by Louise Rose
He reaches up to play with my nipples, rubbing his thumb over them in tiny little circles that drives me wild.
I reach forward and grab his shoulders to keep my balance, my fingers digging into him as I bite my lip to hold back the screams I need to let out. This is the best sex I have ever had.
Archer moves his hands to grip my thighs, his movements become more urgent as he draws closer to climax. He holds me to him, thrusting up into me and I buck my hips to meet him, the pair of us moving as one.
I feel myself spiralling out of control and as Archer explodes into me, my body is taken over by a powerful orgasm that leaves me trembling.
Our movements slow, and I fall forward onto his chest, my breathing gradually returns to normal.
Archer strokes my hair. “That was incredible, Ivy. Has anyone ever told you how amazing you are? Because you are. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
I raise my head to look up at him, and he takes the opportunity to kiss me lovingly.
“Good. We are doing that again before I have to leave.”
His grin is nothing short of sexy as he flips us over on the couch and grabs another condom.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ivy Archaic
I don’t want Archer to take me home. I want to spend the night with him, wake up in his arms and start the day with even more sex, but for him to keep me would mean my dad freaking the hell out. In Archer’s arms, I almost forget the cage I’m trapped inside of.
“It’s not worth risking,” he tells me. “Your father can decide we’re not allowed to see each other and I can’t bear it if that happens.”
“He can try to stop us seeing each other. Doesn’t mean he will succeed,” I point out.
“Oh, Ivy.” Archer laughs. “Sometimes you’re so naïve. Aside from the fact you live in a virtual fortress which would be almost impossible to escape, your father will stop at nothing to have his way. If we go against his wishes, he’ll make sure we’re both put in our place. I wouldn’t put it past him to start a war between our Houses if I were to continue dating his little girl when he has forbidden it. It’s not worth it. Let’s just play the game his way for now until we’re in a position to go our own way.”
“You’re right,” I sigh, and let him drive me back to my father’s house on the back of his bike, the night sky soothing to look up at. I kiss Archer goodbye outside my father’s house as a guard opens the front door for me. I try walking as quickly as I can to the stairs but just as I lift my foot onto the first step, dad calls me from his office.
Fuckcakes.
“I trust you enjoyed yourself at the Bomber Derby?” he asks as I come into the room. Resting on his nose are a pair of smooth black glasses and he takes them off, placing them on the pile of paperwork on his desk.
“It was alright,” I say, rubbing my arm. “I would rather compete than be a passenger though. Those boys all think they’re so amazing. I would love the chance to put them in their place.”
“From what I heard, you put one of them in hospital,” my father points out with a sinister grin. “My daughter already taking out the Dauphin competition. I love it. Declan is the only heir they have after his three brothers died a few years back in a terrible plane crash.”
The way he says ‘terrible’ makes me think he loves that it happened. Poor Declan. My heart hurts for him.
“That isn’t quite what happened,” I say, clearing my throat. “Declan misjudged a turn and came off his bike. No one is seriously hurt, although his girlfriend broke her arm–if anything, I have to say his pride took the biggest hit.”
“Good. Those Dauphins always are too full of themselves.” My father nods slowly, taking in the latest piece of information. “I called you in here to talk about Archer Knight.”
“What about him?” I try to keep it casual, wondering if he somehow knew we’d slept together, but I’m not a good liar or good at hiding my feelings.
“As you may recall, Archer is working for me as part of an agreement between our two Houses to pay off a debt his dad owes me,” my father states. “As you get older, I’ll start introducing you to the nuances of the inter-House politics. As it currently stands, all you need to know is that things have changed and Archer is no longer working for me. The debt is paid.”
“Oh.” I had to work hard to hold back my smile. If Archer isn’t working for my dad, we’d have a lot more freedom. We can spend more time together, maybe even work up to me staying at his place.
“That’s not all,” my father continues and my smile drops. “I’m afraid that due to current circumstances, you will no longer be permitted to see Archer. I cannot have you falling in love with a Knight anytime soon.”
“What?!” My jaw drops. “You can’t be serious!”
“Deadly,” says my father. “I have already checked with Mr Pilkington, who assures me you do not have any classes with Archer, so it should be a simple matter to avoid him while at the Academy. And whilst I am sympathetic to your need to have a social life outside of school, you are to avoid Archer should you encounter him while at a party or another Bomber Derby.”
“No way.” I shake my head, resolute. “You can’t stop me seeing him.”
“I would have thought you’d be happy.” There is a twinkle in my father’s eye as he spoke that suggested he knew more about my relationship with Archer than he is letting on. “I mean, the boy did kidnap you, whisk you away from your old life without warning. He tied you up and brought you to me without question simply because I asked him to. I would have thought someone so weak-willed and willing to do anything to make a good impression on me would be someone you’d be more than happy to avoid.”
