“Please, Nami. Forgive me.” I went for quiet and sincere rather than charming. I put my hands on her shoulders, but didn't try to pull her towards me. If she came to me, it would be her choice.
Suddenly, her shoulders sagged and she leaned against me, her free arms sliding around my waist as she rested her head on my chest. Her other hand clutched the sheet to her chest. I wrapped my arms around her, closing my eyes as I kissed the top of her head.
“I wanted to tell you,” she confessed. “When you were telling me about your family and everything that happened. I wanted to share it all with you, but I didn't want you to look at me differently. I wanted to be seen as just me.”
“There's nothing 'just' about you.” I looked down at her as she tilted her head back so she could see my face. “And knowing who you are...it makes me admire you more. It took a lot of guts to rebel.” I paused, and then tried to lighten the mood by adding, “The whole political science major thing makes a lot more sense now.”
That got a faint smile. “Just one small step in the process that started when I was born. Training for the throne. Etiquette and language classes outside of my regular classes. In depth history of most countries. Knowledge of treaties and trade agreements.” She sighed.
“And that's why you won't abdicate,” I said, understanding. “Why you won't hand things over to your sister. You don't want her to have to go through all of that.”
She nodded. “If my brother had lived, I could have turned things over to him and no one would've thought worse of me for it. There are plenty of countries we deal with who have issues with women in power.”
“You're right,” I said. “Your situation is definitely different than mine. My parents can hire someone to take over the company if Rebecca screws things up. You have an entire country relying on you.”
“And that's why this meant so much to me.” Her hand slid up and down my bare back as she turned her face and pressed a kiss over my heart. “Time to be me and not have to worry about my responsibilities.”
“Because you have to go home and be the crown princess again,” I said.
“Right.” She flicked her tongue against my nipple and I bit back a moan. “And that means marrying a stranger. Bearing his children and letting another raise them. Even if I'm not queen yet, I won't be allowed to raise them the way a normal person would raise their children.”
“And you don't want your husband doing it either.” I wasn't sure how I knew it, but I did.
“I don't know him,” she said. “What kind of man and father he will be. Maybe he'll be a good man and I will grow to love him.”
I tried not to acknowledge the flare of jealousy that went through me at the thought of her loving another man. Of another man touching her. Making love to her. I clenched my jaw. She wasn't mine, I reminded myself.
“If that is the best I could hope for, I wanted to have something I could remember.” Her fingers traced patterns on my lower back. “That's why I slept with my best friend in college, so I would not have my first time be with a stranger.”
“And me?” I asked softly.
“You.” She made a quiet sound that might have been a sigh. She pulled her arm between us so she could put her hand over my heart.
“I'm a stranger.”
She smiled and pressed her lips against my chest, heating my bare skin. “But you wanted me. Not the princess or the chance to see your child on the throne. Me.”
“And what was that about?” I asked, gesturing back towards the bedroom with my head. “Taking it slow. Wanting me to...”
I swallowed hard at the memory. I'd never done that before, not even with Britni. Even thought we'd been contractually required to try to start having kids shortly after marriage, I'd kept making excuses about why I wanted to wait just a bit longer. I'd never had sex without a condom.
Nami's face turned red and I thought she'd refuse to answer, but she didn't. I supposed since her big secret was out of the bag, there wasn't any point in hiding anything else.
“I wanted to remember you,” she said. “What you feel like, smell like, sound like. When he is touching me, I wanted to be able to close my eyes and imagine it was you.”
Fuck. My fingers flexed on her waist and I told my rebellious cock that it wasn't allowed to get hard again.
“We will be expected to start a family immediately,” she continued. “And I wanted to remember what you felt like inside me, what it felt like to have nothing between us, to have you come inside me. I thought that if I had those memories, perhaps doing my duty would not be as unpleasant.”
Yeah, my cock was definitely not listening to me. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against hers. “I hate this,” I admitted. “I hate knowing you’ll be forced into a marriage you don't want. Into the bed of a man who won't know how to please you.” I didn't add what I was thinking. A man who might hurt her. I pushed the thought away. I couldn't bear to think of someone harming her.
“You had an arranged marriage,” she reminded me.
I raised my head and gave her a wry smile. “And you see how well that turned out. But at least I'd had an idea of who Britni was.” I ran my fingers through the hair above her ear. “Besides, even though I didn't love her, both of us were willing. What he'll do...” My fingers curled into fists at her sides. “It's almost rape.”
She shook her head. “Nothing will happen without my consent. No one will force me.”
“Isn't that what your parents are doing?” I asked. “By making you marry this man, they're forcing you to sleep with him.”
“I'm agreeing to the marriage,” she said, reaching up to put her hand on my cheek. “And I understand everything that goes along with it. It's my choice.”
I wanted to ask if he was her choice, but I knew I didn't have the right to ask it. She'd told me that we could never be anything more than this, and I'd told myself I was okay with it. After all, I wasn't looking for a relationship. That was the last thing I needed right now. Especially a relationship with a princess.
