by Ali Parker
Tilting her head to the side, she exposed her neck to me. I pressed my lips against her soft skin and kissed her again.
12
Sophia
Luke’s distraction techniques totally worked for me. After a tension-filled evening with his mother, the night ended up better than I expected. I wanted to talk more about why he thought we were leaving, especially after his mother started being less mean to me, but the way he made my body feel took up even more of my headspace.
My head fell back against the bedpost as Luke’s mouth and hands roamed my body. It was amazing to me how quickly he could turn me on. Only in a matter of seconds, it seemed. I pushed my fingers through his hair and held the back of his head as I drew his lips closer to mine. I hesitated for a moment, our lips brushing together, a tingling sensation fizzling just inches from his mouth. A searing hot heat flickered throughout my body, and I could barely take a full breath.
Luke’s fingers pulled down the collar of my shirt, exposing my breasts. He kissed the top of them before his other hand popped open the clasp. My breasts were free, and he didn’t waste a moment in drawing one very hard nipple into his mouth. He nipped at the sensitive tip.
My legs were numb with pleasure, and it took all of my strength to hold on to him.
He groaned, and the sound of his pleasure vibrated through me, piercing my chest.
I reached down, shoving my hands under his shirt and fisting the fabric before pulling it over his head. He didn’t lose his rhythm as he returned to my breasts. I smoothed my hands over his muscular back, looking to grab any part of him to stay upright.
He stepped back from me, and I almost dropped to the floor. His strong hands gripped my waist.
“Whoa there,” he said, grinning.
I wasn’t going to appear weak in front of him, so I unbuckled his belt and shoved his pants to the floor before I leaped onto him. His arms wrapped around me, and his tip glided along my slick lower lips.
“I like where you’re going with this,” he said.
I kissed him to show that I liked it too. I deepened the kiss, desperate to have him inside of me. No pretense tonight, I wanted to make love to him as soon as possible and for as long as possible.
His cock teased me, moving back and forth over my sensitive folds. I moaned into his mouth, the need filling me to the brim. I almost moved enough to allow him to plunge inside of me, but we were always safe with sex. At least for now. Once we were married and needed to produce an heir for the kingdom, all bets were off. I couldn’t wait for that day.
“Do you have something?” I asked.
“Don’t you want to take it slow?” he asked, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear. His touch made me shiver with pleasure.
“Hell, no,” I said and kissed him again. I flicked my tongue over his, and his body stiffened.
He held on to me, still kissing me as he strode across the room. He didn’t even struggle with effort as he walked over to his desk drawer and pulled out a condom. I tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he held me tighter. “Not yet.”
A frustrated grunt bubbled out of me.
“Patience,” he said, running a finger down my jawline.
I nipped at his finger and bit the tip.
“Do that again,” he said.
I drew his finger into my mouth and sucked on it. If it were possible, his cock hardened even more against me.
Dragging my teeth over his finger, I sucked harder, and he shoved another finger in my mouth.
Luke’s pupils dilated, and the intense expression on his face made my nipples perk up even more. God, he was sexy. All of the drama from days and months past were gone when I was with him like this. We were just two people in love that turned each other on so much.
“Fuck this,” Luke growled.
I laughed. “Whatever happened to taking it slow?”
“I changed my mind.”
“You’re not getting an argument from me.”
His arms loosened around me, and I dropped to the floor. I fell against him, one of his arms still coiled around my waist. He ripped the foil open with his teeth—which was sexy as hell—and rolled it on himself before lifting me up again.
I was so wet that he slid right into me. Since we were so close, his cock filled me to the brim in seconds. Tightening my legs around his waist, I clenched around every inch of him. He stumbled over to the bed until my back slammed against the post.
“You okay?” he breathed into my mouth.
“Yes,” I said. “Don’t stop.”
Crushing my mouth with his, he complied with my wishes. He thrust into me, each movement caressing my lower lips.
My head fell back, and Luke’s lips landed on my neck again.
His hot breath puffed against my skin, and my heavy breathing matched his. Electricity coursed throughout my body, and even though the bedpost dug into my back, I didn’t want to move from that spot. We fit together so perfectly. I knew when we finally came together, it would be an epic event. One that I could barely wait for.
Luke thrust so hard into me that I couldn’t help but cry out when the wooden post heaved against me.
“We’re going to break this thing,” I said.
Luke glanced up as if debating on whether or not he cared.
Shifting slightly, he lowered me to the bed. While I loved how he felt so close to me, my back thanked him for the reprieve.
He scooted me to the edge of the bed and lifted my legs up, holding them out on either side of him. If it were possible, he pushed even farther into me.
I cried out as he went to the limit, stretching me until I couldn’t take it anymore.
His eyes were heavy and lidded, his mouth slightly open as he slowly moved in and out of me. He came out until it was just his tip inside of me, and then he thrust his cock into me over and over again.
