by M. S. Parker
As she began to come down, I slid my fingers out and went up onto my knees. I leaned over her, reached into the bedside table and pulled out a condom. By the time I'd opened it and rolled it on, Nami was staring up at me, pure desire written on her face. I put my hands on her knees and started to slowly slide them up her legs.
“There are so many ways I want to take you,” I said as my fingertips teased along her thighs. “So many things I want to do to you.”
Something flitted across her face, some kind of regret and I knew that we didn't have the time. Whatever was going on with this young woman, her decision to leave with me had been impulsive.
I leaned over her, capturing her mouth again as I entered her. I groaned at the sheer heat of her and she responded by sucking my bottom lip into her mouth. Her body trembled beneath mine as I slowly slid into her and it took all of self-control not to bury myself into her with one thrust.
She wrapped her legs around me, pulling me in fast and hard. She cried out as I reached the end of her. Her body tightened and I pressed my face against the side of her neck. Every cell in my body screamed at me to move, to finish it, but I fought it back, wanting to enjoy this as much as possible. We fit together so well and her responsiveness was like nothing I'd experienced before. I couldn't wait to see what she did when I started to move inside her.
When I was sure I could move without embarrassing myself, I pulled back a bit and then surged forward. She cried out, her back arching up.
“Too much?” I asked. I could hear the strain in my voice.
She shook her head. “Please don't stop.” Her accent had thickened.
I didn't hesitate, every nerve thrumming. I began to move, driving into her deep and hard. Her nails dug into my forearms as her body moved against mine.
“Fuck,” I growled. If she wasn't experienced, how the hell did she know how to move like that?
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her up onto my lap as I rocked back on my knees. I buried my hand in her hair, yanking her head to the side. She raked her nails down my back and I hissed as pinpricks of pain intensified the pleasure I was feeling. I scraped my teeth across her neck.
“No marks,” she gasped.
I nodded and used her hair to bend her back. I freed a hand to grasp her breast, lifting it until my mouth closed around her nipple. I felt her still holding back even as our bodies moved together. I took a hard pull on the sensitive flesh and earned a bit of a whimper. Not good enough. She was close. I could feel it. I was too. I needed her to come, and I wanted her to come hard.
I bit down on her nipple, hard enough to hurt, but not to mark. The sound she made wasn't quite a scream, but it was close and all I needed. As her body shook around mine, I found my release. I held her tight, riding out our pleasure until we were both coming down.
Even as the sensations faded, I knew the awkward moment was coming. The decision of how long to let her stay, of what to say. But right now, it was still just us, just two people enjoying each other's bodies. I ran my hand down her spine. Maybe I could convince her to wait for another go around. I wanted to see her on top of me, those beautiful breasts bouncing...
My post-orgasmic brain was still hazy as it began to run through scenarios, but it cleared almost instantly when I heard someone calling out in the main room.
“Mr. Stirling, I'm so sorry, they just...”
Too many things happened at once.
The manager's voice trailed off as the bedroom door banged open.
Nami pulled away from me, rolling onto the bed and grabbing the bedspread as she went.
I turned towards the door to see two enormous men coming at me.
“Stop!” Nami shouted from behind me. She then rattled something off in what I assumed was her native language.
The men both froze, equally horrified expressions on their faces. Whatever Nami was saying to them, they didn't like it. What I didn't like was the way they were looking at me.
Who the hell was this girl?
Chapter 6
Nami
My hands were shaking so badly that I almost couldn't hold the blanket up high enough to cover my breasts. I hadn't expected Tomas and Kai to find me so fast. I certainly hadn't expected them to come busting in to Reed's hotel room.
Of course, their initial thought had been that he'd kidnapped me and was forcing me to have sex with him. I knew they'd think that from the moment I heard the manager yell from the main room. They'd stopped because I'd told them to, then they'd frozen because I'd informed them that I wasn't a virgin anymore.
