Stroke of Midnight: Future Fairytales

by Dawn, Stella

  "I asked how you felt." I take her hand. I push down the way my heart jumps in my chest at the contact of her hand in mine. Each time we touch I feel a soft zap of static electricity.

  "Well, I don't know. Angry or panicked." She frowns and looks confused.

  I wish I could listen in on her thoughts. I wonder what she thinks of me after dancing at the ball.

  "So, what is your plan. Are you going to lock me in my room?"

  I shake my head at her. "No, but I might just tuck you in."

  22

  Cyndi

  Only a short time ago I was safe in my bedroom, under my comforter wearing sweat pants. Now I can't believe I'm back in my bedroom with the person who I've been avoiding at all costs. He is dressed like a sexy pirate but he's my soon to be brother in-law.

  I'm breathing way too hard, my chest rises and falls like I am running. Of course. I tried to get away from him so how did he end up in here. Right, he said he wanted to talk. This is definitely not where I saw this night heading.

  Who the hell does he think he is, barging into my room like this, anyway? And the smirk on his face, oh my God, I just want to slap it off of him!

  "What if I showed up in your room uninvited. You would call Bentley and have me removed."

  "Bishop is his name. He has been with the family since I was two years old. He pretty much does whatever I tell him to."

  "Yes. I imagine that's pretty much how your life goes. Well, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

  "I needed to talk about how well we dance together."

  That is extremely unfair. No, we should not do that. the way his hands held my hips while I danced with him. I can smell the sweat and sweet tang of alcohol and hear the music ascending from below.

  Even though I know my body is aching for more of King Petros' touch. He seems to know this, he is looking at me with feral eyes and giving me a carnal smile. He is using my attraction to his advantage. I can't help that my knowing this stokes a fire inside me.

  "I think we should forget about the dancing."

  "I don't think I am able to forget about that." There was that damn lurid grin on his stupid perfect face. "And I have a feeling you don't want to forget about it either."

  I stare right into his steely gray eyes, angry at him, but even angrier at myself. Why is he getting even closer? My body is turning against me and somehow this whole thing is turning me on, even more than before in the office. The tension between us is palpable, and so thick I could cut it with a knife. It's like a fog in the air, it slows down my thoughts and I can't think of anything to say. Beyond the mantra beating in my body. Touch me, touch me please. I don't want him to have this kind of effect on me, much less give into it.

  "Like you know me well enough to presume anything about me like that. Nice try, though," I say, trying to deflect. I'm feeling helpless to push him away since my whole body wants him to stop teasing and show me why he's really here.

  I close my eyes and pray that he'll leave before I do something stupid.

  "Look I am really tired."

  "Let me tuck you in. I'd like to, if you'll let me." He sounds so nonchalant, as if we aren't discussing the possibility of us sleeping together. But even he isn't good enough to hide the wildly hopeful look in his eyes.

  I glance around the room searching for anything here that might to help me--and what do I need help for? If I outright tell him no, I know he'll accept it and leave, even if not very graciously. And if I say yes, well, then there's really nothing for me to worry about.

  "The room is not bugged, Cyndi."

  It's in the way he says my name softly even though he's being openly sarcastic. It's the tiny details like that which make this so much harder to ignore than it should be. "I know that," I snap, unable to contain the skittish way I feel.

  He laughs again. "Come on, I'm not blind. No one has to know. I'll make sure to leave before anyone notices."

  My mouth opens and closes again as I search for what I want to say. If he means this, if he thinks I'm actually going to entertain the idea..."You're serious, aren't you?"

  Another soft chuckle, this time King Petros chews on the side of his thumb, shaking his head. "I wouldn't still be in here if I wasn't. The question is . . . how serious are you?"

  It's kind of a funny thought considering the only reason I went to the ball tonight was to prevent the duel in the morning. I swallowed that lie and ran with it. Look what it got me.

  Well, at least there is more than a little possibility for romance tonight than curling up with a book. My whole body votes for me to live and taste romance, just for a night.

