by Sue Lyndon
Akeen’s lips left her neck. He released her wrists, sat back, and eyed her with a dark, animalistic look that spoke of all the dirty things he wanted to do to her. She shuddered with desire and instinctively parted her thighs, as he wasn’t putting his full weight on her. His nostrils flared and he didn’t break her gaze as he started unfastening his tie. He tossed it to the floor and shrugged off his suit jacket. Next, he unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it from his waistband, but didn’t remove it entirely.
Holy Batman muscles. Her stare dropped to his chiseled, tattooed covered chest. She had no trouble believing he’d thwarted an attempt on the king’s life. Power exuded from Akeen when he was fully dressed, but when partially unclothed, he was truly a force of nature. An inked Greek god among men.
“Like something you see, Cora?”
Heat seared her cheeks and her eyes danced around the room for a long moment, glancing everywhere but at him, before finally returning to his gaze. Her lust-addled brain couldn’t come up with a fitting retort, so she settled on shooting him a dirty look—which, of course, only earned her another one of his cocky smirks.
A thought struck her, making her flush hotter—a man that self-assured probably had a sizeable cock. She gulped past the dryness in her throat and tried to think of something else, anything else, but her eyes nevertheless lowered to his impressive bulge.
Well, hello there.
It appeared he might bust out of his trousers at any second, the material was seriously straining over his increasing hardness.
“Again, like something you see?”
Damn his smug face. Since she didn’t have a witty comeback, she decided on shocking him into silence. Batting her eyelashes, she gave him a seductive look and pushed the thin straps of her gown over her shoulders.
With another flutter of her lashes, she pushed the top of her dress down to reveal the fullness of her breasts. The stiff bodice of the gown pushed her tits up, making them appear larger.
As controlled as Akeen was, the expression of shock only played across his face for a split second before he once again took on the appearance of a serious, confident man who was about to get what he wanted—her.
“You’re being quite the little flirt.” He rose from the bed and grasped the skirts of her gown. “Lift your hips and let me pull this the rest of the way off.”
Her heart skittered with a quick surge of nerves, but Cora obeyed, lifting her hips while he pulled the fabric down. That is, until the tight bodice became stuck around her hips. She flushed and felt like an idiot. The damn dress had ties in the back, and Malia had sent a servant to assist Cora in lacing it up. She wiggled again but to no avail.
Akeen’s lips quirked with humor, but she didn’t think he was laughing at her.
She sighed deeply, rolled onto her stomach, and peered over her shoulder at him. “I assume you’re familiar with these kinds of fastenings? Seems all the Ismallian formalwear for women have these bodices that tie in the back. You rarely see dresses like this in America. Most of the time, it’s zippers or carefully hidden buttons,” she rambled.
With deft movements, Akeen had the bodice loosened in moments. She tried to turn back over, but he stilled her movements and began pulling the dress off her. Heat rushed to her face again, knowing the first thing he would see was her bare ass. All her panties had been packed in the missing suitcase, and rather than go out and buy new ones, she had decided to just go commando for a few days.
“Naughty, naughty Cora,” Akeen said in a faux scolding tone. “Do you know what happens to young ladies who don’t wear panties in Ismallia?”
She tried to turn over, but he crawled partway atop her legs, forcing her to remain in place. He cupped her right ass cheek and squeezed, then gave the same treatment to the left one.
“What happens?” she asked with a laugh. “Do they get taken away and locked in the dungeon?”
He shifted forward and leaned down, hovering over her body while still cupping her ass. His lips grazed her ear. “They get spanked, and then they get fucked long and hard by the bastard prince.” He lifted his hand and brought it down with a light smack, and she giggled and squirmed while he gave her bottom about a dozen more spanks, each only hard enough to sting.
The slight pain wrought from his descending palm coalesced with her growing arousal, making her core throb more urgently by the second.
She was so, so wet, and aching to be claimed by Akeen.
Finally, he allowed her to turn over. Flushed and breathless, with her golden locks spread haphazardly around her head, Cora looked like a goddess. She scooted to the side and rolled slightly to rub her bottom, shooting him a playful glare.
His cock swelled harder, and he was suddenly sweltering in the confines of his clothing. He stood long enough to remove every last bit of his princely attire, from his shoes to his dress shirt, tossing them across the room.
The whole time he undressed, he kept his gaze trained on Cora, taking in every inch of her luscious, naked curves.
Her breasts were perfect, large and tipped with dark pink nipples that reminded him of the raspberries that grew on the palace grounds.
His blood heated at the sight of her bare pussy. Ismallian women didn’t usually wax or seek laser removal treatments on their nether areas, but he’d heard American women often had nothing but smoothness between their thighs. He licked his lips, longing to taste her.
“You are so beautiful, Cora,” he said, straddling her. He leaned down to capture her lips in another quick kiss. “So beautiful, and all mine.”
He ran his hands all over her body, worshipping every curve and all of her softness. Aside from a light smattering of freckles on her shoulders, her skin was a creamy white and much lighter in contrast to his own.