“I have to go.” She started to pull away from me. “I'm sure Tomas and Kai are getting restless. And they will make trouble for you.” She reached up and ran her fingers through my hair. “Even if nothing came of it, I'd never forgive myself for causing you such problems.”
I couldn't do it. Not yet. “Give me tonight.”
She froze, still in my arms.
“One whole night,” I continued. My pulse was racing. “Spend one more night with me. You can leave in the morning.” I heard the pleading note in my voice but didn't care. I needed to have her one last time.
She looked at me for a moment and stepped out of my embrace. My stomach twisted into knots. She would leave and I would never see her again.
“Tomas. Kai,” she called out loud enough for the pair in the hallway to hear her.
They came back in, looking just as pissed off as before.
“Call my father and tell him that we'll be leaving first thing in the morning.” She glanced at me, but kept her face expressionless. “I'm spending tonight with Reed.”
“Princess, we cannot allow it.” Kai's voice was firm.
“You can and you will,” she said. There was steel in her voice and I knew that was her queen voice, the one she would use to rule. “You know what will happen if word gets out about what's happened here. And I will make sure my father knows that you both failed in your duty to keep me...pure. More than once.”
I couldn't believe she could sound so sure of herself when she was wearing only a sheet, her curls mussed from sex. It was sexy as hell.
“You two will be solely responsible for the dissolution of my engagement. You will be dismissed in disgrace, unable to find employment anywhere. People may talk about me, but you will be the ones who are blamed.”
Both men shifted uncomfortably.
“So, you will do as you are told. Call my father. Make preparations to leave tomorrow morning.” She paused, and then added, “I give you my word.
I will get on that plane tomorrow morning without complaint.”
They exchanged looks, then nodded.
“Very good,” she said. “Now go.”
When the door closed behind them, she turned and looked at me. “One more night.”
Chapter 18
Reed
A million things ran through my mind. All the things I wanted to do to her, and I knew I didn't have enough time. For a moment, I wondered if forever would've been enough for me to have my fill of her, but I pushed the thought aside. There was no need to think of things that weren't possible, especially when our time together was short.
Keeping my eyes locked with hers, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around her hand. Her fingers loosened as I pulled her hand back and the sheet covering her dropped to the floor.
“It's my turn to take it slow,” I said as I ran my gaze down her body. “And not only because I want to remember every dip and curve, every magnificent inch of you.” I took a step towards her. “I'm going to make sure you'll always remember me.” I ran the tip of my finger down the slope of her breast. “That you'll never forget me.”
“I don't think that is possible.” She raised my hand to her mouth and slid my finger between her lips. As she sucked on it, my cock began to harden, remembering what it was like to have that hot suction surrounding me.
As much as I liked what she was doing, I'd meant what I'd said. It was my turn. I gently pulled my hand away and went down on my knees. There was enough of a height difference that I was able to press my lips against her stomach before bending down to taste more interesting parts.
She moaned as I ran my tongue along her folds, the skin still sensitive from what we'd been doing not too long ago. I put one hand at the small of her back to steady her and lifted her leg to hook it over my shoulder, opening her up to me. As I slowly licked every inch of her, her body danced and moved above me. I could taste myself on her, in her, and I savored our combination. I memorized every dip, the texture of her skin against my tongue. When I began to tease her clit, she buried her hands in my hair, my name coming in gasps. She was close and I wrapped my lips around her clit, sucking on it the way she'd sucked on my finger.
She came fast and hard, her hands tightening painfully in my hair. The keening sound she made sent a stab of pride through me. She'd been so quiet before and I loved that I could break through that. Part of me wondered if her bodyguards could hear her, and not a small part of me wished they could.
“Stop, stop,” she begged, pulling my head away from her. “Too much.”
I smiled as I eased her leg off of my shoulder and stood. “I'm just getting started.” I cupped the back of her head and kissed her. Even in this I took my time, my tongue thoroughly exploring every inch. Her tongue curled around mine, sliding back into my mouth.
I ran my hands down her back, fingers tracing the ridge of her spine as they made their way down to her ass. I cupped the firm muscles and lifted her. She squeaked in surprise, but I swallowed the sound and held her body against mine, my cock brushing against her ass. Her legs wrapped around my waist and I walked us back to the bedroom, not breaking the kiss the entire way.
My knees bumped against the bed and I lowered her to the mattress. Her body stretched out beneath mine, all soft curves and firm muscle. I ran my hands down her sides, over her hips, committing them to memory. My knee was between her legs and she ground down against me as I moved my mouth down her jaw to her throat. I placed open-mouthed kisses along her neck, tasting the salt of sweat, the tang of her skin.
Her body writhed under my touch and I imagined what she must've been feeling. My own skin felt like a live wire, like the slightest touch would set me off. I slid down her body, lips and tongue making a path across her collarbones and down between her breasts. I took them each in hand, memorizing the shape and feel of them, the weight of them. When I covered her nipple with my mouth, she made another of those delightful sounds. I wished I could spend hours seeing just how many different kinds of sounds I could coax from her.
My fingers attended to the nipple not in my mouth, rolling until it was as hard as the one I sucked on. I alternated my tongue and lips, teasing and suction, storing away every noise for the future. A future without her.
