He laughed again at her words. “Yes, they are.” There was a comfortable silence between them. “What are you wearing?”
Myf felt herself blush at the warmth in his voice, before glancing down at her pink silk pajamas. “Johann. Are you really trying to seduce me over the phone?”
“It depends, is it working?”
Arousal tightened her gut, making her groin tingle, and she experimentally ran a hand over her left breast. Immediately her nipple hardened at the light touch, and she gasped in response. “Yeah, it’s working.”
There was a pause from the other end of the phone, during which Myf could hear movement and Johann’s breathing speed up. For a while she was left wondering what he was doing, until it dawned on her that he was removing whatever clothes he was still wearing. She had only ever got the chance to see him naked once so far and that had been in her dimly lit bedroom. The memory of being on her knees in front of him while he guided her head to his liking was undeniably erotic.
“Touch yourself.”
At his words she slid her hand down the front of her pyjama bottoms, not in the slightest bit surprised to find herself wet already. It amazed her that he had this power over her. The power to make her mindless with want and lust in a way that she had never experienced before. “I am doing it. Johann, this is crazy.”
“This is the hottest thing I have ever done.”
“I seriously doubt that.” She was gasping now, body shaking as she moved her fingers in a feather light way over her clit.
“I want to be there Myf, between your legs and causing those noises you’re making.” Johann’s voice had deepened, and she could tell by the way his breathing was coming in pants that he was touching himself as well. For several long moments there was nothing but the sound of their combine breathing, and more than once she nearly dropped the phone. Her fingers were moving just right, and she very nearly shuddered into orgasm.
“I’m close.” The words were quickly followed by her barely restrained cry as she touched herself just a little too harshly, causing her body to tighten in anticipation. “Johann, please ….”
“Yeah, that’s fine Myf, you can come.” It was as if his words were what she had been waiting for, as her vision whited out and her back arched from the bed. As usual when Johann was involved in her orgasms there was a rush of fluid, and she knew that she was making what were probably very embarrassing noises. Somewhere in her own pleasure, she was aware of his climax as he grunted it into the phone. Then they were both simply panting in the aftermath. “I want to be there with you right now.”
“It’s not long now,” she said. “Then you can have me for real.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
To Johann it was clear that Myf wasn’t a woman who was used to the crispness of Finland in winter. Not that he minded, and in fact there was something endearing about the ice crystals clinging to her long dark lashes, and her rosy cheeks. It was his second day back in Helsinki, and by a spot of good luck his grandparents had allowed him to spend the day alone with Myf completely unchaperoned. It must be a testament to the man he had become that he had chosen to spend it taking her to the Finnish Museum of Natural History, rather than trying to get her into a bed.
“Are you OK?” He was more than aware that they were starting to gain some attention outside of the museum, and he knew that Myf would easily become overwhelmed at the celebrity status she now carried here.
She may be a princess, but she had been out of the public eye for six years now, and had kept a low profile that entire time. Never having caused a scene in front of the media or of having the press chase her around desperate to get a photo of her in a compromising position. Unfortunately for Johann, the paparazzi were always somewhere nearby, and he had to admit that he hadn’t always been as careful of what he got into as he should have been. In fact, it was only now as he was facing marriage to this beautiful woman before him, that he was starting to wish he had been more discrete in his affairs.
“I’m fine.” She looked up at him with a soft smile. “Thank you for showing me around Helsinki, I’ve been here for two weeks and not left the palace.”
“Hey, it’s no problem.” He couldn’t help but reach for her hand then, twining their fingers together as he felt a bright warmth in his chest when her smile widened. “I like spending time with you.”
Myf leaned against him, the top of her head coming to just beneath his chin, and he had to restrain himself from taking her into a tight embrace in front of all these people. There were probably already enough photos of them holding hands to give his grandfather a heart attack as it was.
“I like spending time with you too.” Her voice was a soft whisper, and Johann found himself watching the blush creep up her throat from beneath the blue scarf she was wearing.
“Not just for duty then?” He knew that in a way it was callous to be throwing her words back at her like that, but with the way she ducked her head he knew that he had read the situation right. For all her talk about only marrying him because of duty, it was obvious that she didn’t find the idea anywhere near as distasteful as she had done six months ago.
“No,” she said. “Not just for duty.”
“Come on.” He tugged on her hand and led her towards the open doors of the museum. “Let’s get you into the warmth.”
“And I thought it was cold in Wales.” Her words echoed around the entrance hall, and Johann found himself watching as she unwound her scarf and shrugged out of her jacket. Beneath her layers she was wearing an incredibly soft looking cashmere jumper, and a pencil pleat navy skirt over thick grey stockings. All in all she looked the perfect image of a princess, and he knew that the press were going to have a field day after the usual women he was seen with.
“This is nothing.” He gave her a chuckle at the look of disbelief on her face. “Just wait til it starts snowing.”
Her eyes fluttered closed at that and a blissful expression came over her face. “Oh, I’ve missed having a white Christmas.”
