The Monarch Room

by Danielle James

  “Well, aren’t you supposed to do whatever I ask, within reason?” I cocked an eyebrow up at him and he smirked a little.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay then, I’m asking you to call me by my first name, Duke.”

  “I suppose I can oblige you, Miss Zuri. Now, why are you going to school so early? The sun has not even risen yet.”

  “I’m not doing well in art class and my teacher will tutor me if I get there before school starts and he also offers after-school tutoring.”

  “Your art teacher from the exhibit?” Duke’s eyes found mine in the mirror again. I tried not to blush.

  “Yes. Mr. Clermont.”

  “He’s very…young.”

  “He’s also very talented.” I thought about the fluid way Roman’s hands sketched and it made my insides flutter.

  “Do you have a crush on him, Miss Zuri?” I couldn’t read Duke’s expression and I hoped to God he couldn’t read mine either.

  “A crush? On Mr. Clermont? No…” I swallowed and angled my body so that I wasn’t facing him full on. I tried to wedge myself into the shadows of the truck.

  “I’m obligated to mention anything dangerous that I take note of. If I don’t know anything…I can’t say anything. Just thought you’d like to know that.”

  “Okay. Thank you, Duke.” I said a silent prayer when we pulled up at school.

  “Be careful, Miss Zuri.”

  “I will Duke. Can you pick me up later today?”

  “I’ll be here.” He gave me a nod and I gave him a smile before heading to the side door and wiggling it open. I navigated the dark halls of Aspen Grove and stopped in front of the Monarch Room. My heart sped up the moment those orange and black colors came into view.

  He was in there. The lights were on and I heard faint music coming from inside. It sounded like…Biggie .

  I pushed the doors open and stood transfixed while I watched Roman sitting on a stool, sketching a pair of eyes. I closed the door and he turned to face me. “Good morning, princess.” He set down the thin stick of charcoal he was sketching with, and stood.

  I didn’t let one more second pass before I melted against his body, wrapping my arms around him. “Good morning, Roman.” He tipped my chin up and I smelled the charcoal on the tips of his fingers before I met his lips. “I’ve been dying to do that all weekend,” I told him with my eyes closed.

  “Me too.” We slammed against the wall hard. We were a mess of hands and lips exploring each other. When he lifted me in the air, I felt weightless. I hooked my legs around him and clasped my arms around his neck.

  I pushed his t-shirt up and let my hands trace his stomach and chest. He was so warm and so hard. Everything on him was hard. “Let me hear those dirty words, princess.”

  “Fuck me, Roman. I need it after the weekend I had. I need you to drill into my pussy like you own it.” Whenever I was with him, he made dirty, lustful things pour out of me but I wasn’t complaining. He helped me tap into another side of myself. I liked that version of Zuri. She wasn’t scared or second-guessing herself.

  “You need me to fuck it all away, Zuri?”

  “Yes,” I moaned when he kissed my neck.

  “If you want my dick, you’re going to have to ask for it like a good girl.” He was so hard I was nearly blind with lust.

  “Can I have your dick, please , Roman?” Heat surged through my body when I heard how needy I sounded.

  “That’s what I like to hear.” I circled my hips against him when I heard him tear into the condom. “You’re such a hungry little girl. You need me to feed your pussy?”

  “Uh huh,” I nodded. When he filled me up I squealed, shutting my eyes. I thought I was used to fucking him but it still felt brand new. He bounced me up and down on his cock and I swore I felt him in my soul.

  Wetness dripped from my pussy the harder he fucked me. I let all my problems go in that moment. I didn’t need them. I only needed Roman. “Look at how good you are at taking my cock, Zuri. Such a good little princess. Perfect for my dick.” He kissed me, swallowing my next moan. He ran his tongue along my lips before pulling them into his mouth one by one.

  It drove me crazy. “Fuck me, Roman,” I whined.

  “Does it feel good, baby?”

  “Yes!” I shouted.

  I came hard. I came all over his dick. I came unraveled. He smoothed my hair back and stared into my eyes while my pussy had spasms around him. I had another orgasm when Roman came.

  Is that how it felt to do heroin?

