I mean, I did not usually get along with queens and princesses and duchesses, because most queens and princesses and duchesses are… well, generally pretty awful. No, I didn’t want to gab about tabloid drama, or whisper about who’s having an affair with who. I did not want to giggle about who’s vacationing where or how big someone’s third home is. I just wanted grounded. And I think that’s ultimately why I got along so well with the three of them. Because like me, none of them wanted much to do with the royal “scene.”
So, me having the dumb meet and greet in Bandiff wasn’t all bad. I mean, I’d have my three friends visiting too. Plus having it there instead my own palace I guess sort of insulated the whole thing a little. Maybe it made it a little less real. And if I could get through the weekend without spending every second thinking about Oren Henly, all the—
I froze at the sight of something roaring down the rock driveway towards the summer palace. I swallowed, peering closer at the black and chrome motorcycle barreling closer and closer. The rider downshifted, pulling easily up in front of one of the side entrances to the sprawling estate, which was in view of my balcony.
The engine shut off, and the large figure dismounted. Slowly, he pulled his helmet off, and suddenly, my heart jumped into my throat.
Oh fuck.
Oren.
He took a deep breath, unzipping his black leather riding jacket and hanging his helmet off the handlebars. A big hand raised, fingers pushing through his gorgeous dark hair, and I swallowed thickly.
Oh, this was a problem. This was big, big problem. Coming to some random palace to meet a man I was to marry even if I didn’t really want to was one thing. Trying to ignore the fact that being here brought me even closer to the one man who had my heart thundering and my hormones going crazy was another thing.
But him being here?
Oh, that was trouble. That was big trouble.
I raked my teeth over my lip, my fingers twisting together as I felt my pulse start to beat faster. My mind drifted back to that kiss—my first kiss, with this gorgeous man. And like I’d frequently done late at night since that kiss, my thoughts went deeper, to other “firsts” I might have had with him. After all, it should go without saying that my having never been kissed before also meant I’d never done anything else with a man before.
…And Oren Henley made me very much want to do all of them. With him.
I was so caught up in my filthy little daydreams of the hot as sin captain ripping my clothes off and throwing me down on the bed to have his way with me, that it took me a full second to realize the man gazing into my eyes in my dreams was actually gazing into my eyes.
My heart jumped.
Because there, two stories down, standing in the white-rock driveway of the estate, was Oren—his eyes wild and fierce and looking right at me.
Luckily, I handled it with grace and poise.
…Naturally, by doing the most graceful leap back behind the curtains, alongside the most poise-ful shriek ever shrieked.
I stood there, panting, pulse racing, chewing on my lip for what felt like either an hour or maybe just twenty seconds, trying to convince myself that he hadn’t seen me. Which was ridiculous, since he’d been staring right at me. I cringed, squeezing my eyes shut and taking a deep breath before I steadied myself.
Just look. Maybe you made the whole thing up.
Yes, it was a stupid thought, but it was some hope I could cling to to save my own dignity. Slowly, cringing, I peeked out from behind the balcony door curtains.
…The driveway was empty.
Okay, his motorcycle was still there, along with the helmet hanging off the handlebars. But the man himself was gone. Thank God. I groaned, feeling my face burn with embarrassment at the way I’d handled that little encounter. Yeah, that might have gone better.
I turned, heading back inside my quarters and pacing the room, wringing my hands together. Okay, so Oren was here. My literal fantasy man was here, at the very palace where I was to meet my future husband for the first time. What could possibly go wrong?
I stopped my pacing to look at myself in the mirror. God, I needed to get my shit together. It was a weird thought. I mean, I was here to meet the man I was to marry, and yet I’d barely done a thing for my appearance, mostly because I didn’t care that I’d be marrying Brian. My hair was brushed but down. I had minimal makeup on. I was at least wearing a pretty cute knee-length, low-plunging-top summer dress that looked killer on my curvy hips and full breasts.
But, c’mon. The last time with Oren, I’d been dressed to the nines for a freaking royal ball. Right now, I looked like I was ready for a girl’s night out that didn’t involve men in the slightest bit.
I groaned, pulling my hair back before blowing air out through my lips and letting it drop. What I needed was a wardrobe upgrade, and fast. But as I turned, a frown came to my face. Shit, my bags weren’t up yet. We’d only just arrived at the estate an hour or so before, and my things were probably still downstairs waiting to be brought up.
I took a shaky breath as I went for the door. Screw it, I’d get my stuff myself. Because I was not going to bump into Oren freaking Henley again without looking—
I yanked the door open, I rushed through, and I went crashing right into the most muscled, thick chest I’d ever even imagined.
I gasped, jumping back as the scream of surprise caught in my throat. My eyes dragged over the tight white t-shirt, the dark jeans, and the black leather riding jacket, and something inside of me froze.
Oh God.
My eyes slid higher, already knowing what they’d find before finally, my gaze swept over the ridiculously hot, insanely gorgeous face of Oren Henley.
And I. Was. Lost.
“You—I—" I stammered, my face growing red as I look up into his incredible eyes, my pulse racing as heat flushed through me. His eyes lanced right back into mine, those crystal blue orbs piercing into me and making my knees weak.
