Free His Princess in the Making by Melissa James

wanted to. But she couldn’t say it, couldn’t show him, even now. To risk everything all over again…
    “Touch me again, Giulia.” Rough-edged, hot, his voice shivered into her deepest core. “Touch me, beautiful girl, just touch me.”
    The words, more raw and commanding than pleading, sent anguished, painful longing through her, her skin too sensitive to the touch…Her hand wound into his hair, her palm filled with softness, her fingers with his skin. Her eyes closed. Ah…
    “This is me,” he murmured into her ear, rough, hard and aching with need. “I’m the man who moved into your house to become a part of your family, but mostly because I couldn’t stay away from you. You fascinate me endlessly with every word and movement. I’ve kissed you ten-thousand times in my dreams and loved you only with words, hoping like hell you’d understand, while I was aching to do this.” He moved his hips against her, and she moaned and gasped, her eyes closing again with intense, aching beauty and excitement.“I’m the man who’s been waiting ten long years for you to move a single inch.”
    An inch? Her eyes fluttered open, heavy with agonised passion. She looked at him and saw only his mouth, an inch from hers.
    He dipped her again, slowly and sensually, a prelude to the inevitable, the beautiful and wanted. “I’ve always been right here, waiting. Move that inch, Giulia,” he whispered against her lips. “Come to me. Give me you. Just an inch.”
    Floating between lovely dream and invisible reality, she released his other hand, slid hers up past his shoulder, over his neck and into his hair, pulled him down with hands trembling with eagerness, and opened her mouth to him.
    A kiss is just a kiss. No, no; it was everything…
    Soft and clinging, it was everything she’d hoped for through years filled with and yet starved of his touch. Gentle, as unforgettable as the song that had been playing when they’d started dancing. Their bodies were still apart, still dancing a warm current of wanting; delicate caresses of breast to chest almost incidental to the movement of the music, lips slanting in barely-there kisses filled with tenderness. And it was Toby who was kissing her, her dearest, beloved Toby…
    “Your Highness, the King wishes to speak to you at your earliest convenience.”
    She felt Toby move back, but still dazed, she didn’t realise the words were directed towards her; all she wanted was to keep kissing him, touching him. She pulled him back to her and kissed him again, moaning softly.
    “Princess Giulia!”
    She blinked, remembering that the title “princess” applied to her. Slowly, she turned to the speaker—Jazmine’s PA, Lady Eleni, stood at the open doorway of the balcony. Lia sighed. “Thank you, Eleni. Please tell him I’ll come soon.” With an irritable motion, she waved her away.
    Eleni’s brows lifted, indicating her surprise, but she backed away.
    She drew in another breath and looked up at Toby. His mouth was twisted in rueful amusement. She almost got lost again, just looking at him. “As they say in the classics, I think we’ve been busted.”
    A laugh burst from her. “Well, forewarned is forearmed.” Her brows lifted in quirky acceptance. “I think I’ll be on the receiving end of Theo Angelis’s displeasure for once.”
    “I’ll be right beside you.” He took her hands in his. “I wouldn’t leave you to face this alone.”
    She shook her head. “He wouldn’t appreciate you protecting me. Don’t worry, I can handle it.”
    “I started this. It’s my place to be there and receive his anger.” He frowned and searched her face, and a flash of annoyance tore through her. He was looking for signs of weakness—that she needed him.
    “I’m fine,” she said as briefly as before, and released his hands. “This has far more levels than the personal.”
    “I know that.” He spoke with no impatience, yet she felt it, felt his annoyance—and no wonder. He’d