He silenced her tirade with a finger to her lips.
Shantra was so nervous about this, and so angry that she was in this position, mostly because of her big mouth, that she glared up at him. She had other things to say, but she pressed her lips together, refusing to release more of her garbled, ridiculous speech that was more about nervousness than anything else.
“Fine!” she snapped and walked towards the doors herself, refusing to be led here. “If I have to do this, I’m at least going to enter on my own,” she told him furiously.
Laithir watched his tiny wife walk into their private suite, practically stomping. He suspected that, if she’d been wearing boots instead of the delicate heels, she would have put cracks into the marble floor. Or maybe just kicked one of the marble columns. She was sexy as hell as she walked through the doors, her round bottom pressing against the silk of her dress.
He followed her into the room and closed the doors behind him, closing out the rest of the world. He’d waited too long for this moment, and he was going to relish spending time alone with the woman who had fascinated him from the moment she’d stepped into her brother’s office.
She was such a bundle of energy; always moving, always talking and he suspected that her intelligent mind was frantically working whenever she was silent. In other women, he might be worried about that. But with Shantra, he didn’t anticipate any concerns. Anything she thought, she said out loud. There was no mystery to her. She was all woman…and all his!
He leaned against the heavy, wooden doors as she surveyed the room. He’d had it re-decorated in more feminine colors during his wait, and he hoped that she liked it. If she didn’t, he’d have it changed to something she liked more. His hands were eager to smooth over her body, to feel all of those soft curves and learn what she liked.
Every instinct inside of him was telling him to lift her into his arms and carry her over to the bed, sink himself into her body and revel in her amazing softness.
But he held back, wanting to reassure her, trying to figure out how to ease her nervousness.
Unfortunately, this was as new of an experience to him as it was for her. The women he’d taken to his bed in the past were well versed in the world of sexuality. They knew what they wanted and weren’t afraid to ask, or even demand. He was normally willing to do just about anything to please his partner.
But Shantra was different. She was nervous, and he wasn’t exactly sure how to ease her fears except to show her that everything would be okay. She was afraid of the pain, but he didn’t know how to avoid that pain. She was a virgin, and he had been told that it would hurt the first time, but he hadn’t been told how to stop that pain from happening.
“Come,” he said and led her past the bed into the bathroom. He knew she was confused, but pulled her along anyway.
Shantra stared at the beautiful, enormous bath, filled with flower petals and steam rising from the surface. “It’s lovely,” she whispered, feeling ashamed of herself. She’d been about to blast him for being so insensitive, and all this time, he’d only intended for her to relax in a bath.
“Why don’t you relax for a few minutes?” he offered to her. He lifted her hand and kissed her fingers. “I’ll see you shortly.” And he walked out of the bathroom.
Shantra stared at the water with longing. She would love to slip into the warm water and try to relax. It was only a short reprieve, but she was touched by the moment and the effort. Of course, he’d only asked his staff to prepare the bath, but still, it was a very sweet, very kind gesture.
She slipped her shoes off, then quickly unwrapped her dress, laying it over the chair by the windows. She’d worn pretty underwear, prepared for tonight, but she didn’t give a fig that Laithir wouldn’t see the sexy bits of nothing on her. All of her trembling was gone and she felt hugely better as she stepped into the deep tub. It was almost a small pool, she thought as she settled into a curved seat that allowed her to recline but still keep her head above the water. This was truly amazing, she thought. Someone had even scented the water.
With her head leaning back against one of the satin pillows, she let the tension from the day ease out of her muscles. There were birds chirping in the distance and, while the sun was shining on the courtyard, the stone construction kept the bathroom cool, almost chilly. The warmth of the water contrasted deliciously with the cool air and she smiled happily.
When the door opened, she barely opened her eyes, thinking it was only a servant. Boy was she wrong!
Laithir strode into the bathroom wearing only a silk robe. It ended down around his knees, but it was loosely belted so she saw an enormous expanse of his chest.