by Penelope Sky
“Made any progress?”
I eyed the door again even though I was certain I was alone. I brought my voice to a whisper just in case. “One of his men told me the transmitter in your skull is fake.”
“Fake?”
“As in, it’s not wired to anything.”
Joseph paused as he let my words sink in. “What makes you think this guy is being honest?”
“Because he hates me and wants me to leave.”
“Hmm…”
“I think he’s telling the truth. I don’t think Crewe would do something like that.”
“Why does this guy hate you?”
“Because I got him demoted since we didn’t get along. Now he works outside all night, and I’ve put a wedge between him and Crewe.”
“Good job, sis. Then maybe he is being honest.”
“I think so. I don’t see what incentive he has to lie.”
“Yeah, I don’t either. That’s good news. I can just ambush him and take you.”
“Ambush him?” I asked incredulously.
“Take all of my men and burn that castle to the ground,” he said coldly. “They’ll never know we’re coming.”
Joseph had a violent way of solving problems. Crewe would deserve what was coming to him, but I didn’t want that for him. He was a good person despite the evil things he did. All I wanted was to leave peacefully, not get anyone hurt. “We don’t need to do that.”
“You’ve got a better idea?”
“Actually, yes. He told me he loved me yesterday.”
Joseph paused again. “You’re being serious?”
“Yeah.”
“Wow. Crewe is a bigger dumbass than I thought.”
I felt offended when I shouldn’t. “He’s not a dumbass. I made it happen.”
“He’s still an idiot. What are you going to do now?”
There was only one solution, but I didn’t know how well Crewe would take it. “I’m gonna talk to him and ask him to let me go.”
I could hear Joseph roll his eyes through the phone. “That’s not gonna work.”
“I think it might.”
“No, it won’t. You’re just gonna spill your secret, and he’s gonna keep a tighter leash on you. Shit, he might even kill you. He’s got a lot of pride.”
Crewe would never kill me. “I’m not gonna spill my secret. I’m just going to ask for more out of the relationship—like freedom. I want the ability to come and go as I please. If he can’t give that to me, then he doesn’t love me.”
“Everyone has a very different definition of love—especially a guy like him.”
“I think he means it. He’s different with me.”
“He’s keeping you locked up in a castle. Sounds like a fucking monster to me.”
I couldn’t argue against that. “Let me do this first.”
“And if it goes south? He’ll never let you call me again.”
No, he wouldn’t. “It’s not gonna go south.”
“But what if it does?” he asked. “I have no way of contacting you.”
Based on everything I learned about Crewe, I had to believe he would let me go if I asked. He was compassionate and caring, and we had a deep connection. I refused to believe he would backhand me and chain me to the floor. “If you don’t hear from me in two weeks…come and get me.”
“I can get on board with that. Where are you?”
“Sterling Castle outside of Edinburgh.”
“Tell me about his crew. Where are their posts? What time do they change shifts?”
I told him everything I knew and what kind of weapons they had. “But if it comes to this, I don’t want you to kill anyone. Just make them surrender, get me, and leave. And don’t you dare shoot Crewe.”
“There’s no way I can pull that off. People are gonna get shot.”
“Then I don’t want to be rescued.”
Joseph sighed into the phone. “This guy has really fucked with your mind, London. You shouldn’t care if I shoot him between the eyes.”
“But I do care.” A lot. “I don’t want anything to happen to anyone. They’re good people just trying to support their families. They’re no different from you.”
“I would never kidnap anyone for six months,” he snapped.
“But you aren’t innocent. You crossed him to begin with. Let’s not forget how we got into this mess.”
All I got from him was silence.
“Those are my terms, Joseph. Give me some time to talk to him.”
“What if he moves you?”
“He hasn’t mentioned any plans for travel, so I doubt it.”
“I doubt he keeps you in the loop about everything,” he jabbed.
“Two weeks, okay?”
Joseph didn’t say anything.
“Okay?” I pressed. “Two weeks and you choose Plan B.”
After another moment of silence, he finally agreed. “Fine. Two weeks.”
17
Crewe
London and I hadn’t spoken about that night.
The night she told me she loved me.
And I said it back.
I assumed that would open the gates to a long and complicated conversation about our relationship, but that had yet to come. I hoped her confession meant she wanted everything to stay the same, that she enjoyed sharing this enormous castle with me. I wanted our lives to stay exactly the same.
She was the first woman I’d loved since Josephine, and when I compared my feelings for the two women, I questioned whether I loved Josephine at all. I knew I had to marry someone of my stature, and since Josephine was beautiful, I probably just made the best of it.
But with London, it was totally different.
She was everything I wanted in another person. She wasn’t royal, but she had class. She wasn’t rich, but she was the most intelligent person I’d ever met. She wasn’t a suitable partner, but I couldn’t picture myself with anyone else.
How did this happen?