“It’s like you said. Circumstances change,” I tell him. “I’ve had a chance to get to know Archer and he explained everything. He’s not a bad person. He did what he thought was right. He looks up to you, respects you. He wants to build a strong connection between our Houses. Heck, I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“Circumstances change,” my father smirks. “The tides are constantly shifting between our Houses as the balance of power waxes and wanes. Your loyalty is to our House, first and foremost. And given that, I must insist that you keep your distance from the Knight boy or I will have to take further measures. And trust me, Ivy. You really don’t want to push me on this. Don’t the houses have two other young heirs you like? Pick one of them, they are agreeable.”
“But-” I try and fail to think of a good counter argument, but I have nothing.
“Not buts. Honestly, you sound like your mother,” he huffs, his eyes narrowing on me.
“Why did my mother leave you?” I ask and silence answers me.
“To protect you. She chose you over me,” he eventually spits out. “She told me I was her king and nothing would ever get in the middle of us and then she chose you.”
“She never moved on. I mean there was no one else for her…” I decide to tell him, hoping if I try to build bridges between us, he might not treat me so coldly. “She was beautiful and could have anyone she wanted, but she didn’t.”
His eyes look away from me to the cabinet on the wall, making me wonder what is in there. “Your mother was beautiful even from a young age. I remember seeing her for the first time and no riches my family had ever shown me compared to her.”
“You knew her as a child?” I question and he turns to me, his expression cold once more.
“Yes, she worked with her mother as a maid in my father’s house. When her mother died when she was fifteen, my father let her stay in the apartment on our lands,” he explains to me. “I stabbed my father in the back when I was eighteen because he would not let me marry your mother.”
Cold disgust shocks me silent.
“Do you now understand what lengths I will go to get what I want, Ivy?”
My shoulders fall, and my head droops in defeat. “All right,” I say. “I’ll stay away from Archer. But what about Milly? She’s my best friend
, and it’s not like I have plenty of other friends to hang out with.”
“You may continue to see Milly at school,” my father says. “But you are to keep your conversations solely to matters of the academy. Should she try to talk to you about her brother, you are to walk away immediately, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Like you’d know what we talk about, anyway.
As if he could read my mind, my father goes on. “Don’t even think about disobeying my orders while you’re at the Academy,” he warns. “I have eyes and ears everywhere. You might think you can defy me, but I will know what’s going on and I will take drastic measures if I have to.”
“Yes, Dad.” I keep my gaze low, not wanting to look him in the face. I may be too tempted to slap that smirk away. “I’ll stay away from Archer and I’ll only talk to Milly about school stuff.”
“Good girl.” My father nods his approval. “You can go to your room now. After all the excitement you’ve been through tonight, you must be exhausted.”
“Yes, Dad. Good night.”
I turn and go to my room feeling like my heart is breaking. How can my father take away the one good thing in the cage he has put me in?
In that moment, I knew I was going to escape the first chance I got. I have been lulled into a false sense of security in the mistaken belief that maybe I can make the most of being in this crazy town. But there is no future for me here.
There is no way I am going to live with a crazed megalomaniac for a second longer than I have to. I have to find some way to get a message to Archer without my father knowing. Maybe we can get on the back of his bike and drive off into the sunset together.
Yeah, right.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ivy Archaic
I sleepwalk my way through the rest of that week at school. Clearly, Archer received the same warning I had because he kept his distance. On the one hand, I am glad he is making it easy for me to obey my father, but part of me wishes he had fought harder for me. We’d slept together, shared something really special, dammit. How can anyone simply turn their back on that?
Milly is distant, too, which saddens me. I know I am her only true friend. Her father must have done a real number on her to make her stay away from me.
Seeing her walk past me, I reach out and grab her arm, pulling her behind the lockers.
“Come on, Milly,” I say, exasperated. “Don’t be like this. Talk to me. We don’t have to play by our father’s stupid rules.”
“Spoken like someone who never grew up here.” Milly is cold, and for the first time I get the sense that there is a backbone in there after all, which makes me wonder why she let those other girls bully her all the time. “Ivy, if we don’t have our House, we have nothing. I’m a Knight and Knights stick together, no matter what. I’m sorry if your feelings have been hurt, but that’s not my problem. It’s best for both of us if we just keep our distance.”
“Fine.” My jaw clenches and I don’t know whether to cry, slap her, or both.
Milly turns to leave, but she stops and lowers her gaze. “If it’s worth anything,” she says, “Archer really does-did care about you. He’s sorry things had to end this way. But you have to understand, Ivy, that if our families don’t want a union between two heirs, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
I frown. “There’s always something you can do if you want someone bad enough.”
“Not in King Town.”
Suddenly, Milly threw her arms around my neck, squeezing me tight.
“Pretend you’re doing as you’re told,” she whispers in my ear. “Archer’s working on a solution. Trust him, okay? He knows way more than you about working things out between the Houses.”
She steps back and this time she really does walk away, leaving me more confused than ever.
Taylor, Ally’s BFF, comes over to get something from her locker. “What’s up?” she asks. “Worried your boyfriend’s going to lose the race this weekend again?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I say. “And if there’s a race this weekend, he’s the one who needs to be worried.”