  Was it warm and delicious?

  Did it make you float?

  That’s what I felt like after fucking Roman.

  When he let me go, I slid to the floor, trying to catch my breath. My ponytail was neat when I walked in but it looked like shit now. I blew a lock of curls out of my face and rested my forehead on the heel of my hand.

  “Come here,” Roman said, making my eyes pop open.

  “I don’t think my legs work,” I laughed. He cracked a smile and I thought I would cum again looking at his deep dimples.

  “They’re really not going to work after this,” he snatched me to my feet and pushed me back on a desk. It was one of the student’s desks. I didn’t give a fuck whose desk it was. All I cared about was the hungry way Roman ate my pussy.

  “I love watching you cum, Zuri. Your pussy is perfect.” His fingers slid inside of me while his lips sucked on my sensitive bundle of nerves.

  “Fuck!” I cursed while I ran my nails across his smooth hair. “Roman!”

  “Call my name, princess.”

  “Oh my God,” I panted when he dragged his hot tongue back and forth.

  How did I survive without him? It felt like I was floating in space when his mouth was on me. When he pulled away and the air hit my wetness, I shuddered. The sensation pushed me toward another climax. Roman watched me intently then he kissed my thighs and bit a trail back to my pussy.

  He licked and sucked me until I thought I would pass out. Every time I tried to move he held me in place and continued to torture me with his tongue. “Roman, I don’t think I can cum anymore.” He pulled back and looked at me. His eyes blazed. He stood up with a wet face and spun me around. His fingers wrapped around my waist then in the next second he was fucking me. I felt every ridge and vein of his thick cock.

  “You don’t think you can cum anymore?” I couldn’t answer him with words. All I could do was give him my body and my orgasms. He took them like he owned them. He collected my climaxes and held them hostage. He controlled them like he held the remote for every single one.

  “Cum for me. Now.” His gruff voice set a series of shivers in motion that I couldn’t control. That’s because Roman was in control. I gave in and let the sensation wash over me. All I could do was call his name.

  He pulled out of me when he came and I caught it all in my mouth. I loved tasting him. It was my new craving.

  “You expect me to walk around for the rest of the day?” I asked, looking at Roman as he cleaned up in the bathroom. He flashed me that heart-stopping smile and I rolled my eyes at him.

  “Don’t challenge me next time.”

  “I didn’t challenge you, Roman! I said I didn’t think I could cum anymore. How was that a challenge?” I quizzed, a smile hanging on my lips.

  “Because you spoke like you were in control of how many times you cum. That’s my job now.” He pulled me close to him by the waistband of my skirt and I couldn’t help kissing him. Whenever his lips were close to me, I had to meet them with mine.

  “You’re very good at your new job,” I giggled.

  “I know. I can tell by how hard you cum and how loud you moan when you do it. Those moans are trouble.” He kissed his way down my neck to my collarbones. “Can I leave my mark on you here, Zuri?” He laid a single finger on my throat and my skin burned.

  “Leave your mark wherever you want.”

  “I don’t want to get you in trouble but…I can’t help myself when my lips are on
your beautiful skin. I love the way you bruise. It’s a shade of purple I’ve never seen before.” His hands slid up my thighs until he was palming my ass. I would have given Roman anything at that moment.

  “Then mark me up, Roman.” He bit and sucked on my neck while my cunt responded by throbbing. I was still hungry for him. When he pulled away, he admired his handy work and ran the pads of his fingers over the warm bruise.

  My eyes were drawn to the pad of paper in the middle of the room. A pair of familiar eyes looked back at me and I tapped Roman’s shoulder. “Whose eyes are those?” I asked.

  “Yours,” he answered with my earlobe between his teeth. It was only one word but it made my heart thunder to life.

  “Mine?” The more I stared at them, the more I realized he was telling the truth. “You made my eyes look so beautiful.”

  “That’s how I see them.” He held me from behind and sighed. “Can I tell you something, Zuri?”

  “Of course,” I wanted to run my fingers over the picture but I didn’t want to disturb the charcoal. I also didn’t want to budge from his arms. He’d never held me like that before and it was doing something to me. It was moving things around in my chest and I had no idea what it meant but I didn’t want it to stop.