Reed was looking back and forth between me and the men, completely baffled. I felt bad for him, but now wasn't the moment to explain. With as much authority as I could muster while sitting in a bed naked except for the hotel's bedspread, I quickly informed Tomas and Kai that should they deem it necessary to tell my father or mother about this, I would feel obligated to tell my parents that I had, in fact, actually lost my virginity back at Princeton while they were supposed to have been watching me. I saw the realization on their faces, the knowledge that no matter what they said, they were the ones who'd be screwed if this came out.
“Leave.” I switched back to English for Reed's sake. Neither man moved, their eyes darting towards Reed and then back to me. “He's already seen me naked,” I snapped. “You two don't get to. Out! Now!”
Their faces matching shades of red, they left, Tomas slamming the door behind him.
“Um, Nami?” Reed turned to look at me, his eyes wide. “What the hell was that about?”
“I am sorry, Reed,” I said, climbing out from under the covers. I grabbed for my clothes, unable to look at him. “I wish things could be different. I wish I could spend tonight in this room with you.”
I swallowed hard, myriad emotions choking me. I wished I could tell him all the other things I wanted. To be able to choose my own path, my own life. I couldn't say any of that though.
“I have to go. I have a train to catch in the morning.” I fixed my dress and allowed myself a glance at Reed. He was watching me with those dark eyes, an unreadable expression in them. “I'm sorry.”
I walked out without another look back. Tomas and Eli were waiting just a couple feet away from the door, their faces back in those expressionless masks they always wore. I didn't have to see what they were thinking to know it. They thought less of me for what I'd done. I kept my head up though. I had nothing to be ashamed of. A woman taking charge of her sex life wasn't something bad or wrong, and I wouldn’t let them make me feel bad about it.
“How did you find me?” I asked as we stepped into the hallway. I held up a hand before either of them could speak. “Never mind. I don't care.”
“Your father called,” Tomas spoke.
I was always surprised at Tomas's voice. He didn't talk much, especially to me, but when he did, it always made me want to laugh because it was so soft and almost feminine. At the moment, however, nothing was funny.
“He did?” I tensed as we stopped at the elevator.
“Mr. Mikkels has been monitoring the media.”
“Of course he has,” I muttered. Mikkels was my father's PR person. He'd been adamantly against me going to Princeton, sure that I'd be a public relations nightmare. Even after four years of model behavior, he didn't like me. He'd hated the idea of me going on a trip to Europe, making it clear that he thought I'd go wild the moment I stepped foot in London. To my credit, I had at least waited a while before I ran off to a club.
“It seems that there was a model at the club and you were in one of the pictures a reporter took,” Kai said.
Shit. That couldn't lead to anything good.
“Your father has decided that it is time for you to come home,” Tomas said.
“I have a week of my trip left,” I said, walking out of the elevator ahead of the men.
“King Raj was quite insistent that we take you to your train first thing in the morning. Once we arrive in Italy, we're to make sure you are on the
plane immediately.”
“Dammit,” I muttered under my breath. Apparently me telling Reed I had a train to catch wasn't a lie after all. I caught Kai giving me a disapproving look at my use of language. “Do you have a problem?” I snapped at him.
“No, Princess,” he replied stiffly.
I would've felt bad for getting smart with him if I hadn't been fuming about my father's orders. Tomas and Kai had been stuck with me for over four years, away from home and everyone they knew. Neither of them were married or had kids, but I knew that Tomas had a large extended family, including several nieces and nephews, and Kai's mother was elderly and sick. I suspected he'd taken the job to pay for quality care for her. Saja had only two nursing homes on the entire island and it wasn't easy getting someone in there.
A limo was waiting for me in front of the hotel. Kai climbed into the passenger's seat while Tomas followed me into the back. The best thing about my bodyguards was that neither of them ever tried to strike up a conversation. That could be a bad thing if I wanted a distraction from the chaos in my head, but right now, I appreciated being able to think uninterrupted.
