Romancing Rayne

by Riley Edwards

  I stepped into the room and willed my legs not to buckle. I noted Meghan was sitting vigil by Rayne’s bedside and would have to thank her later. All I wanted to do was pull my wife into my arms and breathe her in.

  Meghan stood and smiled, and with a nod of acknowledgment she moved to leave. I kicked my shoes off and climbed into bed next to Rayne. The door shut, and I scooted as close to her as I could. Her eyes came open and after a moment, they widened before she tried to sit up.

  “Relax, Princess.”

  “Ghost! You’re here. I’m sorry. I’m so, so—”

  “Shhh. Everything’s fine now.” I swallowed the lump in my throat before I continued. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too. I was so worried.” She began to cry.

  “So was I.” I gathered her in my arms and let her sob. Her body shook within my embrace, and I’d never been so thankful to hold her. Relief washed over me and the adrenaline crash hit me like a ton of bricks. I was bone tired and all I wanted now was to sleep for a week with Rayne safely tucked next to me.

  15

  Rayne

  I was startled awake when the bed dipped, and I was rolled to my side. I opened my eyes to find Ghost staring at me.

  “Morning, Princess.”

  “Morning.”

  The smell of bacon drifted around the room, and my stomach came alive.

  “Hungry?” Ghost chuckled when my tummy grumbled.

  “Yes. Starving.”

  “Good. Spike sent up a full spread.”

  The prince. Meghan. The palace. How could I have forgotten?

  “Ghost!”

  “Right here, Princess.”

  I couldn’t stop the matching smile that formed upon seeing Ghost so happy. The relief I felt was profound. All was well as long as he was by my side.

  “I’m so sorry about yesterday. I can’t believe I was so stupid and left the store.”

  “None of it was your fault. It was mine. I never should’ve let you out of my sight. I’m the one who’s sorry.”

  “But I knew better than to leave.”

  “Let’s talk about this over breakfast, and you’re eating a big meal this morning. Doctor’s orders. Spike and Meghan are here; would you mind if they joined us? He thought you’d feel more comfortable eating up here.”

  “They’re still here? Yes. Of course.”

  “You go clean up, and I’ll let them know we’re ready.”

  “Are you saying I look a mess?” I was sure I did, but I couldn’t help teasing Ghost.

  “A beautiful mess. Please hurry, I really want you to eat something. You only had one pastry yesterday. You and the baby need food.”

  “Speaking of, I have a surprise for you.”

  “You want to have palace sex?”

  “No.” I playfully shoved his chest. But now that he’d mentioned it, palace sex did sound fun. But Ghost was right. I needed to eat, and we needed to talk. As happy as I was to be in his arms, I still had an uneasy feeling. I was afraid once he heard about my series of dumb decisions he’d be pissed.

  “What’s wrong?” He cradled my face and brushed his thumb across my cheek. “Why do you look so upset?”

  “I’m afraid you’re going to be mad at me.”

  “Princess, all I care about is that you’re safe and sound and in my arms. I was scared shitless yesterday, worst six hours and forty-three minutes of my life. I had no idea where you were, if you were hurt, hungry, scared. Fuck, I let you down. All I kept thinking about was how it was my fault you were out in the city alone, not even a week into our marriage and I’d already broken my promise to you.”

  “You didn’t let me down. You found me.”

  “I didn’t find you, Meghan did. I was getting close but—” My stomach growled loudly, and Ghost stopped mid-sentence. “Up you go. We’ll talk about the rest over breakfast.”

  “So bossy.”

  I got out of bed and when my bare feet hit the plush carpet, I understood the meaning of luxury. It felt like I was walking on pillow soft clouds. The en suite was a tad overdone for my taste: gold trimmed the ceiling and bathroom fixtures, more centuries-old artwork hung on the walls, and marble floors, which were surprisingly warm. The only part of the room I did like was the huge, claw-foot tub. I could picture Ghost and me relaxing in a warm bath with candle light dancing on all the shiny surfaces.

