by Terri Lane
“Come here,” she purred, pulling him close to her. He picked her up by the hips. She wrapped her legs around his waist, finding the tip of his penis at her opening.
“You’re dripping wet,” he said, his nose against hers, his mouth just touching hers. She could taste her own juices on his lips as they kissed. She moaned as he slowly lowered her onto his penis. He moved her up and down, leaning her against the wall. He moved her faster and faster as they both began to cry out.
Spent from first fighting, and then fucking, they lay on his silk sheets. Ra wrapped his arms around her, drifting off to sleep. She extricated herself from his grasp. The King, she thought with pride. He would be a good king. He was strong and fair and confident. She wasn’t sure how the public would handle the king and his brother sharing a woman. A woman who was a Necromancer, no less. She kissed Ra on the cheek. In his sleep, he smiled.
She wrapped herself in a blanket and left his room, making her way back up the tower steps to check on Charlie. He was awake, sitting up in his bed. He smiled when he saw her.
“You’re not wearing your gloves,” she said lightly. He smiled.
“No,” he replied. “I think it’s lessened.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning in concern.
“Ever since you brought me back, when I died,” he said. “It’s less than it was.” They sat in silence for a moment.
“You know the first time that we kissed?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied.
“You asked me to put my hands on you,” he said, looking at her, pain in his eyes. “I never wanted to do something more.”
“Do it, Charlie,” she said. She stood up, unwrapping the blanket from her body. His eyes travelled hungrily over her skin. “Touch me.”
He placed his hands on her abdomen. The electricity was gone, or held in check. As he ran the flat of his palms over her skin, it raised goosebumps over her flesh. He leaned forward, kissing her on the sternum, trailing kisses in between her breasts. He pulled her closer to him. He looked up at her, smiling.
“I love you, Nessa.”
“I love you, Charlie.” He pulled her onto the bed with him, and he leaned over her.
“What do you want me to do?” He asked.
“Make love to me,” she said. He did—it was slow, therapeutic. They kissed deeply, passionately. When they both came, it was heady, causing her to writhe in pleasure beneath him. He let himself down beside her, wrapping his arm around her abdomen, placing his chin on her shoulder. She tilted her head to the side to look at him.
“What’s next?” She asked.
“Ra becomes King,” he said.
“Already happened,” she said. “You slept through it.”
“Ah, well,” he shrugged. “I suppose we begin to study Necromancy. We need to see what your powers can do.”
“And then what?” Nessa asked.
“We live happily ever after,” he whispered.
“Sounds good,” she said, covering his lips with hers. She could feel him letting his power loosen a bit, a vision emanating from him. She smiled.
Epilogue
Nessa and Charlie stood to the side of the throne. Ra sat upon it, the large golden crown being set upon his head by the court herald. He held in one hand, a sword—not the one from the cursed tomb, a ceremonial one. In his other hand, he held a massive, jeweled scepter. He was dressed all in gold, except for the deep crimson cape line in ermine. As the court herald stepped away from him, he bowed. He then turned to the large gathering of the court.
“All Hail King Imrahil,” he pronounced.
“All Hail the King,” the court intoned. Nessa and Charlie looked over at Ra. He looked stern as he glanced out over all who were gathered. He glanced over at them and grinned widely. They smiled back at him. Charlie reached out and grabbed Nessa by the hand.
“Are you wearing your gloves again?” She asked.
“Never know if someone is going to try to shake me by the hand,” he said wryly.
“Well, he’s going to be insufferable,” Nessa mumbled.
“He was always insufferable,” Charlie replied.
“What will we do with him?” Nessa asked.
“Go get him his cursed sword,” Charlie said, and they both laughed. Ra stood, walking down from his throne. He was surrounded by well-wishers. Charlie offered Nessa his arm, and they walked among the crowd.
“You look beautiful,” he said. She looked down at her golden gown, which had a tight bodice and sleeves covered in seed pearls. The skirts were voluminous, as requested, since there was to be dancing again.
