Free The Queen Revealed by A. R. Winterstaar

aftershocks of pleasure slowly ebbed away. Adele recovered first. She rolled over onto her side, facing Rainere, and smiled. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, my love,” she said and lay a kiss on his chest.
    Rainere looked down at her and brushed a wisp of hair out of her eyes. “I think you gave me some idea, cara mia .” He smiled his gorgeous half-smile, but then winced as he moved his shoulders. “Your Magic is getting stronger, though. I’m sure of it.”
    Adele ran her hand down Rainere’s chest to his rippling abdominals. Was it possible that he was the most perfect specimen of manhood ever made?
    “I’m sorry, my love. Did I hurt you?” she asked and moved to drape herself across him, luxuriating in the feeling of his skin on hers. “I’ll be gentler next time.”
    Rainere laughed and the sound was throaty and wicked. “Don’t even think it,” he warned her and moved Adele to sit astride him as he shifted himself to lean against the bedhead. Face to face now, Rainere tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss. As the kiss became deeper and her hands travelled his body, he pushed her away again.
    “Just let me look at you,” he said gently when she frowned at the interruption. “It was too long ago that I had your beautiful face before me.”
    Adele smiled as Rainere stroked a hand down her cheek and pushed her long dark hair back over her shoulder, smoothing it down her back. Her eyes travelled to the small bedside table and saw a sheaf of papers piled haphazardly on it. She leaned over to examine one more closely. “Rainere, these are pictures of me!” she said in surprise. “Where did you get them?”
    Rainere shrugged, almost embarrassed. “I drew these when I saw you at the Golden Palace, during all those abysmal meetings. I knew I did not want to forget any detail of your face.”
    Adele looked at the elegantly-wrought sketches and smiled at the flattering likeness. “I’m sure I don’t look quite like this,” she grinned and raised an eyebrow at her artistic Prince. “My breasts are not really that big.”
    “I draw what is in front of me.” Rainere smiled as he took the picture from her hand and put it back on its table. “But I see you have changed so much in your weeks away from me that I will have to start all over again.” He touched her cheek. “You got some sun and your skin is more golden than it was before.”
    “The beach was so beautiful, Rainere. The children and I loved it! Have you ever been to Sandar?” She paused at the look he gave her. No Marchant monarch would ever be welcome in Sandar. “Sorry. Of course you haven’t… but it was amazing.”
    His hands travelled to the top of her thighs. “There are muscles here that weren’t before,” he commented.
    “Really?” Adele was pleased he had noticed. “I have been learning to ride a horse for the first time in my life,” she said proudly. “And I did a lot of walking and swimming in Sandar.”
    Rainere’s hands slipped around to cup her buttocks and gave them a squeeze. “There is more of this than there was before,” he remarked appreciatively.
    “Well, I did eat a lot more than usual, I guess,” Adele admitted ruefully. “On the road it gets so dull and we had brought so many sweet biscuits and cakes with us for the journey. I probably over did it.” Her pleasure with Rainere’s examination was fading a little if he was going to point out flaws, too.
    “No,” said Rainere, giving her behind a gentle pinch. “I mean I like it. You are far too fragile as it is, with your tiny bones and diminutive size. I like to feel that there is more of you in the world… I like that you are stronger now and less likely to blow away in the wind like you used to.”
    The memories of the dreams that they had shared for so many years together before she had come to Unisia swam between them. Only Adele had been able to travel to Rainere’s world on the dream winds that blew her