by S. E. Rose
“Please,” I beg as I rest my forehead against his, my eyes closed.
“Not like this, Princess,” he says as he strokes my hair.
“Yes, just like this,” I urge.
“Anna,” he growls as I grind against him.
“Logan,” I whisper against his mouth before kissing him again. His hands grip my hair, and he angles my face to his liking. He takes control, and for the briefest moments, I can feel his power, the power of an heir to the throne. He’s taking what he wants. He’s taking what is his.
I feel his hands move back down my body, searching for the hem of my shirt. He finds it, and I feel his calloused fingers grip the flesh at my waist. I moan against his mouth. I want more of his touch. He knows this and slowly runs his fingers up my rib cage and skimming the underside of my breasts. I jump at the sensation, and he stills. I nod against him, giving him permission to continue. He pushes up the cups of my bra and lifts my breasts, running a thumb across each erect nipple. I whimper and push against him, wanting more. I can feel him grow harder beneath me, and I want to feel him, taste him.
“Take me back to your room,” I murmur against his lips.
“Anna,” he says. “I don’t have…I didn’t bring anything.”
I pause, stilling in his arms. It takes me a very long moment to understand what he’s saying. I lick my lips and pull back to look into his eyes. The desire in them is so thick, it weights his lids.
“I-I’m on birth control…” I say. I hesitate, unsure if I should tell him what he’ll find out soon if we do this. I don’t say anything more.
He caresses my jaw. “Are you sure?” he asks. The desire in his eyes wanes for a moment, and he looks…concerned.
I nod. “Yes, please,” I beg. I want to tell him that I’ve been lusting after him for nearly ten days, that I wanted him from the first time I saw his photo, but I refrain.
He picks me up in his arms, and I wrap my legs tightly around him. He kisses me and leaves the scotch and glasses sitting under the bench as he carries me back to the secret passage, down the steps, through the passageway, and when I tell him to press on the wall, he does. We are suddenly back in his bedchamber. Only one dim lamp on the bedside table is lit. It creates shadows around the room. He lays me gently on the bed and steps back. My legs hang apart over the side of the bed. My shirt is still bunched up at my waist. I start to push down my leggings, but he stops me with a look. I freeze.
“Let me,” he says softly as he gently pulls them down my legs, removing my boots, socks, underwear, and the offending leggings all in one movement. I’ve never been shy about my body. To be honest, I’ve never really thought about it. He places his hands on my shirt, and I lean up so he can pull it over my head. Then, he reaches around my back and releases the clasps on my bra, freeing my breasts. I lie back down and gaze up at him. If desire could be gauged by how a person looks at another, I would say that no man has ever desired a woman more than Logan desires me right now. The wonder and need written on his face are palpable.
“You are the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever seen, Anna,” he says to me as he runs a single finger from between my breasts, down my belly, and then he stops. I force my legs apart farther because that’s where I want that finger. I don’t know if he doesn’t get my subtle movement or if he chooses to ignore it, because he keeps his finger just below my belly button as he continues to scan every inch of my body.
“Logan,” I finally say with a slight moan as I rock my body, seeking the friction I so desperately desire.
“Give me a moment,” he says, as he moves his finger, tracing back up my belly and around each breast. “You’re perfect,” he states.
He leans down and presses a gentle kiss to my lips before running his tongue along my neckline. I shudder as his tongue moves down to my right breast, and he takes my nipple between his lips and sucks. I arch into his mouth as he grazes my skin with his teeth. I cry out into the silence of his room. I know I should be quiet, but at this moment, I can no longer control myself. I no longer care if Pete is looking for me or if my father finds us, because I want Logan so badly at this moment that I would sell my soul to the devil himself.
He repeats the motion with my other nipple. I feel on fire. I’m so hot that I feel sweat forming on my body. His finger lazily trails down my inner thigh as he continues to suckle at my breasts. I squirm as he traces the crease of my sex, parting it slowly with one single finger.
He groans against my nipple when he finds my wetness. His finger slides along my damp folds, and I thrust against it, seeking the relief I need. He circles my clit once, twice, before slowly making his way down to my entrance. His finger cautiously glides inside.