“Thank you,” she said. “You don’t look so bad, yourself.” He smiled. He was wearing a simple black suit. Charlie hated ostentation. Ra was the one who loved it. They were passing a group of female courtiers, all dressed in silks and brocades, their faces painted heavily with makeup.
“There she is,” one of the women stage-whispered. “Evidently, she’s sleeping with both of them.” The women all gasped. Nessa froze. Gossips. The thing that she had dreaded.
“Nessa,” Charlie said, drawing her out of her horror and embarrassment. She looked over at him. He raised his hand to her cheek and kissed her passionately, in front of the whole court. The women gasped scandalously. Nessa smiled as she kissed Charlie back. She pulled away, then whispered in his ear, “Thank you.” He nodded.
“Nessa! Charlie!” Ra bellowed, coming toward them. He had heard, as well. He grabbed Nessa by the shoulders, kissing her on the lips. He whispered in her ear, “That will keep them talking for ages. But wait, watch this.” She looked at him, eyes wide as he grabbed his brother by the shoulders, and kissed him on the lips as well.
“Disgusting,” Charlie said, and both brothers began to laugh hysterically. Nessa shook her head. The ladies were all talking. Nessa glanced over at them. They all stopped, eyes wide. She smiled and waved at them. They commenced gossiping.
“One thing that will, unfortunately, never change, Nessa,” Ra said. “They will always talk.”
“Something I’ll have to get used to,” she replied. He placed her hand on his arm. She took Charlie’s arm with her other.
“So, have you thought anymore about the queenship?” Ra asked hopefully. Nessa shot him a look.
“You choose: cursed sword or queen,” she responded. “I’ll only do one.”
THE END
= Bonus Book 9 of 20 =
A True Billionaire’s Heart
It was one of those days when even the gorgeous Scandinavian-style shops lined up on the streets and the ordinarily refreshing ambience of small town Solvang in California couldn’t give Tasha the peace of mind she wanted.
Jittery was the perfect word to describe her at that very moment as she strolled down the familiar street on a quiet Tuesday morning.
“Relax, will you?” Her best friend Alex said. “Look around you! It’s a beautiful sunny day!”
Tasha whipped around and rolled her blue eyes at her friend. “It’s always a beautiful sunny day in Solvang, Alex.”
“Well, yeah…” Alex said cheerfully. “Then we should always feel ‘beautiful sunny’ too, right? Isn’t that why you dragged me here?”
“Yes, but today’s different, okay.” Tasha suddenly stopped walking. “Seriously, Alex, how do I look?”
Alex paused and took the time to look her up and down, her dark brown eyes narrowing with concentration.
Tasha felt nervous even though she’d taken great effort to put together her corporate close-the-deal outfit with new stilettos to match, along with YouTube-inspired DIY hair and makeup.
“You look fine,” Alex said after about a minute.
“Fine?!” Tasha repeated in panic, her confidence level dropping even more. “That’s not good enough for a meeting with a billionaire!”
Alex laughed. “I’m kidding, Tash. You look amazing! You always do, really. But today, you’re just drop-dead impressive. And when you show that real estate dude your stuff,
I’m sure he’ll go running after you, business-wise and love life-wise!”
That made Tasha laugh, easing her tension just a tiny bit. “Shut up, Alex! Mr. Walton is a very old man!”
“His son’s damn good-looking!” Alex said. “I just saw him on the news, and I heard he’s taking over the entire business empire.”
“Alexandra!” Tasha exclaimed in pretend shock.
“Natasha!” Alex said loudly, copying her tone of voice mockingly.
Tasha laughed even more. “You know I’m not interested in any romance at the moment. And besides, I doubt someone like that would have any interest in me.”
Alex gave her a little push. “You know, that comment will never be made by the new Tasha!”
Tasha paused, biting her lower lip. “You’re right,” she admitted. “The old Tasha can be so stubborn sometimes, trying to resurface at times when she should just be hiding.”
Now it was Alex who gave a hearty laugh, her dark brown eyes twinkling as her short brown hair danced in the wind.
It’s been a year since Tasha Winters had moved into this beautiful upscale town of Danish descent, a dream come true for a simple young woman who wanted to pursue and live in extravagant success. Nestled in the midst of a mountainous countryside, with almost never-failing sunny weather, Tasha had instantly fallen in love with the place the first time she’d visited it many years ago.