  This is dangerous. Just one dance. Just one night with the King. He is so close, I don't want him to know that he is setting my insides ablaze. Ever since arriving at the palace, I have been reeling, unable to tell which end is up.

  I chew my lip until I'm sure that I taste blood.

  No longer caring about the consequences, I take a deep breath and test my nerve by running my hand up along King Petros' thick bicep, squeezing the firm muscle as I stare into his gray eyes. He sees the lust that I've been hiding and tired of holding back.

  Petros watches my hand as it crosses his chest to the other arm, his hands reaching out to pull me closer by my waist, the silkiness of my gown clenched tight in his fists. For a moment we're breathing out of time, his chest rises as mine falls, but we sync up without meaning to, my breasts pushing against his abs. The flimsy fabric rubs against my nipples and Petros' mouth hovers at my ear heat and soft groans.

  For long moments we hold each other. Then my hand traces his chest muscles and up around his strong thick neck. His cock stirs against my lower abdomen. It's like he's thrown a lit match into a gas tank, my body explodes to life and awakens. That's when I know. This is the line in the sand and once we cross this line there's no going back.

  "Don't overthink it. Just say it," he whispers in my ear, the tip of his tongue tracing along the shell of my ear.

  My eyes are only half open, my skin rife with goosebumps. I draw in a shaky breath. "Fuck me. I want you to fuck me."

  There's a satisfied grunt from Petros before he slips his hands around to grab my ass. He grinds his cock against me as he buries his mouth into the crook of my neck. It's as if he's known how to handle me this whole time, his tongue finds a sensitive spot on my neck I didn't even know I had.

  I gasp and dig my fingernails into the skin under his shoulder blades before dragging them down. I want to claim Petros, I want to prove to him, prove to everyone that I'm not just someone who is ignored and taken for granted.

  He backs me up against the bed and slides the straps of my gown down until the entire thing is in a shiny blue pool at my feet and I'm left wearing only my panties. Petrol wastes no time, his mouth dropping down to my sensitive nipple, suckling it into his mouth, his tongue flicking against it. I drop my head back, trying my best to stay quiet. I don't know how successful I'll be.

  With one hand squeezing one of my breasts and the other undoes his loose pirate pants, Petros shrugs them off. His hard cock feels hot against my belly as he pins me down to the bed.

  I'm sure he's going to fuck me right there, but he pauses, seeming to change his mind at the last second. I'm embarrassed at how difficult it is to hold back the whimper when he pulls back from me.

  Petros slips off my panties and spreads my puffy outer lips, dipping his two fingers into my aching center and rotates them against my g-spot.

  I cry out, squirming under his control, my eyes fluttering shut as I roll my hips. I look at him and he's watching me with a devilish look in his eyes.

  Petros covers my mouth with his hand as I start to moan loudly, a smile creeping across his handsome face. "Shh. We don't want anyone to hear what I'm doing to you. Does it feel good, Cyndi? You're already so fucking wet . . ."

  This time I do whimper, tasting the salt on his hand. He gently rubs his thumb over my swollen clit once, twice. I can already feel the tension building
up throughout my body, and when Petros bends his head down and gently laps at my clit, I lose sense of everything else. Everything in me shudders, my muscles all clenching together as I ride his mouth--as I ride out my orgasms one by one.

  "Fuck, that's hot," he hisses. "I can't wait anymore."

  He spreads my thighs wide open and lines his round cockhead against my entrance, thrusting in without any warning, filling me up. I didn't expect him to get right to it, but then again I'm glad he's not making me wait.

  "Oh my God. Oh fuck, Petros! Oh fuck, Pet. That's it. My Pet." I moan, biting down on my balled-up fist, bringing my hips up each time he enters me. Stars explode behind my eyelids. This is everything I imagined, and more than what I secretly hoped for. His cock throbs inside of me, pulsing against my sensitive inner walls, thrumming his intention like it's the rhythm of a song only we know.

