Billionaire: Billionaire Romance: Billionaire Tiger (A Billionaire New Adult Shifter Contemporary Romance) (8 page)

“Isn’t it?” he said huskily, watching in avid fascination as her eyes darkened. Sebastian groaned and parted her nightgown. He tugged it off her shoulders and kissed her breasts. She’d gained weight and they swelled softly beneath his tongue.

Ashleigh’s fingers slid into his hair cradling his head to her as he slid down her body. An anguished cry of rapture broke from her lips when he buried his head between her thighs, her breath catching as his hot tongue sucked and licked at the folds, teeth nipping lightly. He settled his mouth over her clit, sucking gently, and she whimpered in agony when she felt his tongue spear deep inside. Growling with impatience, he tore off her nightgown and flung it aside. Just as eager for him, her hands wandered over him possessively, lingering over the hard abs and sturdy shoulders. She paused at his pajama bottoms as her eyes met his.

Sebastian grinned and helped her push them off. He took her hand and drew it to him, sucking in a tortured breath as she fingered him gently. “Am I hurting you?” she asked shyly. It was the first time she’d permitted herself to touch him this way.

He shook his head. “No,” he muttered hoarsely. “You’re...very gentle.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened when his cock grew in her hand. “It’s so big,” she whispered in awe, noting how he shook as she caressed him. “Should I stop?”

Sebastian didn’t answer. He groaned and flung her thighs wide, plunging deep within. She winced as the stretching ache bordered on pain. But soon she was begging him for it, arching her hips and wrapping her thighs around him. He bent over her grunting with each thrust and Ashleigh thought she’d go insane with pleasure. “Bastian!” she screamed.

He groaned and slumped against his wife. Sebastian buried his face into her hair and held her close. “Did I hurt you?” he murmured against her hair.

“Only a little,” she sighed. “I’m getting better at it.”

“There’s no need to improve, my sweet.”

She giggled and kissed his cheek.

They slept and made love again.

Sebastian thought they should get out and see the city. “We’ve been here nearly a week!”

“So?” she said, nuzzling his neck. “There are sights to see here.” She reached down and cupped him gently.

“Aren’t you the least bit tired?” Sebastian laughed. “I think I’ve created a monster.”

“I can’t help it,” Ashleigh giggled. “You’re irresistible!”

He eyed his wife dubiously. “I am, huh?”

“Uh-huh.” Ashleigh raised the hem of her skirt. She wasn’t wearing underwear.

His eyes darkened. “Is that for me, wife?”

Blushing, she nodded shyly. “Hurry up, I’m cold!”

Sebastian laughed, hauling her up against the wall and pushing up her skirt. She squealed with astonished delight as he lifted her thighs over his hips and giggled against his mouth when he fumbled with his zipper. “Let me,” she whispered. She reached down and freed him, her eyes closing in bliss as her husband slid into her. “Oh, my love,” she murmured, biting down on his shoulder.

“Sweetness,” he groaned, thrusting quickly and smothering his wife’s soft cries of pleasure with his tongue.

Finally sated, Ashleigh allowed her husband to take her out for dinner. She found herself admiring how he looked in a tux rather than what was on her plate. “You are very handsome,” she said shyly.

“And you’re very beautiful,” he grinned. “You should wear that color more often.”

“Oh,” she said, blushing. He’d bought her a red lace dress cut down to there. She felt naked. “Don’t you think it’s a bit...revealing?” Ashleigh glanced down at her newfound cleavage. “I might fall into my dinner.”

Her husband stifled his laughter. “It suits you. You’re a grown woman, love. You should dress like one.”

Ashleigh smiled at her husband. “You’re right. I think I will.” She slipped off her shoe and toyed with his foot under the table. “Would you like to see the negligee I bought today?”

“Later,” he growled, taking a cooling sip of wine. “Maybe you shouldn’t wear anything. Make it easy on me.”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” She gave him a saucy wink and cut into her steak.

Sebastian eyed his young bride and his eyes glowed.

After a carriage ride through the park, Ashleigh rested her head on her husband’s shoulder in the elevator. “I’m sleepy.” she said, yawning.

Her husband slid his arms around her. “Want me to carry you?”

“That would be nice.” She sighed as he lifted her into his arms and carried her to their room. Too bad she ended up on the floor.