Quickly paying for their tickets from the bored looking girl behind the desk, Johann led Myf into one of the displays beyond. It had been a long time since he had been to the museum, and even he found himself in awe at the enormous fossils that filled the chamber. Myf though, still holding his hand, pulled him into the centre of the room. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at the Dinosaurs.
“Haven’t you ever seen a Dinosaur?” It seemed entirely unlikely that someone who had studied archaeology wouldn’t know what a fossil looked like. Letting go of her hand he draped his arm casually over her shoulder, glad that the museum was relatively empty.
“Of course I have.” The elbow in his side was a surprise and made him chuckle. “Don’t be cheeky. Oh, but aren’t they amazing?”
“They certainly are,” he said.
She must have noticed that he wasn’t even looking at the bones, because she ducked beneath his arm and walked into the centre of the chamber. “I used to be obsessed with Dinosaurs, do you remember?” She had her head tilted back now, hair streaming down her back, and a gloriously open expression on her face.
“Of course I remember.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, moving to join her in looking up at the T-Rex. “You used to climb on my back and make me carry you everywhere.”
“You loved it.” Her laugh had a Welsh lilt to it. “Those were good times.”
They certainly had been, not only had they been free of the weight of responsibility that adulthood had heaped onto them, but they had been together. By the time Myf had been sent away, he had been more than ready to start, as his mother often said, sowing his wild oats. Horrendously enough, he had been glad to see Myf go because he had been afraid that her presence would affect his ability to pick up women. There was no way his conscience would have allowed him to sleep around so wantonly when he would have had to face her on a regular basis. Plus, he knew that his family wouldn’t have approved if she was attending family functions. He was ready now
to commit to one person, and as he watched her all but dance the exhibits, he knew that it would have only ever been this woman.
***
Originally, Johann had been angry that Kai had refused to let him have a bucks night, however, as he stood in the receiving room feeling sick with nerves he was glad. He would hate to think how he would have felt at this moment with a hangover. Though he knew Kai’s reasons for holding back on a party had more to do with her concern that under the influence he would go back to his old ways, than with anything else. He could understand why she would think something like that, it was probably hard to believe that he would be loyal to just one woman after his reputation.
Running his hands over his formal Air Force uniform, Johann took several calming breaths. He had requested a few minutes to himself before having to face the hundreds of people that would be packed into the church, grateful that at least he hadn’t had to stand before the thousands outside. He had known that this would be a huge event for Helsinki, the public desperate for a glimpse of the woman that had tamed the playboy Prince.
Marriage. The idea still made a lump form in his throat, and the jittery feeling of panic to skate across his nerves. However, he no longer felt the desperate need to run screaming into the night, and he had to admit that he did like the idea of waking up every morning with Myf beside him.
“Hey.” Mattie’s voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to see that his best man had opened the door and was peering at him. “Ready?”
He knew that he must be staring at Mattie in terror, and part of him actually felt like he was about to break down into tears. “I don’t know.”
Mattie’s expression gentled at that, and he stepped into the room and closed the door behind himself. “Do you want to call it off?”
“No.” He shook his head. “That wouldn’t be fair to anyone, especially Myf. And I think I would regret it for the rest of my life if I lost her.”
“You love her?”
Though Johann had voiced the words only to Myf, he wasn’t ashamed of his feelings anymore nor the relative vulnerability he felt because of them. “Yeah.” He nodded his head. “Yes, I love her.”
A bright grin split Mattie’s face then, and he clapped Johann on the shoulder. “Good, because you wouldn’t be able to find one better.”
That was the truth. Myf was perfect for him, the woman that he had always wanted but never known existed. Instead, he had spent so much time chasing after women that were either detrimental to him or nothing more than a passing fancy. Losing Myf now when he had only just known that she was what he needed, the way he needed air, would probably be enough to ruin him completely. “Is she here?”
“No,” said Mattie. “But Steph has just messaged Kai to tell her that they’re about ten minutes out.”
“Is Kai still outside?” He had a feeling that she would just be hovering outside the door waiting to tackle him to the ground if he tried to make an escape.
“Along with everyone else.”
“So what do they all think that I’m going to call it off at the last minute?” Johann had meant it as a joke, however when he saw the expression on Mattie’s face he realized that there was more truth to those words than he had thought. “Oh, they do.”
“It’s nothing personal.” Mattie pulled him into a hug, though he was being careful not crease his uniform. “They just don’t want you to ruin the best thing that’s happened to you.”
“I know.” He hugged his best friend back. “I’m trying not to.”
He didn’t really remember much about walking down the aisle, except there were a thousand eyes trained on him, most of them belonging to people that had thought this day would never happen. It was all just a blur up until the point when the music started playing through the enormous cathedral, the far doors were opened and he was greeted by what was quite possibly the most beautiful thing in the world.
Myf was dressed in a gown of pure white. The neckline was modest, though the corset was quite tight, with lacy sleeves that fell to her elbows. They skirt looked like was made of multiple layers, and there was a large train being held in place by the six bridesmaids.
