by Katie Knight
“Are you trying to bribe me, Es?” Z asked, his tone quiet.
“Depends,” she said, watching him through her lashes. “Is it working?”
A small muscle ticked near his tense jaw and he swore under his breath, raking a hand through his hair. Tiny bubbles of hope fizzed inside her. She’d seen her father and his advisors wearing the same expression of resigned acceptance during difficult negotiations right before they conceded. It was the look of a man with his back to the wall and only one avenue of escape.
“I want it all in writing. Every detail explained and documented.”
“Of course.” She bit back a smile and pulled her phone from her pocket. “I’ll text them now.”
He looked at her then, his blue eyes warm and bright with determination. “You had this planned all along?”
“No. Not exactly. I had my staff draw up paperwork, just in case. All the personal details were left blank.” She thumbed in a quick message for her senior staffer to fax the contracts over to the townhouse. “Should be waiting for us when we get home.”
Z’s broad shoulders sagged slightly, and he blinked at her. “I’ve never been a fill-in-the-blank kind of guy before.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” Esme set her phone on the table, her hands trembling so badly that she didn’t dare attempt to drink her tea. It would slosh everywhere. “If it’s any consolation, this is my first time doing anything like this too.”
His eyes widened slightly. “You’re a virgin?”
“To political intrigue? Yes. Otherwise, no.” She laughed, genuine this time. Despite the awkward circumstances, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her. To think such a tiny concession on her part had been the deciding factor for him. Getting back to the SEALs must be an all-consuming drive for him. She’d do well to remember that in the future, especially when those pesky emotions of hers threatened to get involved again. This was a business deal between them—nothing more, nothing less. “So, I guess we’re partners now, eh?”
“Guess so.” He chuckled and sat back. “When do we get started?”
“With the baby-making?” She gripped her cup tight and blew on the top to cool the tea, not missing the way his gaze tracked her movement, the blue of his eyes darkening slightly. The same tingle of sensual awareness zinged through her, making her bold. “How about tonight?”
Z looked about as stunned as Es felt by her words.
She wasn’t a forward sort of girl, but damn if he didn’t seem to bring it out in her.
“After you sign your contracts, of course.”
“Of course.” His full lips curved into a slow smile and her insides quivered. Maybe keeping things all business with him wouldn’t be so easy after all.
Chapter Seven
How about tonight?
Z walked through his bedroom in the townhouse later that evening, unable to get Es’s earlier question out of his mind. Now, as he stood before his closet—post-shower, clad in only the damp towel slung around his waist—he had no idea what to do.
Not with the baby-making stuff. He was well-versed in those techniques. No, it was the lead up to the sex that had him stumped. He’d never been in this situation before—contracts signed and the woman waiting for him somewhere in the townhouse. It all seemed very cut and dried, and in all honesty, it should be. This was a business deal, a tit for tat—literally. And yet, he couldn’t seem to shake the niggle deep inside him that it…wasn’t.
Frustrated and unsure, he grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a black T-shirt from the closet and tugged them on before pulling on a pair of socks and his sneakers. It was still surprisingly early yet, not quite nine p.m., though the day had seemed endless. Hospitals did that to a person. He remembered sitting in waiting rooms as a kid while the adults sorted the mess left after the terrorist attack that had killed his parents. He’d been too young then to understand a lot of what was happening, but he did remember the weird time-warp feeling of sitting in that sterile environment, the air smelling of antiseptic and the floors squeaking loud under his shoes.
To this day, his gut still tightened each time he walked into a medical setting in remembrance of those old pains and sorrows. This past week, guarding Es, hadn’t been easy on either of them once the king had landed in the ICU. But at least Z had his work to keep him busy. Poor Es had knitting and…well, more knitting. He’d tried to check on her when he could, bringing her snacks or tea just because he knew how easy it was to forget to eat or stay hydrated with a loved one’s life in jeopardy, but otherwise, she had no one for support.
That knowledge, as much as what loomed ahead of him this evening, made him restless.