“Jesus, Anna, you’re so tight,” he murmurs against my skin.
I know I need to tell him, but fear or pride or some combination of the two has the words frozen in my throat. He gradually adds a second finger as he explores me from the inside out. I can feel my tight skin stretch to accommodate both his fingers, and I wonder what it will be like when he takes me for the first time, for my first time. I stop thinking and start feeling. My eyes slam shut, and I grind against his hand. I feel myself inching toward a precipice. He pulls back for a moment as he lifts his shirt off, then he’s back, kissing me, hard. The sound of his zipper being pulled down and the feel of him wriggling out of his pants and underwear are but background noise to the sensations he’s creating between my thighs.
Just when I don’t think I can take it another second, I feel him there. The tip of his erection lodges at my entrance as his thumb comes up to lazily circle my clit. He lies down over me, and through my hooded eyes, I watch him watching our bodies as he slowly sinks inside me. I see him groan.
I know when he realizes what I haven’t told him because I can feel his cock hit a barrier inside me, a part of me that is keeping him from going deeper. I close my eyes, take a breath, and with my legs wrapped around his waist, I thrust hard against him, essentially taking my own virginity.
The sting is quick and sends a small cry of pain from my lips. Logan is frozen, not moving, his eyes wide when I lift my gaze to meet him.
“Anna…” He trails off, unsure of what to say. I see him glance down, clearly seeing the evidence of my virginity on his cock. He looks back at me. “Why didn’t you…you should have told me,” he says quietly.
I squeeze my eyes shut, partly to block my embarrassment and partly to give myself a moment to adjust to the invasion of my no-longer-virgin body.
I feel him lifting me and moving us up farther onto the bed, so my legs no longer hang off the side. He keeps his hard-as-steel cock buried inside me as he leans down and kisses me gently.
“Are you OK?” he asks. His body is tense as he tries not to move a single muscle, as though in fear of hurting me more.
I open my eyes to look at him. I wiggle a little. It’s still stinging a bit, but the pain is gone.
“I’m fine,” I say as I slowly move my body, encouraging him to continue.
“I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have…” He trails off as he stares at me.
“I know. I’m sorry, I should have…I didn’t know how to tell you,” I admit. I feel the color rise in my cheeks.
He lifts his hand and caresses my face, kissing me again before he starts to move. The friction of his cock pulling out of me and then slowly sinking back in is divine.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you,” he says.
I nod and pull his face back down toward mine, so I can kiss him. His thrusts become a little harder as I lift against him, encouraging him to take more, to take what he needs. I feel myself build toward that precipice again. I scrunch my eyes closed and focus all my energy on feeling the movement of him inside me. He reaches behind my legs and pushes them up and over his shoulders, and then he reaches under me and grabs my ass cheeks, forcing me against him. I groan as his cock slides deeper.
“Is that OK? Am I hurting you?” he asks. I shake my head as I acclimate to him. He searches my eye
s once more before I feel him move against a part of me that is so sensitive that, with each slide of his skin against mine, I climb higher and higher. When he reaches between us with one hand and runs his thumb over my clit in small circles, pushing my wetness around, I explode, falling over the edge into a weightless darkness, the likes of which I’ve never known.
In my post-climax haze, I can feel his thrusts getting more uneven, his cock swelling, and then he lets out a loud groan as I feel the heat of his release spread inside of me. He pulls all the way out and pushes back into my pulsing channel twice more, before falling on top of me, bracing his weight on his elbows, his breath hot against my neck.
Chapter 20
“You should have told me,” he murmurs.
I open my eyes to find his penetrating stare. I blush. “I…” I can’t think of one single thing to say. My body is more relaxed than it’s ever been. I feel him slowly pull out of me, and I grimace slightly. I look down to see his cock tinged with my blood. I feel my cheeks heat even more.
His finger goes under my chin and pushes my face up to look at him again.
“Are you OK?” he asks.
I nod. “A little sore, but I’m fine,” I admit.