“What are—you can’t be here!” I hissed, my voice tight, my eyes wild as I drank him in.
Slowly, a roguish grin spread across his face.
“Yes, I can, highness.”
“But—!” I bit my lip, shaking my head. Slowly, I backed away from him into my room. And slowly, Oren followed.
“Captain Oren,” I whispered hoarsely, my willpower crumbling and my body aching for him, even if I knew how wrong this was, and how dangerous being alone with him was, here and on this occasion of all places and times.
“Queen Alessia,” he purred back, still moving towards me, standing there frozen in the entryway to my quarters.
He came to a stop right in front of me, his huge frame towering over my curvy one and his gorgeous blue eyes blazing right into mine. I could see the tenseness in his body—the way his shoulders bunched, the way his jaw ground together, and the fire in his eyes. Slowly, a low growl barely audible in his throat, he raised a hand up, his big fingers touching my jaw and nudging my chin up.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered.
His eyes sparked, his thick fingers teased across my jaw, and it was everything I had not to moan as he seemed to lean down closer to me.
“This, your highness,” he growled fiercely. “I’m here to do this.”
His mouth crushed to mine, stealing my breath away as my heart jumped into my throat. My body melted into his arms, my pulse roared, and I fell, hard.
Chapter 3
Oren
I growled as I kissed her, pouring everything I’d held back, and brooded on, and lusted for over the last few months into it. I kissed her like she was already mine, and really, she was. I’d known it that first night. I’d known it every night since. And when I’d looked up and caught her gaze just then, watching me as I got off the motorcycle, whatever restraint I had left shattered.
The hell with what was right and wrong. Queen Alessia was mine. As for duty? Oh, I’d still be doing my duty. I’d be there, keeping her safe, watching over the whole affair at
the summer palace. My “duty” didn’t involve making things nice for her and fucking Brian though.
I saw her up on her balcony, and her quarters were right where I’d stormed too, fire in my veins and a need to hold her, and taste her, coursing through my body. And now, here we were—her body writhing against mine, her hands clutching at my t-shirt, her soft, pouty lips seared to mine as I claimed her sweet mouth.
I groaned, pressing myself to her and pulling her body close to mine. I could feel her hips roll as if on instinct, rocking herself into me as tight as possible as she moaned so sweetly into my lips. I whirled us, pressing her into the wall beside her door and grunting as my hands slid over her gorgeous body. I gripped her hips, yanking her to me and growling as soft little mewling sounds tumbled from her lips. My hands tightened on her, sliding over her curvy hips down to her ass, grabbing it in both hands and groaning as my cock swelled against her.
And I was truly lost in her.
Suddenly, gasping, Alessia pulled away, her eyes wild and her cheeks flushed pink. Her hand came up, fingers brushing her swollen lips as if shocked that what had just happened had actually happened.
“I—no,” she whispered hoarsely. I frowned, my jaw tightening.
“No?” I growled.
“I’m—I’m getting married, Captain!” she hissed.
“To the wrong fucking man,” I hissed right back. A moan tumbled from her lips as she threw herself right back into me, crushing her mouth to mine and gripping my shirt tight.
Kissing her was everything. It was like a drug coursing through my veins—a chemical I craved and would never ever get enough of. Because all of this? Well, all of this was new.
There’d never been a woman before her.
Ever.
And no, I don’t mean that in the “none that mattered” or “none that compare to her” way. I mean that quite literally.
…I’d never slept with a woman. Or touched one in the way I touched her. Or kissed in the way I kissed her, or at all.
Yes. I’d had my chances, and lots of them. But I’d turned them all down. Because duty, and honor, and my ability to be a fighting machine had always come first, above anything else. Above a relationship, above love, above even just no strings sex.
It’d been hammered into me even at a young age. I was the captain of the guard for a king now. But I’d fought to get there, every single day. Some days quite literally. When I was much younger, struggling to survive barely above homelessness with a single mom who worked her ass off, I’d turned to boxing. And I’d boxed well. Well enough that I was noticed and picked up by an international team. They trained me hard, for years, carving me into granite. Making me an animal capable of destroying my opponent. The training was vigorous, and constant, and yes, part of it was no sex.
The coaches swore it was a power thing. That sex, and women, made you weak and took that edge away. And I saw it happen, too. I saw guys my age who were beasts in the ring just, well, lose that edge after getting a girlfriend. And so instead, I trained, I fought, I won, a lot, and I kept away from temptation.
Years in the ring, and then working private security honed me into a machine. And still, I kept my distance from women. There was always one more fight, one more battle, one more mission. And I couldn’t let the edge I’d spent years honing go to waste just for temptation.
But about four months ago, I broke. And I broke when this girl, this queen in my arms, fell into them, those months before. I broke, I kissed her, and I’ve been obsessed with her ever since.
I groan as I grab her tight and kiss her again, swallowing her moans as I press her to the wall. Our moans tangle like our tongues, and when her body writhes against me, I only kiss her harder.
