Downfall: Kingdoms of Sin, Book #1

by Aster, Willow

  His face darkens. “My mom’s boyfriend—brown hair, brown eyes, six feet or so?”

  “That’s him. Wait, what? She has a boyfriend?”

  “She’s acting out because my dad has had girlfriends for years. She decided this year to take a lover and pretends like she’s not being completely obvious.”

  I lean against the wall and stare at the floor, trying to puzzle it out. Luka reaches out and smooths between my eyebrows.

  “Does it make you angry?” I ask.

  “I hate it,” he admits. “But it’s their life. Just another reason why I wanted to move out.”

  “If we moved out, I’d be even more alone than I am now.”

  Now his forehead creases and I want to smooth it, but I resist. “What do you mean?”

  I shrug. “I at least see Basile a little bit each day, and your family in the dining room when I choose to go. I rarely see you and you’re gone most nights, so…I imagine I’d go weeks without seeing anyone if it weren’t for the events I’ll eventually attend. If it weren’t for Brienne—”

  “Are you lonely, Eden?” He steps closer to me and his eyes are softer than usual. They make me want to open up and tell him things I have no business saying.

  That I’m dying of loneliness.

  That I miss the ease we had for those few days on our honeymoon.

  That besides Basile and Brienne I am utterly alone.

  That I’d do anything to get closer to him.

  Instead, I say, “I’m okay.”

  “Our driver will take you wherever you’d like to go, just make sure there’s a guard with you…”

  “That sounds fun.”

  My sarcasm isn’t lost on him. He bites the inside of his cheek and puts his hand on top of his head, slowly running his hands through his hair.

  “How about we get out of here today? I’ll show you some of my favorite spots.”

  “You don’t have to entertain me. I’ll adjust.” I turn to walk toward my room and he catches up.

  “I want to. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

  I look at him to see if he means it and he seems sincere.

  “Okay, sure. I guess we could…”

  “Great. How long before you can be ready?”

  “Ten minutes?”

  He nods. “See you then.”

  I rifle through the closet and find a pair of flowy linen pants. I’d prefer a bathing suit or jean shorts in this weather, and it would probably be okay here based on the clothes in my closet. I’d never get away with that in Farrow. I throw on a tank top and wide-brimmed hat, brush my teeth, put on a touch more makeup, and I’m ready to go. When I step out, Luka is too, and he’s like my matching bookend in linen pants.

  “We look like a married couple already.” He smirks and tosses the keys in the air. “Let’s do this.”

  I notice Brienne following when we step out of the house, and when Luka opens the car door for me, I’m surprised he’s the one who will be driving. Brienne gets in the back seat and a guard pulls out ahead of us, while yet another follows.

  Luka turns on some music and I look out the window at the water surrounding us on either side. I already feel better getting out of that house for even a few minutes.

  “Do you ever get sick of being so closely guarded?” I ask.

  His eyes flick up to the rearview mirror and Brienne is slowly nodding to the music.

  “I don’t mean her,” I add.

  “It’s one of the biggest issues I argue about with my dad. I hate it. Fortunately, Franco and I are friends. The other guys are great too, but my dad doesn’t even like that. He thinks if we’re friends that keeps them from paying close enough attention.”

  “It’s like that for me at home too. I think it’s why I’m so close to my brother and sister.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know what I would’ve done without Mara. Elias, too. We stuck together growing up and still do. ”

  Just hearing Mara’s name and the way he talks about her unsettles me. I’m glad he’s had her in his life, but I don’t think she’ll ever accept that I’m here. And I’m not sure he has a clue of what she’s really like when she despises someone.

  Like me.

  “Are you hungry?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  He grins. “Good answer.”

  As we get closer to the city, the houses are lined on the hills—cream stone and orange roofs in very crowded spaces. Some are large and spread out, but most are smaller and quaint. We drive into the heart of the city and the buildings are beautiful with tropical flowers in every color standing out against the stone.

  “Do people leave you alone for the most part when you’re here?”

  A few people wave as we drive past.

  “Most are respectful. There’s usually at least one obnoxious photographer, but the majority of them stay out of my way.”

  We pull up to a beautiful, tall stone building with so many windows and hanging flower baskets at every column. When he parks, he holds up his hand. “Give me one second.”

  He jogs around to the other side and opens my door. I notice the guard smirk at Luka when I get out.

  I see a sign saying it’s a library and I’m surprised this would be Luka’s favorite place. Until we walk inside. There are books as far as the eye can see. They reach the ceiling and tall rolling ladders are the only option for reaching the upper levels of books.

  “I don’t even know if you are a reader,” Luka says quietly.

  “I am.” The words rush out quickly.

  He smiles and holds out his hand. I take it and my heart feels close to bursting. It’s all the books, I tell myself.

  “This is heaven,” I whisper.

  “I agree.” He motions for me to take a right turn and we go into a small tunnel with wall-to-wall windows.

  I feel a bit like a gerbil, but I don’t question him. When it opens up, we’re in a large round room filled with greenery and tables with elaborate displays in the middle of each one. Delicious smells fill the room, making my mouth water. Only a few diners are here.