“Damn it, Anna. Had I known…I would have taken my time,” he says in a low, gravelly voice.
“I didn’t want you to take your time, Logan,” I say. I reach up and touch his jaw. I let out a laugh because I don’t know what else to do.
“It’s not like I was saving myself for my betrothed or something,” I say to him. “This isn’t the Middle Ages. I just…being me is…isolating,” I stumble, trying to find the right words.
“What do you mean, exactly?” he asks, still hovering over me.
“I’ve only kissed two boys,” I whisper sheepishly. “I’ve never had a real boyfriend.”
He sits up on his haunches staring down at me in complete and utter shock.
“What?” he asks.
“I dated a boy for about a month in middle school before my dad pulled me out to be tutored privately. Then, there was a boy at camp before that. But I’ve not thought about it much. My brothers are usually with me when I go out clubbing or such. I can’t exactly meet boys that way…I mean men. And most of my university courses are done online,” I explain.
He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. He gets up and walks to the bathroom, returning with a hand towel that he’s soaked in warm water. He gently cleans me. I notice he’s already cleaned himself.
“I…” He trails off and climbs onto the bed, lying back against the pillows. “Come here,” he says, patting the bed next to him. I crawl up and slide against him. He pulls a blanket from the end of the bed over us and tucks me under his arm. He kisses my forehead.
“Get some sleep,” he says.
I’m so confused that I poke my head up and look at him. “Was I bad?” I ask, my words stumbling out of my mouth before I have time to think about them.
He’s serious though and doesn’t laugh. He cups my face in his hand and runs his thumb over my cheekbone.
“No, you were amazing. You are amazing. I just can’t believe you’d give me all of you like that. It’s…humbling,” he says.
I frown. “Come on, like you haven’t done it with a virgin before?” I say with a glare.
This time his cheeks turn a little pink. “No,” he says.
I bite my lip. “How many women have you been with, Logan? And how have you not had sex with a virgin?” I ask, my brain suddenly catching up with me. These are questions I should have asked before letting lust get the better of me. I inwardly curse at myself.
He stares at me, cocking his head to one side. “Do you really want to know that?” he asks.
I sit up and look at him. “Yes,” I say adamantly.
He sighs. “I lost my virginity in high school. My girlfriend, Becky, had already had sex with her previous boyfriend. We dated until I went to college. Then I had two more girlfriends and a few one-night stands. I’ve slept with a couple of women while living in the Bahamas. My last girlfriend and I broke up a little over a year ago. And that’s my sex life in a nutshell,” he says.
“You haven’t had sex in a year!” I exclaim.
He laughs. “No. I’ve been rather busy, I guess,” he admits.
“So, you’ve had the worst case of blue balls ever?” I say. I clap my hand over my mouth in horror as the words I’ve spoken come out of my mouth. “I’m sorry…I…” I try to recover but his body is shaking with laughter.
“You don’t talk like a princess,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “I grew up with two brothers…so…I sort of talk like a dude, or so I’ve been told by Sonya,” I say.
“Who’s Sonya?” he asks.
I smile. “My best friend,” I say as I remember that I need to text her back. When we arrived at the summer palace, I noted several mixed calls and texts from her.
“I’ll have to meet her,” he replies.
“Uh huh,” I say. He opens up his arms, and I curl back up against him.
I yawn. “Get some sleep, Princess,” he says to me in a low voice.
“Just for a little while,” I reply. I close my eyes and snuggle against his warm skin. I can feel his muscles ripple as he settles himself and that’s the last thing I think before I fall fast asleep.
“Anna?” I hear Logan say.
“Ten more minutes,” I murmur.
“Anna? There’s some sort of buzzer going,” he says. His voice is laced with panic.
“It’s the breakfast…oh, shit!” I half yell as I suddenly sit up, knocking my head into his. “Ouch,” I groan. “Sorry…shit, shitty, shit,” I mutter as I jump out of his bed and find my clothes strewn on the floor. I quickly dress. “I’m sorry…I…uh…need to go back to my room,” I say. I look toward his door and then his wall. I grin and give him a wink. He reaches out one hand, and I grab it as he pulls me back into bed and gives me a smoldering kiss before letting me go.