A surge of protectiveness for her swept through him when he imagined her returning to America in a few days. The thought of her traveling thousands of miles away from him, by herself, was maddening. He wanted to keep her right here, in his bed, all to himself and safe from any harm that might visit her. Not to mention, far away from the eyes of other men. A woman as gorgeous and intelligent as Cora wouldn’t remain single for long, and a murderous rage filled him at the idea of another man looking at her, let alone touching her.
Mine mine mine repeated inside his head.
Grabbing a condom from the bedside table drawer, he tore the packet open and sheathed himself in preparation for what was to come. He wedged his cock between her thighs, but he didn’t impale her immediately. Instead, he dragged the tip of his engorged length up and down her soaking wet slit, reveling in her welcoming warmth and keening moans. She parted her legs and lifted her hips, inviting him to enter her, but he wasn’t finished enjoying her in other ways yet.
Before he fucked her, he planned to taste her.
Staring into her eyes, he said, “I’m going to lick your sweet little pussy now, Cora, and you’re going to be a good girl and keep your legs spread while I do it.”
She blushed but didn’t protest, her lips parting as a tiny gasp left her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, drawing his attention to her breasts. He kneaded those full mounds for a moment, gave each dark pink berry a quick squeeze, and lowered his mouth to her center, where the enticing scent of her feminine arousal beckoned.
“Spread wider,” he commanded.
With a nod, she acquiesced, inching her legs further apart. Her face was still flushed an adorable shade of pink.
Her sex was swollen and glistening, and he swiped two fingers up and down her slit, drawing her moisture out and over her plump nether lips. A shudder ran through her entire body and she clutched at the covers. The cutest little whimpers escaped her throat.
Her clit peeked out from her womanly folds, and he splayed her apart to better expose it. Then he lowered his mouth to lap at her exquisite nectar.
Christ Almighty. She tasted divine.
He moved his fingers to her core and pushed inside. At the same time, he traced his tongue lightly aro
und her swollen nubbin, delighting in her tiny quivers and needy moans.
He pumped his digits in and out of her tightness, driving deep and increasing his speed with each thrust. Swirling his tongue directly over her clit, he created a steady circular motion that made her cry out and writhe beneath him.
Withdrawing his tongue for a moment, he said, “Come for me, Cora. Fucking come now.”
He resumed licking her clit and drove harder and faster into her center, until the sounds of wet thrusts filled the room. She tossed her head from side to side and clutched the covers tighter.
“Akeen, I—Oh God, Akeen!” She came apart, moaning loudly as she gyrated against his mouth. The walls of her pussy tightened around his thrusting fingers, her orgasm taking her under until, at last, she remained still and panting in the aftermath of her pleasure.
“Good girl,” he said, slowly removing his digits from her center. He sat back and stared at her, smiling when she met his eyes with a look of immense satisfaction. Watching her come—making her come—had been gratifying for him as well. But hearing her cry his name in the throes of her release, that had made his cock ache all the more.
He’d tasted her. He’d made her come.
Now it was time to fuck her.
He positioned his thick length at her wet opening and met her dreamy stare. She lifted her center, seeking his entry, only to gasp and scramble under the covers when a knock sounded on the door, followed by raised voices and heavy footsteps.
Anger flared in Akeen. Who dared enter his quarters without permission? The door had been locked, and only a select few had access to the keys to the royals’ rooms.
He spun to face two men looming in his bedroom doorway.
Chapter 4
Cora peeked out at the strange men, wondering what the hell was happening. She was also embarrassed to be caught in the act. The men were well-dressed, wearing dark uniforms with unfamiliar golden crests over their hearts. The crests didn’t look the same as those worn by full blood princes though, and she soon realized they were members of the Royal Guard.
“Forgive us for interrupting, Royal Advisor Akeen, but we’ve just received important intelligence from the Americans.”
An annoyed looking Akeen quickly pulled the condom off, stepped out of bed, and put his pants on, followed by his shirt. “Critical level?” he asked, eyeing the men.
“Yes, sir. It’s extremely urgent, otherwise we wouldn’t have let ourselves in,” the tallest of the men said, gazing at Cora. “Apologies, miss.”
Akeen finished donning his suit, minus the tie, and walked to Cora. He reached for her hand and squeezed. He bent to speak in her ear. “Stay here until my return. Make yourself at home. If you need anything, ring for a servant.”
“I don’t know, Akeen. Perhaps I should return to my room. Perhaps…”
“You will stay here and that’s final.”
The absolute authority in his tone made her pussy clench, but then she felt guilty because he had important business to which he needed to attend.
What if something terrible had happened or was about to happen?
It was well-known that foreign enemies often conspired against King Brenul, as his older brother, the supposed rightful heir to the kingdom, was exiled in Russia and often made claims at the throne. But the older brother had been run out of Ismallia for ordering a rogue group of soldiers to execute all the men in a small village near the sea, for reasons that, to this day, hadn’t been entirely explained.
The officers who’d entered Akeen’s quarters wore grave expressions, and a chill ran down her spine as she worried about the intelligence they’d received from the Americans.
“Promise you will stay here, Cora.”
“I promise,” she breathed.
