Downfall: Kingdoms of Sin, Book #1

by Aster, Willow

  “Mother.” Luka puts his hands on top of his head and gives his hair a hard tug. He looks at me and I don’t know what surprises me more—the apology in his eyes or the tinge of embarrassment on his skin.

  She goes to him and lifts up to kiss each cheek. “Your father and I are no strangers to honeymoons. Enjoy your time here. We will send a plane to pick you up in a week and then depending on how stable everything is with Alidonia, we’ll go from there with a new plan.”

  Luka looks at his dad, waiting for him to add to the conversation, but Titus has stepped to the windows and is looking out at the water.

  “In fact, don’t worry about us now. We will make ourselves busy until we leave tonight. Go, have fun. You deserve some fun after the stress of yesterday.” She waves her hands, effectively shooing us out of the kitchen. “Your things are set up in the master bedroom. You can thank me later.” She winks and I want to groan but manage to contain it.

  Titus turns and clears his throat. “Don’t forget—you must consummate the marriage for any of this to be valid.”

  “What?” My mouth drops open. “Is that true?” I turn to Luka.

  He shoots his dad a look and grabs my arm. “Come on. I’ll show you around.”

  We walk up the dark, planked staircase. When we reach the top, he stops and faces me. “It’s true.” He lowers his head and doesn’t look at me. “I will make it good for you. I’m sorry it’s all happening like this, but I promise I’ll do my best to make you comfortable.”

  “I don’t know why I didn’t think it mattered, what we did once we were married.” I shake my head, frustrated with myself. “I do trust you won’t intentionally hurt me.” That’s the best I can do to be conciliatory.

  He nods and leads me to the room at the end of the hallway, and when he opens the door, I gasp. The room is huge and bright from all the windows. To one side, there is a massive four-poster bed draped with white intricate lace and soft linens. On the other side are two white chairs sitting side by side, overlooking the water. But the showstopper is the infinity pool. It travels the expanse of the room then leads outside, connected by a passage you can swim through, all jutting out over the ocean.

  “The bathroom is just over there.” Luka sounds almost shy as he points behind him. I can’t stop looking at the pool.

  “I’ve never seen a view like this, ever.”

  “It’s always been my favorite of our houses,” he says. He bends down and puts his hand in the water. “The water is perfect if you feel like a swim.”

  “I—I don’t know how to swim.”

  “What?” He turns to look at me, the shock dropping when he sees my embarrassment. “It’s okay. I can teach you. I’ve been swimming for as long as I can remember. Niapsians are practically born in the water. I suppose it’s not like that in Farrow…”

  “I’ve been skiing for as long as I can remember…and avoiding the water except to admire how pretty it is. Too cold.” I scrunch up my nose and he stares at me, his eyes shifting from my eyes to my mouth. I lick my lips and his pupils dilate, his tongue reaching out to wet his mouth.

  He clears his throat suddenly and I blink.

  “You’ll need to learn how to swim, living in Niaps. How about we try now? It will get our minds off of…everything.”

  “Shouldn’t you be with your parents while they’re still here?”

  He scrunches his forehead. “I haven’t spent time with my parents in years. No reason to start now. You’ve seen enough to know what they’re like, haven’t you? Cold, heartless, controlling?” His eyes aren’t as light as his voice.

  “I hardly know them after one eventful night. Even the dinner with your mother the night we met, we were surrounded by other people. You’re not close with your parents?”

  “Is any prince close to the king?”

  I think about that and about my own relationship with my father. I’d say he’s closest to Jadon, and I’m closer to our mother. But I’ve never doubted his love for me or my siblings. It saddens me that Luka doesn’t have that. What a lonely existence.

  He goes into the closet and comes out with a deep blue bikini in one hand and a white bikini in the other. He shakes them and grins. “Look what I found!”

  “Oh, great.” I level him with a look. “Your swimsuits.”

  He laughs. “My Speedo is in the closet. These are yours.”

