by C R Riley
When I wake up the next time, I can hear ice clacking against a glass as a deep voice declares. “Check.”
“Nope. Not happening. You may be King, but that doesn’t mean I am going to let you win.” Lorenzo’s voice sounds confident. “So how long do you suppose she’ll sleep?”
“What time is it?” I ask as I stretch out and then feel something wiggle up my body. When I open my eyes, a wet tongue licks me, as a fuzzy face stares down at me.
“Valentina no.” Lorenzo sternly corrects the little ball of fur.
I sit up and gather the cut little wiggle worm in my arms. I’ve never really been around dogs before. My parents didn’t feel like it was fair to have a pet when they really were always on the go.
“Well aren’t you a cute little bundle of fur. What kind of dog is she?” I snuggle right in and get lots of kisses from her.
“She won’t be so cute in a few months when she is twice that size and is chewing on everything, she can get her mouth on. She’s a Saint Bernard.” Antonio answers without looking up from the board. “Checkmate.”
“I hate you.” Lorenzo slides his chair back and strides over to me. “You sure you want to get involved with a man who thinks all dogs are evil.”
I lift my eyebrows as I hand the puppy off to him. “Who said we are involved?”
“That a girl. Make him work for it, love. Although falling asleep on a man when he comes to take you out on a date could possibly. Groping him while he is trying to …”
Antonio growls. “Shut it.”
“What? Come on man that was priceless. If you didn’t want me harassing her about it then you shouldn’t have told me.” Lorenzo grins. “Don’t worry Larkin, your secret is safe with me. Okay Valentina time to do our business outside and then off to bed. Brother King wants to have some private time with the woman who grasps his future in her hands.” The grin on his face informs me he knew exactly what he was suggesting.
I watch Lorenzo make his way out of a door and disappear. When I turn around, I can barely look at Antonio. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you. I’ve never had that happen before. Nor have I ever groped a man in my sleep.” Or awake for the record.
“You didn’t … never mind it’s not important. It’s a little after two, you asked what time it was earlier.” He stands and motions to the spot next to me on the couch. “Feeling better?”
I yawn of course as soon as he asks. “Still tired I guess, but better. I ruined your evening.”
“Not at all. Sometimes sleep is more important. We will try it again when you are fully recovered and completely alert. I’m not so sure it would have been such a great idea to have the conversation we need to have while you were a walking zombie.” He reaches down and takes my hand in his.
“That sounds serious.” I lean my head against his shoulder. “Why did you wait so long Antonio? Tell me that at least would you.”
He takes his other hand and encases mine between his. It takes him some time to start, but when he does, I realize he was very busy those two weeks and that they certainly weren’t fun.
“I’ve learned a lot since that night. There are those that don’t like how I acted at the party. Said that I made them all look like shmucks and liars. They had made some assurances with some very important people who have gotten them to where they are today. So, it was requested that I help them recover some of their reputations and spend time with those they invited.”
I yank my hand out from his and leap up off the couch. “Wait. You were going out on dates with all those women while I was …” My voice shrieks louder with each word.
Antonio reaches out to grab my hand, but I step away from him. All that anger that has been building inside of me since that night comes to head. I feel like I have been deceived in the worst of ways.
Is he revealing that him showing up the other day was to inform me that we could never happen? The flowers. The note. Was that all just his way to …
“Would you stop and let me finish before drawing any conclusions. Of course, I didn’t go out on dates with those women.” He throws his head back against the couch and talks to the ceiling. “Before I met you, I had agreed to let them start introducing me to a few prospects. As you can imagine finding my own dates is extremely difficult. It’s not like I can just walk up to someone and start a conversation out of the blue. Everything is planned out and arrangements are made to ensure things don’t take a turn for the unexpected. It’s all so rather boring honestly, and not at all how a man pictures meeting the love of his life. Probably because a man like me isn’t intended to marry for love at all I guess.”
“That’s so sad.” I drop down into a chair and let my anger slowly subside. I never really thought about how true that really is. Even in the United States, many times those who are involved in politics marry for reasons other than true love.
“I agree. It is completely disgusting and something that should have been done away with years ago. Perhaps that is why God decided I needed to become King. To change some of these ridiculous traditions that have created a bunch of adulterous men, all because they felt trapped and married someone they never even liked.”
“But they all produced heirs, surely they at least liked them at one time or another.” I can’t even imagine letting a man do that if I didn’t love him. “Those women allowed all that to happen just so that the next rightful heir could take the throne? That is so not something I understand at all. I could never do that.”
“I believe that is exactly why they did it actually. What those women loved was the advantages being Queen provided them. The men as well I suppose, since it also brought them several. And because of that it was very common for the king to have a lover he kept in the Palace, sometimes more than one.
“I grew up watching how that hurt my mother. Saw my grandmother ignore her husband’s philandering ways and pretend she was clueless, even though we all knew she was not. Watched her lose it when my grandfather’s long-term mistress dared to show up to his funeral, wearing the royal colors he claimed as his. My mother was at least brave enough to finally say enough was enough when my father decided to openly embarrass her the day my sister was born. It wasn’t easy to get the divorce granted since it had never been done before, but she never gave up until she was free from the lies and out from under the thumb of my father.
