After a moment of restless deliberation, Ndari decided to head downstairs and see if she could find something to eat.
The kitchen was dark when she entered. She was a little surprised considering the men were supposed to be down there setting up security. Not that she was complaining; she didn't particularly feel like talking to any of Keane's men at the moment. They seemed decent enough, but their violent edginess wasn’t easy to be around. The lot of them looked like a pack of hungry lions waiting for the next kill to come along.
She rifled through the cupboards and fridge and realized that the place was completely empty. Okay, now she was starting to get annoyed. Girlfriends, not to mention Princesses, needed feeding! Or they would literally die.
“What are you doing down here?” Keane asked from behind her, startling her.
Ndari jumped and whirled around, dropping the empty ice cube tray that she'd found in the freezer.
“You guys didn't think to feed me,” she pointed out petulantly. “Captives do need feeding you know.”
He chuckled. “You ain’t a captive anymore. Remember? You agreed to this.”
She rolled her eyes. “As if I had a choice.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter now. You agreed to stay willingly, so you stay. You ain’t a captive, you’re my guest.”
“Oh good,” she said drily, sticking her hand out. “Then give me some money. I'm going to get some food.”
He frowned at her. “You're not leaving. There's still security issues.”
“What security issues? My brother can't possibly find us here. And we do need food. I don't want to starve to death. If that's your plan, then you can send me right back to the palace. I’d rather starve to death in style, surrounded by my wardrobe and the townspeople who will be forced to mourn my passing.”
He grabbed her hand impatiently and pulled her into another room, the dining room. There was a huge table with six chairs and a chandelier swinging above. It was beautiful. The whole home was beautiful. But even more beautiful to Ndari, was the spread of food on the table.
She grinned and clapped her hands. “Now we're talking.”
On the table there was chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables. There were pastries, chocolate cake and a bowl of whipping cream. There was every kind of comfort food she could have hoped for.
She didn’t wait for an invitation. Instead, she took the chair that was closest to the food, sat down and piled as much as she could onto her plate. Keane watched for a few minutes as she stuffed food into her mouth like she would never eat again. Then he slid into the chair next to her and started to eat. They fell silent for a few minutes as they assuaged their hunger.
When Ndari's stomach was full, she leaned back with a sigh and looked at him. “This was wonderful. But what's next?”
Those few simple words created a perfect storm of erotic chaos around them. She could feel the heat coming from Keane as he looked over at her. She'd been fed. She was safe. She knew what came next. Her breath caught and her skin prickled with heat. She definitely wanted him as bad as he wanted her, but she didn't really know how to deal with the feeling.
He would have plenty of experience with sex. The guy looked like the ultimate player with his big muscly body and his ‘give no shits attitude’. She knew that work was more important to him than women though, so he wasn't as much of a player as he looked, but she was pretty sure he got around. She’d heard stories of his conquests from the men guarding Jaya. She didn’t know how much of that was exaggeration, but there was usually fire where there was smoke.
And, well, she was experienced too. Mostly just quick fucks with the palace guards. Well, the ones that weren't her cousins. As long as she was discreet, her brother didn't seem to care. And she was discreet. She didn't do it very often. But she was a grown ass woman, and she had needs too. Damn it.
Fucking Keane though... that felt different. Not like fucking, but more like sex with someone she loved. She'd never done that before. Maybe that's why she was so nervous. What if he was better at it than her? What if he got bored quickly? She’d never particularly cared about her skills in bed, so long as she got off. Now, she wished she’d paid more attention to what might please a guy like Keane.
She looked at him. His eyes were narrowed on her. Not in a bad way, like he was annoyed, but more like he was thinking. She figured he was trying to decide which side of sex she was going to fall on and what his reaction to her decision would be. She could see it all in his sea foam green eyes. He didn’t hide the lust, the heat, or the steel from her. She saw it all and it made her want him even more.
What would he do if she refused? Would he force her? The thought made her heart speed up. Not with anxiety, but excitement. The idea of pitting her strength against his, of wrestling with him for sexual gratification. It was hot. She was not one to suppress her sexual desires and she’d always loved those bodice ripper romances where the hero had to overcome the heroine’s resistance. Oh, not in real life, of course. She wanted her men to cater to her whims, to listen to her when she spoke. And if a man ever tried violence on her for real, she would de-ball him at her very first opportunity. But the fantasy of it, the adrenaline rush of being held down and then fucked rough.
It didn’t matter though. The fact was, she wanted him too, and she wasn’t about to put up any resistance. Not yet. She didn’t want to risk him backing down and not fucking her out of some noble intent or something. She wanted sex, she just needed time. A few minutes even.
“Do you mind if I go back to my room for a few minutes?” she asked, looking up at him from beneath her lashes. She knew this move made her lashes look incredibly long and silky. It should make her irresistible. He would have no choice but to give her what she wanted.
“Not without me,” he said gruffly, denying her.
“But I really do need a few minutes,” she insisted. “I need to shower. I need to brush my teeth. I just need some space to gather my thoughts.”