  My eyes widen and he laughs harder, tossing the white swimsuit to me.

  “I’ll be right back,” he says, widening his eyes to mimic me. He stops right before he reaches the closet. “Do you need help with all those buttons?” He waves his finger at my dress.

  I lift my hair and turn my back to him. When his fingers brush over my neck, jitters swirl inside my chest. He unbuttons slowly, carefully.

  “A lot of buttons…” His voice is hoarse and I look at him over my shoulder, causing my hair to fall down my back.

  He steps closer and moves my hair forward. Neither of us moves for what seems like an eternity. I feel his chest moving up and down against my back, and I wait with bated breath to see what he’ll do next. He lowers his head and I feel the softest whisper of a kiss against my neck. Goose bumps erupt on my skin and my nipples harden into a deep ache. When he reaches my waist and unbuttons the last button, he takes a deep breath and puts his hands on my hips.

  “Or we can just stay right here,” he says, turning me around.

  I hold my dress so it doesn’t gape open at my chest and his eyes fall to my nipples.

  He steps closer and I lower my head to his shoulder. “We should wait until your parents leave,” I say into his chest.

  He lifts my chin so I can’t look away. “Consider every moment until then preparation,” he says. “Until you’re so wet you can’t think straight.”

  And then he kisses me senseless, stealing another piece of my heart.

  Chapter Twelve

  One kiss and I’m lost.

  He pulls away and rubs his thumb across my lips, his chest rising up and down against me. “You should put on that swimsuit before I rip this wedding dress off of you.”

  I pick up the suit that he must have dropped when he started kissing me, still clutching my dress to my chest, and rush to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and lean against it, trying to catch my breath.

  What was that? How is it possible that he completely blindsides me with one single kiss? What kind of game is he playing?

  And what am I in for next…

  I need to get ahold of myself before what I know will happen tonight.

  I can’t let him get in my head.

  I can’t.

  I won’t.

  I open my eyes and see the bathroom for the first time. This place. There’s a crystal chandelier hanging over the round jacuzzi tub—the largest I’ve ever seen. The shower looks like it could fit six people and still be spacious. More windows and not a single piece of fabric to cover the view. The blue water stretches out as far as I can see.

  Even though we’re about to go swimming, I take a quick shower, needing the cool water to bring me back to my senses. There are bowls of bath bombs near the tub and glass decanters of delicious-smelling shampoos and body washes near the tub and shower.

  I could stay in this bathroom forever and be happy.

  With clumsy fingers, I put on the tiniest scrap of white and stand in front of the full-length mirror. Oh God. I can’t go out in this. I’m from the north and have extra insulation for all those cold months. He’s used to rail-thin model types and I’ve got curves for days. My skin is so pale it’s blinding.

  He knocks on the door when I’ve been in there a while. “Did you fall in?”

  I smile in spite of my nerves. “No, I’m still here.”

  “Let me see you.”

  I shake my hair out, letting the curls fall to my waist. I should probably put it back up...

  “Eden!”

  I jump and then relax when I hear him laugh. I go to the door and crack it open. He
’s standing just outside the door bare-chested and in his swim trunks, his hair already wet. He must have showered in one of the other bathrooms.

  “No Speedo, thank God,” I whisper through the crack.

  His lips pucker as he holds in a grin. “You can’t handle me in a Speedo. Tomorrow maybe.” He eyes me lazily and I like the teasing glint in his stare. “Are you going to hide in there forever? Open the door and let me see you.”

  I open the door wider and his face goes slack. His eyes roam down the length of me and linger. I feel my skin flushing and put my hands on my chest, trying to hide some of it.

  “Drop your hands,” he demands.

  I don’t hesitate. I drop them.

  He takes a ragged breath and holds out his hand to pull me the rest of the way out of the bathroom. Once I’m out, he grabs our hands up over our heads and turns me around oh so slowly. His eyes scorch me, roam every part of my body, heating me from the inside out.