“I don’t want that Larkin. I would rather be the first unwed King than live a life of lies. At thirty I know my chances of finding love starts to dwindle, so I guess that’s why I had agreed to do things their way. Reasoning that perhaps I could learn to love the woman I determined would fit best as my queen and wife. A strong aspiration for intimacy can make a man begin to doubt his own beliefs and make him consider options he swore he never would.
“Life has a funny way sometimes of rewarding you when you least expect it. God really, I guess should get the credit, not life or fate. Tell me you understand, as I am doing my best to explain it all to you.”
I stare at him not really sure I’m ready to acknowledge it all completely. The last time a man expressed his feeling to me it all went so very wrong hours later.
Do I believe Antonio is unstable and planning to do something drastic? No, at least not in the same way Randal did. I do however believe he has a plan that he is not sharing with me right now.
“Larkin.” He rolls his head and lets his eyes find mine.
“Yeah I get it. So, what’s the plan exactly?” I dare to ask, even though I’m not sure I want to hear it, or ready to hear it.
His lip raises on one side as he shifts his weight so that he is now sitting a little awkward. “Last week I sat down with two different groups of women. Invited them to have dinner with me, along with my mother and brothers. They were there for moral support really, but I guess they were also there so that I could make a few things clear to everyone we had invited also. I wanted them to see us as a united front, a family that is supportive and wants the best for each member, whatever that may look
like. During our time together two things were made perfectly clear to them.
“First and most important, as far as they were concerned, was that I had not chosen any of them to go any farther in my pursuit for a wife. While I believe they were all very lovely ladies, and one day would make a wonderful wife if the right man came along, they were not going to be mine. After that I lost about half of them, and the other half, like I suspected, turned their attention to my brothers. Therefore, I had to break it to them that also went for Esteban and Lorenzo. None of us planned on entertaining any of them in the future with hopes of anything more than a possible friendship.
“The other thing I made clear to them was that I had deceived them all and wanted to clear a few matters up. I told them that I was ashamed to have misled them the night of the celebration when I introduced you. In reality you were just an everyday woman who had caught my attention without even trying. Knocked me right off my feet before I even knew what was happening. Then I told them that if I were lucky, you’d give me a chance to do the same thing to you.”
I’m not sure how long we sit there in complete silence regarding the other person closely. I know one thing though; I have only ever felt this comfortable with one other man.
When I yawn Antonio stands and stops right in front of me. He offers me his hand and when I take it, he tugs me to my feet. “Time for bed mi lunaita. My brother has laid out one of his t-shirts in one of the guest rooms.”
“I’m staying here tonight? Where will you sleep?” I yawn again.
He leads me to the stairs and guides me up them from behind. “A few rooms down the hall.”
“Okay. Why not just go home? Take me home?” I glance over my shoulder.
“Because if we leave now everyone will wonder where I have been all night. If I take you back to the hotel, they will all question why I’m dropping you off so late, it’s nearly three Larkin. As paredes têm ouvidos.” He stops in front of a large door and opens it for me.
I am suddenly reminded of the first time he walked me to a room so I could get some sleep. He kissed me for the very first time then, catching me completely off guard.
“What does that mean?” I know he said that earlier tonight.
“The walls have ears. Something I have learned very well growing up in this world. One has to be careful, so those who have it out for you, don’t have ammunition to use against you later.” He gently directs me inside.
I grab the door and turn to look at him. “Am I ammunition against you?”
“No. That is not what I meant. But I have done my best to try and keep matters between the women I have been seen with respectable. It is even more important to me that they don’t make assumptions where you are concerned. I don’t want you to be known as the woman who trapped the King.” He winks at me and I roll my eyes.
“No, we definitely wouldn’t want that now would we. Goodnight Antonio.” I wait for him to lean in and kiss me.
Instead he takes a step back. “Goodnight Larkin.”
He takes another step back and I start to laugh. “What, no kiss?”
“My family jewels kind of don’t like it when they get kneed. They are protecting the future heir in there and have advised me to not risk it.” He shrugs as he takes another step backwards. “Plus, I couldn’t find my athletic supporter.”
I laugh like I haven’t in years. “What if I promise to keep my knees to myself?”
That’s all it takes to get him moving in the other directions. He wraps his arms around me and drags me forward to meet his lips.
“I thought you’d never ask.” He whispers right before his lips crash against mine.
Chapter 16
Larkin
I slept better than I have in a very long time. I’d like to blame it on the fact that I was just so dang tired, so therefore I had no other choice. And while that may have contributed to my restful night’s sleep, it wasn’t the only reason.
If you’ve never slept on really good sheet, I’m guessing the best money can buy, than you’ve never really slept. Holy crap is all I can say. My parents always made sure to buy high thread count sheets for us. When I got my own place I went with jersey, mainly because I liked how soft they were. My jersey sheets will never feel the same again.
