by Louise Rose
I cry out as Declan’s tongue and hands send me over the edge. I practically see stars with the power of the orgasm that rushes through me. My nails dig into his shoulders, needing something to help me stay standing as I luxuriated in one of the most powerful orgasms I’ve ever had.
“Everything okay?” Declan smirks, knowing exactly what he’s just done.
“Oh, yeah.” I nod, feeling very satisfied. “But I’m nowhere near done with you. I need you inside me. Now.”
“If you insist.” He stands up and guides me to lean over the table he’s just been sitting on. His cock as solid as a rock as he enters me in one powerful thrust, burying himself in me.
I gasp and cling to the edge of the table, grateful I have it to support me. There is no way I’d be able to stand for long the way Declan is making me feel.
Declan grips my waist as he pounds into me, thrusting into me over and over, driving me insane. I buck my hips, meeting every one of his movements to help him go even deeper. This is all I could have hoped for and more. Declan and I have a connection that makes our lovemaking positively electric.
I think he is nearing climax when he suddenly pulls out of me.
“I’ve waited too long not to take my time with you,” he tells me. “I want you from all directions.”
He helps me to turn round, sitting me on the edge of the table. I spread my legs wide, putting my arms behind me for support. I angle myself to make it easier for him to slide into me. He thrusts into me, hitting me in just the right place.
I wrap my legs around his waist, and he picks up his momentum again. This time, his movements have more urgency, and I know neither of us will be able to keep this up for much longer.
I cry out, unable to hold back as a second orgasm takes over. Declan closes his eyes, his own climax finally coming. He roars as he empties himself into me, my orgasm enough to tip him over the edge.
We fall back on the table, still connected as he lays on top of me. He brushes my hair away from my face, slick with sweat.
“I meant it, Ivy,” he tells me. “I really do love you.”
“I love you too.”
Chapter Seven
N ow that Declan and I are on good terms again, no, amazing terms, I feel much happier being at the Academy. Starting the day with mind blowing sex is definitely the best. I breeze through my classes, a faraway smile permanently etched on my face.
Lucas isn’t stupid. He must have noticed something was up. My hair is all tousled and my makeup is messy even though I’d touched it up in the cloakroom. But he doesn’t say anything other than to comment on being happy that Declan and I are friends again.
After school, I’m surprised to not see our usual car rolling up to meet us. Instead, one of the drivers pulls up in a vintage convertible MG.
He gets out and leaves the driver’s door open, stepping aside for Lucas to take his place.
I frown. “What’s going on?”
“I’m taking you for a drive, Ivy,” Lucas explains. “Think of it like your own private magical mystery tour.”
The driver comes round and opens the passenger door for me. Then he salutes us both and walks off to another car that is waiting to take him back to my father’s estate.
Lucas fires up the engine and revs it a few times, the powerful V8 engine sending a very loud signal to everyone in the Academy that Lucas is a man to be reckoned with.
“Wait,” I say as Lucas starts to pull away. He takes his foot off the gas and waits for me to rummage around in my bag.
At last I find my sunglasses. Putting them on, I lean back in the seat, luxuriating in the feel of the sun against my skin. “Okay, you can go now.”
Lucas grins and pulls out. When he reaches the gates of the Academy, he turns in the opposite direction to home. Soon we’re driving down winding country lanes, the wind running through my hair as Lucas takes the scenic route to wherever it is we are going.
“So, you sorted everything with Declan?” he asks.
“Yes.” That’s one way of putting it. I’m glad Lucas has to focus on the road because I’m sure I look guilty as hell.
“I’m glad. I want you to be happy, Ivy,” Lucas says. “I wish you would believe me about that.”
“I’m starting to,” I tell him. “But it’s going to take time. I mean, we barely know each other. Trust is something which comes through experience and you’ve been sending me mixed signals. I mean, someone who really wanted me to be happy wouldn’t have forced me to marry them, but at the same time, you can be so sweet and thoughtful. I don’t really know what to think, if I’m honest.”
“That’s fair.” Lucas nods. “I’m doing my best to make it up to you, Ivy. I really am. That’s why I arranged for you to meet up with Declan this morning and why we’re going on this little drive.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” Lucas smiles enigmatically, but refuses to reveal anything else about our destination, simply telling me to wait until we get there.
All I can do is sit back and enjoy the views. The countryside around King Town really is pretty, and it gives me something to look at while I try to figure out where my head’s at. Lucas seems to be making a huge effort to get into my good books, but the cynical part of me wonders whether this is just a ploy to get me on his side while whatever it is he had going on in the background comes to fruition.
In the end, I give up. My life’s way too complicated right now even for me to figure out.
“Hang on.” I sit up in my seat as I realise I’m very familiar with where we are headed. “Are we going where I think we’re going?”
“I don’t know.” Lucas grins. “Where do you think we’re going?”
He indicates and turns into the road where Archer’s family has their estate.
“Are you taking me to see Archer?”
“Declan isn’t the only one who’s been worried about you. Archer asked if I would be okay with you visiting him without me. Since I’m your husband, not your jailer, I thought the easiest way of making it happen was to tell Solomon I wanted to take you out for a picnic in the countryside after school. That should buy you a few hours of time.