  “Fuck. Me. Where have you been hiding?” His voice is a husky rasp that I feel right between my legs.

  He takes a strand of hair between his two fingers and gives it just enough of a tug to see the curl bounce back up, his hand brushing my stomach as he lets it go and I swallow hard. He doesn’t miss a thing, his eyes tracking the pull of my throat. He puts his hands on my hips and pulls me against him. My head falls back at the feel of him and his tongue traces a line up my throat. Up and down, up and down.

  His hands go lower and lower until he’s got both hands on my cheeks, kneading them and then squeezing hard. He rubs up against me and my eyes close. “See what you do to me?” he asks, grinding into me once, twice, three times. I gasp and he leans back to look at my face. “You like that?” I can’t form words. He puts his fingers on the exact spot I’ve been craving him and barely applies pressure there while I shudder to hold in a moan. “So responsive,” he whispers. “I’m going to enjoy undoing you.”

  I duck my head, unable to look at him. He tilts my face up, and when my eyes reach his, I’m surprised by the softness there. The lust is still thick, and I can’t help but smile at him. His lips tilt up and his fingers start moving over me, rubbing slow circles at first and then faster and faster. I lean my head on his shoulder and cry out when I can’t take it anymore.

  “That’s it,” he whispers.

  His hardness bobs against me and just as I’m about to reach out and touch him, he backs up, holding his hands out for me to take. I do and he guides me to the pool. My eyes drop to look at him and my mouth waters. His thick tip is peeking out of his tented shorts. It will most certainly hurt, but I think I might welcome the burn. He adjusts himself and grins.

  “Don’t look at it, it’ll just keep showing off.” He winks.

  I laugh and he grins even wider, his eyes crinkling.

  “I like it when you smile,” I tell him impulsively. I enjoy the playful side of him. A little too much.

  He does a mock bow and then drops my hand and dives into the water. When he comes back up, rivulets of water drip from his hair and down his face, the sunlight hitting his skin just so, I can’t believe my good fortune. Even if he’s a world-class bastard, I have married the most exquisite man. It might all go downhill, but what if it doesn’t? What if we can have fun together? No feelings…just pleasure. A business partnership with extracurricular activities…

  “What are you thinking? Your face has had a hundred expressions flit across it in the last twenty seconds,” he says. When I don’t answer, he adds, “You’re beautiful, you know…I could lose my mind with you in that white bikini. Are you coming in?”

  He moves to the edge and I sit down, putting my feet in the water before sliding all the way in. He watches me like a snake about to strike. He glides over to me and puts my legs around his waist.

  “The water gets deeper on the other side,” he says, motioning to where the pool continues outside. “So in here, don’t worry. Just stand up. Out there, it gets to twelve feet—” He looks at my lips and his arms tighten around me.

  It’s hard to pay attention to anything he’s saying; he feels like a rock underneath me.

  “You know what? I can’t concentrate with you bouncing on my cock. And these,” he glances down at my nipples brushing against his chest, “are begging for me to suck them. You’re dangerous.”

  I choke on a moan as he gently unwraps my legs.

  “Let’s get this lesson over with and then eat, yeah?” He lifts his head to the ceiling and lets out an anguished sigh then motions to the edge of the pool. He shows me what to do with my feet and walks me through a few basic strokes. I follow each one and he nods, pleased when I’ve accomplished it. “Are you comfortable holding your breath underwater?”

  “Yes. That I can do.”

  “I think you’ve got it then. Let’s see your dog paddle.”

  I attempt it, feeling foolish, but he grins like I’ve mastered a marathon.

  “And your breaststroke…”

  That one is a little harder for me, but I can do a few strokes on each side before my feet touch the bottom again.

  “Are you sure you’ve never swam?” He tilts his head, giving me the side-eye.

  “I promise. No. You’re just a good teacher.” I grin.

  He looks like a different person than when we were at school. His eyes are light and his smiles are far quicker. I could get used to this. I look away and try to not stare at him again.