“I wasn’t lying when I said you were amazing, Anna,” he says to me.
I grin at him. “You weren’t too bad yourself,” I say with another wink before opening the secret door and leaving. I hear him laugh and I know he’s shaking his head at me. I giggle to myself as I race down the corridor toward my room. The passageway empties into Auggie’s closet. A slight problem, but I can get around that.
I crack it open and peer toward his room. The closet door is open, and he’s still asleep on his bed, his face buried in his pillow. I creep out and across the floor.
“Walk of shame, already?” he mutters into his pillow.
“Fuck off, Augs. I-I…shut up,” I say as I sprint out of his room and down the hall to my own. I know my face is bright red, and I can hear him laughing as I leave his room. Asshole.
I should warn Logan but there’s no time as I strip and take the world’s fastest shower before changing into another pair of leggings and an off-the-shoulder sweater. I do my hair into a messy bun, throw on lip gloss and head downstairs. I run smack into Auggie as I exit my room. He smirks. I roll my eyes.
“Soooo…do I need to give Logan the third degree?” he asks.
I shove his chest. “Don’t be such an arse,” I say to him.
“Well, it only seems fair considering that one time…” He trails off because I know exactly what time he’s talking about and if he even tries retribution for it, there will be a murder, and it will be his. I may have, as a much younger, immature, annoying little sister, announced the departure of one of his overnight guests. He got the third degree from our father and was sent to visit Auntie Lara for a month. Needless to say, he’s never, ever let me live it down. I glare at him.
“If you even…so help, Auggie…you won’t have any appendage left to require overnight guests, ever again!” I stammer at him, seething with little sister anger.
He holds up his hands. “Fine…fine. Just know, paybacks are a bitch. And karma will come back to bite you in the ass, little s
ister,” he says with a cocky grin on his face. I sort of want to deck him, but that’s exactly what he wants me to do. So, instead, I turn on my heels and walk quickly down to the dining hall.
Tessa has out all our favorite breakfast foods. It’s her full holiday spread. There are lox and bagels, toast, eggs Benedict, hash browns, cereal, bacon, sausages, and fruit. She always goes over the top when we first arrive. It’s like she’s been saving up, waiting for us to come to visit her, like a little, old grandmother whose grandkids just came for the summer.
I salivate at the smell of her food, and I suddenly realize how starving I am. I grab myself eggs, bacon, and half a bagel with lox, capers, and cream cheese. I’m about to bite into it when Auggie and Logan walk in together. They are talking and laughing, and I feel myself grow hot.
“OK there, sister?” Auggie asks, with a raised eyebrow. I glare at him.
“Why yes, brother,” I say to him. Logan looks between us and takes a seat next to Auggie and across from me.
I’m about to say something when Chris walks in with my dad. I can tell from my dad’s face that he has gotten more news about the explosion, and I can also tell that it’s not good news. He sits and gracefully lays a napkin across his lap before pouring himself freshly squeezed orange juice.
Silence descends upon the room as we stare at him and wait.
Chapter 21
My father drinks his orange juice, and then takes three long sips of his coffee. His eyes bounce from each of us as he does so.
“No news yet,” he states as though reading our minds.
I can hear every person at the table release their breath at the same time.
“I expect a briefing by noon since it’s now the middle of the night there,” he explains.
We all nod, and various conversations ensue at the table. I catch Auggie giving me a knowing smirk several times, and I return it with my best dagger eyes, but I also know Auggie won’t drop this, possibly ever.
I excuse myself first and hightail it to the one place I know no one will look for me, the butler’s pantry on the third floor. It hasn’t been used for decades, so everyone seems to forget about it. I grab my laptop on the way and settle myself in an old wooden chair in the corner. I log in and begin scouring, looking for any sign that M has followed us here. I see nothing that suggests he’s here. I also find nothing to suggest that he’s still in the Bahamas. An unease settles over me. I don’t even notice how many hours have passed until my phone pings.
