“I’ll try my best. Starting now.” He removed his shoes and socks, kicking them to the side, then pulled his shirt over his head.
“Wait,” she said, raising her voice. “Here? What if someone sees us?”
“Trust me, this place is dead this time of the day. I told my driver to call me if someone approaches. We can quickly take a shortcut to the car and leave.”
“I guess I’m okay with it. If I’m caught naked in public, I can say the king made me do it.”
“Good girl.” He peeled off his jeans and underwear. The idea of skinny-dipping with her awakened his cock, even if he didn’t want to make this about making love. A sense of freedom filled him, and he gazed at her, waiting for her to undress.
She threaded her fingers together, fidgeting, then unfolded them and began to take off her dress. She reached behind and unzipped, the soft fabric sliding off her body in a quick swoosh. Wearing only a lacy bra and panties, she’d never looked lovelier.
“I guess today’s opposite day for me.”
“What’s that?”
“When you do everything differently than you normally would. The pragmatic part of me wouldn’t skinny dip. We have no towels, and what if a stranger steals our clothes?”
“I like opposite day.”
She tossed him a sexy smile that jumpstarted his pulse. “Figured.” She bent a bit, removing her bra first, her beautiful breasts spilling free. Then, she wriggled out of her panties and dropped them to the ground.
“Let’s do this.”
He led the way, with Izzy following close behind him. Soon, cool water surrounded them, as they swam back and forth between the border and the deeper area, where sun bathed a collection of rocks. After a few laps, she treaded water near the rocks. “This is great.”
“Is that your way of saying you don’t like it?”
She frowned.
“Opposite day.”
She chuckled, nudging his chest. “Oh, yeah. I hate being here with you. It’s the worst.”
A jolt of joy loosened his insides, like she had the key to unlock the best part of him. “Right. I’m sorry I ever brought you here.”
She splashed him, and he turned his face to keep it from getting in his eyes. “You’re not as sexy as you think. It’s been a real hardship for me to keep my part of the deal and have sex with you.”
The word deal stung him, but he managed to keep it to himself. Certainly, this was part of the game and not because she didn’t have feelings for him. Damn it, he could see it in her eyes. Why didn’t she see it too? Why didn’t she say it? “Same. I may need a refund.”
She swam over to him, with a promise in her eyes. “Maybe I should try to convince you otherwise,” she said touching his abs, then lowering her hands to his cock. “You know, to keep the customer satisfied.”
He took her against the large rock, and she wrapped her legs around him. His blood rushed to his cock, pounding through his veins, sending his entire body in a hyper sexual alert. Turned on, he captured her plump lips in his, and she started grinding against him, biting his lower lip, showing how much she needed him inside her.
When he broke their kissing rampage, she breathed coarsely, circling her hands around his neck tighter, sending a thrill of awareness to his scalp. He positioned her against the rock, touching the rough surface to make sure it wouldn’t bruise her skin. Then, he brought the tip of his cock to her entrance, teasing her for a bit, brushing it against her engorged clit and wet folds. “Fuck, your pussy feels so good, Izzy.”
“I love doing this, I—”
He eased the tip inside her, hoping she’d finish the sentence with the words he longed to hear. When she didn’t, he slammed the rest of his rod into her, hard and deep to her hilt. She gasped, scratching her nails on his bare shoulder, breaking his skin. He groaned, unsure whether he punished her for being cautious, or himself for being too carefree.
“Nassor, don’t stop.”
He flicked her clit vigorously, in the way he knew would drive her crazy. Groaning, willing himself to delay his own pleasure, he fucked her, ramming in and out of her. She squirmed against him, biting his shoulder, squeezing his arms, and a couple of moans escaped her lips. Sexy, rough sounds from a woman who never ceased to impress him.
“Nassor, I—”
“Say it,” he hissed, withdrawing his cock only to ram hard into her, earning another tortured whimper. “Say it.”
“I…” she started, then reached for him for a kiss, but he jerked his head away.
He slid most of his dick out of her, keeping the tip brushing against her pussy lips but not invading. Sucking in a breath, he ignored the balls of heat thrumming in all his pulse points. Ignored the way his gut clenched tight, every fiber of him painfully attuned to her.
Her eyes darkened. The green iris became the color of the forest, and the brown one melted into an almost black. He watched her, fascinated and scared. She squeezed his shoulder blade, then lifted her chin and said, “I love you.”
He growled, a shot of triumph detonating through his veins, pounding its way through his heart. She pressed her hand onto his neck, tilting his head down, then kissed him. She wrapped him tighter with her legs, and damn it, he felt her inner muscles clinging to his flesh. Her words and now her claim of him sucked the remaining oxygen from his lungs, and when he withdrew his cock, he had to gather all his strength to pound into her again.
She intensified the kiss, their tongues sweeping, meshing, exploring, until she wrenched her mouth from his and moaned loudly, her body trembling, announcing her climax. Unable to resist one more second, he plunged into her pussy one last time, succumbing to the waves of pleasure crashing through him.
…
“What do you have going on today?” Izzy asked after they woke up.