He stepped up to her until his chest touched hers. “Baby, I've given you space. Those months after you left Indonesia? That was your space. You don't need space anymore.” He paused and then added, “Unless your space is big enough to include me. We can have space together.” He looked proud of himself for compromising.
She glared at him. “You don't get to decide if I need space or not.”
He glared back. “That's exactly what I do get to do. Kidnapper’s privilege.”
“I’m not a kidnap victim,” she snapped. “You said I wasn’t!”
“Changed my mind.”
She pushed herself away from the table and stood. He stood with her, facing her down.
“You belong to me and this is how it's going to go. Did you think sex would be off the table? Did you think that you'd come all the way here with me and that we wouldn't have sex?” He seemed genuinely bewildered by the idea, as if he couldn’t wrap his head around the thought of not having sex with an available woman.
“Sex is moving closer to the edge of the table and about to fall right off if you keep this attitude up!” she snapped. “No woman likes to feel pressured into sex. That leads to all kinds of self-esteem issues after.”
“Woman,” he growled. “You drive me insane.”
“Good!” she yelled at him.
They stood across from each other glaring.
Finally, she sighed, “Of course I thought we'd have sex. I just didn't really think about how it would work, you know?”
“No, I don't know,” he argued. “It works like normal. I put my dick inside you and we both get off. Never had a problem before.”
She swatted his arm. “You are so crude!”
“What I’m trying to say is, I want you and I want you now.”
She gave him a little shove, her fingertips against his shoulders. He didn't move. “Not until I've had a shower and brushed my teeth.”
He took hold of her shoulders and dragged her against him. “You showered earlier.”
She frowned at him. “How do you know? You were out dealing with security stuff.”
He shrugged. “Popped in to check on you, had a little peep while you were in the shower. You probably brushed your teeth too, though I didn’t hang around to watch. Good enough, you’re good to go for a tumble.”
“Not good enough!” she shouted at him.
He kissed her. Hard, passionate, with teeth and tongue. She was pretty sure it was to shut her up. But it was effective. She melted against him, gripping his shoulders as he bent down to sweep her up in his arms, never breaking the kiss. Smooth, the move was so smooth and she was so utterly lost in his kiss that she didn’t care.
Ndari decided she would shower later.
Chapter Eleven
Ndari didn't know how they got upstairs. She didn't remember at all. Her lips were fused to Keane’s and somehow he stumbled his way to the second floor. All of a sudden, they were in her bedroom and making out on her bed. It was the best thing ever. She felt like a teenager all over again. Raging hormones, insane libido, the forbidden boy.
His hands were everywhere. But he was also exploring at a leisurely pace. It was amazing. It felt so good to have those big rough hands gliding over her body. Eventually, though, she wanted more. She didn't want them touching her over top of her clothes, she wanted skin to skin contact. She wanted him to really touch her, to put his hands on her… inside her. She wanted everything. Finally, she grabbed him, taking hold of his face between her palms.
“More,” she demanded hoarsely. “I want more.”
He chuckled. “I can and will give you more. Just really love touching you, the feel of you. So soft, like silk. Bloody perfect. I fucking love being able to touch you at will, and lady, I'm gonna touch until I’m satisfied.”
Ndari groaned and wiggled her hands between them, reaching for the hem of her shirt. She dragged it up her body, pulling it over her head. Then she rolled over onto her stomach as best she could while he was laying on top of her.
“Undo me,” she told him, pointing at the back of her bra.
“Oh baby,” he groaned. “Those are the magic words.”
The feeling of his fingers sliding underneath her bra strap and undoing her bra felt incredible. Shivers ran up and down her spine, followed by goosebumps. She couldn't catch her breath fast enough. He was laying on top of her, kissing every inch of revealed skin, sending more cascades of shivers through her. It was too much, but it was also not enough.
When he finished dragging her bra off her body, he flipped her over onto her back and pulled her pants and panties off in one smooth move. She gasped, and then giggled. Everything about him was awesome. This was what she needed in her life. Somebody who wanted to please her, but somebody who wouldn't automatically give her everything she wanted.
She slammed a lid down on that thought. No, that's not exactly what she wanted. She was used to being in charge. That's what she liked. She was a Royal Princess and everybody else was the peasant. She’d learned the hard way through being a member of a cutthroat monarchy. If she didn’t fight for what was hers, she would lose it to her bloodthirsty relatives.
“Hey,” he growled at her. “Get yer head back here. I can see you drifting away.”
She laughed out loud, just as he stuck his tongue in her mouth. She choked and then laughed harder which made her choke again. He wasn’t having it though. He framed her face with his big hands and kissed her soundly until she wasn’t laughing, she was looping her arms around his neck in a stranglehold and kissing him back with equal fervor.
Once more, his hands were everywhere, gliding over her skin. She couldn’t get over the feelings that his hands induced in her. The shock, the arousal, the happiness. Those calloused fingers touching her, sweeping across her smooth skin, pushing her hair off her face. Touching learning, wondering. It was phenomenal.
This wasn't the sex she'd had in the past. This wasn't the wham bam, thank you ma'am. Or mister, depending on which palace guard she chose to fuck. This was something more. This meant something and she was going to cherish every moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck until her elbows nearly touched each other and she kissed him with all her heart. She kissed him with every suppressed feeling she'd ever felt for him. Because there had been so much suppression of feelings when they were in Jakarta together.