  “I think it’s time to try underwater,” he says. “Remember how to move your arms?” He does the motions and I copy him, nodding.

  “I’m ready.” I take a deep breath and go under. It takes a few tries of getting my nerves to fully let go. It doesn’t take long for me to realize that this is by far my favorite way to swim. It comes much easier and I glide everywhere, finding the passage and coming up for air outside. Luka is beside me and he runs his hand along his hair, smoothing it back.

  “Nice work,” he says. “If you’re as fast of a learner with sex as you are with swimming, you are going to be one fine fuck.”

  My face flames and I go back underwater so he can’t see me. It’s weird to be talking about sex so nonchalantly with him, and yet, when I think of the way we’ve been with each other from the beginning, it’s not so crazy. We’ve never struggled with being direct. I just don’t know how comfortable I’m going to be with sex. I hate that I don’t know what I’m doing and that I want him so much. It’s embarrassing. I’m obviously not thinking straight. I take another deep breath above water and go right back down.

  He takes my hand and pulls me back through the passage. When we’re on the other side, he faces me and touches my hair again. It’s flying out everywhere like Medusa’s and he looks entranced. For a second, I wonder if it’s all an act to make tonight easier for me, or if it’s possible that I’m getting under his skin too.

  He reaches out and twists one of my nipples, just enough for me to feel the twinge. My mouth parts and his other hand goes to my hip, pulling me tight against him. We shoot up out of the water, and his hands move to my face as he kisses me like he can’t wait another second. Our tongues find each other and I feel like I’m still floating even though my feet are firmly on the ground.

  He devours me. Consumes me.

  His hands dive into my hair and then travel down my back and lower and lower…

  He picks me up and carries me out of the water. When he reaches the bed, he shifts the sheer lace out of the way and lays me back, standing over me like a god. I swallow hard and lean up on my elbows.

  “I thought you wanted to eat first…”

  “I do.” He leans over me and plays with the string to my top. “Do you mind if I just…untie this?”

  I shake my head and he unties the strings around my neck and then the ones around my back. When he tosses the top, I watch his eyes drink me in. It’s a heady thing watching his face fill with lust…for me. I have a moment where I can’t believe Luka Catano wants me and then it’s all forgotten when he leans dow
n and pulls my nipple into his mouth.

  I can’t breathe, can’t think straight.

  My eyes roll back.

  His hand moves between my legs and when it dives beneath the material, I’m gone.

  “Luka,” I whisper.

  His mouth lifts off of me with a pop. “Yes, Princess?” His eyes find mine and he moves to the other side, his tongue flicking me.

  “When do your parents leave?”

  He grins so wide it takes over his whole face. “You ready to get after it?” His tone is teasing, but his eyes are deep pools of want.

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  “They left when you were in the bathroom earlier. I was just trying to not jump on you the minute they were gone. Give you some time to—”

  I pull his mouth down to mine and kiss him hard. He pulls down my bikini bottoms and tries to remove his own, but I move his hand, pulling them down and sighing into his mouth when I touch him. He takes a shuddering breath and then his hands are everywhere. He shifts out of my hand and moves down my body, his tongue leading the way. When he reaches between my legs, I’m so shocked I clamp his head between my thighs and he chuckles into me, his tongue lapping me until I shake.

  He shifts up until he’s lying beside me and puts his finger where his mouth has been. “You okay?” He adds another finger and then pulls out slowly, rhythmically, while he watches me.

  “Mmm…ye—” My eyes squeeze shut when he rubs his other finger on the outside of me. “How do you know?” I whisper. And then I feel stupid. Of course he knows exactly what to do.

  “Open your eyes. Look at me.”

  I open them and his face is over mine, his breathing coming out in slight pants now. He rubs against my thigh and I struggle to keep my eyes open.

  “Your taste is my new favorite addiction.” He pulls his fingers out, sucking them one by one, and shifts so he’s lined up with me, then teases me by not moving. He leans down and kisses me. “My favorite poison,” he whispers.