Ever since the previous day, the words she’d uttered slapped her back on the face. I love you. She hadn’t lied, trying to convince herself she had was even more dumb than saying those words. But where did they go from here? Love hadn’t stopped Harold from dying. Love hadn’t stopped Mary from traveling on a trip with no return. Sometimes, love wasn’t enough.
Nassor finished dressing up and glanced at his watch. “Lots of business stuff. How about you? Do you need the driver to take you anywhere?”
“Your mom said she could show me some attractions later.”
“My mom. Be careful. I still think her being nice is too good to be true.”
“She’s probably getting to know me to dig up some dirt she can use against me later,” she said casually, even though she hoped that wasn’t the case. She slid out of the bed and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Queen Kesia had been nice, attentive but not overbearing. Why was it easier not to compliment her?
He smiled. “My mom isn’t evil. She’s just—”
“A mom. I’ll know it someday,” she said, then brushed her teeth violently, wishing she could erase what she just said about being a mom someday. Why the hell did she say that?
The image of her with a couple of children invaded her mind before she could brush it aside. She had never thought about motherhood much. She loved children and didn’t mind babysitting for a colleague, but she’d hate to bring kids into the kind of unstable situation she experienced growing up. She’d never met someone who had her think of having kids with—Nassor, though, would make a good parent. She finished brushing, reached for the clear cup and turned on the tap. He was caring, fair, and had a big heart. When he’d told her about his friend Jonah, she could sense the regret in his voice. The nostalgia.
She was wiping her mouth on the hand towel when a couple of dings announcing text messages caught her attention. Was it her cell phone? No. She’d turned it off to sleep.
Nassor walked into the bathroom. “Vadik, the IT guy, has requested a meeting. I told him to go to my office. Get ready so we can ask
him what he’s got on Obasi.”
“Yes.” She peeled off her nightgown and dashed to the closet, picking the first pair of pants and blouse she spotted.
She slid on her shoes and smoothed her hand over her attire. When they walked through the hallways, she walked one step behind him, as it was the tradition while in public. Only a wife walked alongside the king in public, others—men and women—trailed behind. Wife. Wives.
Would their feelings for each other change anything? Change people’s minds and centuries-old traditions?
When they reached his office, she sat on the chair across from him. She glanced at the pristine desk, at the nicely decorated large interior. The room exuded an old-world charm with modern day technologies. Even though her chair could accommodate another person, she sat at the edge, too nervous to be comfortable.
He texted Vadik, and a few minutes later, the medium-height, glasses-wearing man walked into the office, carrying a briefcase.
“Vadik, this is Ms. Lima. Anything you have to tell me, you can tell her.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, offering his hand.
“You too.” She shook it and shifted in her seat, nervous.
He took the seat next to hers, with Nassor across from them. “I looked into Rasheed’s phone calls and emails, hunting for a liaison with Obasi Akenzua. Unfortunately, I found none. Rasheed used a different man to provide him the sex workers.”
“A different pimp,” she said, frustration throbbing in her temples. A different pig. Madame Alexa’s auction came to mind, but she brushed it aside—Madame Alexa would never hurt any of the auctionees, and drugs were strictly prohibited.
Vadik blushed then glanced down, obviously not used to speaking about such subjects so openly with someone from the opposite sex. “Yes. That. But I was able to check into Rasheed’s pimp information online. He exchanged a couple of emails with Obasi in the past about ongoing rates. So, while they don’t mention any names, they had a connection, which leads me to think…”
“Obasi was also a pimp.” Nassor popped his knuckles.
Disappointment lanced through her heart, and she fell back on the chair. The man Mary had left her for…was a pimp. He had used her. They hadn’t shared a love story or a hot affair. He’d simply used her—but why? “Why did he need to recruit someone from out of the country when he had potential victims here?” she asked out loud.
Nassor’s gaze met hers, a cautionary message sparking in the irises of his cocoa eyes. Clearing her throat, she squared her shoulders, willing herself to be on guard. Nassor probably had given Vadik very little information about the assignment so as not to compromise himself or her.
“What Ms. Lima means is there’s a rumor Obasi was involved in human trafficking.”
Vadik opened his briefcase, pulled a few sheets out and handed them to Nassor, who glanced at them and quickly shared them with her. She looked down at the print copies of what looked like email messages, but didn’t read them because they weren’t in English. “These are the emails between them. Apparently, Obasi flew under the radar and he only had a few high-profile clients. They all looked for different kinds of women. Some a bit older, some white, some with a specific body type. Particular preferences.”
Particular preferences. Izzy balled her fingers into a fist, wishing she could punch the person who deserved a good smacking. How many of these women had played along because of their own free will? How many of them had been fooled and trafficked like endangered animals? Her throat grew thick and dry.
“Is there any possibility you can hack into Obasi’s accounts?” Nassor asked.
“He’s virtually disappeared. I found it hard to find anything on him, besides the deed of a home he bought in the south part of the country, in the woods.”
Nassor rubbed his forehead, then rocked in his chair, letting out a long sigh. “Thank you for your work. Your discretion is paramount in this matter, and I’ll be sure to give you a handsome raise.”