I put that aside. She was here, now, her body hot and needy beneath mine. That was all that mattered. I moved to the other breast, paying equal attention to it before moving further down her body. I ran the tip of my tongue down her stomach, pausing to tease her bellybutton until she squirmed.
When I settled between her legs, I looked up at her. “I'm going to make you come again.” She took a shuddering breath. “One more time before I take you.” I kissed the inside of her thigh. “And I want to hear you scream my name.”
I didn't wait for her to respond. I put my mouth on her thigh again, pulling the skin into my mouth, worrying at it until I left a dark mark on her dusky skin. She'd told me I couldn't mark anywhere her parents would see. Unless she married when she stepped off the plane or decided to go swimming, no one would see this.
When I was satisfied, I turned my attention elsewhere. I knew her clit had to be sensitive, so I avoided it, circling her entrance with my finger before sliding it inside. She said something that I was pretty sure wasn't English, but it didn't sound like she wanted me to stop. I kept my strokes slow, easing her into another orgasm. I knew if I moved too hard, too fast, it would hurt and not in a good way.
Only when she stopped talking and started moaning did I add a second finger. Her body stretched to accommodate the digits and I worked them slowly before curling my fingers to press against that spot inside her. Her entire body jerked and I knew I'd found it again. I took a moment to marvel at how well I knew her body after just a short time together, and then I returned to worshiping it.
“Come on, baby.” I brushed my thumb across the top of her clit even as I rubbed her g-spot. “Come for me.”
“Yes!” Her back arched and her hips jerked, pushing my fingers deeper.
I nipped at the soft skin of her thigh and her body tensed, pussy gripping my fingers. I hissed, remembering what it had felt like to feel her tightening around my cock like that. I managed to move enough to keep pressure on that spot, driving her higher until she was pleading for me to stop.
I withdrew my hand and pushed myself back on my knees. My cock was hard, pressing painfully against my zipper. I almost wished I'd put my underwear back on when I'd gotten out of bed. I climbed off the bed, not taking my eyes off of her body even as I stripped off my jeans. She was glistening with sweat, her skin shining. Her body still quivered, her eyes wide and dark. I wanted to see her like this whenever I closed my eyes. She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
I wrapped my hand around the base of my cock, holding it tight. I needed as much time to regain my own composure as she did. Every fiber of my being was begging me to bury myself inside her, take her hard and fast, find my own release inside her. I wasn't going to do it though. This was our last night together, the last chance I had to make sure she remembered me. I wanted her to think of me when that other man kissed her, touched her. I wanted it to be my name she had to force back when she came.
“Reed.” She held up a shaking hand.
I climbed onto the bed and knelt between her legs. I took her hand, brushing my lips across her knuckles before releasing it. I leaned forward, cradling her neck, tipping her head to give me easier access to her mouth. I took a long, deep drink of her, then moved back so I could watch her face as I slid home.
“Ahh.” The long, drawn out sigh passed between her lips as I took her in one steady thrust. Her eyes were glazed, her body rising to meet mine.
I rested my weight on my elbows, keeping enough space between our bodies so that I wasn't crushing her, but I could still feel her skin slide against mine. I kept my strokes slow and steady, withdrawing almost the whole way before filling her again. Neither of us spoke as our bodies moved together. Without her saying it, I kne
w she was doing the same thing I was, committing each movement to memory. Registering every nuance, every sensation.
She raised her hand, tracing my face with her fingertips. My cheekbone across to my nose. My jaw and then over my lips. I darted my tongue out to lick the pad of her finger.
“I will never forget you,” she whispered.
My heart clenched painfully in my chest. There was too much emotion in those words, too much for how little we knew each other, but I felt it too and it was my undoing. My body tensed as I began to come, but I thrust into her again, needing her to come with me, needing to feel her come apart. Her body jerked as the base of my cock rubbed against her clit and she stiffened.
“Let go.” I scraped my teeth against her neck and that was it.
“Reed!”
It wasn't quite a scream, but it was my name and it was enough. I squeezed my eyes closed and pressed my face against her neck. She would remember me and I would remember her. We would never be more than this, but we wouldn't forget either. It would be enough. It had to be.
Chapter 19
Nami
I told him I wouldn't forget him and it was true. But probably not a wise thing to say. It was too much, too soon, but we wouldn't have anything else. I couldn't wait for a future moment because we didn't have one. This was it. He hadn't said it back to me, but I'd seen the look in his eyes when I'd said it. It had been enough.
It had taken all of my self-control not to succumb to the tears welling up in my eyes as Reed and I came. The finality of the moment hit me and I was thankful Reed wasn't looking at me. By the time he raised his head, I'd gotten my emotions under control.
He rolled us over and, as he slipped out of me, I felt a pang of loss. I wondered if it would feel the same when I slept with my husband. Would I wish he was still inside me or would I be grateful that he was done? Reed pulled me back against him, wrapping his body around mine. I snuggled back against him, grateful that I had asked for the whole night.
“Are you okay?” Reed asked, his voice low.