  “Before I saw you that day in the hallway, I dreamt of your eyes. All I could see were those gorgeous mink brown eyes. I didn’t know who they belonged to but they kept waking me up out of my sleep.” He kissed my cheek and I fought against the smile trying to take over my face.

  “But how?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Had you been to the school before that day?” I skimmed my memories and recalled coming to Aspen Grove with my father after the divorce between him and my mother was final so he could take her name off some of the paperwork.

  “Yes,” I nodded.

  “I wonder if we passed each other,” he said thoughtfully.

  “I think I would have remembered seeing you, Roman. You’re…amazing.”

  “Maybe you saw me but you didn’t notice me. I could have seen you and not noticed too. Though…” He walked in front of me, held my hand in his, and shook his head. “I don’t think I could ever forget running into you, Zuri Okolo.” He stared at me for a few beats and then kissed the back of my hand. “I got you dinner.”

  “Dinner?” I laughed, scrunching my nose up.

  “Well, on Friday you said you were going to have dinner with your mother but your father stopped you. I know I’m not your mom but I thought maybe I could make up for the fact that you didn’t get to have dinner like you’d planned to on Friday.” He held my hand in his and we walked over to his desk. Two brown paper bags sat there.

  I swallowed the knot in my throat and looked at him. “Thank you so much, Roman. This is really…sweet.” I blinked a few times and told myself not to cry. I refused to cry. “What did you get?” I asked, digging into the bags to stop the tears. I pulled out containers of Chinese food and laughed a little.

  “I hope you like Chinese.”

  “I do. I like it even more when it’s for dinner-breakfast,” I laughed and placed a single kiss on his lips. He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head like he was shaking thoughts loose.

  “What? You wanted to say something.” I pointed out.

  “Me? No. I didn’t want to say anything.” He took the food out and handed me a fork. “Dinner for breakfast in the Monarch Room isn’t the most romantic thing ever but it’s nice.” We sat on the floor. I settled between his legs and he draped his arms around my shoulders. “Zuri, when is your birthday? I’d like to know how much longer I have to worry about getting locked up,” he laughed.

  “Don’t say stuff like that, Roman. You’re not going to get locked up. My birthday is in June.”

  “June,” he groaned. “It’s October, Zuri.” He waited a few moments then said, “I’m willing to tempt fate until then though. Something about you drives me wild.”

  “I have that effect,” I deadpanned.

  “You do.” His voice held weight and it made my stomach clench. We spent the next hour talking and laughing. When the sun started to peek into the sky, he pulled me to my feet and held me from behind while we watched the sunrise.

  “Beautiful,” I whispered, looking at his reflection in the window. Why was my throat so tight? Why were my cheeks so hot?

  “Let’s clean up and I’ll work with you on your proportions. The face you turned in on Friday wasn’t the best.”

  “Okay. Oh, and I brought my extra credit work too,” I told him, fishing around in my binder for it. When I handed it to him, he smiled.

  “This is good, Zuri. You’re doing an amazing job.” He set the paper on his desk and marked a bright red B on the back. I’d never been so happy to see a B in my life.

  “I got a B?” I jumped into his arms and he laughed a little. The deep sound made my insides feel fuzzy. I looked at him and nearly drowned in his pretty brown eyes.

  I kissed him. It was slow and needy. Roman’s tongue still tasted like me beneath the flavors of Chinese food. I sucked on him softly while his hands slid up my shirt and cupped my breasts beneath my bra.

  My nipples turned to pebbles under his fingers. I breathed heavily when he squeezed them. I stared up at him while he laid me down on his desk. The papers covering it made a scratchy blanket but I didn’t care. I needed that moment more than anything else.

  Roman pulled his shirt over his head and I let my eyes feast on his tattoos and perfect lines. One by one, he flicked open my buttons until my black bra was exposed. He kissed my chest then pulled my tits out, sucking on each one.

