Victoria turned around, amazed at the room spread out before her, and she laughed. This was his idea of a romantic wedding night? Stefan never failed to amaze and surprise her.
"If someone starts looking for us, they'd check my wing first," Stefan told her. He slid off his jacket, flinging it to the side without taking his eyes off her as he stalked-yes, stalked-right toward her. "They'd never think to look in the theater."
How many women had he snuck into this room or any other room in this magnificent palace, for that matter? She knew the media really exploited his bachelor status and the fact that he enjoyed women, but she also knew most of their accounts were accurate. Stefan never made any apologies for the man he was, and that's perhaps why people loved him so much. He was honest to a fault and sinfully charming.
Past women didn't matter to her. He was her husband now, and what he did before this moment was ridiculous for her to even entertain. She wasn't a virgin, and they weren't committing themselves to anything permanent. They were adults, best friends, and they were acting on these newfound sexual feelings. So why analyze it to death when there was one hot, sexy, aroused prince standing before her looking like he wanted to devour her? No woman would be stupid enough to turn that invitation down...especially from her own husband.
Wedding night or not, this would be one experience she'd never forget. She needed the awkwardness and doubts to get out of her mind because she wanted to concentrate on the here and now.
"You look beautiful." He closed the gap between them, running a fingertip along her exposed collarbone. Shivers coursed through her at his provocative, simple touch. "The way this dress molds to your body makes me wonder if you could possibly fit anything between this satin and your skin."
Her eyes roamed over his bronzed face and his heavy-lidded eyes as his finger continued to tickle its way back and forth across her collarbone, teasing her, tempting her. If one finger had that much of an impact on her senses, who knew what a full-bodied touch would do.
"I'm a designer," she told him, reaching up to slide one button at a time through the hole of his dress shirt. "It's my job to make things fit and create an illusion of perfection."
His hands glided down her arms, slid to her hips and tugged her until she was pelvis to pelvis with him. Chills raced over her body, the promise of what was to come making her shiver.
"I'd say fitting won't be a problem, and there's no illusion." His gaze dropped to her lips, to her breasts pressed against his chest and back up to her face. "There's plenty of perfection without the tricks you may practice as a designer. I've known you for years, Tori, and there's nothing imperfect about you."
The attack on her mouth was fierce and oh so welcoming. The man knew what he wanted, and the fact that he wanted her made her feel alive again for the first time in months. Maybe that made her shallow, but she needed to feel beautiful, sexy and, yes, even needed.
Stefan may be her best friend, but right now she wasn't having thoughts of friendship. Desire shot through her as she pressed her body against his.
How many times had she kissed him, hugged him? How could she have taken for granted such a hard body?
Victoria eased back, continuing her work on his shirt. Stefan slid her hands away and pulled it over his head, ignoring the last few buttons that weren't undone.
That chest. She'd seen it many times before, but she hadn't seen this fresh ink and his finely sculpted body in some time. Victoria glided her hands up over his chiseled abs and outlined the new tattoo over one of his pecs.
"How come every time I see you, you have new ink?" she murmured, tracing the detailed dragon.
"I like the art," he said simply. "Let's discuss tattoos later. How the hell do I get you out of this thing on your head and this dress without hurting one of us?"
Victoria laughed, thankful he'd lightened the mood. This is what she needed. The playful side of Stefan. The side that always made her smile. Of course, she had a feeling he'd be showing her another side that would make her smile even more in a minute.
She reached up, sliding several pins from her hair and placing them on the counter along the wall. After removing the diamond tiaralike headband and veil, she laid it out along the counter, as well.
She realized she was taking her time. In part she wanted this moment to last. But she also couldn't help being a little afraid of where this epic step would take them.
"I wish I'd designed a dress that could just peel off," she told him, reaching behind her. "But I'm afraid there's a zipper, and you're going to have to get it."
She turned, giving him her back but throwing him a glance over her shoulder. "Sorry I wasn't thinking ahead."
"Oh, this is my pleasure," he told her with a crooked smile and a wink.
When his fingers came up to her back and slid to the zipper, she couldn't suppress the shiver that raced through her. Arousal quickly overrode her awkwardness and doubts that threatened to creep in.
As the material parted in the back, Victoria shimmied her arms slightly so the dress fell down the front of her, leaving her standing in a strapless bustier that lifted her meager chest into something voluptuous and enticing...at least she hoped that's how he saw her.
Stefan didn't know which god deserved credit for making Victoria realize that the two of them sleeping together wasn't a mistake, but he'd graciously drop to his knees and thank him.
"Oh," he whispered when she turned around. "Had I known you looked that good, I would've insisted you go without the dress during the ceremony."
Just as he'd hoped, Victoria laughed. That rich, seductive sound washed over him. As much as his body wanted hers, he also wanted her to be comfortable. He couldn't allow any uneasiness to settle between them.
"This royal wedding would've been talked about until the end of time," she joked. "Besides, since I'm the designer, I would've looked rather strange coming down the aisle without a gown."
"Strange?" he asked, tracing the top of the silk material that covered her tan breasts. "No. Sexy as hell and the fantasy of every man? Absolutely."
Victoria bit her lip but held his gaze.
"Don't," he told her. "Don't think. Don't worry. Just...feel."
She shivered beneath his touch, and Stefan wished she knew the effect she had on him was just as potent. He had shivers racing through his body just thinking of what they were about to do. God, he'd waited so long to make love to her and here they were.
Of course, all those times he'd envisioned them sleeping together, he never once pictured her in a wedding dress beforehand.
She inhaled, causing her chest to press deeper into his touch. The rustling of the dress had him pulling back just enough so she could step out of it.
"One of us still has too many clothes on." She smiled, picking up her dress, and, with great care, she laid it over the back of one of the oversized leather theater chairs. "Normally you're so eager to show off your body. Are you getting stage fright, Prince Alexander?"
A naughty smile spread across her face. She was literally a sinful sight before him, but he'd never been known for being a choir boy.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of anything." He wasted no time in stripping down to his black boxer briefs. "I was merely admiring the view of my sexy new wife."
When Victoria's eyes raked down his body, pausing at his throbbing erection, then back up to meet his eyes, she bit her lip. Nerves were getting to her and he refused to let her overthink this.
"You were starting to relax. Come on, Tori." He reached out, sliding his hands up her bare arms and stepping into her. "You've seen me in swimming trunks skimpier than this."
Her eyes locked on to his, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. "True, but this is so much different. I just don't want this to change us...you know, afterward."
He kissed her lips, gently, slowly. Kissed his way along her jawline, down the long, slender column of her throat, pleased when she tilted her head back and groaned. He'd dreamed of this moment for so long. Longer than he liked to admit, even to himself. He'd never allowed any woman to have such control over his mind or his fantasies.
"Nothing will change," he assured her between kisses. "Unless it's better. And I'm positive in the next few minutes, things between us will get a whole lot better."