  The staff practically falls all over themselves when they realize Prince Luka is in their fine establishment. We are asked if we’d like to dine on the roof. I look up and there’s a glass elevator that leads to the top. Twinkle lights and greenery surround it, so I can’t even see a table from here.

  “Would you rather be up there or down here?” Luka asks. He looks like a doting husband rubbing my hand with his fingers and I remind myself that he’s playing the part while we’re in public.

  “It looks intriguing up there.”

  “We’ll go to the roof,” he says.

  We’re escorted to the elevator and when we enter, I look at Luka. “No guard in the elevator?”

  “There’s one at the top already. He’ll stay out of the way, don’t worry. I had a feeling you’d want to be up there.” He winks. “And I told Brienne to enjoy the books for a while.”

  When we step out, it’s a wonderland. The view is extraordinary: we’re up high enough to see the water and cliffs out one side and the other is a paradise of flowers and lights. A table is nestled in the middle of rose petals and a tree canopies overhead.

  Wine is cooling in a bucket and Luka pulls a seat out for me. He takes his place across from me and we stare at each for a few long moments without saying a word.

  I want to ask if he’s okay, where he’s going at night, why he’s being so attentive today, but instead, I lean forward.

  “Thank you.”

  My emotions are all over the place and I feel like I might cry if I say any more, so I don’t. He seems to be clued in to my thoughts without me speaking them aloud.

  He clasps my hands in his. “I’m sorry I haven’t been more aware of what you needed. I’ll try to do better, be better.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  We’ve barely sat down and a huge wooden board is carried out, piled high with fruits and vegetables, olives and peppers, dips and cheeses…and meats
to one side.

  “It’s like it’s custom-made for us. I don’t even have to touch the meat and I can still have all of this…” I wave my hand across the side closest to me.

  “I might have called ahead and told them my wife is a veg head.”

  I roll my eyes, pretending to be annoyed but secretly pleased that he went to all this trouble.

  “Save room for more food. This is just the appetizer.”

  “This is enough!”

  “Oh no. Don’t you know that with me there is always more?” His grin is wicked and I force myself to look away before I sink into his spell.

  We clear the board quickly. I always forget how much Luka eats. Aside from the steak they place in front of him, everything else is catered to my tastes. I sample everything, moaning with pleasure every other bite.

  “Everything is so good.” I close my eyes and savor the flavors.

  Luka smiles and tells me the history of the place. It used to be where the scholars went for higher learning. Large scrolls and manuals too big for one person to carry are still here and locked in glass.

  “I’ll show you after we eat.” I make a disappointed face, so he adds, “But we can come back to look at the rest of the books another day. I really want to take you somewhere else today.” He checks his watch. “After dessert.”

  They bring out mini cheesecakes and a pastry I’ve never had.

  “Tarclova,” he says and kisses his fingers like it’s perfection. “Best ever. I’m already rock hard thinking about the noises you’ll make trying this.”

  “Well, now I’ll be sure to be silent.” I laugh.

  His eyes twinkle and he holds out the pastry for me to take a bite.

  I do and my eyes close despite my efforts to not get carried away. “Oh my God. Mmmmmm,” I hum, unable to hold it back. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

  “I should have made you lick my fingers after I touched your p—”

  “Luka!” Stunned, I open my eyes and he’s staring at my mouth. I can faintly hear someone in the background, but I can’t look away from him. He stands up and leans over the table, licking the edges of my lip with the tip of his tongue.

  “Why can’t I stay away from your mouth?” he whispers against my lips. He licks the seam then groans. “Let me in.” His lips press against mine hungrily and I do just what he requests, I let him in.

  We both hear something at the same time and pull away. Our waiter is standing there wide-eyed and clears his throat. “Can I get you anything else?” he asks nervously.

  Luka chuckles. “You don’t have what I want.” He gives me a hungry look. “I think we’d better take this elsewhere.”

  I put my hand over my mouth to hide my laugh and run my other across my cheeks. I feel them getting hotter and know I must be beet red.

  The waiter puts the desserts in a little container and hands them to me. “Enjoy.”

  “Oh I will, thank you. Everything was delicious.”

  He bows and we get inside the elevator. All the way down, Luka stares at my mouth and when we arrive on the ground floor, he grabs my hand.

  “Can I show you the scrolls on our next visit?”

  “Sure.” I hurry to keep up with how fast he’s walking.

  When we reach the car, the guard is already there. Luka opens my door, I sit, and he rounds the car, getting behind the wheel. He speeds through the streets and we head out of the city, in the opposite direction of the estate. We drive up through the mountains and then wind down until we’re on the other side. When we reach sand, Luka parks.

  He turns around to Brienne and says, “Keep the others back, okay? I don’t want any eyes here.”

  She nods and relays the message to the others through her device.

  Luka points out a cave. “That’s what I want you to see.”

  We walk through the sand, a few hundred feet until we reach the cave. When we step inside, it’s dark at first, but then we wind around and light from the opening on the other side is ahead. Water rushes through, first a trickle and then a loud rush of water. We’re still on the ledge when Luka starts stripping. He leaves his underwear on and points at my clothes.