  His hard cock pressed against me and I moved quickly to pull it out. “I’m gonna have to pull out again. I don’t have any more condoms.” He told me between kisses. I nodded and locked my legs around him. He pushed my panties to the side and I sighed with relief when he entered me.

  “You’re beautiful, Zuri,” he said quietly in between thrusts. I skimmed his lips with my fingers and tried not to cry. He sucked on my fingers and my eyes rolled in the back of my head. He pushed my legs back and fucked me like he had a point to prove.

  It took me no time to cum. Every time we were together, Roman learned more and more about my body and how to control it. I didn’t mind one bit. “God, I’m about to cum Zuri.”

  “Cum in my mouth,” I begged. I needed to taste him. I knelt in front of him and he shot into my mouth hard. I wrapped my lips around him and swallowed while he pulsed between my lips.

  “Fuck,” he groaned.

  We cleaned up…again.

  “You think we’re addicted to each other yet?” Roman asked.

  “Eh, just a little. No biggie.” I shrugged with a straight face. He laughed and so did I. “Hey, is there any way you can get me another cup of that coffee? It was so good.”

  “You like the teacher’s lounge coffee?” He chuckled and I stared at his dimples.

  “I liked when you made it for me.”

  “You want coffee after Chinese food? You have a stomach of steel. Get out some paper and start working on a face. I’ll bring you coffee.”

  “Thank you, Roman,” I purred. I buttoned my shirt and took out my sketchpad. I stared at the drawing of my eyes on Roman’s pad and wondered how he could sketch so effortlessly. With a sigh, I walked over to his speaker and turned up the music. Crush on You started playing and I smiled a little.

  “Hey, Rome…” Mr. Wilmore walked in and saw me sitting at my desk. He froze and looked around for Roman.

  “He went to get coffee,” I said with a smile. I tried to seem innocent but I wondered if the room still smelled like our sex. Mr. Wilmore’s green eyes locked on to mine and he forced a smile.

  “You’re here early. Zuri, right?” His emerald gaze flitted around my face and I wished I knew what he was looking at or looking for so I could hide it.

  “Yes, sir,” I nodded.

  “Hey, Wilmore.” Roman came back with a cup of coffee and set it on his desk
. I was grateful he didn’t hand it to me. I saw Mr. Wilmore’s mind placing puzzles together. I wanted him to stop.

  “Hey, are you offering more extra credit?” His tone was disapproving.

  “No, I’m starting tutoring sessions though. Miss Okolo’s grades haven’t been the best and this is her only class. She wants to do her best and as long as she’s trying, I’m willing to help.” Roman topped his statement off with a beautiful smile but Mr. Wilmore didn’t seem convinced.

  “Can I talk to you out here?” He said quietly to Roman before they stepped out of the Monarch Room. I sighed heavily and stared up at the butterflies hanging from the ceiling. The last thing I wanted was for him to get in trouble on my behalf.

  If he and Wilmore were friends though, he should have kept whatever he thought was happening to himself. I fidgeted with the hem of my skirt and tried to concentrate on drawing a face.

  I didn’t realize how tense I was until I heard Roman come back inside and my spine relaxed some. “What did he say?” I rushed over to him, anxious.

  “He asked if I ran my tutoring idea past Palmer because it looks fucked up having you here so early. He’s trying to look out for me.”

  “Do you think he knows?” I whispered. Roman checked the hallway through the glass-paned door and shook his head.

  “I don’t think he knows. I think he suspects you have a little crush on me. He doesn’t want it to look inappropriate though.” If only he knew how fucking inappropriate it was. “We’re fine, Zuri.” He touched the tip of my nose and I smiled a little. If he felt like we were fine then I would let my guard down a little.

  “Is he a good guy?” I asked of Mr. Wilmore.

  “Who, Matt? Yeah, he’s a good guy.” I believed him but I didn’t want anyone or anything coming between what I had with Roman. He was my escape. He was my ray of sunshine. He was my muse.

  When I thought about him, all the words poured out of me. It was beautiful. “Just so you know, I get happy whenever I hear you playing Biggie,” I smiled.

  “What? What do you know about Biggie, Zuri? You’re seventeen.”

  “I know he’s in my top three for best rappers of all time.”