by Penelope Sky
Everything I’d seen of Scotland had been beautiful. Even Fair Isle, out in the middle of the North Sea, was breathtaking. Freezing and windy, it was still a sight to behold. And now I was seeing a structure that was so old I couldn’t comprehend it.
I wasn’t sure how safe I felt with Ariel. If one of the other men tried to take advantage of me, I didn’t think she would do anything to protect me. But she was loyal to Crewe, so I assumed she would do as he asked. But even then, she didn’t carry a gun. Crewe claimed she was the toughest of them all, so maybe she had hidden talents I didn’t know about.
Her attitude was definitely ruthless.
I walked through the courtyard then ventured to the other side, spotting a squirrel in the tree.
“Don’t go too far.” The warning in Ariel’s voice told me not to challenge her.
I watched the squirrel until he disappeared, and then I returned to the clearing. The tulips in the flower bed were different colors: pink, yellow, blue, and every other color you could think of. The climate of Scotland made summer feel like spring. It was a nice change compared to the blistering heat of New York.
But I still missed that humidity.
I wondered if my friends had given up searching for me. I wondered if NYU had pulled my name out for semester and replaced me with someone else. I wondered if the police had given up their search and I was just another cold case. I’d been gone for two and a half months. That was a long time for a person to be missing. Everyone probably thought I was chopped up into tiny pieces in the harbor.
“I found a squirrel,” I explained to her. “I was just watching him.” I didn’t owe her an explanation, but I didn’t want her to think I was trying to slip away. I already did that once before, and I got my ass whooped. The sensation was difficult to understand because I both liked it and hated it. I loved how aroused Crewe was. I loved how he ate me out with a mouth that knew exactly what it was doing. But I hated the marks on my ass the next day. After applying ointment for a week, the marks finally faded away.
“I don’t give a damn what you were doing,” she said harshly. “Don’t cross me.” She looked up from her tablet and gave me a cold stare with her blue eyes. The black frames sitting on her nose made her look more intimidating than she already was. “I shouldn’t be out here on toddler duty.” She pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. “With all the shit I do for that man, I can’t believe he would lower me to such a pitiful task.”
How did Crewe work with this woman all day, every day? She was absolutely horrendous. I’d never seen her crack a smile or make a joke. While Crewe was intense, he had a sense of humor. He smiled at some of the things I said. “In his defense, I said I didn’t trust his men, so he sent you.”
She sighed in pure frustration. “I think you should trust me even less.”
“You don’t look interested in women, so I think I’m okay.”
“There are worse things than being raped,” she said coldly. “I’m sure you know that by now. But then again, you’ve never been raped.”
The relationship I had with Crewe was wrong, but I didn’t necessarily see him as a bad person. When I said I didn’t want to sleep with him, he respected my wishes. Every time we were together, it was mutual. I admit I was here against my will, that I had to obey him even though I didn’t want to, but the sex was something I actually enjoyed. Being trapped here is the part I despised. “You hate me, right?”
“Absolutely.” She turned her gaze back to her tablet. “You’re just a distraction for Crewe. He has more important things to do than keep a pet all day.”
“Well…why don’t you just turn a blind eye and let me go?” She wouldn’t have to deal with me ever again. She wouldn’t have to look at my face or hear my voice. Crewe could go back to working at his full potential. “We both win.”
She looked up again, her eyes piercing through the lenses. “As much as I would love to do that, I’m very loyal to my employer. I’ll tell him to his face that he needs to either kill you or let you go. But I won’t go against his wishes behind his back. I respect that man a great deal.”
“Yet, you treat me like shit,” I pointed out.
She lowered the tablet in her lap, obviously finished with whatever she was doing. “I’ve made my feelings for you very clear. But Crewe defends your honor every time. He can be a gentleman in the most unexpected ways.”
For some reason, that meant a lot to me. Crewe had my back when I wasn’t even in the room. When one of his men grabbed me, he was there to protect me. When Ariel insulted me, he defended me. “He doesn’t make any sense. He has so many soft spots, but he can be so hard at the same time.”
“Crewe is a very complicated man. He’s compassionate because he’s suffered more than most. But he’s unsympathetic to people who don’t take control of their fate the way he did.”
I wanted to know more about Crewe and his past. This was the second time this had come up. “What happened to him?”
“I’m not at liberty to say. If he wants to tell you, he will.”
I was the only one in the dark. “Does Crewe still sleep with his regulars?” Crewe wouldn’t answer my question even though I’d asked him several times, but I still wanted an answer.
She narrowed her eyes, nearly offended. “Why are you asking me that?”
“You know everything about him, right?”
“I try to stay out of his sex life,” she said coldly. “None of my business.”
“But you like to mention me to him.”
Her coldness didn’t thaw. “Are you jealous?” She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her head to the side. “Because you do understand you’re just his plaything, not his lover. If he wants to sleep around, he will. It’s none of your concern.”
“I understand what I am to him. But I deserve all the facts.”
“Then ask him yourself.” She lowered her arms back to her lap.