“Sophia, you’re so fucking soft,” he said.
His eyes rolled back before he closed them.
“Come here,” I said, reaching for him.
Curling my legs around him, his chest met mine as I pulled him close. He was hot and sweaty, but he never looked more attractive to me.
He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me. My toes curled with pleasure as he moved slowly in and out of me. If it were possible, I got wetter by the second. He kept the movement steady enough that it still felt good, but my orgasm was nowhere in sight.
I bucked against him until I reached the sweet spot, and I remained there, taking matters into my own hands.
“You can’t wait, can you?” he asked, nipping at my lower lip.
“Nope,” I said.
“Maybe I can help you with that,” he said with a grin.
He stood up again and pulled me to the edge of the bed. My butt hung off the side, but his cock pressed hard against my clit.
He started to move slowly at first and then quicker and quicker until that nonexistent orgasm built up quicker than I imagined it could.
Fisting the fabric underneath me, I arched my back, wanting to feel every second of his touch.
“Oh, god!” I cried out.
“Fucking come for me, Sophia,” Luke growled.
I grabbed on to his arms, pulling him closer to me. My legs nearly reached the bed as Luke spread me wide open for him. I barely registered the pain as the pleasure center within me rose higher and higher.
Before I knew it, I came. My body tremored as he thrust inside of me, fulfilling his own pleasure.
I tried to be present, but my head swam with lightness, and I wanted nothing more than to feel Luke next to me again.
He came soon after and then collapsed onto the bed.
Curling against him, I grabbed his arm and pulled him close to me. Even though he wasn’t inside of me, the gesture was just as intimate.
“How is it that every time we’re together, it gets better and better?” Luke asked.
“Because we’re in love,” I said, twining my fingers with his. I pulled his hand up to kiss
it. My lips moved over his knuckles as the memory of those fingers inside of my mouth lingered on the edge of my mind.
He pulled his arms around me and pressed me against him. “I’ve never been so in love in my entire life. Just know that I will never leave you, Sophia.”
Turning my head to face him, I noticed something flicker in his eyes. “Is there something wrong, Luke?”
“I’ve been thinking about something, and I wanted to ask what you thought.”
Here it was. What I’d been waiting for him to tell me. “Okay.”
“What would you think about us getting married this weekend?”
“This weekend?” I hadn’t expected that. Was this the big decision that he wanted to make when he returned to the palace? It didn’t make much sense. He could have told me that at any time. I wondered if he knew about me going wedding dress shopping. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” he said.
I turned to face him and took his hands in mine. “Luke, I love you, and I don’t plan on going anywhere. But just make sure you’re doing this for us. I can wait as long as you want.”
He swallowed and nodded his head. Then a yawn overtook his face.
Smirking, I kissed his cheek. “We should get some sleep.”
“Yeah,” he said.
Slowly, we crawled up to the top of the bed and snuggled under the covers. Tonight, I was the big spoon. Luke still had something weighing on his mind, and it had nothing to do with the wedding. I sensed he was trying to distract me from some other big decision that he needed to make.
I stroked his back until his breathing became heavier and he lightly snored, indicating that he was fast asleep. If there was anyone in the world that Luke didn’t need to worry about, it was me. And I intended to show him that until death do us part.
13
Luke
The afterglow from the activities of last night made Sophia’s face shine brighter than ever. Every time I was intimate with her, my fondness for her grew. Would there ever be a cap on that, or would I love her so much that I would always feel the urge to burst with love at every moment?
It wasn’t a terrible feeling, and I welcomed it as it pushed down the dark swirls of fear for what our future held within the kingdom.
The question from last night lingered in my mind. She seemed ready and willing to get married as soon as possible, but I did notice hesitation in her eyes. Did she want the big fancy wedding? I had enough money to make that happen, but she didn’t have much family around. So, why did she brush it off? Maybe she was hurt that I hadn’t predicted what she wanted. I supposed I’d have to have the conversation again with her, but I had to do one thing first.
Sophia stood next to the intricate coffee machine down in the kitchen while one of the servants pushed buttons across the facade of the machine. Normally, I would have taken my coffee on one of the balconies, but Sophia insisted on getting it herself.
In the short time that Sophia had been living in the palace, there had been a lot of changes, especially when it came to her attitude about the servants. While I knew there was a point where I would have to rein her in, there was no harm in her navigating her own way around this new culture. It wasn’t in me to stifle her curiosity. Besides, I knew she would work harder to do what she wanted if I tried to stop her.
“Okay, I think I have this,” Sophia said to the servant. “I’m going to make Luke one.”
I leaned against the counter. “If it’s anything like the coffee at your apartment, no thanks.”
Sophia tossed a coffee bean at me, and it bounced off my chin. Sophia covered her face with her hands and laughed. The servant looked mortified, which only made the situation funnier.
“Okay, serious now,” Sophia said, clapping her hands together. “I press this button, right?”