Well, not think so much as daydream. I didn't want to think about the future and what would happen when I got home. Right now, I wanted to enjoy the memory of my last vestiges of freedom.
While I'd had fun at the club, it hadn't been until Reed had approached me that I'd truly begun to enjoy myself. It had been crowded and loud, with people pressing all against me. I hadn't realized how much I'd gotten used to the little bubble of personal space that who I was had always accorded. Even at school, people hadn't tried to get close since Tomas and Kai had always been there, lurking in the background.
I wondered if Reed would've tried to talk to me even if Tomas and Kai had been there. Remembering the way he'd carried himself, the self-assured way he'd spoken, I thought he would have. He didn't seem like the kind of man who was intimidated by anyone.
I clasped my hands together on my lap, resisting the urge to run them over my neck, across my body, following the path his hands had taken. I could almost feel them, hot against my skin. The nipple he'd bitten throbbed, every movement chafing even as it sent a thrill through me. Aaron had been a good lover, at least I'd assumed so. He hadn't hurt me and I'd come with him, but it had been purely physical pleasure. There had been none of the fire I'd felt with Reed. When he'd been inside me, I'd felt like I had belonged there, with him, our bodies locked together.
I shook my head and swiped at the tears that had formed in my eyes. It was foolish to remember. Maybe later when I was alone and could touch myself, imagine that it was him, but not right now. Now, all I could think of was the way he looked at me, as if I was his only focus. I wasn't naïve. We had no commitment, nothing between us that suggested we would've been anything more than a one-night stand, but for that one night, he had been with me, only me. He hadn't been thinking of someone else, or using me for his own pleasure.
I could only wonder if the man my parents had chosen for me would be equally as attentive. The knot in the pit of my stomach said he would not. My husband would be chosen for his family, his bloodline, nothing else. My own desires were secondary to what was best for the kingdom, and I'd always known it would be so.
I was, after all, a princess.
Chapter 7
Reed
What the hell just happened?
I stared at the bedroom door as it closed behind Nami. I was still kneeling on the bed, buck naked, the scent of her still on my body long after she’d left with two guys who looked like they should be linebackers in the NFL. It wasn't until I realized that I hadn't gotten rid of the condom that I managed to move. I grimaced as I pulled it off and tossed it into the trashcan. Now I was standing in the middle of the room, still trying to figure out what had happened.
One moment, we'd both been coming down from insanely intense orgasms, and the next minute, I'd been sure I was about to be assaulted by two angry-looking men. I still didn't know what Nami had said to them, only that it had made them leave without hitting me. Not that I wasn't grateful, but it would've been nice to have had some sort of explanation other than the apology Nami had given me.
Who was she? Those men had obviously been her bodyguards, and I supposed it was possible they'd thought I'd been forcing her, but somehow, I thought there was more to it than that. A rich girl might have bodyguards, but I'd gotten the impression that she was more than just someone with money.
I shook my head as I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Tonight had been one of the strangest nights of my life, and one of the best. Most of the other women I'd slept with since coming to Europe had been enjoyable, but Nami had been different. She had an innocence to her without being naïve. A rare combination. And she'd said she was inexperienced, but her body had definitely known what it was doing.
I hissed as the spray hit my back. I'd forgotten that she'd scratched me. From the feel of it, she'd gotten me pretty good. I smiled to myself as I wondered if her nipple hurt. I almost hoped it did. I actually wanted her to remember me, which was strange because every other woman I'd been with, I'd wanted them to forget as soon as they'd left. Hell, I'd wanted to forget them. I'd enjoyed the sex while we were doing it, but afterwards, I just felt empty, like a part of me was missing and no matter what I did, I couldn't fill it.
Nami, though, I found myself wishing that we could've spent more time together. And not just another go in bed either, which was strange. As good as the sex had been, it would've made complete sense for me to want to take her again, keep her here all night, fucking until neither of us could see straight. That wasn't what I was thinking, however. Well, not the only thing I was thinking.