I would have to. No one was willing to give me any answers around here. I was important enough to keep but not important enough to share information with. It wasn’t like I was asking for banking information. “I’m nervous for this dinner on Saturday. I told him he shouldn’t take me but he wants to anyway.”
She sighed loudly. “I don’t have a clue why he’s taking you either. Sasha is perfect for these sorts of things.”
I hated that name. It was like grinding a rock against my teeth.
“But Crewe always gets what he wants,” she said with another sigh. “I’ll make sure you look your best so you don’t embarrass yourself.”
It didn’t matter how good I looked. I would probably embarrass myself anyway.
Crewe returned to the royal chambers late that evening. I had dinner alone and was ready to go to bed. Since I got to spend the afternoon outside, I was no longer restless.
He walked in the door, smelling like cigars again. He greeted me with a look as he loosened his tie. He headed to the bathroom as more articles of clothing fell onto the floor.
I could tell he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so I didn’t ask him anything. But I picked up his clothes off the floor and placed them on the hanger so one of the maids would take them to be dry cleaned tomorrow. I didn’t know anything about suits, but I knew his clothes must be expensive and well made. I wasn’t sure why I cared at all. The well-being of his clothes shouldn’t matter. He obviously didn’t care about my well-being as a human.
After he showered, he came back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. His chest glistened with the remaining water drops that fell from his hair and down his shoulders. He stopped when he spotted the suit hanging from the back of the door, but he didn’t comment on it.
“You really shouldn’t smoke.” I wasn’t trying to pick a fight with him, but the smell from his clothes bothered me.
“I thought you didn’t care about me.”
“I don’t, but I don’t want you to get lung cancer.”
He grabbed a pair of boxe
rs from his drawer and looked at me, the corner of his mouth raising in a smile. “That’s an interesting contradiction. You don’t care about me, but you want me to live as long as possible. Interesting.”
“I’m just saying that as a friend.”
“So we’re friends?” He pulled on his boxers and walked around the bed until we were face to face. That arrogant smile was still on his lips. Sometimes, when it was just the two of us, he showed me a side of him that he didn’t let anyone else see. He was playful, even funny.
“No. I just…” I didn’t know how to dig myself out of the conversational hole I’d just gotten into.
“We aren’t friends.” He came closer to me, the drops on his skin glistening. “Friends don’t fuck the way we do.” He leaned toward me and kissed the corner of my mouth, his body wash sweeping over me.
I forgot what I was saying and melted at the touch, feeling his lips with my own. He chased away everything when we embraced. I didn’t think about my brother, my imprisonment, or anything else.
He pulled away, our lips sticking together just before they broke apart. “Ariel told me she had a great time today.”
I rolled my eyes. “Liar.”
He chuckled then walked to the table where he kept his scotch. The maid brought a fresh bucket of ice every night so he could drink his booze the way he liked. He poured himself a glass then took a long drink before he returned the glass to the table. “She’s still not your biggest fan.”
“What a coincidence,” I said sarcastically. “I don’t care for her either.”
He poured another glass.
“You drink too much.” One a day is fine, but he must have had twelve glasses a day. Ironically, I’d never seen him drunk. Unless he was drunk all the time, and I’d never known him sober.
He ignored my observation and took another drink. “She said you’re nosy.”
“Nosy?”
“Asking about my past and my women.”
I didn’t like the way he referred to them possessively. It made my spine tense in annoyance. “She brought up your past first. So that doesn’t count.”
“Then why are you asking about the other one?” He drank from his glass again before he finally set it down.
“How can you drink like that?”
“Why do you care?” He licked his lips just to get another taste.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink water.”
“You’ve seen me drink coffee.”
“Is that water?” I couldn’t keep my attitude back. It always leaked out when I spoke to him.
He smiled, amused. “You don’t like it when I smoke. You don’t like it when I drink—”
“I don’t care if you drink. You just drink too much.”
“Whatever,” he said. “And you don’t like it when I sleep with other women. Hmm…that’s very interesting.” He stood in front of me, staring me down with those warm brown eyes. “Sounds like you’re pretty fond of me.”
“I’m not fond of you. If I could leave right now, I would.”
“Really?” he challenged. “I’m not sure if I believe that anymore.”
“Then destroy that detonator, and I’ll prove it.”
He stared me down without saying a word.
“The only reason why I want to know about other women you’re bedding is because I don’t want to catch something disgusting. I was clean before I met you, and I intend to stay that way.” My request wasn’t unfair. I had the right to know about my own health.
“I’m clean, Lovely.”
“But if you’re sleeping around—”
“Like I said before, that’s none of your concern.”
I wanted to scream. “Fine. Then let’s use condoms.”
He laughed like the request was absurd. “No.”
“Does that mean you are sleeping around?” I narrowed my eyes. “All I’m looking for is an answer, not an explanation. I don’t care if you are screwing other women. Just use a condom with them, at least.”
“Bullshit,” he said. “You do care. I can tell just by looking at you.”
I swallowed my anger. “I don’t. But even if I did, what does it matter? It shouldn’t change your answer.”