With Declan still recovering from his injuries, the regular Bomber Derby is put on hold until he is ready to participate again. With Romy in no mood to host parties and everyone needing a distraction from school, we decide to hold a regular street race. No holds barred, anyone who wants to is allowed to participate.
And I want to.
My father raises an eyebrow when I ask him for a motorbike, but he seems pleased I am finally asking him for something. Much as I have sworn I to never take advantage of his money, I’m determined to prove myself equal to the boys.
I have ridden pillion plenty of times–but I have also had lessons from one of my boyfriends while I was living with Katy. What none of the other Houses know is that I am pretty good on a bike myself. Having had a chance to watch Romy and Archer in action, I’m confident I can beat the pair of them in a race–and I am seriously looking forward to it.
As I pull up to the starting line on my Honda Blackbird, I can’t help but laugh at the astonished looks on everyone’s faces.
“What’s the matter?” I ask. “You do know girls can ride motorbikes, right? This is the twenty-first century!”
Romy recovers from the shock first. “I’d hate to see that pretty face all messed up from an accident,” he says.
“Worry about your own pretty face,” I counter. “What about you, Archer? Think you can handle being beaten by a girl?”
“Bring it on,” he shrugs, but his eyes can’t stop roaming over my tight leather clothes.
Carly, one of the girls from my politics class, comes over, helmet in hand.
“Ready, Archer?”
“Sure.”
My stomach clenches as I watch Carly climb up behind Archer to ride pillion in the race. If he is trying to come up with a way to let us be together, he has a funny way of going about it.
“Cheer up, Buttercup,” says Romy. “Archer isn’t worth mooning over. People say I’m the Casanova of the Academy, but the truth is Archer has broken way more hearts than I have. At least with me, everyone knows where they stand. Archer likes to pretend he’s in love, when really he’s just a player.”
“Is that right?” I rev my Honda. “Well, the player’s about to get played.”
A horn blares, the signal for all the competitors to line up at the start.
“Ladies first!” jeers one of the lads, deliberately pulling his bike back to let me go to the front.
“Take care of yourself, little girl. Don’t want you getting hurt racing with the big boys,” adds another.
“That’s for your concern,” I drawl. I don’t to need a head start, but if they are stupid enough to give me one, I’m not going to say no.
The street is a lot more crowded than at the Bomber Derby because of the lesser House members desperate to take advantage of the opportunity to gain some street cred by placing well in the race. There is no doubt going to be more than a few crashes tonight as bikers jostle for pole position, but I have no intention of getting caught up in any of them. I plan on being too busy winning to care what happens to anyone else.
“Are you all ready?” Taylor cries, the self-appointed referee. “Three… two… one… GO!”
A horn blares again. Tires screech as they fight to get traction and as one, we all lurch forward.
Romy comes up next to me, matching my speed.
“It’s not too late to drop out!” he yells over at me. “There’s no shame in staying safe.”
“Take your own advice,” I shout back, opening up the throttle and pulling ahead of him. I wish I could see his look of surprise when I take the first bend way ahead of him, but I’m too focused on the road ahead to risk it.
I hit a straight stretch of road and push the bike as hard as I can, dust flying everywhere. It has been a while since I’ve ridden and I’m loving the sensation of the powerful beast between my legs, completely under my c
ontrol. This is way more fun than riding pillion.
“Watch your back!”
Suddenly, Archer speeds past me. His shouted warning breaks my concentration and I wobble a little, but I quickly get the bike back on track. Hunching forward, I urge more speed out of the bike, as we get to another corner.
Archer takes it at high speed, leaning so far to the side his passenger could put her hand down to feel the pavement beneath them.
I slow a little, knowing there are a couple more tight turns to follow and wanting a little space between us so I can take advantage of any potential gaps.
Being in front is Archer’s comfort zone, but I am used to biding my time and waiting for an opportunity, so I fall back a little more, lulling him into a false sense of security. Then, as we come out onto another straight, I kick things up a notch, coming up on Archer’s inside so tight I can feel the rush of air as I pass him and then cut in front of him, ready for the next turn.
“Bitch!” Carly yells, as I raise my hand to flip them off.
I can feel Archer hot on my heels as I take the next corner. The finish line is up ahead and I give it everything I have, desperate to prove I have what it takes to win.
Archer edges closer and closer, pushing his bike to its limits, but I cross the finish line just before him.
“Yes!” I pull the bike up to a screeching halt. Pulling off my helmet, I fist bump the air in celebration as Archer pull in behind me, face black as thunder.
“What are you celebrating for?” asks Taylor.
“I just won,” I reply. “That’ll show all those misogynist arseholes who think a woman shouldn’t be able to compete.”
“I hate to break it to you, but you haven’t won anything,” says Taylor smugly.
“What are you talking about? I crossed the finish line before Archer. Nobody else is anywhere near us.”
“You’ve been disqualified,” Taylor says. “You cut in front of Archer. That’s a clear case of bad sportsmanship and we don’t allow that in our races.”