“Dad!” Sebastian blurted as they entered the suite. Ashleigh was shocked to see Damien in their room with an ugly scowl on his handsome face. “What are you doing here?” Her husband reached to help her up.

“I could ask you both the same question.” He stalked over to his stepdaughter and grabbed her hand. “I suppose I already know the answer, Sebastian!”

“Gee, Dad,” Sebastian said, completely cowed in his father’s presence. “I love Leigh and she loves me.”

Damien glanced at his stepdaughter. “Is this true?”

Ashleigh went to her husband without a hint of shame. “I do.”Her husband slipped his arms about her and pulled her close. “I had to marry her, Dad.” He caught her hand and kissed her wedding ring. “We couldn’t wait.”

Damien sighed and sat down, still feeling a bit woozy from the long flight. “I wish you’d spoken to me about it. There was no need to keep it a secret. Think your old man didn’t notice how you felt?”

Sebastian glanced at his wife. “How long have you known?”

“Long enough to know you two shouldn’t have been left alone together. You’ll have to explain this to your mother.”

“We will.” Sebastian glowered at his father. “So what’s the problem?”

Damien bristled. “Did I
say
there was a problem? I just think you should keep it to yourselves for a while.”

“And why is that?” Ashleigh demanded. “I’ll be nineteen in June!”

“I know that,” Damien said peevishly. “It’s bad timing that’s all. I’ve got the economic summit coming up and all that. It’s just not a good time.”“Gee, Dad,” Sebastian drawled. “When will be a good time? Leigh’s pregnant!”

Ashleigh gasped and clutched her stomach. “And you were going to tell me when?”

Damien couldn’t help laughing. “Look, kids. I’m not unhappy you’re married. I just want to keep it quiet until we get the summit taken care of. Then you can play happy families and I’ll be the first one to congratulate you.”

“Then what?”

“How about a honeymoon? Extended of course.”

It was all too much for Ashleigh. She slid to the floor and wouldn’t get up. Sebastian knelt beside her, glaring at his father. “Now look what you’ve done!”

Damien didn’t flinch. “You can go to Transylvania. Stay in the castle for as long as you like.”

Sebastian wiped his wife’s face and brow. “What do you think, love?”

Ashleigh nodded. “Whatever.” She held up her hand. “Help me to the bathroom. I’m going to be sick.” Her husband picked her up and ran to the bathroom. She would spend the rest of the evening hunched over the bowl. “I suppose I have nine months of this.”

“Not really. It’s supposed to go away after the fifth month.”

“Fifth month?” she groaned miserably. “So much for birth control.”

“I’m not sorry.”

“Good,” she gasped once she could breathe. “Because you’ll be changing all the diapers.”

“Leigh,” Sebastian soothed. “It’s okay. Dad’s not angry.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mother. I just became a wife.”

Sebastian kissed her cheek. “You’ll do fine. I’ll help you.”

“You better.” She didn’t want to get up, but Sebastian insisted. He carried her to bed and undressed her. “Where’s Dad?”

“He went downstairs for coffee. I think he’s feeling guilty.”

Ashleigh sighed. “So what’s the castle like?”

“Cold and drafty. You’ll love it.”

She patted the bed beside her. “Come here.”

Sebastian stretched out and took his wife in his arms. “Do you want to know what we’re having?”

“No,” she murmured drowsily. “I want to be surprised.”

He grinned and kissed her hair. “Okay.”

Damien came back and found his children in bed, arms wrapped lovingly about the other.

He sat back and chuckled to himself, wondering if he should tell Kate. But he thought better of it. “I’ll let the baby tell her for me.” He stayed until morning and let them see him off.

Later when Kate gazed upon their first grandchild, Damien saw her eyes were wet with tears.

“I thought you were happy for them,” he admonished gently.

“I am,” she laughed. “I am.”

