Oh, Eleanor. You're so sexy,” Eli whispered. “I want to lick and suck your hard little nipples until you're screaming my name.”

My mouth went dry and heat pooled in my center. His dirty words were almost as erotic as his touch.

Our eyes locked, and his were wild and full of lust. His lips were swollen and red from our kisses.

My head pulsed with pain from my tight updo. With my eyes still on Alpha Eli's, I pulled out the pins holding up my hair, wincing slightly as they came out.

Taking down my hair in front of Eli was an intimate experience. I shifted from side to side, trying to find some relief from the demanding need in my wet center.

Relief flooded through me once all the pins were out of my hair. It felt almost as good as when I took off my heels. I used my fingers to shake out my hair. I'd never gotten my hair cut, and it almost reached my waist.

The look in Eli’s eyes as he studied me was fierce with need.

“Eleanor, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,” he whispered. “I want to taste every inch of you. I want to take everything that you are willing to give me. I feel so lucky to be able to spend the night with you.”

I gasped quietly. His words made me hopeful that tonight was more than just about physical intimacy for him.

Eli cupped my flushing face, drawing my lips back to his. But when our mouths were only a breath away, he paused. Our lips were just barely touching, and we let out matching gasps at the contact.

“I want you, Eleanor,” he murmured against my lips. His words were even more slurred than they'd been a moment ago. “I want to make love to you, baby. Do you want me to make love to you?”

My eyes widened, and I grinned.

Oh my Goddess! He had said make love! Not just have sex. This had to mean that he wanted more than just this one night with me. Eli wanted a future with me. Just like I wanted one with him. Of course, it would be complicated to navigate since we were technically related by marriage. But in the end, it would all be worth it. Eli and I were meant to be.

I swung my leg over his lap and straddled his waist. The sudden movement made my head spin, and I swayed slightly.

Eli reached out and gripped my hips to steady me.

I held on tight to his shoulders, never wanting to let him go. Gently, I traced my pointer finger over the faint scar over his right eyebrow.

His eyes dropped to my mouth, and he grasped the back of my head with both of his hands.

I idly trailed my fingers down his back, making him shiver. “I want to lose my virginity to you.”

“I’ve waited, too, Eleanor. I knew I was waiting for a special girl. I just didn’t know that girl would be you.”

I blushed and brought him in for another kiss.

“Are you ready?” he whispered against my lips.

I wrapped my arms around him, drawing him closer to me. “Yes,” I said.

He lined himself up, and just the sight of his hard cock and drew me close, his warm hands guiding me against his chest.

I put my lips right next to his ear. “Make love to me, Eli. Make me forget that this is considered wrong. Make me forget everything except for you.”

With our eyes locked together, he slowly pushed into my warm center.

“Eli,” he groaned, coming inside of me as I continued to ride out my high.

Our gazes met for an endless moment as we came back down from heaven.

As I tried to catch my breath, Eli leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

After he pulled away, Eli collapsed onto the pillow beside me.

I lay my head on his chest, directly over his heart, listening to it beat rapidly.

We sat like that for a few moments. Our bodies wrapped around each other, and I matched my breathing to his.

The next time I looked up, Eli’s face was relaxed with sleep.

I snuggled closer to him and grinned. After what just happened, I knew that this wasn’t just a one-time thing. Our connection wasn’t just sexual. What was between was much deeper than that.

I fell asleep picturing myself in a white dress walking down the aisle toward Eli.

Someday…