Affairs of State(62)
Simon leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips. “How does that feel?” he murmured.
“Mmm. That feels real.” Passion and warmth swelled in her chest and she slid her arms around him under the covers. “Breathtakingly real. But wait. You’re not supposed to see me on my wedding day!” She pulled back, suddenly panicked. What else would she do wrong today?
Simon pulled her closer again. “There are some traditions best left by the wayside.” He nuzzled her neck, which made her smile. “I’m probably not supposed to make love to you on the morning of your wedding, but luckily I have a rebellious streak.”
“We can’t. Can we?” Arousal trickled through her like music. “We have to get ready.” She said it more as a question than a statement.
“We’ll be ready when we need to. You’re not planning this one, thank goodness.”
She’d turned the reins of the wedding over to Scarlet and her new partner, and they’d done a spectacular job pulling together what promised to be the wedding of the century in less than three months. “It’s hard for me not to worry about the details, though. What if the caterer can’t get through the crowds to deliver the food?”
“Someone else’s problem.” He kissed her lips again.
Relaxation soaked through her veins. “You’re very good at distracting me.” She kissed him back, letting herself sink into his arms. Nothing ruffled Simon’s feathers, at least not for long. He was so confident and capable that it was hard to be anxious around him.
His hands roamed over her chest, sparking trails of excitement, and she could feel his arousal thickening against her. “Uh-oh, are we really going to do this?”
“It’s starting to look inevitable,” he rasped.
“But we have a thousand guests coming. And our friends staying here at Whist are probably downstairs having breakfast right now.”
“We’ll see them soon enough.”
He squeezed her backside, and she responded by pinching his gently, with a giggle. “You’re a bad influence.”
“I love you.” He said it simply, and the truth of it punched her in the gut.
“I love you, too. I think I knew it from the first night I met you, which doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“Love isn’t supposed to make sense.” He smiled, looking into her eyes. “That’s why it’s so wonderful.”
Her heart filled to overflowing. “If you weren’t the most persistent and persuasive man on earth, I might never have dared to let myself fall in love with you.”
“Tenacity has its virtues.” He nibbled her earlobe, which made her gasp, then laugh. “Thank goodness I had your parents to help convince you to take a chance on me.”
“And now they’re getting married, too.” She grinned, thinking about the rapturous looks Ellie and Ted always had on their faces when they were together. A president had never married while in office before, and the event, planned for a month’s time, was to be the American equivalent of a royal wedding. She couldn’t wait to be there and watch them finally pledge their vows to each other after so many wasted years.
A long steamy kiss sent blood racing through her veins and arousal trickling to her fingers and toes, and other parts.
“Come here, madam.” Simon climbed over her, and slid his fingers over her hot, ready sex.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Her back was already arching, ready to receive him. Her fingers pushed into his thick hair as he entered her, making her gasp with pleasure. Wedding anxieties shriveled and floated up to the sky like embers as they moved together under the soft covers, reveling in each others’ bodies. The sweet relief of their climax left them relaxed and ready to face anything.
“I can’t believe we get to do this whenever we want for the rest of our lives,” breathed Simon heavily, as they lay spent, with their heads on the same pillow again. “I’m the luckiest man on earth.”
“We are lucky, aren’t we? This year started out with all the shocking press revelations that I was the president’s daughter, and spiraled out of control from there. I seem to have landed in a very soft place.”
“Are you trying to say my body is soft?” He poked her gently.
“No one could accuse you of being soft. Well, except your heart.”
“Okay, that I’ll admit to. I’m just glad I found the right woman to give it to.”