I stretch and kick the covers off.
I am wearing the t-shirt that was neatly folded on the bed last night. Again, I am guessing it is better than the store-bought one’s other men wear. This one is gray and soft, so very soft against my skin, with a little embroidered bird just to the left. I’ve never seen it before, but I get the feeling I should probably know what the GA inside the bird stands for. So, I start naming all the famous fashion designer is my head, three in and the name Armani flashes across my brain. I also assume that this undershirt probably cost as much as my entire outfit I had on yesterday.
Placing my feet on the soft plush rug, I wiggle my toes and then bend down to scratch an itch on my ankle.
“Nice knickers.” I hear a male voice behind me declare.
I raise up so fast I end up knocking the back of my head against the side table and tumbling back onto the bed. My throbbing head had me forgetting the reason I reacted so quickly.
I reach back and rub it and that is when I notice Antonio seated on the cushion bench attached to the window. He is sitting there sipping on a steaming mug of coffee, dressed in jeans and a dark t-shirt. Looking like a dream more than a king.
“What are you doing in here?” I whisper at the upside-down vision of him.
He points to the steaming mug on the silver tray next to him. “Thought you might like some coffee.”
I sit up and yank the covers over my bare legs. “Give it to me.”
He sets his down and stands, then moseys my way. “I tried to call you but it went straight to voicemail. Guessing it ran out of battery sometime during the night. Sugar? Cream?”
“No. Black is just fine.” I want to retrieve my phone, it is next to the window inside my leather sash, but I don’t dare move. “Could you also grab my phone? It’s in the outside pocket.”
Antonio bends down and grabs it for me. He brings both with him as he advances the few feet towards the bed. Then he sets them both on the side table and sits down on the edge of the bed. “Good morning. So, if I kiss you …”
“Oh no. No, you are not kissing me.” I squeal when he pounces like a predatory tiger on the hunt. “Stop!”
He catches me and I find myself on my back with him hovering over me. “I am. I have been watching you sleep for the last fifteen minutes.”
Breathless at the sight of him above me, I quickly respond. “Why didn’t you just wake me?”
Staring directly into my eyes he doesn’t give me a chance to deny him. His lips drop to mine where he kisses me hard. Although there is no breaching of his tongue, it is still a very telling kiss. After a bit he rolls off of me and lays flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling as if seeking to recover.
I get it. That is pretty much how I feel every time his lips connect with mine. And if I didn’t have to pee really badly, I’d have stayed there with him.
As soon as I start to sneak out of the bed, he snags my arm. “Stay.”
“I have to use the bathroom.” I tell him as I tug on my arm so he will release it.
“Pee and then hurry back.” He orders me with this playfulness to his voice.
I do my business and hurry back, after I snag the terry cloth robe that was hanging in the bathroom. One look at my reflection in the mirror told me why he commented on my panties, or knickers as he put it. I was relieved to see I at least had on a pair that covered me mostly, although they are lace, so I’m sure he enjoyed that.
Antonio is completely stretched out on the bed when I return. His bare feet are crossed and his arms are tucked firmly behind his neck. Making his t-shirt tight against his torso, which is also when I notice it is lifted just enough on one side to reveal his skin and the dark hair that lightly covers his stomach.
Not that I am staring or anything, but if I were, I’d also notice the dips in his abs, along with the way his hipbone forms half a v. Maybe even the three moles circling his navel, right above the thick dark line of hair that disappears behind his Balenciaga labeled waistband. I’ve never even heard of that brand of underwear, so that probably means they are very high end.
“Larkin are you even listening to me?” Antonio’s voice finally breaks past the fog clouding my brain. “What are you staring at?”
I know I blush. I can feel my face heat up instantly, but that doesn’t mean I am going to just admit I was checking out the five inches of exposed flesh he was displaying. I go for option number two and lie while I blink back the image burned in my mind.
“I was just thinking I have so much to do that I really should be going. Do you think someone could possible run me by my hotel so I can shower and change? What time is it anyways?” I notice there are no clocks around and my phone is on the other side of the bed. My guess is that it is around seven maybe eight.
“Ten thirty, last time I checked.” He says it so casually I almost miss the fact that I have never in my life sleep past eight. “Probably close to eleven, now is my guess though.”
I jump straight up off the bed and start frantically searching for my pantsuit I had on yesterday. Who cares if anyone realizes I wore it yesterday, which I doubt they will since I own several black ones that are all just slightly different?
“Where the heck are my clothes?” I thought I folded them and put them on the chair in the corner, except they aren’t there.
“I sent them with Lorenzo to have them dry cleaned. He called his staff this morning and directed them to not bother coming in. Since that is nothing new for him, they are all enjoying a day off on his dime. Sit back down so we can talk.” He hasn’t moved and I cannot help but drink in how lovely he looks right now.
There really is nothing I’d rather do than … never mind. I will not allow my brain to veer that far off track.