Needing some fresh air and space to clear his head before he did his duty, Z jogged downstairs and outside to take a quick walk around the block before finding Esme to consummate their deal. The night was cooler and the sky above was clear, stars twinkling down.
His mind returned to what waited for him back at the townhouse.
He’d been sexually active since he was sixteen—and he found Esme attractive enough, if not his usual type. Usually, he went with casual flings with women who weren’t looking for attachments. His life as a SEAL facilitated that well, traveling all over the world gave him lots of opportunities to meet women, and less risk of growing attached afterward. Honestly, even with Esme’s promise to shorten it, this stint with the security team in Prylea would still be his longest mission to date.
Z rounded the corner and began humming under his breath, an old lullaby that his mom used to sing to him when he was little. The tune was sweet and simple, and he knew it so well it was almost an unconscious thing with him. Whenever he got stressed, he found himself humming to relax himself. His footsteps echoed off the pavement in time to the lullaby and the knot of tension between his shoulder blades eased.
So, tonight. He supposed sex to make a baby was pretty much the same as sex for pleasure, but he wasn’t sure about seduction. If they were going to go through with this, they might as well make it enjoyable. But did Es expect the usual accompaniments—flowers, wine, whipped cream? No. She couldn’t, right? It wasn’t really a date. They both knew the score here and the purpose of tonight’s events.
Z rounded another corner and exhaled slowly. Late summer was already starting to give way to autumn and the homes reflected that. Gone were the bright, beachy colors and decor. In their place were wreaths made of pine cones and colorful leaves and pumpkins. So many pumpkins.
By the time he turned the fourth corner and reached the front door of the townhome, he felt about as unsure as when he’d left. Should he just walk in, find Es, and sweep her off to bed or should he knock? He wasn’t a nervous guy by nature. Nerves got a man killed in combat. But this situation had him all discombobulated.
Deciding that knocking would be best—it would announce his presence and also bring Es out into the open—he raised his hand to grab the fancy gold, lion-shaped knocker. But before he had a chance to strike it against the red wood, the door opened. Es stood there in a white button down and faded jeans, her feet bare. The smile she gave him looked as nervous as he felt.
“Hey,” she said, pretty pink color staining her cheeks, and once again, he was struck by her simple beauty. She wasn’t one of those women who wore flashy clothes and tons of makeup to get attention. She was classy, expensive, her breeding evident in every graceful move and word she uttered. In her hand was a glass of red wine. Guess that answered his question. She stepped aside to let him in, then raised her glass in his direction. “Want some?”
“Uh, sure.” He followed her into a small study, the walls lined from floor to ceiling with books. Z had never been much of a reader himself, preferring action instead, but he imagined Es in here spending hours poring over all these dusty old tomes. She poured him a glass of ruby-red wine he supposed probably cost more than his entire year’s salary, then took a seat on one end of the only settee in the room. It was an antique and much wider and longer than
furniture nowadays. Perfectly big enough to accommodate two adults sitting, or lying down, or…whatever. He gulped down a large swallow of his drink, then sat on the opposite end of the dark brown leather. Yep. This was awkward as ass right now.
Neither of them said much for a while, the huge gorilla in the room huddled between them, making the air taut. Es sipped her wine then shifted slightly to face him, one bare foot tucked up beneath her. Her toenails were now painted the same light pink as her fingernails. He’d not noticed that before now. A familiar warmth coiled low in his belly, quickening his pulse. Before the night was over, he intended to make those cute little toes of hers curl with ecstasy.
As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, Es stared down into her wine glass, the color in her cheeks deepening. “So…”
“So,” Z said, stretching one arm out across the back of the settee, not quite touching her, but close enough to feel her heat through the thin cotton of her shirt. His fingertips itched to stroke her skin and see if she felt as soft as she looked. He stopped those thoughts short. This was business, and while he wanted it to be good for them both, he’d do well to keep his libido in check. Now if someone could just send that memo to his twitching cock, they’d be all set.