She meant nothing to me when she first came into my life. I’d slapped her a few times, kept her in my freezing basement for weeks, and stripped her naked so a stranger could contemplate buying her.
But now she meant everything to me.
I didn’t think I was capable of feeling anything like this ever again. I didn’t think I could quit being an alcoholic, but she made that happen. I didn’t think I could be happy…but she made that happen too.
When I woke up the following morning, I didn’t feel like getting any work done. I never took a day off because there was always so much to do, and I felt burned out at the moment. Ariel could cover my calls. And if it was something she couldn’t handle, they could wait until tomorrow.
I was usually gone before London opened her eyes, so I took the opportunity to watch her sleep. She abandoned her side of the king bed and hogged mine, her arm wrapped around my waist with her head resting on my chest.
Her back rose and fell as she slept, and her eyelashes looked thick when they were pressed against the top of her cheek. She was naked under the sheets since we went to sleep the second we were finished fucking. My come was still sitting inside her—exactly where it belonged.
Thirty minutes later, her eyes opened and she looked directly into my face. It took her sleepy mind a moment to understand what she was looking at. She blinked then focused her gaze again, my features registering in her brain. “You’re still here…”
“I don’t feel like working today.”
“Are you not feeling well?” she asked, the concern creeping into her voice.
“No, I’m fine. I just want to stay with you.”
She stretched her arms and arched her back, her mouth opening with a cute yawn. “A whole day with Crewe?”
“Yeah. How does that sound?”
“That sounds really nice, actually.” She pressed kisses along my chest and stomach, her hair trailing across my skin as she moved. “I hope that means I’m gonna get laid.”
I smiled, loving
how sexy she was without even trying. “You’re definitely going to get laid.” I rolled on top of her and held my body on top of hers, putting my weight on my elbows. I leaned down and kissed her even though neither one of us had brushed our teeth. It didn’t matter what the circumstance was, I always wanted my mouth on hers. She was a fantastic kisser, her small tongue perfect against mine.
She immediately wrapped her legs around my waist, eager to get down to business.
I loved morning sex. Nothing better than having a beautiful woman first thing in the morning. “I love how much you want me.”
She hooked her arms around my neck and ground against me. “I’ve never wanted a man more in my life.”
Jesus Christ.
I pushed my cock inside her and slid into that pussy I’d become obsessed with. It was a home for my dick, the space I loved occupying more than any other. Every woman was different, perfect in their own way. But she was far above the rest. I loved every single feature of her body, worshiped it.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head when she felt me stretch her apart. “Crewe…”
I loved it when my woman said my name. It made me feel more like royalty than my noble blood. My hand snaked into her hair, and I looked into her eyes as I watched her writhe for me. A woman’s pleasure wasn’t the highest priority on the list, but with London, I wanted to make sure the sex was even better for her than it was for me.
That was probably why she fell in love with me to begin with.
Never in my life had I shared my universe with another person. I had my men and my guards, and I had Finley, who’d been part of my life longer than my own parents. But there was never a real partnership. Even Ariel wasn’t someone whom I connected my soul with. When Josephine and I were engaged to be married, I still didn’t feel this way.
With London, she felt like family. She filled the hole my parents’ death had left behind. She shared my world and made it a better place. When I walked into our private quarters, I could truly be myself. I didn’t have to be the scotch king anymore.
I could just be a man.
The fact that she fell for me despite her difficult situation only told me what we had was real. Only something stronger than lust could bring us together like this. Only something true could get London to look at me the way she was looking at me right now.
Her hands glided up my shoulders until they dug into my hair. Her fingertips were either brutal or gentle, clawing at me or caressing me. She rocked her hips in tune with my thrusts, taking my cock just as I was giving it. She breathed into my mouth as she enjoyed me, her hard nipples rubbing against my chest.
There was nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than here. “So fucking beautiful.” I would never get over the fact that she was mine. A lot of beautiful women had graced my bed, but they had nothing on this woman. I could stare at the corner of her mouth forever because even that small part was absolutely perfect. I was obsessed with her body, but I was also obsessed with her soul.
Her eyes melted like chocolate in the summer sun. Her nails dragged down the back of my neck to my shoulders, and she clawed her way into my muscle, her hips still working with mine. Her lips were parted, and her small teeth could be seen. “I love you so much.” She pulled me harder into her like she wasn’t getting enough of me.
I didn’t think twice before the words came out of my mouth. “I love you more.” We never had the long and annoying conversation about our future, and I started to suspect it was never coming. London was happy where we are, happy with where we stood in the middle of time. She wanted me every day until our days on earth were gone.
She kissed me and breathed into my mouth at the same time, her excitement palpable. Her ankles locked together around my waist and her nails scratched my skin.
I realized it was the first time I was truly happy. The feeling was so foreign I didn’t recognize it. I couldn’t remember the last time I was happy. Maybe I’d never been happy all my life. I thought Josephine made me complete, but I quickly realized that was just a short-term high. What I had with London was special. If I met her in a bar on a night out, we probably would have ended up the same way. She didn’t need to be my prisoner for us to fall for each other.