  Finding a note from Meghan with my name on it sitting on top of a bag of toiletries, I gratefully tore open the toothbrush and quickly brushed my teeth and combed my hair, pulling it into a ponytail. By the time I was done, Meghan and Harry were already seated on the love seat, and an impressive spread of breakfast dishes was displayed on a white-linen-covered table.

  “Good morning, Rayne.” The prince stood and greeted me. “Glad you have some color back this morning.”

  “Good morning, sir. Thank you again for all your help yesterday and for allowing me to stay the night.”

  “No trouble.”

  “Ma’am.” I turned to Meghan and smiled when she rolled her eyes. I wondered what Mary and the other girls would think of her. I had to suppress a laugh when I thought about what Meghan would think of Mary. She was an acquired taste; her larger than life and straight-forward personality were a lot to take in. But once she let you in and allowed you to see the real her, there was no one more loyal or protective. You couldn’t find a better friend than Mary Laughlin.

  Ghost waited for me to sit in a high-backed wing chair before he took his own seat.

  “You must be starving after your great adventure yesterday. Help yourself,” Meghan offered, pointing to all the yummy food.

  I didn’t want to be rude, but I was hungry. I piled my plate with eggs and bacon, wondering if I could fit a Danish on the fine china without looking like an uncivilized pig. Deciding I didn’t care, I grabbed one and sat back to dig in.

  Light conversation carried on around me, but I was too focused on my food to pay attention. The mention of Oliver’s name drew me away from the cheese-filled pastry, and my ears perked up. I didn’t remember seeing Oliver yesterday.

  “Oliver was with you?” I asked Ghost.

  “Yes. Once Tex found you getting in a taxi on the CCTV, I called Oliver.”

  “Tex? You called Tex?”

  “Yes, he sends his congratulations and he’s sending me a tracking device. You’re to wear it at all times. You’ll have three choices, a watch, a pair of earrings, and a necklace. But anytime you leave the house you need to wear one of them.”

  Maybe I should’ve balked at the directive; he was telling me I was going to wear a tracking device. Not a moment’s consideration was given to if I minded, effectively, being low-jacked. However, oddly, I felt cherished. A beautiful warmth washed over me knowing what lengths Ghost would go to to keep me safe.

  “Okay.”

  “Start from the beginning, what happened?” Meghan asked.

  Ghost’s face turned to stone, and I reached across the small distance and placed my hand over his forearm and squeezed. His face relaxed a fraction, then he began recounting our day at the Tower of London.

  He stopped, and on a sharp inhale he continued, “There was this little girl, she, literally, ran right into me. She was lost, and the bit— excuse me, the woman behind the counter wouldn’t call for a security officer to come to the store, instead she told me to take her to their office next door. That was my mistake. I left the gift shop, leaving Rayne unprotected.”

  “Was she okay? Did you find her parents?” I gasped. “The poor thing must’ve been terrified. Someone could’ve taken her.”

  “Yes. Her parents were already in the security office reporting her missing.”

  “Thank God, she ran into you and not some sleaze-ball pedophile. I bet her parents were grateful. My husband, the superhero swooping in to save lost little girls.” I smiled, proud that he’d helped reunite the family.

  I know how freaked out Emily gets when Annie takes off on her tank cruising around the p
roperty on an imaginary combat mission and she loses sight of her. And they have more cameras surrounding their house than the Pentagon. Emily would lose her shit if Annie got lost at some place like the Tower of London.

  “You know what I was thinking when the girl spilled her drink on me? I was annoyed. And when she couldn’t find her parents I was pissed, wondering what kind of idiots lose their child.” Shame marred his handsome face, and he shook his head. “I’m such an asshole. I was going to lambast the parents for inconveniencing me and explain all the things that could’ve happened to their child in their absence. But when the mother turned around and fell to her knees in relief, I realized she already knew and was terrified. Then when I went back to the shop and you were gone—I’d lost you, the most precious and important thing in my life—I understood.”

  “What did you understand?”

  “The fear of not knowing. The terror.”

  “I’m sorry I left the shop. I thought maybe you’d gone outside to get away from the crowd. I knew better but . . . I was stupid.”