Calling on his well-trained leadership skills, Z did his best to maintain control. He gulped down the rest of his wine then set his empty glass on the coffee table in front of them before taking a deep breath and plunging in head first. “What are the logistics of—”
Es apparently had had the same take-charge idea. She leaned forward and blurted out at the same time, “Do we just go for it, or what?”
Unfortunately, her movements and his didn’t quite sync and his shoulder bumped her arm, sending a spray of red wine down the front of her pristine white shirt.
“Damn. I’m so sorry,” Z said, getting up to fetch a gob of tissues from the box on the desk. “I’m not usually this clumsy.”
“Me neither,” Es said, brushing off her front as best she could then setting her glass aside. “Hopefully this isn’t a harbinger of how the rest of the night will go.”
Without thinking, Z knelt beside her and dabbed the front of her shirt with the tissues while she sat still and silent before him. This close, the sweet, floral scent of her perfume surrounded him—honeysuckle and roses and soap. The backs of his fingers accidentally brushed her bare skin through the open vee of her shirt and sparks of awareness sizzled through his blood like wildfire. He purposely didn’t look up at her, afraid she’d see the enormous struggle he was having to keep from tackling her to the settee and taking her right there in the study.
It was crazy. It was totally not like him. It was the hottest experience he’d ever had with all his clothes on.
Her breath grew faster as his fingers brushed the upper curve of her breast through her shirt. He continued to dab, closer, closer, until he felt one tight little nipple through the tissues in his hand. As if drawn by an invisible cord, his gaze met hers and Z recognized the same wild want inside her that raged within him.
Tonight might be a lot of things, but a problem wasn’t one of them.
All awkwardness and nerves vanishing beneath an avalanche of need, he dropped the tissues and slowly leaned forward, his eyes locked with hers. “I think I know a better way to clean you.”
With that, he licked her stiff nipple through her shirt before closing his lips around it and sucking. Her pulse thudded hard against his cheek as he nipped and licked her through the material, her soft sighs like music to his ears. It had been far too long since he’d taken a lover to bed. His hands slid to her waist and she threaded her fingers softly through his hair, holding him in place, her hazel eyes growing half-lidded and warm with desire.
Yeah, things between them would be just fine tonight.
Better than fine. Spectacular.
Finally, her eyes slipped closed and her head tipped back. Z took advantage, releasing her nipple to trail kisses up her neck to her jawline. Slowly, he lay her back on the settee then stretched out above her. He’d intended on taking care of business in a bed, but this was so much more convenient, and so much hotter.
Es parted her thighs and bent her knees, allowing him to settle against her and for her to feel the full extent of his arousal. His cock was so hard now, he ached. There had been months of self-imposed celibacy. At first, he’d been too busy learning his new position in the palace. Then, there just hadn’t been the opportunity to find a suitable partner. But now…
“You taste like strawberries,” he murmured into the sensitive spot just behind her ear. “I like it.”
“It’s my special lotion. Ladies in Prylea make it,” she said, her words breathy and quiet, the slight tremble in her voice making Z grin. “You taste nice, too.”
“Yeah?” He raised his head to meet her eyes, pressing himself a bit more firmly against her just because it felt so damned good. “Tell me what you like, princess.”
She watched him with drowsy eyes, her pink lips parted and her fingers clutching the front of his T-shirt. “I—I...don’t know.”
“Liar.” He smiled down at her, tracing his finger over her lips, delighted when she parted them to lick the tip of his index finger. “I think you know exactly what you want and you’re dying to tell me. Go on. Say it. Your wish is my command.”
A slow, sexy smile grew on her beautiful face and her eyes sparkled with wicked heat. “Kiss me.”
He raised a brow and lowered his head. Kissing was very intimate, so he hadn’t wanted to cross that line unless she gave her consent. “You sure?”
“Absolutely.” She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled his head down until their mouths met. He traced his tongue across the seam of her lips and she opened to him on a moan. She tasted of bright wine and dark want. Her hands slid from his head down his sides to catch the hem of his shirt. He shuddered under her touch.
