Knowing he was as ready as she was made it easy to slip out of her shirt and step out of her jeans. The sun bit her shoulders as she unhooked her bra and let her breasts fall free then met his eyes. He gazed at her, his eyes wide with unabashed appreciation.
“Up for a swim?” she asked then eased her silk underwear down her long, tanned legs.
Edward swallowed. “I am.” His words were coated with need that he’d struggled against for weeks of working together. Clem licked her lips then turned from him and strode into the pond.
Once he’d shed his clothing, he followed her into the cool water. She noticed him shiver when he got waist deep and splashed him.
“Too cold for you?” she teased.
“I’m pretty hot right now,” he said, meeting her flirtation head on. He slipped his arms around her waist, and Clem let out a sigh of pleasure at the feel of his solid body against hers. She wrapped a leg around his backside and pulled him into her. His hardness spoke to just how much he wanted her.
Without another word, Edward’s lips crushed hers. His wet hands were in her hair, his tongue exploring her mouth. She wanted to feel him everywhere—his hands, his lips. He turned her around and pulled her back into his chest, cradling her breasts with his hands. She gasped as he nibbled at her earlobe and kissed the back of her neck, his thumbs drawing circles over her hard nipples. She raised her arms high and curled them back around him as she leaned into him, letting his touch perform magic on her skin until she could stand it no longer. The aching inside of her was too strong.
Pulling away from him, Clem took his hand and led him from the pond to the blanket. They fell together, their wet bodies sizzling with fiery craving for one another. Edward slid his body next to hers and gazed into her eyes.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She threw her head back and let out a throaty laugh. “Are you kidding me?” Angling her body into him, she moaned as he caressed her backside and the tops of her thighs. She parted her legs, inviting him to go further. His fingers danced over the tender nerves between her legs then slid inside of her, pulsing the core of pleasure that ached for more than just his fingers.
“I need you now, Edward,” she said, and he wasted no time before pushing inside of her. She clung to him, pushing him deeper until they came together, their blissful cries in sync, their lustful appetites at last sated.
9
Edward lay belly down on the picnic blanket, propped up on one elbow, staring dreamily at Clem who was still naked except for the unbuttoned dress shirt of his that she’d shrugged into.
“If I’d known this would be your way of thanking me, I’d have obliged you sooner,” he said, and she laughed. Her hair hung in golden waves around her crimson cheeks, which were red and roughened from the brush of his face against hers. Her blue eyes looked soft, filled with an expression of satisfaction.
“Seriously, Clem,” he said. “That was pretty amazing.”
She leaned into him, exposing the perfect flesh on her long white neck and half-exposed breasts. “I’ve been wanting to get closer to you for a long time,” she admitted. “It’s just that we always seemed to be on such different ends of the spectrum about things.” She gazed at him and spoke quietly. “Today just felt right.”
“For me too,” he said. “I’m sorry if I seem stubborn when it comes to your work on the castle or the demolition projects. For a long time, I’ve been so caught up in my father’s way of doing things, I think I’ve forgotten how to form my own opinions.” He picked a blade of grass and twirled it between his fingers. “Your passion gave me the confidence to stand up to my father about the mill.”
“I’m proud of you, Edward,” she said and sat straight up. His shirt fell open, exposing all of her, but she didn’t seem to notice. He couldn’t help but stare. “You were brilliant in front of the press today.”
He let out a sigh. “Want to know a secret?”
She grinned and ran fingernails through the tuft of hair on his chest. “Of course I do.”
“I detest public speaking,” he admitted. “It’s my absolute biggest fear. A phobia!”
“Well, you nailed it today, Prince Edward,” she said and leaned forward to kiss him. His hands went to her waist, and he pulled her close, leaning into the kiss.
When their lips parted, Clem pulled her head back enough to speak again. “Why do you let your father push you around?” she asked.
“He doesn’t push me around,” Edward explained. “It’s just that ever since I was small, he’s held me to certain standards. He’s set on an image of what is and isn’t acceptable as part of the crown. As a child, even my friendships were scrutinized. If the friend didn’t fit the image, the friendship had to end.”
“That’s harsh,” Clem said and gently caressed Edward’s thigh.
“As I got older, it just got to be a habit, aligning my life and my choices with what he’d want,” he said. “If I’m honest…” Edward’s words trailed off before he finally gathered himself to say, “You know, you’re the only person I’ve ever admitted this to, but, if I’m honest, I’m afraid to fail.”
“What?” Her eyes were incredulous. “Fail who? Your father?”
He nodded. “My father, the kingdom,” he said. “It’s a lot of pressure. And as much as I want to be my own person and pursue my own dreams, I don’t want to let down my family or the people of Sovalon.”
Clem was silent for a moment, leaving him worried that perhaps he’d said too much. Finally, she took his hand and met his eyes.
“I completely get it,” she said.
“You do?”
“Ever since Mom left, I’ve felt like I’m the one who has to hold things together with Uncle Stoddard and Dad—at home and at the shop,” she said.
His heart went out to her. “How painful to have been abandoned by your mother, especially for a young girl.”
“I think that she’s the reason I work so hard to preserve beautiful things.” Clem stared wistfully off to the right. “I watched my parents’ marriage disintegrate so quickly,” she said. “Beautiful things can easily be lost forever if you don’t take care of them.”
This shed so much light on Clem’s personality and her appreciation of antiquities. “How old were you when your mom left?” he asked,
“Only seven,” Clem said. “But I remember her. I remember her and Dad fighting constantly at home. Every day was a battle. ”
“That’s awful.”
“Yes, it really was. Their inability to get along was the reason she left. It’s also the reason I’m so careful about who I get into a relationship with,” Clem said. “My parents were complete opposites, too different to coexist. I don’t want to end up struggling like they did.”
“I can understand that,” Edward said. “But not every relationship will be like your parents’.”
“I know.” She ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Anyway, now it’s just me, Dad and Uncle Stoddard. I’m a musketeer—one of the three. The only way to manage is for all of us to work together. I have to succeed in my part of the business, because if one of us jumps ship, the others sink. I understand the pressure.”