  “You want to get your clothes wet?”

  I’m speechless for a moment, watching him. He clears his throat to get my attention.

  “No?” I frown at him. “But you didn’t tell me we were going swimming.”

  He shrugs and I have to work very hard not to stare at his perfectly sculpted chest and enticing V when he’s standing there looking so beautiful.

  “Live a little,” he says.

  I pull my pants down first, watching his eyes widen when he sees my white lace. When my tank top comes off, he stares at my lacy bra until I put my hands on my hips.

  “Right. Good.” He almost seems nervous, but he’s probably just momentarily lost all of his brain cells.

  When he snaps out of his trance, he holds out his hand and I take it. We walk to the edge of the rushing water and look down.

  “No way.” I’m already shaking my head before I’ve even had a thorough look. “That’s too far down.”

  “It’s not very far and I’ll be right there with you. I’ve done it a thousand times.”

  “No, you haven’t.”

  “Okay, nine hundred times at least. Give or take a few hundred.”

  “I just learned to swim!”

  “And you aced that in no time. This is next level.”

  “This is next level times one hundred.”

  “You ready? One, two, three.”

  And without thinking, I jump. Right before we reach the water, I remember to hold my breath and when I go under, Luka’s there to help me reach the surface.

  We’re both laughing when we catch our breath.

  “You did it! I didn’t think you’d do it,” he yells. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.

  When I realize how long we’ve been holding each other, I pull away. “That was so fun.” I look around and it feels like we’re the only people around for miles. “How do we get back up to our clothes?”

  His white teeth stand out against his tan skin when he grins. “We don’t. I hope you weren’t attached to those clothes.” He backs away laughing when I splash him with water. “I’m kidding. See that little alcove there? We go through there and up the cliff. It leads to the car.”

  We swim for a few minutes, the water perfect for this hot day.

  “I should get out of the sun, I didn’t wear sunscreen because of the hat.”

  “You’re right. Here let’s go this way.”

  We swim to the shore and when I look back to where we jumped from, I can’t believe I did it.

  When we step out of the water, Luka picks me up and swings me around. I laugh, the adrenaline still rushing through me. He sets me down and holds me steady until the dizziness wears off before we walk toward the shade. There are odd formations of stone that resemble large boulders that we can walk between. There’s a long one that looks as if it’s been carved out in the middle and the sand under there is cool.

  Luka turns and puts his hand on my arm. “Are you glad you came with me today?”

  “It’s been really nice. Thank you.”

  “You don’t have to thank me. I should’ve shown you my city a long time ago. There’s so much more to see. Tomorrow we can go to the flower fields. There’s farsynthia as far as you can see.”

  “What’s farsynthia?”

  “The most beautiful, best-smelling flower in an array of colors. You’ve never heard of it?”

  I shake my head. Luka reaches out and pushes back a long strand of my wet hair. My mouth parts and he steps closer, his lips brushing mine. It quickly intensifies and he holds me tighter. I can feel every sensation with only my thin lace and his wet boxer briefs between us. I push back every vow I’ve made to myself about not letting him in and succumb to him. If I can just hold on to my sanity this time. Stay levelheaded…

  “I can’t get
you out of my head, Eden. Let me taste you. Please. I just need a little taste.”

  I moan as he kisses down my neck and falls to his knees. He pulls my lace down and looks up at me before taking a long swipe. I lean my head back on the stone and rock into his mouth. His fingers find me and rub quick little circles while his tongue drives into me slowly, and I look down at him, transfixed.

  He’s relentless.

  Starving.

  He looks up at me and that seals it. I’m gone. I shudder against him, my body falling limp against him. He stands up and I feel him hard against my belly. I can’t stop myself. I pull his briefs down and touch him.

  “I want to take you against this wall.” He grabs my face on either side and pulls my mouth to his.

  I stand on my tiptoes and he shudders into my mouth, lowering just enough to fit his tip inside. As soon as I feel him there, I want all of him.

  “More,” I whisper.

  “God, I can’t take this.” He thrusts into me hard and I cry out. His eyes open. “Did I hurt you?”

  “Harder,” I practically scream.

  In and out, harder, faster. I’m breathless and already so close.

  He bites my lip and really drives into me. It’s like he knows me inside out and gives me exactly what I need. Neither of us last long and when he comes, “Eden,” in a long, drawn-out groan escapes his lips. It sounds so intimate…so meaningful…that I fear I’ll never hear my name again without hearing him saying it just like this.

  When he slips out of me, he holds my cheek and studies me. “Are you okay?”

  I press my lips together and nod. “You?”

  “You’re wrecking me. I hope you know, you are annihilating me.”

  I grin and he presses a quick kiss on my nose.

  * * *

  He grabs our clothes while I wait in the trees, already hot again. I rest on a stone and fan myself with a long leaf. When he gets back, he’s dressed and holds my clothes to his chest.

  “I’m hesitant to give these back. You in all that white is too sexy to cover up.”

  I hold out my hand. “Give ‘em.”

  He rolls his eyes heavenward and holds them out, watching intently as I pull my pants on.