  "Jesus,Cyndi. That's fucking tight."

  This isn't some simple sex between two people who casually met up. This is the kind of pent-up sexual tension that begs to be fulfilled, and fulfill me he does. I don't think I've ever been more filled in my life.

  I moan even louder, his pace edging faster with each noise that escapes my mouth. "Please fuck me harder. Right there," I plead when he turns me to the side and hits right against my g-spot. I hate that he's gotten the knowledge and experience of fucking a woman like a pro, elsewhere...but on the other hand, I love that he's sharing his notes with me like this.

  Pet easily throws my leg over his shoulder. "Like this? You like that? Oh fuck yeah, you do." He smacks my ass, and I squeal into my pillow, my breasts jiggling like crazy the faster he fucks me. The more he talks to me the wetter I get.

  He turns me over so I'm on my knees, screeching into the pillow as his heavy balls slap against the soft skin of my pussy while he hits it from behind. My eyes roll into the back of my head, and I hold on for dear life. Pet's fucking me so hard that the bed squeaks, my nightstand creaks, and I can barely keep my legs up, my thighs quivering. In the back of my brain I remember that we should probably be quieter, but that little voice gets lost in the din of all the whimpering and moaning.

  "Tell me Cyndi. Tell me again," he says, huffing.

  "I want you, Pet. Just don't stop."

  All of the warning signs that I drove past on my way here to this moment are gone in an instant, and I cry out even louder this time as Pet slams home one last time, burying himself inside of me as he comes, biting down hard on his fist to keep from yelling.

  I blink, still not sure how we got here, but praying that we don't have to leave anytime soon. Slowly I roll over after he pulls out, unsure of what to say or even how to feel. I've never needed to fuck someone so badly that I said to hell with everything else.

  Pet surprises me yet again my collapsing into the bed next to me, curling his fine naked body around mine. "You're a goddess."

  A new kind of shiver runs up my back. He could have said I was 'hot,' or 'sexy,' or even 'beautiful,' but instead he chose that word. I don't know how to address this so I turn around and kiss him on the mouth. He clearly didn't expect it but his lips work with mine, his tongue explores my mouth, more gentle than the ferocity from before.

  Most people start with a kiss. That's why I know this is all sorts of screwed up.

  23

  Petros

  Her nails drag against my back. Her legs wrap tightly around my waist. She looks up at me and watches me with wonder as I come inside her for third...no, fourth time...

  These are the last images I have after rounds two, three, and yes, even four with Cyndi last night. If the first time didn't surprise me enough, the next few times certainly blow me away.

  But the first thing I think about when I finally come to in the morning isn't when are we going to do this again, it's why am I'm being shoved out of my bed?

  I open my eyes and realize I'm not even in my own damn bed, I turn over just in time to get an elbow straight to the eye. "Jesus fucking Christ," I groan, sharp pain lancing through my head. I'm no doctor but my eyeball feels as though it might very well fall out of its socket.

  "Oh my God, Pet, I mean, Petros. I'm so, so sorry," Cyndi whispers behind me, her words rushing together. "But you gotta get the hell out of here."

  There's a loud knock at the door and we both freeze. "Miss Burton? Your step-mother is on her way," says one of the staff from the other side of the door. "Are you up?"

  Even though I am pretty sure I've just gone blind in one eye, I roll toward Cyndi to get another good look before I have to run. Mmm, just a beautiful and delicious-looking as last night. The bottom half of her is wrapped up in the silk sheets but the top half is on full display for my viewing pleasure. Her fleshy caramel globes jiggle as she slides out of the bed behind me. There's an image I might gladly never get out of my mind.

  Cyndi pulls out a soft white robe from her closet, quickly wraps herself in it, She walks around to the other side of the bed where I'm still sitting, grinning at her. "You need to go."

  "Okay, okay. I'm going," I say as she shoos me off her bed, firmly pushing me toward the window facing the gardens. "Now wait just a moment."