***
He was shaking as he let himself sink back into the leather seat of the limousine, closing his eyes as he heard the door shut and the motor start. There was a large amount of rustling, and then a hissed Welsh curse word, something which he couldn’t help smiling at. Opening his eyes again, he looked over at his bride only to find a large ball of white lace and silk that was floundering next to him.
“What the hell happened?”
Johann found himself laughing as he started to part the material, until he finally found the woman beneath, helping to tame her dress so that she could sit more comfortably on the seat, and he could see her face. They were heading to his personal residence which was where they would be spending the next two days before going to Greece, to get changed for the reception, and despite the fact that this was their big day he knew that this would be the last time in a few hours they would be alone.
“It’s this stupid dress.” She scowled down at her skirt. “It has a life of its own.”
He couldn’t help himself then, cupping his hand around her cheek as he took her mouth softly in their first married kiss. She raised her hand to slide it around his neck, her lips parting beneath his, and soon they were indulging in long passionate kisses that made something simmer deep inside him. They didn’t part until the limousine slowed down to let the wrought iron gates that led to the sweeping drive of the manor house open. Johann ran the pad of his thumb over her plump bottom lip, while taking in her flushed cheeks and heavy lidded eyes, and wished that they didn’t have to go to the reception. The moment the car pulled up outside of the manor house, the doors were opened and they were both all but swept out by a sea of servants, designers, and security personal.
“You did well.” Mattie was at his side the moment they entered the main hall of the house, and he watched as Myf was hurried up the stairs with two women already unbraiding her hair. She glanced down at him when she was halfway to the landing, and he couldn’t help but laugh when she rolled her eyes at him.
“I can’t believe it,” he answered.
Before he knew what was happening he was standing in front of another full length mirror, two footmen helping to peel him out of his uniform and urge him into a fine linen shirt and perfectly tailored trousers. He knew he hadn’t picked this outfit, and he had feeling that it was a gift from his grandmother, and he didn’t think he had ever been so thankful for her lack of propriety as he was now.
“So, married,” said Mattie, from where he was lounging back against the huge bed. “How does it feel?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Johann watched as his new wife hurried across the marquee to talk to her step-mother, and he found that he wasn’t able to stop himself smiling at the sight of her.
“It’s nice to see you happy.”
He turned to look at his mother who had moved to stand beside him, her smile so wide that it was almost splitting her face.
“Well, it has been a nice night,” he answered.
Nice but exhausting. Johann was glad that it was over and he would, hopefully, never have to go through anything like this again. Marriage, he had always been led to believe, was a one-time only thing.
“And Myf?” She looked up at him. “Are you happy with her?”
Johann had no idea how he would respond to that; he and his mother hadn’t really talked much about his wedding and certainly nothing about the marriage that would follow. He knew that they were all clapping themselves on the back for having picked out Myf for him, even though when the engagement had been arranged nobody had any idea what either of their personalities were like. “I haven’t really had the chance to get to know her. But I’m willing to give it a chance.”
She nodded her head, and then laced her fingers through his in a move that he
hadn’t experienced from her since he was a boy. “I’m proud of you.”
He started at that and stared at her, never remembering a time when anyone had said those words to him. Johann was more than aware that he was the black sheep of the family, that everyone viewed him as the playboy prince who was lucky not to have lost all of his money and his entire reputation by now. “Mother …”
“No,” she said. “I had thought that by now we would have had to rush you into a marriage with some poor unfortunate girl that you had impregnated, which means that Myf would have married Mika.”
The very idea of his introverted younger brother marrying Myf was almost funny, but in all honesty apart from the age difference they rather complimented each other quite nicely. Something dark bubbled up inside of him, the possessiveness he had always seemed to feel towards this particular woman. The very idea of anyone else’s hands on her body made him feel murderous. “I was always going to marry her.”
And that was the honest truth. The knowledge that his parents had picked out a woman of suitable birth for him before he had even been born, had taken a lot of stress off of the past few years. He had been able to sleep around with as many women as he had wanted, without the added pressure of having to date and court them. Finding romance had never been on his agenda.
“I’m beginning to realize that.” He followed her gaze to where Myf was laughing at something his father was saying, her blue eyes were shining and there was flush to her cheeks which made his groin tighten in anticipation. “She will be good for you.”
Johann nodded his head. “She has managed today well.”
“Take her back home. She must be overwhelmed and exhausted, she needs to rest.”
He gave a snort of laughter at that, the last thing anyone thought that they would be doing tonight was relaxing, and he could only imagine that Myf was just as apprehensive about tonight as she had been at the wedding ceremony. Johann had purposefully kept away from the alcohol during the reception because he knew how he got during sex when he was drunk, the last thing he wanted to do was scare Myf away before he even got the chance to have her. “What time is grandfather having someone check the sheets?”
Dusk (Equinox Book 1) Page 13