“I’ll take the car for a drive. Solomon had Cook prepare us a picnic hamper, so I have plenty of food to have a picnic by myself. If you’re happy grabbing a snack on the way back home, I’m happy to let you hang out with Archer for a while. Whatever he wanted to talk to you about, it seemed important. If you want to fill me in later, I’d love to know what you talk about, but if you don’t want to tell me, that’s totally fine as well. I just hope that one day you’ll trust me enough to include me in your plans.”
He pulls up outside Archer’s house, leaving the engine running. Impulsively, I kiss him on the cheek before getting out and running over to knock on Archer’s door.
Lucas revs the engine. He raises one arm to say goodbye, and I wave back at him as he drives off on his solitary picnic. I feel a little sorry for him that he’s eating alone, but those feelings evaporate as soon as the door opens.
Seeing Archer standing in front of me, away from the stress of school, marriage, House politics, is just the tonic I need. First Declan made love to me this morning and now I’m getting some alone time with another man who holds a piece of my heart.
“Hey, Archer.” I smile at him, genuinely happy for once.
“Hey, Ivy. Glad you could join us.”
“Us?” A puzzled frown wrinkles my forehead as I follow Archer inside.
“Ivy!”
“Hi!”
I could squeal with delight when I see Declan and Romy sitting on the sofa waiting for me.
“What are you guys all doing here?”
The three men exchange glances.
“After you shot my dad, we decided something had to change,” Declan says. “So, while Mum was at Dad’s bedside, hoping he’d pull through, I got together with Romy and Archer to see what we could do about Solomon Archaic once and for all.”
/> His tone is very matter of fact when he speaks about his father, but I can’t help the wave of guilt that engulfs me at the mention of him being in hospital. Yes, my father had forced me, but I am still the one who’d pulled the trigger.
“And what did you come up with?”
Declan looks at Romy, signalling it’s his turn to speak.
“We’ve looked at it from every angle and as far as we can make out there’s only one way we can solve the problem of your dad. We kill him.”
I should be shocked at the cavalier way in which he spoke about murdering my father, but the moment Romy says it, I know it makes perfect sense. My father is like a leech, sucking the life out of everyone around him. He’s never happy unless he’s hurting others.
There was a time when I would have been overjoyed to hear that I had a father and wasn’t an orphan. That was before I met him. Over the past few months, I haven’t seen a single good thing my father has done. He doesn’t have a single redeeming quality about him. He’s a bug who needs to be squashed underfoot.
“I’m in.” I went to sit with the guys on the sofas, Archer sitting next to me. “How are you thinking we do this?”
“That’s where we need your input,” Romy says. “You know his movements better than any of us. You can tell us what his weaknesses are, where we’re most likely to hit him without warning.”
“I don’t know that I know any more than you do,” I tell him. “My father has kept me at an arm’s length the whole time I’ve been around him. He only lets me see what he wants me to see. I don’t think I can help you come up with a plan. It’s not like I’ve ever assassinated someone before.”
“I thought that’s what Saturday was all about.” Declan spoke quietly, trying not to hurt me, but it’s impossible not to feel upset about what I’d done.
“I don’t think it was,” says Archer. “Solomon would have known Ivy had never shot a gun before. I don’t think he actually expected her to hit the target. It was simply his way of proving that he has ultimate power over her. Even as a married woman, it’s still her father who owns her.”
“Like any real man could ever own a woman.” Romy shakes his head in disgust.
“But this is why we need to put Ivy in charge of House Archaic,” Declan says. “With her at the helm, the four Houses would be able to work together for once instead of being locked in this permanent power game. I think the four of us all agree that we’d much rather be on the same side than at each other’s throats.”
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
We all nod.
“But what about Lucas?” Romy asks. “While he’s in the picture, Ivy’s never going to be free to make decisions on her own.”
“So she gets a divorce the second her father’s in the ground.” Archer shrugs.
“Actually, I think I can get an annulment,” I say.
“You mean-” Declan raises an eyebrow while Romy and Archer look at each other.
“Lucas and I haven’t slept together,” I confirm. “At least, not in the Biblical sense. My father makes us share a bed, but we’ve been keeping our hands to ourselves. As far as I’m concerned, that’s what we’re going to continue to do until I’m able to get out of this marriage. Add in the fact that I was forced to marry him and I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to get the whole thing written off as some bad dream-–as long as we can get my father out of the picture as soon as possible.”
“Which brings us back to the original question,” Romy says. “How do we kill him?”
“Ivy could put poison in his food,” Declan suggests.
“Won’t work.” I shake my head. “Everything’s prepared by his cook under supervision. I can’t get anywhere near his meals.”
“Ivy shoots him,” Declan suggests.
“I get where you’re coming from,” says Archer, “and I love the irony of her shooting him after he made her shoot Claude, but Ivy’s already shown what a terrible shot she is. Even up close and personal, I don’t think we can rely on her being able to take him out before the guards pile in on her. Best case scenario, they’ll disarm her, but there’s every chance they’ll simply kill her to keep Solomon safe. I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to risk Ivy’s life like that.”