“Get this off,” she said, tugging the T-shirt upward. “Want to see you, feel you.”
“Whatever you desire, my princess.” Z sat up to remove his shirt, then set about taking hers off as well, undoing her buttons and slipping it off her arms to reveal a pink lace bra underneath. His already-hard cock stiffened to the point of pain, pressed tight to the fly of his jeans. “God, you are so hot.”
“So are you.” She traced her nails over his chest, down his pecs to his taut abdomen, following the thin line of dark hair to the waistband of his jeans. “What about these?”
“I’ll take mine off if you take off yours,” he said, having way more fun with her than he’d expected. Truth be told, he hadn’t been sure what to expect from Es in the sack. But seeing her now, lusty and laughing, he couldn’t have been more delighted—or turned on. He did love a woman who embraced her passion.
Whoa. No. Not love. This had nothing to do with love or even like.
Business. This was business. All business.
The sooner he remembered that, the better.
She grinned and sat up, unbuttoning her jeans then unzipping them slowly to reveal a matching pink lace thong. She kicked the pants away then leaned back. “You like?”
Z stood and made sure the study door was locked before returning to unbutton his own jeans. “Oh, yeah. Me like.”
To prove his point, he stepped out of his jeans and his hard cock sprang free, a bead of moisture already pearling at his tip. He was ready and willing and raring to go.
Es crooked a finger at him. “Best bring that bad boy over here before you put someone’s eye out with it.”
He snorted and walked slowly to her, kneeling beside the settee again. At first, he’d planned on getting through this as quickly and efficiently as possible, but now, he wanted to savor the experience of her, at least this first time. He took hold of her thighs and tugged her forward until her bottom rested on the edge of the leather cushion, then parted her legs. Es leaned back on her elbows and watched him, eyes dark with passion. No prim and proper princess here. Nope. He slid off her pink thong, the
n bent forward to trace his tongue over her slick folds, keeping a steadying hand on her inner thigh, positioning her where he wanted her. She groaned low, the sound spurring him on. Z licked her again, concentrating on the sensitive bundle of nerves at her apex, using first one, then two fingers inside her slick channel to prepare her for him.
Es squirmed beneath him, her fingers returning to clutch his hair, guiding him to what she liked best. Her breath panted and her body arched, and soon she spasmed around him, her first orgasm hitting hard. “Zachary, oh, please. Yes, Z!”
Nuzzling her gently, he eased her back down to earth, then stretched his body out above her again. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had sex without a condom, and as he slowly eased himself inside her, the sensation was mind-blowing. So wet, so tight, so incredible. She wrapped her legs around his waist and tangled her fingers in the curls at his nape, all lush curves and accommodating heat after her climax.
He kissed her again, exploring her mouth as he thrust slowly and deeply into her, setting up a steady rhythm that soon had them teetering at the brink of ecstasy again. Z once more put the overwhelming pleasure down to having gone too long without a woman. To consider anything else was unacceptable in this situation, no matter how amazing Es felt, her body milking his to within an inch of his life.
“Are you close?” he whispered into her ear, licking her velvety, berry-flavored skin again. He couldn’t remember another woman ever tasting or smelling or feeling so good.
“Yes,” she groaned, her face buried in the hollow of his throat, her breath hot against his skin. “So, so close. Please…”
“I’ve got you, princess. I’ve got you.” He adjusted his angle of penetration so his body stroked her sensitive clit with each thrust and soon, she cried out again, convulsing around him and pushing him over the edge, too. Z’s felt a familiar tightening in his lower back, coiling down to his balls, his thrusts growing harder, faster until he came inside her, his muscles locked and his back arched. Wave after wave of intense pleasure rolled over him until finally, he rested atop her, breathing hard, his head resting in the valley between her breasts. Her heart pounded beneath his ear and her fingers toyed with his hair, making him shiver once more.