  “Where did you go?”

  I explained walking around looking for him, leaving the fortress, going to the Starbucks to try find a phone to call him, getting in the cab, and finally wandering around the neighborhood.

  “And when the town car pulled over, I thought I was about to get abducted.” I laughed.

  Ghost found nothing funny about my imagined-kidnapping. Neither did Meghan.

  “Oh my God! I’m so sorry.” She covered her mouth with both hands. “I just wanted to say hi.”

  “Are you kidding? I’d been walking around for hours and was so turned around I was going in circles. It was a miracle you showed up when you did.”

  I hated to think how many more hours I would’ve been walking around if Meghan hadn’t found me when she did.

  “I heard you bloodied up the cabbie well and good,” Harry announced and smiled.

  “What?”

  Ghost

  Damn.

  I really wished Spike hadn’t told Rayne there’d been a fight. She was well versed when it came to my job, but I still didn’t like her hearing about the violence.

  “He’ll be fine.”

  “Sure, after his nose is reset and some dental surgery.” He continued to laugh.

  “Are you okay?” Rayne turned to me, her soft hand on my bare skin calming my rioting nerves. I just wanted to forget yesterday happened. The more I thought about what could’ve happened to her, the higher my blood pressure spiked. I could’ve lost her forever. The what-ifs were unbearable. What if the taxi driver had tried to touch her instead of just wanting to jack up the meter and rip her off? What if Meghan hadn’t found her when she did and Rayne was left passed out on the sidewalk? Fuck. The possibilities were endless.

  Rayne’s hand tightened on my arm, and I fought the images, coming back to the present.

  “Yes, Princess. I’m fine.” Wanting to change the subject I added, “I thought you had a surprise for me?”

  “Oh, yeah!” Her beautiful face came alive, and joy took over her whole being. That was what I liked to see. My wife smiling and happy. There was no place for worry and concern in her life, not when it came to me. “Yesterday when the doctor came to see me, he checked the baby’s heartbeat. Since you weren’t here, and I didn’t have my phone, Her Royal Highness was nice enough to record it for us.”

  “Yes. Yes. Yes. I have it. Here.” Meghan pulled her phone out of her handbag. Sliding her finger across the screen she brought up an app before handing it to me. “Just press play.”

  A rustling sound filled the room, then a steady swooshing beat.

  Holy shit. I was going to be a dad. The audible confirmation made it more real. There was a baby growing inside of Rayne. My baby. Our baby. We’d created a life. She and I blended together to make one tiny, perfect human.

  “That’s it? That’s his heartbeat?” I choked out, willing myself to keep my emotions in check.

  “His or hers, yes.”

  “Everything’s okay. The baby’s healthy?”

  “The baby is perfect. One hundred and sixty beats per minute. Exactly what it’s supposed to be.”

  “Will you send the recording to me?” I asked Meghan, forcing myself to hand her back the device that held my child’s first sign of life.

  “Already done. Harry did it last night.” She beamed. “We were hoping you’d be too busy with Rayne to check your email and ruin her surprise.”

  Rayne’s cheeks flushed at Meghan’s innuendo.

  “Did you get enough to eat?” I asked. Not wanting to be rude to our hosts but eager to get Rayne alone.

  “Yes. I’m stuffed.” Rayne placed her plate on the table and sat back in the chair, placing both hands on her stomach. “Everything was delicious.”

  “I had some clothes brought in for you,” Meghan started. “Nothing fancy, but I figured you’d like to change before heading out.”

  “Oh my God, yes. That was really nice of you.”

  Meghan and Rayne both stood and walked to the bed to inspect the shopping bags, giving me a moment alone with Spike.

  “I can’t ever repay you for—”

  “I already told you there’s nothing to repay. Get yourselves cleaned up. Meghan and I have our own surprise for Rayne.”

  “Anything you say, Your Royal Highness,” I joked.

  “Aren’t you a cheeky bastard this morning? Go fetch your wife and meet us outside when you’re done.” He stood and offered his hand, which I gladly accepted. “And don’t take too long.” He winked.