It was meant to happen.
We sat together at the table on the balcony, getting a great view of the castle and the hills beyond. It stopped raining yesterday, so the sun was out. It was still chilly, so London wore black leggings and a loose sweater. Even in the bulky clothing, she still looked eye-catching. Her slender neckline and petite shoulders reminded me of everything that existed under the fabric.
We had just finished lunch, and now we enjoyed the comfortable silence between us. She was reading a book, and I was enjoying the view of Scotland and my woman in one look. I wasn’t even this comfortable with Ariel, someone I’d known and trusted for a long time. I knew I couldn’t marry someone who wouldn’t further my political agenda as well as my business goals, but I knew I would never find this special tranquility again with someone else.
Only with London.
I was happy. I was at peace. They were two sensations I’d never had the honor of enjoying once in my life. Now that I had them, I never wanted to let them go. Marriage wasn’t on my mind, but I certainly couldn’t let London go.
Not when she changed my life.
Ariel wouldn’t be happy, but she’d have to deal with it when the time came.
London cleared her throat then set down her book. Her fingers quickly adjusted her hair even though it wasn’t in her face to begin with. She began to squirm, like she was suddenly uncomfortable sitting in the chair. “There’s something I want to talk about…”
Maybe I was wrong. Maybe we were going to have a conversation about our future. I was annoyed, but what did I expect? Of course, she wanted to know where we stood. The fact that I told her I loved her should have been pretty clear evidence that I was in this for the long haul. “I’m listening.”
She paused as she tried to think of how to begin the conversation. Her eyes shifted back and forth. “Well…I’ve been here for a while and—”
My phone started to ring on the table. Ariel’s name popped up on the screen. I could take advantage of the interruption to ditch the conversation, but that would only postpone it, not get rid of it. I silenced the call. “I apologize. You were saying?”
“I understand if you need to take it, Crewe.”
“I’m sure whatever you have to say is more important. She can wait.”
Her eyes melted just as they had that morning. She never showed her appreciation that I’d given her as much power as Ariel and Dimitri, but when she looked at me like that, I knew she was touched. “Thanks.”
I rested my fingertips against my lips as I waited for her to continue.
“Anyway…I’ve been here for a long time…seven months. Things are different than they were when I first came here. Obviously, we didn’t like each other very much.”
I could keep the smile off my face. “No, I wasn’t your biggest fan, and you weren’t mine.”
“Definitely,” she said with a chuckle. “I came as your prisoner, and I still am your prisoner…but since things are different—”
Ariel called again. Her name displayed on the screen as the phone vibrated loudly against the tabletop.
I hit the ignore button again. “I’m sorry, Lovely.”
“Maybe it’s important.”
“She can wait until you’re finished.”
She didn’t melt this time, probably put off by being interrupted twice.
“Please continue.” I didn’t care about interrupting people, but it was obvious London was putting her heart on display, and I didn’t want to make her feel foolish. She didn’t open up to me very often, and I wanted her to feel comfortable doing it.
She sighed before she continued. “Our relationship is different now, obviously. And I want other things to be different too.”
“Such as?” I wasn’t sure wha
t she could possibly want. She didn’t have a care in the world, and she could have anything she possibly wanted. I would lavish her with expensive clothes, jewelry, and exotic trips around the world.
“For one, I’d like—”
Ariel pounded on the door. I could hear it all the way on the balcony. “Crewe, answer the damn door. We have an emergency on our hands.”
Now London had to be cut off. This conversation could wait until another time. “I’m sorry, I have to go.” I left the table without saying another word to her, knowing Ariel would never come to my door like this unless it really was an emergency.
London let me go without an argument.
I got to the door in my jeans and t-shirt, something Ariel hardly ever saw me in. “What is it?”
She didn’t waste time with a smartass comment about me blowing off work today. “Pias sent our shipment to Istanbul, but it was intercepted.”
“Intercepted?” I blurted.
“Yes. By pirates. Everything was lost.”
That was a huge blow to our deal. Millions of dollars of product were on that ship. “Jesus Christ.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
I shut the door behind me and followed her.
18
London
I picked the wrong time to have my conversation with Crewe. If I had just done it a few hours before, I would have had his undivided attention. But he was gone with Ariel all day and most of the night. He didn’t call to check in, so I had no idea when he would be back.
Bad timing.
The stress of the situation was getting to me because I really had no idea how he would react. In my heart, I believed he cared enough about me that he wouldn’t hurt me after I made my request. He would be understanding and compassionate. He would understand he couldn’t keep me as a prisoner forever.
We couldn’t stay like this.
I had my own dreams and ambitions. I couldn’t be his plaything forever.
If he loved me, he would let me go.
And I believed he did love me—in his own way.