“You’re mine, my lady,” I groan, pulling way for a second, my eyes blazing into hers.
“You—” she swallows, her face pink as she shakes her head. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
“And why is that?” I purred against her lips, making her tremble.
“Because I’m a queen”
“No,” I growled, pulling her close.
“You’re my Queen.”
This time, it was her who seared her lips to mine, yanking me into her as we tumbled back against the wall. My cock pulsed against her stomach, rock-hard and thick as she moaned into my mouth. My hands slid to her waist, and then down over her hips to cup her ass again. And this time, I didn’t stop there.
Tug by tug, her skirt pulled up higher and higher, her kisses getting hotter and her moans getting deeper as I slid it up the backs of her legs. When I slipped it over the full swell of her perfect ass, my hand slid back, this time finding bare skin as I growl into her. My fingers dug into her curvy ass, fingertips brushing against the lace of her thong panties. I curled two fingers under them, tugging her little panties tight against her as she moaned wildly and panted into my mouth.
Fuck, I could feel her nipples hardening against my chest, her breath coming faster as her fingers clung to my shirt with an iron grip.
“Oren…" she moaned softly, whimpering as my big hands cupped her ass and tugged on her panties. “I—I’ve never—”
The knock on the door to her chambers had her half jumping out of her skin as she suddenly shut down and shoved me away. I growled, my eyes swiveling to the interrupting sound as the knock came again.
“Hey, Alessia?” Your Uncle said you’d be in here! It’s us!”
Oh fuck.
The person knocking on Alessia’s door, while I was in there with alone with her with her skirt around her waist and my hands all over her ass, was Queen Emilia.
Alessia’s face paled.
“Alessia?”
Goddamnit, I knew the second voice too—Duchess Lola, who was good friends with Emilia. In the back of my mind, I remembered Rian mentioning something about his wife and her friend coming to the summer estate this weekend too to see Alessia, who they’d become friends with in the last few months. But I’d apparently put it out of my head in my obsession with the woman I was head over heels for marrying another man.
Alessia jumped away from me, panting, her face still red and her eyes wild as she smoothed down her skirt and fixed her top.
“I—I have to go,” she said quietly.
“You do not—”
“And so do you.”
My jaw clenched, our eyes locking as I forced myself to breathe.
“You’re just here to…” she bit her lip, her brow furrowing as Emilia knocked again.
“To check your quarters for security reasons,” I muttered.
Alessia nodded. “Yeah, that.”
She swallowed again, her swollen lips pursing like she was convincing herself that it was a good cover before she turned and brushed past me. I cleared my throat, shaking myself out of my reverie enough to stand away from her as she marched over and opened the door.
“Hey, girl!”
Emilia rushed in, followed closely by Lola, and then by Queen Vi, of Nessa, who I knew was also good friends with Emilia and Lola. The three of them tumbled into a big hug with Alessia before Emilia caught sight of me and startled.
“Oh! Oren!”
Her brow furrowed.
“Um, what—”
“Captain Oren was assessing possible security concerns with my quarters.”
I clenched my jaw to stifle the smirk. She was quick.
Emilia’s face fell. “Oh, God, is there anything wrong? We can totally move you to a different suite, or—”
“No, no,” Alessia laughed easily, even if I could see the tightness in the way her hands were still clenched at her sides. “No, Em, it’s totally good. Oren’s just…”
“Just doing my job, your highness,” I growled, nodding at Emilia before I turned back to Alessia.
“If that’s all, highness?”
She swallowed, her back to her friends and the heat blushing across her face as she locked eyes with me.
“Yes, Captain,” she said quickly. “Yes, t
hat’s all for now.”
For now.
I kept my face a natural mask, but I know damn well she didn’t miss the fierce hunger in my eyes.
“Ladies,” I nodded curtly, stepping past them and out the door.
It wasn’t until I was alone in a stairwell that I allowed myself to breathe—sinking my back against the wall as my pulse thundered through me. My cock throbbed between my thighs, the lingering heat of her skin and the lace of her little panties on my fingers making me even harder.
I should have left. After all, no good could come from my being there. What was I going to do, stand by and watch as another man made plans to marry her?
Fuck that.
What I should have done was a full security sweep, assured Rian that the estate was quite secure, and gone back to my post at the main palace.
But then, that’s not what I did at all. Because now, I’d had a second taste of those lips. Now, I knew the softness of her skin and the sweetness of her moans. I knew she was wearing a lacy thong under that skirt, and I knew my hands on her made her moan for more.
I’d had another taste, and this time, I was not waiting to taste her again. This time, I wanted it all.
Chapter 4
Alessia
“Sooo…”
Emilia’s brows arched high as she crossed her arms over her chest. I felt my cheeks burn, but I swallowed it back.
“Yes?”
She snorted, and when she, Lola, and Vi all glanced at each other and grinned, I know my cheeks burned even hotter.
“So, what was that?”
I swallowed.
“What was what?”
“Um, Oren, alone in your room with the door locked?”
Stop blushing. Stop blushing. Goddamnit.
I shrugged, pursing my lips.
Queen Sized: Royally Screwed: Book 7 Page 2