“I’d do it,” I say. “It’s the least I can do to make it up to Declan. But Archer’s right. I’m a really bad shot. I’m not confident even holding a gun. I could barely take it from my father’s hand. I hated the way it felt. I knew it was a lethal weapon and the thought of it made me feel sick. I just don’t think I can pull it out and kill my father before the guards step in. Plus, I think my father would sense that something was up. No, you can forget about guns. Or knives, for that matter.” I look around pointedly, making it clear I’m being serious. “I’m totally down with killing my father, but I’m not sure that I hate him enough to do it myself.”
“Which means we need another way of getting to him,” says Romy. “Ideally something from a distance.”
“What about a bomb?” I suggest. “No, forget about it. That’s a dumb idea. It’s not like any of us know how to build one.”
“I do,” admits Archer, surprising us all. “My father wanted to be sure that all his children were well versed in a number of different ways of dealing with our enemies. It’s one of the reasons Solomon wanted me working with him-–to figure out just how much I knew so he could decide how big of a threat I was. I was wise to him, though. I only let him know what I wanted him to know.”
“What are you thinking, Ivy?” Declan asks.
“My father’s private plane,” I say. “He’s going on those trips to Italy all the time. If I can get a hold of his schedule, I can figure out when he’s due to leave and we can plant something on his plane. It’s heavily guarded, but if we are able to watch the guards for a few days, I’m sure we’d be able to figure out a way to get close to it.”
Romy nods slowly. “That could work. How soon do you think you could get his schedule?”
“I’m not sure,” I reply. “His study is like a fortress within a fortress. It’s almost impossible for me to get in it.”
“What if you didn’t have to go into his study?” asks Archer.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Isabella knows everything that’s going on. She’d be able to tell you when he was due to travel. Can’t you try sweet talking her?”
“Or even turn your charm on your father,” Romy suggests. “Tell him something like you want him to bring you back something from Italy so it would be helpful to know when he was travelling next.”
“I can do that.” I feel an excited little tingle in my tummy. We are planning to take out my father and it might actually work.
“Do you think you can do it without Lucas figuring out what you’re up to?”
Declan’s question brings me back down to earth with a bump.
“I don’t know.” I bite my lip. “Lucas isn’t stupid and I still haven’t been able to figure him out. Sometimes I think he’s an arsehole who’s got his nose permanently fixed up my father’s backside and other times he does sweet things like getting my favourite people in a room together and leaves me on my own with you. I’d like to think I could get away with finding out my father’s schedule without him figuring out there’s something going on, but I can’t guarantee it. Nor can I promise that he wouldn’t go to my father if he did hear about our plan. For all I know, he’s being nice to lull me into a false sense of security. He could be plotting against me. I mean, we’re married. If something were to happen to me, he’d be the new Archaic heir.”
Declan pales at the thought. “You really think he could be planning something like that?”
“I’d like to say no, but I just don’t know him well enough to be sure.” I shrugged sadly.
“All right. So for now, we have to assume that Lucas would be against us if he found out we’re going to make a move against Solomon,” says Archer. “So we need to come at this f
rom a number of angles. Ivy, you try and find out your father’s schedule without raising any suspicions. We’ll scout out the plane and see if we can figure out a way of getting a bomb on board without anyone noticing. Timing’s crucial-–if we put it on there too soon, they’ll find it when they do a security sweep before the flight.”
“Unless we can figure out a way of camouflaging it so no one notices it,” Romy puts in.
“Maybe.” Archer does a half nod, half shake of his head. “We don’t want to over-complicate things though.”
“What about if I could get the bomb in his luggage?” The thought suddenly hits me. “That way we don’t have to know about his schedule or anything like that. Archer can just give me the bomb and I’ll keep it until I see my father packing. I’ll figure out a way of smuggling it into one of his suitcases and he’ll take it onto the plane himself without realising he’s carrying his own death in his hands. It’s a private airport, so he doesn’t have to go through the security checks you usually get, so his case will be right by his side when the bomb detonates.”
“Ivy, you’re a genius!” Archer kisses me full on the lips. “That’s the perfect solution.”
“Yeah, good idea, Ivy.” Declan smiles. “Simple is best, and that’s so simple nobody will suspect a thing.”
“So, Archer, you need to make the bomb as soon as possible,” Romy says.
“No problem,” Archer replies. “I’ll put a remote detonation on it with a timer, so we can control exactly when it goes off. I can make it so that once it gets far enough away from the trigger, it automatically explodes, and I’ll give you the trigger, Ivy, so you know you’re perfectly safe until then.”
“Good.” I don’t like to show any nerves about having a bomb in my room until my father went away, but knowing there’s no way it can go off until he’s up in the air makes me feel a heck of a lot better about the plan.
“And you’re sure you’re happy to do this?” asks Declan. “I mean, I should be glad you’re taking on the lead role in assassinating your father and making amends for what you did for mine, but if you’re not comfortable, we’ll figure out another way.”