“And it doesn’t. I don’t talk about my life with anyone. You aren’t special.”
For some reason, that response actually did hurt. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why. He slept with me every night, he fucked me every day, and he was the only person on this side of the world I felt somewhat safe with. When I was with him, nothing worse could happen to me.
I turned around so I wouldn’t have to look at him anymore. It gave me a chance to collect my emotions so they wouldn’t appear on my face. “Since you have this obvious leverage over me, why can’t I go outside on my own? If I run away, you’ll kill Joseph. Obviously, I won’t let that happen, so I’m not going to go anywhere. Whether I’m being supervised or not, I’m still your prisoner.” I turned back around, my arms across my chest. I gave him a stoic expression, hiding the hurt I felt deep inside.
He walked to the bed and pulled down the covers then set his alarm on his phone. “You have a good point.”
“Is that a yes?”
He sat with his back against the headboard, his cock hardening as it rested against his stomach. “I’ll think about it.”
That was the most I was going to get out of him.
“Come here.” His voice turned authoritative, his desire obvious in the heat of his gaze. His cock hardened further, becoming nine inches of steel. “Clothes off. Now.”
Seeing his naked body made my own grow wet. I dropped my shirt and bottoms then straddled his hips. I hadn’t been on top since the night I tried to seduce him. His enormous cock lay underneath me, warm and thick.
His hands went to my hips, and he moved his face between my tits. He sucked each of my nipples into his mouth, biting them slightly before his tongue moved over them in apology. He moved to my neck and kissed me everywhere, his cock throbbing anxiously to be inside me. “I thought you would be anxious for my cock the second I walked through the door.” His hands glided all over my body, touching me everywhere. His lips caressed my soft skin then brushed against my ear.
The moment I was alone, I touched myself and found my release. I knew I wouldn’t be able to last all day waiting for him. My hands dug into his hair as I grinded against him, forgetting about the hurt and the anger I felt toward him. When our bodies collided like this, I didn’t think about anything.
He pulled away and looked at me. “Lovely.” His hands gripped my ass and pulled my cheeks apart. “Did you touch yourself while I was gone?”
The direct question was awkward. No one had ever asked me that before.
“And if you did, did you think about me?”
That question was worse because the answer was humiliating.
“Answer honestly,” he threatened. “I’ll know if you’re lying to me.” He looked into my eyes and watched my expression. Like I was a specimen under the microscope, he watched me intently. His voice came out with more authority. “Answer me.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, I touched myself.”
“And?” His warm breath fell on my face.
“I thought of you…”
He closed his eyes and moaned quietly, his fingers digging into my skin. “Lovely…” He lifted my hips and directed me onto his length, my pussy gushing all over his cock. I was just as wet as always. There was no point in hiding my arousal when it was this obvious. He moaned again as he entered me, enjoying my slick tightness. “Fuck me hard.” He leaned against the headboard and guided me up and down with his hands.
I rocked my hips and took his length over and over, riding his cock as fast as I could. I held onto his shoulders for balance and felt my tits shake with my movements. My body slickened with sweat, and my temperature rose. I began to moan without even realizing it, knowing this man was better than any fantasy I ever h
ad.
“Keep it up.” He thrust his hips underneath me, pounding into me from below. We both worked hard to move together, to give and get as much pleasure as possible. His hand gripped my tit, and he twisted my nipple lightly, making me wince and moan at the same time. “Say my name.”
“Crewe…”
He clenched his jaw in arousal, loving the control he had over me. His powerful arms worked to help me move so I could continue at the pace he enjoyed. He grabbed my thighs and tilted my hips, making me rub against him in a different way. “Like this, Lovely.”
I could feel my clit rub against his pelvic bone. And it felt so amazing.
He kissed me as we moved together, my breaths coming out shaky as the pleasure ripped through me. I loved everything about this position. I loved his hands on my hips, his lips against mine, his throbbing cock deep inside me, and the way my sensitive nub rubbed against his powerful body.
“Crewe, I’m gonna come…”
“I know,” he breathed into my mouth. “Your pussy is fucking tight.”
I moved my hips as much as possible, getting as much of his length as I could. And then without warning, I exploded. I came all over his length, my slickness gushing around his cock, and I screamed loud enough for everyone in the castle to hear.
Crewe watched my face, his fingers digging into me. “You’re beautiful when you come.” He continued to thrust his hips underneath me, giving me his cock to make the climax last forever.
I enjoyed the high and I rode it to the very end, feeling my body tense and relax as the pleasure entered and left my extremities. Now I wanted to take his come the way I took it earlier—just in a new place.
“I want to watch you come again.” He moved forward and laid me back on the bed, my head hitting the sheets. His cock remained inside me as he positioned himself between my thighs. Then he fucked me harder than I fucked him, his cock sliding through his come. “And I want you to say my name again.”
17
Crewe
I woke up early that morning and went for a run. I had a big day ahead of me. I had to meet with one of my filtration masters and then attend the Holyrood Week celebration in Edinburgh.
