Romance: In Love With A Beast (Paranormal BBW Panther Shifter Romance) (Shapeshifter Mystery Alpha Werebear Romance Short Stories) Read Online Free Page A
servants will be wondering where I am.” With that, Beth drew further away, and brushed her now sweaty palms against the side of her skirts. The King’s eyes had not once strayed from her, and they now hovered on her right hand.
“Are you injured, Elizabeth?” The King asked, and took her hand in his, lightly touching the burn she had received earlier that day. Before she had a chance to answer, he suddenly lowered his head and ever so gently pressed his lips against the reddened skin. The kiss seemed to last forever, and Beth felt as if she were holding her breath. She recognized that what she was feeling for the King was pure desire, and took a step closer to him. The King lifted his head to look at her once more, their faces now inches away from each other. Beth could feel his warm breath stirring her hair, and she longed to press her lips against his and explore his mouth with her tongue. A sound outside in the corridor startled them both; they had been so transfixed by each other that they had momentarily forgotten their surroundings.
“Please visit me here tomorrow after dark,” the King murmured and with that he left her standing there, her heart racing and cheeks flushed.
Chapter 6
The next morning Beth awoke feeling unrested and groggy. It had been a sleepless night as she had turned the events of the last few days over and over again in her mind. She felt as if she had stumbled into another person’s life. One minute she had been a simple girl working in the orphanage with nothing greater to worry about than what to cook the children for supper that evening; now she had experienced what could only be described as a sexual awakening, thanks to Emma. She had met John for whom she felt a stirring in her heart, and she also had Wolsey and the King’s proposition to contend with. She wanted to discuss these anxieties with Emma as they dressed, but somehow she couldn’t find the words. Beth was painfully aware of the implications of the decision she was now faced with: she would be engaging in an adulterous relationship with the ruler of England while the Queen lay in her confinement awaiting the birth of what everybody hoped would be the heir to the throne. The enormity of the situation lay heavy on her heart; could she risk her immortal soul simply for the sake of her and the King’s lust? Not only that, but did she really want to become a pawn in the political games of Thomas Wolsey?
These thoughts continued to race round and round in Beth’s head throughout the course of the morning. Again she was struggling to focus on her work, and she was sure that her superiors would begin to question why she had been employed at court at all. Emma kept shooting her concerned looks, but Beth did not feel she could confide in her friend. She could envisage the shock on Emma’s face were she to explain why Wolsey had summoned her, so she had been avoiding her friend’s questions about it all morning.
The weather was unusually warm today, so Emma and Beth took their bread and cheese outside to eat it sitting on the grass outside. No sooner had they started to eat than John appeared beside them.
“Good day,” he began, “It is a beautiful spot for a picnic. Do you mind if I join you?” Without waiting for the girls to reply, he laid his cloak out on the grass and sat down beside them.
Beth was once again struck by John’s youthful good looks. For a moment she considered the strangeness of being attracted by two completely different men: the King with his muscular and imposing presence and John with his lithe body and dark hair. Not to mention the fact that these two men had drastically different social ranks. As soon as this thought had popped into her head, Beth dismissed it, telling herself that she was being ridiculous to even entertain the notion of anything happening between her and the King. He was a married man and not only that but the King of England. Could
“Are you injured, Elizabeth?” The King asked, and took her hand in his, lightly touching the burn she had received earlier that day. Before she had a chance to answer, he suddenly lowered his head and ever so gently pressed his lips against the reddened skin. The kiss seemed to last forever, and Beth felt as if she were holding her breath. She recognized that what she was feeling for the King was pure desire, and took a step closer to him. The King lifted his head to look at her once more, their faces now inches away from each other. Beth could feel his warm breath stirring her hair, and she longed to press her lips against his and explore his mouth with her tongue. A sound outside in the corridor startled them both; they had been so transfixed by each other that they had momentarily forgotten their surroundings.
“Please visit me here tomorrow after dark,” the King murmured and with that he left her standing there, her heart racing and cheeks flushed.
Chapter 6
The next morning Beth awoke feeling unrested and groggy. It had been a sleepless night as she had turned the events of the last few days over and over again in her mind. She felt as if she had stumbled into another person’s life. One minute she had been a simple girl working in the orphanage with nothing greater to worry about than what to cook the children for supper that evening; now she had experienced what could only be described as a sexual awakening, thanks to Emma. She had met John for whom she felt a stirring in her heart, and she also had Wolsey and the King’s proposition to contend with. She wanted to discuss these anxieties with Emma as they dressed, but somehow she couldn’t find the words. Beth was painfully aware of the implications of the decision she was now faced with: she would be engaging in an adulterous relationship with the ruler of England while the Queen lay in her confinement awaiting the birth of what everybody hoped would be the heir to the throne. The enormity of the situation lay heavy on her heart; could she risk her immortal soul simply for the sake of her and the King’s lust? Not only that, but did she really want to become a pawn in the political games of Thomas Wolsey?
These thoughts continued to race round and round in Beth’s head throughout the course of the morning. Again she was struggling to focus on her work, and she was sure that her superiors would begin to question why she had been employed at court at all. Emma kept shooting her concerned looks, but Beth did not feel she could confide in her friend. She could envisage the shock on Emma’s face were she to explain why Wolsey had summoned her, so she had been avoiding her friend’s questions about it all morning.
The weather was unusually warm today, so Emma and Beth took their bread and cheese outside to eat it sitting on the grass outside. No sooner had they started to eat than John appeared beside them.
“Good day,” he began, “It is a beautiful spot for a picnic. Do you mind if I join you?” Without waiting for the girls to reply, he laid his cloak out on the grass and sat down beside them.
Beth was once again struck by John’s youthful good looks. For a moment she considered the strangeness of being attracted by two completely different men: the King with his muscular and imposing presence and John with his lithe body and dark hair. Not to mention the fact that these two men had drastically different social ranks. As soon as this thought had popped into her head, Beth dismissed it, telling herself that she was being ridiculous to even entertain the notion of anything happening between her and the King. He was a married man and not only that but the King of England. Could
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