I actually wanted to spend time with her. Talk to her. Learn what made her tick. Discover what she did for a living or if she was like me, living off of an inheritance. I thought an inheritance, but she'd struck me as the kind of person who didn't spend a lot of time partying. I'd watched her for a bit at the club before I'd approached, deciding if she was the one I wanted to take back to my room. She hadn't exactly looked like she'd been enjoying herself. It was like she was trying to enjoy being there.
As I washed my hair, I wondered what she was rebelling against. Parents? Society? What expectations had driven her to that club? To my bed? I frowned as I realized she might not have come with me because she'd wanted to be with me, but rather because I'd been the one dancing with her when she'd made the decision. I shouldn't have cared. We'd both gotten what we'd wanted: good sex. Okay, great sex. But still, I should've been relieved at the thought of her having only picked me out of convenience rather than actual attraction. I wasn't though. I wanted her to have wanted me. Wanted me as much as I'd wanted her.
And I had wanted her. From the moment I'd seen her, I'd wanted her more than I'd wanted anyone in a long time. Since Piper, as a matter of fact. I reached for my soap and told myself that if I was honest, I'd wanted Nami more than I'd wanted Piper. It had taken a while, but I'd come to see that what Piper had told me before had been true. I'd fallen so hard for her because of what had been going on in my life. I hadn't loved the woman I'd been engaged to and Piper had been there, warm and willing. She'd had a crush on me and we'd both let it convince us that we were supposed to be together. I'd thought I'd loved her, but I knew now that I hadn't. Not really. I'd loved the idea of her, of the freedom she represented.
The other women I'd been with since coming to Europe, they'd all been fun, and while they'd ranged in appearance and had run anywhere from twenty to thirty, they'd all been essentially the same. Sexual, physical beings. Some of them might've been intelligent, but that hadn't been a factor. I'd seen the same expression in all of their eyes. Lust. Whether for money, fame or my body, it didn't matter. They'd just wanted it, wanted me to fuck them, but hadn't wanted to know me. Nami and I hadn't talked much, but it hadn't taken more than a couple seconds with her to know that she was different. Or at least I hoped she was. Hoped that she'd wa
nted me for me and not for what I could offer her.
I closed my eyes as I stepped under the spray. I needed to stop thinking about her. I was going to Madrid tomorrow morning, leaving France and everything here behind. Besides, she'd said that she had a train to catch in the morning as well. We'd never see each other again.
I dried off as I walked back into the bedroom, tossed the wet towel onto the floor and climbed under the covers. I could smell the two of us on the bedspread and I closed my eyes as my body responded.
As I rolled onto my side, something sharp and hard dug into my ribs. I swore as I sat up, reaching over to turn on the light. There, on the sheets, was a necklace. A thin golden chain with an emerald pendant. I wasn't an expert, but I was willing to bet both metal and jewel were real. An image flashed through my mind. The jewel hanging just above Nami's gorgeous breasts. The necklace must've fallen off when she'd scrambled to cover up when her goons had come in.
I sat there, holding the necklace in my hand and wondered what I should do with it. I had her name, but nothing else to go on, so it wasn't like I could just mail it back to her. I could leave it at the front desk here, but I wasn't sure her bodyguards would be pleased with me for making a public connection between Nami and myself. I knew where she was staying at least. I could go over and give it to the desk clerk there, have him call her room and tell her that someone had found her necklace. A little white lie about where and no one would have to know the truth.
The jewel heated up in my hand, reminding me of the way her skin had heated under my touch, how it had flushed a lovely dusky color. At first, I'd thought she'd just been tan, but when she'd been bare, I'd realized it was just her natural complexion. She was quite the exotic beauty, I thought. The skin and dark hair in stark contrast to her eyes, those bluish-green pools.
I shook my head and flopped onto my back. Damn. Now all I could think about were those eyes, that body. The way she'd looked up at me when I'd been above her, inside her. The tight, wet heat of her molding around me. How our bodies had fit together so perfectly.