A TUDOR EROTIC ROMANCE

Chapter 1

Everything had to be perfect. The entire kitchen was in a state of excitement as more and more detailed instructions arrived on crumpled parchment from the powers upstairs. Delicious smells emanated from sizzling pans on the stove, herbs were being frantically chopped, and the kitchen was buzzing with excited chatter. With only six hours until the feast began, everybody was tripping over each other in their haste to get things done, and those in charge were noisily calling out demands to the lesser servants. Having only arrived in court the week before, Beth was not yet familiar with the routine of the kitchen, but was eager to impress and make herself useful. Having grown up in the local orphanage, once Beth was old enough to leave she had been allowed to stay on to help care for the children in exchange for meals and a bed at night. Only a month ago, a position in the kitchens at the Tudor Court had become available, and the nuns at the orphanage had encouraged her to take the position, knowing that she needed a change of scene. No doubt the nuns had also been aware that at the orphanage Beth would have had little chance of finding a husband. Beth had been so excited about taking the position at court, and today was an extraordinary day. Every counter was overflowing with exotic foods: stuffed birds of every variety, tiny intricate sweetmeats, and bowls laden with ripe fruit. Beth had never seen anything like it, and couldn’t believe that it was only that morning that the feast had been announced. The King’s news would be sweeping the country by now, and Beth felt proud that she was part of this exciting moment in history. The Queen, Catherine of Aragon, was with child again.

Beth could clearly remember the events of the previous year. Like so many others, she had cheered in the streets at the marriage of the handsome King of England and his new wife Catherine. Then, a mere four months later, Beth had wept with the rest of the country when Henry and Catherine’s first child was stillborn. Today though, everything had changed, with the official announcement that Catherine was once again expecting a baby. There had of course been unofficial kitchen gossip about the matter, but it was only this morning that Henry VIII had himself confirmed the rumors. Immediately, the court leapt into action, organizing an elaborate feast with scrumptious food, music and dancing to celebrate the happy news. Realizing that the bucket she had been filling at the well was overflowing; Beth brought her mind back to the task at hand. Picking up the heavy bucket in one hand, she hitched up her generous skirts with the other in order that they would not drag through the now wet ground. As she did so, she heard a low whistle behind her. Slowly turning around with the blood rushing to her cheeks in embarrassment, she saw a messenger boy leaning casually against a nearby wall. As she slowly looked up at him through her thick eyelashes, Beth could see that the boy was casting his eyes up and down her slender figure. Dropping her skirts immediately, no longer remotely concerned about the damp ground, she quickly made her way back into the smoky and bustling kitchens.

Chapter 2

As she lay in her bed that night, aching from head to toe from the hard work of preparing, serving, and then clearing the food for the glorious feast, Beth couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. She had carried out her work without mishap, and was beginning to feel that she was becoming friends with Emma, the girl who shared her bedchamber. Also, however much she hated to admit it, she did feel a certain delight when she remembered the lust in the messenger boy’s eyes earlier that day. At eighteen years of age Beth had never so much as touched a man, and had previously never felt any desire to. However, as she lay in bed gradually relaxing after the exhausting day, she found herself imagining what it would have been like to run her fingers through his shiny dark hair, or plant a gentle kiss on the stubble of his cheek.

Beth leaned across in the darkness and whispered, “Emma, are you awake?”

“Yes, Beth, what is it? Are you unwell?” came the reply from the other side of the room.

Beth paused momentarily, wondering whether she was being silly, then took a breath and whispered back, “Have you ever… kissed a man, Emma?” She felt as if she could feel Emma’s surprised smile in the darkness.

“I have. More than a kiss too, if you must know.”

“More?”

“There are ways you can… show your love for a man. And he can show his to you.”

“What sort of ways?”

“Well of course, aside from actually coupling, you can pleasure him with your mouth and your hands and…” Beth cut her off, feeling suddenly utterly embarrassed and like a child in contrast to Emma’s obvious experience.

“Can you show me how to kiss a man?” Beth’s words were barely audible and she was glad the darkness hid the flush of her cheeks. Before she had a chance to say anything further, she heard a rustling, and then felt a cold foot nudging her aside as Emma slid into her bed. Without a word, Emma moved her face above Beth’s, their lips inches away from each other.

“Relax,” Emma murmured, “You need to learn, and I’m happy to show you. I reckon we both deserve a bit of fun after such a bleeding long day!” and with that she lowered her lips to Beth’s, at first simply holding them there so that they were breathing in each others’ breath. After a while, Emma began to gently and slowly kiss Beth, their soft lips moving together. Emma’s hand gently moved the hair out of Beth’s eyes, and then slowly ventured lower, moving aside the neckline of Beth’s nightgown so as to expose her pale, full breast. Beth drew in a short, quick breath, momentarily shocked, but as Emma began to flick her tongue over Beth’s now pert nipple, she offered no resistance. Beth could feel a flush rising to her cheeks, her stomach turned over in what was either nerves or excitement, and she felt the beat of her pulse quickening.