  I hated to disappoint, but I had a feeling we’d be late for whatever surprise Spike had arranged. There was a very large shower calling my name, and I planned on using it for however long it took for Rayne to be thoroughly satisfied.

  16

  Ghost

  “Ghost. I can’t,” Rayne panted.

  “Yes, you can. Again, Princess. Come on my cock one more time.”

  I had Rayne bent over in the shower and was debating remodeling our bathroom when we got home. The large space allowed me take her at the perfect angle. Her hands braced on the wall, legs spread, and her back beautifully arched. Her tattoo was on display, but that wasn’t what held my attention today. I watched as my cock tunneled in and out of her pussy. Each time I pulled out, it glistened with her excitement. Her first orgasm was fast and explosive, taking the edge off enough for me to work her back up and tease her until we could both fall over the cliff into bliss together.

  “Ghost,” she whined. Reaching my hand around, I found her clit and started to rub in slow, firm circles. “More.”

  Her hips bucked in sync with my thrusts, and her inner muscles started to tighten.

  “That’s it, Rayne. Let go,” I coaxed, needing her to hurry. “I’m almost there,” I grunted and adjusted my pace.

  A tingling had started at the base of my spine, and my balls drew up in preparation for my fast approaching orgasm. Her pussy clamped down around my cock, and her legs shook as her orgasm broke.

  “Holy Christ,” I growled and couldn’t hold back the rush of euphoria. I pulled out of the warmth of her body and jerked my cock, fighting to keep my eyes open to watch as my come marked her firm ass and back. When my orgasm finally stopped, I rubbed the evidence over her tattoo. It was barbaric and probably made me seem like a Neanderthal, but I couldn’t give the first fuck. I needed the reminder she was mine and I was hers. Nothing would ever take her from me.

  I helped Rayne stand and pulled her into my arms.

  “Palace shower sex.” She giggled.

  “I love you so fucking much.”

  I didn’t let her return the sentiment. I needed to taste her pretty lips. Needed to feel her tongue dance with mine. But more than anything I needed the connection, the confirmation our love could and would withstand anything.

  Rayne

  “Are you serious?” I asked, unable to hide my shock and excitement.

  My heart was thundering in my ch
est. There was no way Harry was suggesting what I thought he was.

  “You told me your favorite part of your first trip to London with Ghost was seeing the balcony,” Meghan reminded me. “I remember when I was a kid and visited London, I had my picture taken in front of this very same balcony. So since you’re here and all . . .” She trailed off and gestured to the open French doors leading to the famous stone balcony.

  “We can’t. There are people down there. Won’t you get in trouble?”

  “Trouble?” The prince laughed. “Trouble’s my middle name. Or it was until I met this shining beauty.” Mischief laced his tone, but his eyes told a different story when he gazed adoringly at his wife.

  “Go on. Give the crowd a show,” Meghan urged.

  “Let this be our wedding present to you,” Harry added.

  “Come on, Princess, let’s go see this balcony you like so much.”

  “Like? It’s where royal fairytales are sealed with a kiss. I don’t just like it, I love it. It’s every little girl’s fantasy to meet her Prince Charming and live happily ever after.”

  “I’m no Prince Charming but I do promise you a happily ever after.” Ghost tugged my hand, pulling me through the doorway onto the stone landing. I sucked in a breath at the enormity of my surroundings. He took another step, leading us closer to the railing that overlooked the courtyard below. The large, golden gates of the palace came into view, the Victoria Statue stood tall and proud beyond the confines of the palace. People were milling about, sightseeing and taking pictures. And I could see St. James Park in the distance.

  Ghost took me in his arms and smiled down at me.

  “Is it everything you dreamed it would be?”

  I took in his face—open and happy. Yes, he was everything I’d hoped he would be. My Prince Charming. He didn’t sweep me off my feet while galloping in on a white horse, instead he rescued me wearing all black, swooping in like an avenging hero in a romance novel. Our fairytale didn’t start with a carriage and courtship; it began with a one-night stand and a C-130 military transport plane.