  She shakes her head, throwing the curtains wide open. She yanks on the stubborn window sash, cursing to herself. "There's no other way out. Help me, Petros!"

  I angle my shoulder underneath to help her, still completely stark naked. Hopefully no one outside sees our little scene.

  Cyndi tries to shove me out the window. I brace myself, looking at her as if she's gone completely crazy. "Where am I supposed to go?" I glance down at the flattened rooftop a couple of feet below where my legs hang. It wouldn't be too hard to shimmy down the side of the palace, although naked is a different story. "And what of my clothes?"

  She mumbles something about me being a giant baby, and dashes for something of mine before tossing it out the window before me. "There. Now go!"

  "May I have a kiss?" I say but she rolls her eyes and hisses and gives me a slap.

  If literally anyone else trying to shove me out of my own home, I'd have a hell of a lot more to say about it. Cyndi's embarrassed panic only makes me laugh to myself. Plus, it would be so awkward to be discovered in my soon-to-be sister-in-law's room naked.

  24

  Petros

  As soon as I let my fingers go from the ledge of the window, she slams the window back down hard, immediately yanking the curtains closed and leaving me out on my own. The window locks with a loud click and I shake my head at my situation. I would be laughing my ass off to see anyone else standing on the roof naked. As it is, I need to get moving.

  Of all the situations I have found myself in, I have to say this tops them all. I yank on my pants and crawl to the edge of the rooftop where I slowly lower myself down until I'm only four or five feet from the ground below. When I drop, the impact jolts me, but the sting only lasts a moment. My eye still hurts a hell of a lot worse.

  "The least you could've done was toss all of my clothes, you ungrateful woman," I mutter even though I know she can't hear me.

  As I slide along the edge of the palace, I hear a rustle in the bushes. Something about the way the bushes move and that I distinctly hear 'fuck' coming from them, makes me think that it's not a wandering peacock hiding in there.

  "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you don't come out and show yourself, I have every right to have you arrested for trespassing on my property."

  A groan, then seconds later, a curly brown mop of hair lifts from behind the hedge.

  I take a step back and laugh my ass off. "Should I even ask? You can always go through the front door, like most people. Last time I checked you live and work here. You haven't done anything in the last twenty-four hours that would change that, have you?"

  Bastian stands up looking disheveled. He stares me down. "Well, uh . . . wait, why aren't you wearing a shirt? Or shoes, for that matter? And what happened to your eye?"

  Reaching up to softly touch the tender area under my eye, I
chew on my lip. Looking at Bastian I feel as though we've come to a stalemate. "That is . . . not something I wish to discuss at the moment. But you were hiding behind a hedge. I think I'll ask the questions first."

  Bastian hold his hand up. "How about a truce? We let this go, no questions asked."

  As curious as I am to know what he is doing out here, I know I won't breathe a word about being with Cyndi last night. Bastian is my best friend but he does have a wagging tongue. I don't want her to be the subject of gossip. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I was just on my way back inside." I give Bastian one last look before circling around a stone bench, pretending to inspect it before walking the other way back along a path leading to our guesthouse. I figure if I can get all the way there without anyone noticing, I can dash back inside.

  When I glance back over my shoulder in the general direction where I had seen Bastian, he is gone. Well. This is quite an interesting morning.

  25

  Petros

  It's afternoon and I still haven't seen Cyndi anywhere. Everyone is moving slower and schedules are delayed due to the immense job of cleaning up. Our servants and extra hired help are busy putting the palace back together. I haven't dared to go below to the ground floor. The sound alone would prevent any sleeping.

  So where is she? I've been to the kitchen twice and asked Bastian casually about the sisters. He nearly jumped out from under his toque.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, have any of the young ladies come down for breakfast, or lunch for that matter?"

  "Gwendolyn came down first and demanded a Bloody Mary which she guzzled like a soldier. She isn't as much of a lady as she presumes to be."