She’d had to hold so much back. She'd been hired to spend time with Jaya, and it had been a wonderful few months getting to know her best friend. The little hacker who could do just about anything. She made technology look like magic. Ndari was jealous of her friend, but not a bad kind of jealous. She just envied the kind of life Jaya led. Until Ivan had captured her, Jaya had been a free spirit flitting around the world living wherever she wanted, living off her wits, making money. It was something that Ndari had never experienced.
But she wanted it.
She wanted the kind of independence she could never find within a palace. Though she enjoyed the luxuries involved in being a Royal. Who wouldn't? There was still a lot that she knew she was missing from her years cloistered in the halls of the palace with only her tutors for company. She wondered if the man on top of her, worshipping every inch of her body was the person to give that to her. Could Keane give her independence?
And then once more he dragged her thoughts back to the moment by thrusting one long, thick finger inside her. She hadn't been prepared for it. He hadn't touched her down there yet. And all of a sudden there he was, right inside her. She gasped and jerked in his arms.
"Whaaaat...!" she squealed, her voice higher pitched than usual.
“I got you, baby,” he said reassuringly, holding her and feeling her from the inside out.
“Oh God, so good,” she moaned. That one simple thing, his finger inside her body, felt so amazing.
“Just feel me, baby. Feel every inch.”
It was electric. Everything inside her lit up like her own personal fireworks. She couldn't help but jerk her legs wider and thrust her hips up to try to get more of that incredible sensation.
“Do it again,” she begged him.
He did it again and again and again until she was panting for air and clinging to him. Her head flung back, her eyes squeezed shut and her forehead wrinkled in concentration.
And then she heard his whisper, it came out in a puff of air across her neck, “Come for me, baby.”
She came harder than she had ever come in her life. She shattered, she shook, she screamed. It was intense. It was absolutely fucking awesome. And then his finger was gone. But before she could miss it, it was replaced by his cock. She hadn't gotten a chance to see it up close and personal. All of his clothes were still on. She didn't even know when he managed to unzip himself. But suddenly he was out and there and pushing inside her, and she felt every inch as he slid in. Thanks to her orgasm, she was more than wet enough to take him. But it was a tight squeeze and she was gasping for air and wiggling to get into a comfortable position.
He must be huge. She couldn't wait to see him when he wasn't inside her anymore. See what that monster looked like.
He gripped her chin and forced her face to his. He stared down at her, and said, “Fuck, it's like coming home.”
And then he started to move. Long smooth glides inside of her. He moved his hips in a way that sent sparks shooting through her all over again. Each thrust felt like a magic wave of pleasure. God this man knew what he was doing. He lit up everything. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs. He was stealing her very breath. She could do nothing but wrap her arms around his neck and hang on for the ride. And it was a wild one.
He rolled them over and repositioned her, dragging her up his body so that she was sitting on him with her knees on either side of his hips. His cock was still inside her. It felt so fucking good. But this way, sitting on him, face to face, looking him in the eyes. It was so intimate. It spoke to her. He spoke to her, even when he wasn't speaking. His beautiful green eyes pierced her, held her in place while he continued
to rock her body.
Ndari had never felt anything like this and didn't know if she ever would again. She clung to him. She arched her back as another orgasm hit. He didn't give her a chance to catch her breath, he didn't give her much of a chance to come down from her last orgasm. And then she was shooting off again, throwing her head back with a scream and digging her nails into his broad shoulders, as he thrust up inside her, his cock slamming home and hitting everything good. She didn't know which way was up, or which was down, and she didn't care.
Then he was repositioning her again. Flipping her over onto her hands and knees and sliding inside her from behind. And then she remembered. Oh shit, they weren't using a condom. She'd never done that before. She wanted to care, she really wanted to care. She wasn't ready for babies. She was too selfish to have a baby. She hadn't looked into Prada diapers, Vera Wang strollers, or jewel-studded soothers. Babies took a great deal of research. One shouldn't just go and have a baby without preparation.
Plus, Keane seemed like he could be a bit of a man whore. Who knew what kind of diseases he might be carrying around? They hadn't discussed his past. Or hers, though she was definitely clean. She was way too royal for an STI. So, this was a bad idea. But in that moment, no part of her cared. She just cared about the orgasms that kept coming, wave after wave after wave, until she was nothing but a shaking, sweating body underneath his.
Finally, he came, grunting over her as his semen spurt inside her. It was hot, and it was leaking out of her as he continued to slam himself home, curving his body over her back. His hot chest against her hot back. Normally, she would hate that feeling. She didn't like being messed up, she didn’t like being sweaty, she didn't like being covered in spunk.
Normally, after sex, she would roll off the bed and head for the bathroom. Not this time. This time, all she wanted to do was be held by him. He lay half on top of her and half on the bed, wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could feel his heart beating, reaching through his skin, into hers and then beating in time with her own heart. Or so she imagined.
The Princess and Her Mercenary: A Driven Hearts Novella Page 6
