Page 29 of Dark Princess Ascending

She could only hope to one day exude confidence like Amanda's.

Sexual confidence.

Amanda looked like a female who knew what she wanted and didn't shy away from anything, and after tonight, maybe Morelle would feel the same.

Not likely.

Even if she succeeded in seducing Brandon, it would take many more nights of passion before she felt like she knew what she was doing.

With a sigh, she slipped on one of the modest nightgowns that Brandon's shopper had gotten for her. It was silky and sleeveless, so it wasn't completely devoid of allure, but it was floor length, and according to her new friends, sexy meant short.

It didn't matter.

Her plan was to whip the garment over her head and present Brandon with her nude body. Hopefully, he would find the sight irresistible, and nature would take its course.

When she entered the darkened room, though,she was surprised to see him standing by the window instead of waiting for her in bed.

He must have overridden the automatic shutters that every house in the village was equipped with. They closed each evening at dusk so no light would betray the hidden village location.

"What are you doing?" She walked up to him.

"Watching the moon." He wrapped his arm around her middle and drew her against his side. "It's full tonight."

Morelle followed his gaze to the large disk hanging heavy in the sky and casting a silvery glow over the village below. "Does the full moon hold any special meaning?"

"Not really." He smiled at her. "Well, some say it's a symbol of everything mysterious and beautiful and that it represents connection, clarity, and things coming full circle. Others say it represents the goddess, the feminine power."

"What do you believe?"

"I believe in the power of beauty to move and inspire us." His eyes met hers. "To remind us that some things are worth stopping to appreciate."

The moonlight silvered his features, making him look otherworldly and yet somehow more real than ever. Morelle reached up, tracing the line of his jaw with her fingers.

"Indeed, you look very handsome and alluring in the moonlight." She laid her hands on his chest and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

With a sharp intake of breath, he took over, devouring her as if he was starved for her. His frenzied kiss betrayed the desperate need he'd been hiding behind a veneer of civility, and it set her on fire. Molten heat rushed through her, turning her body liquid, and her knees buckled. If not for his arm holding her up, she would have melted on the floor.

He eased up then, teasing her lips with a swipe of his tongue before thrusting it back into her mouth and stoking the inferno once more. It was all-consuming, and yet not enough. She needed to bare him, to touch his skin, and to lick him all over.

Reaching for the buttons of his sleep shirt, her normally agile fingers turned clumsy as she tried to release the first one, and she groaned. "I need to feel you."

Without a word, his fingers joined hers on the buttons, and then the garment slid off his shoulders and hit the floor.

"Thank you." She smoothed her fingertips over his naked torso. "That's much better."

He groaned, his muscles tensing under her fingers and his heart thudding louder.

When she dragged her forefingers across his nipples, he hissed her name.

"What's the matter?" She feigned innocence. "Don't you like my touch?"

His hands captured hers, stilling her progress. "I like it too much."

"Then don't fight me." She dipped her head and kissed the underside of his jaw. "Let me explore."

"You are playing with fire," he growled but released her hands.

His body certainly felt like it was burning under her touch, and the scent he was emitting was intoxicating.