The servant glanced at me a few times while helping Sophia. She was older, and surely Father and Mother never did this. Sophia was different for all of us. But I’d learned to embrace change when I could, especially where Sophia was involved. It was good for everyone, even Mother.
When the coffee started to pour from the machine, Sophia pumped her arms into the air. “I did it!”
She hopped over to me and jumped into my arms. I held her close to me and stared into her gorgeous eyes.
“I have no idea why I’m so excited,” she said, giggling. “I seriously need a life.”
“You’re adjusting to your new one,” I said before kissing her.
“And it’s going to be a great one,” Sophia said.
After the first cup finished brewing, Sophia set up the next one on her own. The servants cleared out of the kitchen, probably to give us some privacy. If we needed help, they weren’t too far away to call. Not that Sophia needed help. She was an intelligent woman. I couldn’t imagine doing this with any other woman that Mother would see fit as a queen. Sophia’s playfulness would keep things new and exciting for us and shake up things in the kingdom. While she wasn’t doing it on purpose, it was just her personality; I appreciated her being herself.
“All right,” she said, holding out my cup of coffee. “Taste it.”
I clinked mugs with her, and we sipped from our mugs.
Sophia blinked a few times with surprise. “That is the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had.”
“I’d say the same,” I said, moving closer to her. “I think you’ve found your new calling.”
“Barista?” she asked.
“But only for me, and I’d prefer coffee in bed next time.”
“That won’t be a problem,” she said. “I’m an early riser, and I live to please.”
Slipping my arm around her, I pulled her to me. “Just as long as you only please me.”
Someone cleared their throat, and Sophia and I jumped apart to see Mother standing on the other side of the room.
“Good morning, Mother,” I said.
Mother nodded in our direction. “Good morning, Luke, Sophia.” Her hands were clasped in front of her as if she were holding on to something very tightly. Possibly her dignity. Since she acknowledged both Sophia and me, I knew whatever she was about to say was going to be hard for her.
“Hello,” Sophia said, moving closer to me.
I placed a steadying hand on her hips.
“Luke,” Mother said, lifting her chin. “I’d like it if you made yourself scarce today. I would like to spend some time with Sophia on my own.”
Sophia stiffened, but when she tilted her head to glance up at me, I saw a smile on her face. It didn’t look forced. Even though Mother had treated her like garbage since they met, it appeared as if Sophia would finally get what she wanted—a chance to prove herself to my mother. I wasn’t going to stand in the way of that.
“I can do that,” I said, putting down my mug.
Sophia looked down at her clothes. We’d showered earlier but only dressed casually, thinking we were headed back up there after dinner. She looked great, and appropriate for the day since they were staying on the palace grounds. I squeezed her hand, conveying my approval, and she took a breath before chugging the rest of her coffee.
I kissed her cheek and met Mother across the room, doing the same. “Have fun today.”
Looking back one last time, I wanted to give Sophia the “out” she needed. I would make some excuse to take her away if I needed to.
Instead of a scared looking woman, Sophia appeared just as confident as Mother.
There was no reason to worry about either of them. I had faith that Sophia could handle herself—hell, she had with me. As long as Mother tried, they would be fine. I hoped Sophia surprised Mother just as much as she’d surprised me through every step of our relationship.
Leaving the room, it was strange to be on my own and not worry about Sophia. Sure, I thought of her. I wanted to be a fly on the wall during the conversation between the two of them, but one thing I had to do was allow her to make her own life in Qatar. The more space I gave her, the better off we would be when we
finally came together at some point in the day. She couldn’t cling to me the rest of her life here, and I doubted she wanted to. Eventually, Mother could turn into a confidant for her as Sophia would be her successor.
The thought made me shiver. We were that much closer to solidifying our relationship within the kingdom. I could see our future right around the corner, where everyone would be happy. Abir could be with Alda and stay out of the spotlight as king, and I could hold that position while standing next to the woman of my dreams.
I headed back to my chambers. It was a strange thing not to have any specific plans that day. I had cleared much of my schedule for the trip to England—mostly wanting to keep the council at bay when it came to a decision about Sophia and me. They carried on with their duties while I set my plans in stone to convince them that I was the best choice for king and whomever I chose to spend the rest of my life with was no business of theirs.
Inside my chambers, the bed was already made up and the surfaces polished. Sophia’s phone and mine sat side by side on my desk, the servants having moved them there so they wouldn’t get lost. Sophia didn’t need her phone, but I wondered if I should give it to her anyway.
Though interrupting Sophia and Mother might break up whatever connection they were forming at that very moment.
Picking up my phone, I checked my email. There were a few from Maddox with the quarterly projections attached. Even though Maddox and I hadn’t spoken much in the time I was king, he did keep me informed with updates on the business. After the most recent trip, I vowed to myself to make more of an effort to keep our friendship going outside of the business, as we had when I lived there.