“Oh. Thank you so much for your offer, Your Majesty. I’m honored.” Vadik stood, bowed, and turned to leave, then stopped in his tracks. “My sister—”
“Your sister is welcome to apply to work in the castle if she wants. And one day, she’ll marry whoever she wants,” Nassor said firmly, in a tone that left no doubts.
“Certainly. Thank you, Your Highness. You’ve been very generous.”
“You’re welcome.”
He bowed again and left, closing the door behind him.
“Do you think he’s telling the truth?” She gave him back the papers.
“Yes. He has no reason to lie.”
“So he used my stepmother. Got her over here to sell her to someone. Why?” she asked, even though a part of her already knew. She crossed her legs then uncrossed them, unable to keep still. No position would make this conversation any easier.
He gave her a lingering glance, then stood and walked up to her. “Money. I’m sorry.”
“Can we find out who he sold her to? That bastard is behind her death.”
He squeezed her shoulders. “In a couple of days my security expert will bring him over and we’ll question him. I’ve been in touch with John. He has Obasi. Handcuffed, of course, because the man refused to comply even though John had a royal warrant issued by me.”
She folded her arms. “This is surreal. I can’t imagine the pain she must’ve experienced when she found out it was a lie. It must’ve been devastating. I can’t—”
He sat on the chair next to her and took her hands in his. “Don’t let your mind go to dark places, Izzy. It won’t help. I’m sorry, but we’ll make sure everyone pays for what they’ve done,” he said, and massaged her hands with vigorous strokes, soothing her.
“Thanks. What was he talking about when he mentioned his sister?”
“Oh. Poor fool thought I’d take her as a wife when he told me about Rasheed.”
She motioned to move her hands away, but he continued his caress, prompting her to stay and listen. “Have you met her?”
“Never,” he said, loosening his grip on her.
“Why would he think so?”
“Because we live in the land of arranged marriages, and he wanted to use the leverage to ensure his sister would be married to a royal.”
“I get it.”
A silly smile curled the corner of his lips. “Izzy, I appreciate your jealousy, but there’s no need.”
“I’m not jealous.” She sighed. “Okay, a little. But you’re rich, good-looking, and half of the country—”
“I was once in a room filled with men willing to do anything to bed you. I could have punched every one of them if they dared to come near you.”
Little trills of excitement raced down her spine, chipping at old insecurities. For so long, she had to overcome not being chosen for adoption as a child—wanted and loved by parents who cared about her. Yes, Harold had adopted her, but the wounds ran deep.
Later, after he died so suddenly, she refused to believe in finding a safe place…love. She told herself she didn’t care if a man dated her or even married her one day. In fact, she purposely acted like it didn’t matter.
And now…now Nassor’s words opened a door she had carefully closed and locked for her own self-preservation.
What happens if I completely let him in?
Chapter Fourteen
Nassor opened the door to his bedroom.
For the last several days, he’d ended up sleeping in Izzy’s room. He loved seeing her after a long day. He removed his jacket, and was about to take a hot shower when someone knocked on his door.
He opened it to find his mother standing in front of him.
“May I come in?”
“Sure,” he said, opening the door wide to let her in. After closing it, he strode behind her. “What’s happening?” For the past few days, his mother h
ad been suspiciously quiet. He’d expected her to have criticisms after her phase of “getting to know” Izzy, but she’d surprised him by not meddling. Maybe this is it.
“I wanted to talk to you in private, and I assume you’ve been in enough conferences in your office.”
“True.”
She smiled. “You look good, honey. Happy.”
“What is this about? Izzy? Are you going to try to convince me—”
She tossed her braid to the side. “Give me more credit. I’ve raised a good man. Do you think I’d be so petty as to fool her into thinking I liked her?”
He ran his fingers down his face. He really had no time or will to guess what was in his mother’s mind. “I’d hope not.”
She touched her necklace, playing with the colorful beads made from unique stones. “I’m not going to deny that it would have been easier if you had accepted to marry Morowa and a couple of other great women from prestigious families. But at the end of the day, it’s your life and your decision.”
“Thank you.”
“Have you thought about the practical aspect of this courtship? Are you planning on marrying her?”
“Yes. I’ve been busy with other things, but I want to marry her,” he said. He had waited to propose until everything with her stepmother was sorted out. Somehow, it seemed wrong to take the focus from the reason she’d entered the auction—what had brought them together.
Her eyes sparked with interest. “Will she be the only one?”
“Yes,” he said, no doubt in his mind. He’d face the surprise and maybe shock from his supporters and pundits, but he didn’t see his life any other way. Izzy added more to his life than a handful of wives.
“You’ll need a statement to our people. There may be some havoc at first, but with good public relations you’ll be able to circumvent it.”
“I’ll have it figured out when the time comes.”
“I wanted to give you this…the royal engagement ring.”
Affection clogged his throat, and he had to swallow before speaking. His mother didn’t take matters of the heart lightly, so for her to do this meant she really believed in him and Izzy together. “You really mean it, Mom.”
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