Sunday Snog #183: White Wedding

Another Sunday, another snog...!

Today I’m sharing an unpublished snippet featuring the characters from Raw Silk, my very first novel. I’ve been reacquainting myself with Kate and Gregory, since I’m in the process of editing and expanding the book for a new release. The scene below might even be included!

Once you’re done with my Sunday kiss, hop over to Victoria’s BlisseKiss page for more sexy snogs.

Kate was as nervous as any bride. Her heart pounded and her auburn curls were damp with sweat, despite the air conditioning. The anteroom where she awaited the signal for her entrance had a window that looked out on the Chao Phaya River. Kate watched the barges move lazily over the muddy water and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. Still, her body crackled with tension, and her mind raced.

Had it really been only a year since she arrived in Bangkok and had met Gregory? It was so hard to believe, that so many things had changed so radically, so quickly. She had arrived, proud, independent, naive, a bit brittle, obsessed with order, blind to the irrational force of her own needs. Gregory had seen in her what she hid from herself: a deep desire to submit, to surrender herself body and soul to someone with the power and compassion to master her. Gradually but inexorably, Gregory had revealed to her the true nature of her desires, had satisfied those desires so thoroughly that she blushed and burned, even here alone, from remembering.

Her master. Her love. And soon to be her husband. Kate had come to know Gregory well over the past year. She had become familiar with his dark moods, his moments of uncertainty, his occasional flares of anger. She understood that he needed her as much as she needed him, and that he saw his need as an intolerable weakness.

Could she really make him happy as his wife? Marriage was so serious, so irrevocable. Kate knew that Gregory viewed this as a lifelong commitment. Though she intended the same commitment, his intensity scared her.

Still, despite her doubts, this was her wedding day. A lively crowd waited out on the terrace of the opulent Oriental Hotel, eager for the bride's appearance and her long walk down the flower-lined aisle.

Gregory was being very traditional about the wedding; Kate was a bit surprised. She wore white, a simple, ankle-length gown of unadorned satin, snugly fitted to the curves of her body. Her shoulders were bare; a headpiece of white orchids nestled in her curly hair.

Something old: somewhere, in some catalog, Gregory had located a genuine Victorian waist-cincher, which she wore now under the gown. Perhaps the antique whale-bones encasing her middle were partially responsible for her rapid breathing.

Something new: on the index finger of her right hand, she wore the ruby ring Gregory had given her as a wedding present. It glowed and sparkled against her pale skin, like fire, or blood.

Something borrowed: an intricate bracelet of braided leather circled her left wrist, loaned to her by Noi, Gregory's Thai half-sister. Noi was a dominatrix of exceptional strength and beauty, a gorgeous Amazon who loved her brother with a terrifying ferocity. The two women were united by their common devotion to Gregory. Nevertheless, Kate felt a bit wary of Noi, and she suspected that the sentiment was mutual.

Something blue: at her throat, Kate wore the sapphire pendant given to her by Somtow Rajchitraprasong, the charming Thai aristocrat who had been one of her lovers during her first months in Bangkok. He had gracefully relinquished any claim on her when she finally chose to give herself solely to Gregory.

There was a light tap on the door. This is it, Kate thought, checking her appearance one last time in the mirror as the door swung open. However, it was not her sister Deb, her maid of honor. It was Gregory.

The sight of him stole her breath away. His powerful body moved with feline grace despite the formality of his white tuxedo. His raven hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, emphasizing the sculpted planes of his features. He fixed her with his steel-blue eyes, a half-smile showing his sharp teeth. Kate felt his magnetic pull half a room away.

"Gregory, you shouldn't be here! It's bad luck!" In answer, her groom swept her into his arms and a bottomless kiss. Kate allowed herself to go limp, to be swallowed up in the hungry embrace.

"Nonsense," said Gregory, finally. "I thought you might need moral support. That you might be feeling uncertain, having second thoughts."

Kate was impressed, as she often was, by his intuition. But now, in his presence, she felt no doubts. "No," she said, laying her palm on his cheek. "This is what I want."

"And I," he said. He paused as if collecting his thoughts. "Now, I want you to turn around, bend over that chair, and raise your skirt."

Kate knew better than to disobey. Despite her confusion and embarrassment, she wanted to obey. She followed his instructions, carefully folding the satin over her hips to avoid creasing it, spreading her thighs as she knew he intended.

Gregory snorted. "You're wearing underwear? On our wedding day?" He took a penknife from his pocket and deftly snipped the silk bikini at each hip. The wisp of fabric drifted to floor between her legs. Kate felt the cool breath of the air-conditioning on her bare buttocks, then the heat of Gregory's palms caressing her exposed flesh.

"That's much better," he said softly. "Don't you agree, my sweet?"