He nodded in approval, grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her forehead, then swiftly departed the room, trailed by the two men. She heard their footsteps fading, and then the door of Akeen’s quarters slammed shut.
She wished she had her phone so she could check the news quickly, in case any information had broken publicly, but she’d left her purse and phone in her room. For a moment, she considered dressing fast and running across the palace to fetch her things, but she supposed Akeen wouldn’t be too happy if he returned to find her missing from his quarters. For a reason she couldn’t fathom, she wanted to please him, and she wanted him to like her.
She rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh.
So much for keeping this experience to one night only.
Most of the men she’d dated over the years typically seemed intimidated by her, and often became angry when she made a sarcastic remark or didn’t take them as seriously as they took themselves. Like Greg. She’d had to censor herself around him all too often and hadn’t realized it until after their breakup.
But Akeen felt like her match in every way.
He hadn’t backed away and gone searching for an easier to handle, more obedient woman after she’d deliberately given him a difficult time and initially turned him down. His sense of humor certainly meshed with hers. Even though he came across as cocky, she couldn’t deny that the bold determination with which he’d pursued her had made her feel all warm and tingly inside.
Despite her worry over the danger he was helping to combat, her pussy still ached with the longing to be filled up. He’d been a moment away from slamming his huge cock into her before they’d been interrupted. She rubbed her bottom in an attempt to reinvigorate the sting of the quick, playful spanking he’d given her, but the sting was already gone.
Heat gathered in her core at the memory of being held down while he swatted her ass. If he planned to spank her like that every time he caught her going commando, she might never wear panties again.
She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was one in the morning. The exhaustion of being jetlagged and staying up late combined to make her curl up in the bed and snuggle on the pillow. She pulled the covers up further and decided she would close her eyes, but only for a little while. She wanted to be awake when Akeen returned, and she hoped he came back soon.
Hopefully, an hour or two of sleep would allow her to reconsider the situation.
Would it really be awful to see Akeen again or spend more than one night together? Would it absolutely lead to heartache if she kept in touch with him after she flew home?
These questions and more swirled in her head as she succumbed to sleep.
“Cora. Cora Meyers.”
A deep voice entered her dreams, and she turned on her pillow, floating in that warm but uncertain place between sleep and wakefulness. As she started to drift off again, back to her dream of swimming in the ocean with Akeen, the voice penetrated her blissful reverie once more.
“Cora Meyers, you are under arrest.”
Blinking, she shifted and sat up against the pillows. Akeen was here, but so were a dozen other men, dressed in the same uniforms as the two men who’d interrupted them earlier. Why were so many members of the Royal Guard here in this room and looking right at her? All of them wore firm, no-nonsense expressions that sent a shudder through her body.
Had she been dreaming, or had Akeen really said she was under arrest? He looked furious, and when her gaze dropped to his hands, she gasped at the sight of the restraints he was holding.
“What’s going on?” she demanded, the haze of sleep finally lifting.
“Cora Meyers of America, you are under arrest for conspiring to assassinate King Brenul of Ismallia. Stand up and put your hands behind your back.” Akeen’s cold tone washed through her, chilling her to the bone.
“There has to be some mistake. I would never do such a thing.”
“Stand up and put your hands behind your back immediately. Don’t make this harder than it already is, Cora.” A flash of hurt in his eyes made her stomach flip.
Did he actually believe she was a threat against his father? It couldn’t be further from the truth. She had come to Ismallia to attend Malia’s wedding and n
othing more. Well, other than sightseeing. How had he come to the conclusion that she was a criminal? What kind of information had the American government, a staunch supporter of King Brenul, provided?
She shook her head and shrunk back, keeping the covers draped over her body. “Please, Akeen. I’m not wearing any clothing.”
His eyes left hers for the first time since she’d awoken, and he inspected her body, realization appearing to dawn in his gaze. “Fetch her a robe!” he called.
Within moments, a black silk robe was tossed on the bed. Blinking back tears, Cora yanked the robe under the covers and donned it, tying it tight in the front, before finally crawling out of bed. “I demand to speak to the American Embassy in Ta-Kona.” The consulate of her home country was stationed only a few miles from the palace, in a tourist trap known as Ta-Kona which she had planned to visit before her return to America.
“You will not be making any demands of us. Now turn around and give me your hands, or I will have no choice but to force you.”
He fucking hated putting handcuffs on Cora. At least, for this reason. A cloud of disbelief hung heavily upon him. He couldn’t believe she had conspired to take the king’s life. He wondered if it was chance that he’d noticed her at the wedding reception, or if she had intentionally tried to catch his eye by walking across the ballroom and standing on the most secluded balcony, as if inviting him to follow. It wouldn’t be the first time a woman had used him.
No, that was just chance, he told himself. He’d been looking for a woman to spend the evening with when he’d first spotted her. Nevertheless, he almost wished he hadn’t met her and gotten to know her before he arrested her. If she were a stranger, this would be so much easier.
‘Royal Advisor’ was Akeen’s official title, and he did give advice to his father now and then. But most of the time, he tended to ‘unofficial’ duties with the Royal Guard.