At first, she had hesitated because that visit had been with someone she wanted to forget. But the charming town with its wonderful vineyards and orchards had still won her over despite the bittersweet memories it had dug up inside of her.
It had been a hell of a great year, working from home and having the time freedom to explore and enjoy the wonderful town. Her business was growing in leaps, gaining more clients within just a short period of time.
She’d made friends with some neighbors and the locals she often got to talk to in shops. But of course there were still some lonely nights when she’d call up her only family: her older sister, Tyra, who lived all the way in Singapore with her husband and two kids.
Just a month earlier, though, she had convinced her longtime best friend to leave their hometown and join her. Because Alex had recently broken up with her boyfriend, she’d finally decided to make the move too.
It was the perfect set-up for them, sharing a dainty, little home that Tasha had saved up for with her flourishing web development business. Meanwhile, Alex had conveniently found a job working as a manager in one of the local restaurants.
Paul’s Pancakes, the famous touristy restaurant where Alex worked, was thankfully not that crowded yet. The rustic colorful tables and the white wooden walls with hanging frames of positive quotes helped a bit to lift Tasha’s spirits.
While Alex went on duty, Tasha settled into her favorite spot beside a large window, trying to calm her nerves with her favorite hot chocolate drink. She tried to drink in the marvelous view of nature outside, with the green oaks and multicolored Danish houses seemingly beaming against a backdrop of mountains.
“You sure you don’t want pancakes with that?” Alex asked when she came back to check on her.
Tasha shook her head with a smile. She looked cool and composed on the outside, but her blue eyes reflected her uneasiness. Her wavy light brown hair was prettied up in a classic French bun, unlike her usual wild and messy ‘do.
“You’ll knock ‘em dead, Tasha,” Alex said, squeezing her friend’s hand. “You always do.”
Tasha felt the intense warmth, trust, and sincerity emanating from Alex. A surge of conviction filled her.
“You’re right,” she told Alex. “I’m going to close this deal.”
*
Tasha didn’t expect to be picked up by a black limousine with an actual uniformed chauffeur. Even in this upscale town, this scene wasn’t ordinary. Heads turned as she self-consciously climbed onto the spacious back seat.
“Make yourself comfortable, Madame,” the chauffeur told her from the front section of the long vehicle. “It’s a one-hour drive to the airport.”
“Airport?” Tasha gasped in surprise.
“You’ll be meeting Mr. Walton in his New York office,” was the brief explanation of the middle-aged, gentlemanly driver. “Feel free to enjoy the amenities of the ride.”
Tasha opened her mouth for another question, but the chauffeur had already closed the window between them.
“New York!” she exclaimed with disbelief. The office representative she had talked to had not informed her about it. She’d had the impression she was to meet her potential new billionaire client in Los Angeles.
A mixture of excitement and nervousness made her heart beat harder. She looked around then and was filled with awe too. The limousine’s deluxe interior was lined with plush leather, with an array of business and personal development books and CDs, a multimedia entertainment system, a mini refrigerator with wine and snacks, and a lot more.
Tasha smoothed down her cobalt blue blazer and tan slacks before crossing her legs and leaning back on the lengthy L-shaped sofa to feel like a real billionaire. Reveling in the feeling, she took a wine glass from the cabinet and poured a generous amount of the expensive white wine. As she slowly sipped, she could sense her anxiety melting away. She also tasted the chocolate-coated strawberries and teeny weeny cheese crackers she found with the wine.
Heavenly, she thought with satisfaction and bliss. She closed her eyes and imagined herself living the wealthy lifestyle she had always yearned for.
“We’ll make history together, Tasha…” That familiar voice suddenly appeared in her head. A memory she had long buried deep in her soul.
Her eyes popped open. She frowned as a picture of his loving brown eyes came to her head. She pushed the thought away and tried to focus on the exciting opportunity awaiting her in New York. Soon enough, she found herself wondering what an actual billionaire would look like and sound like up front. The possibility thrilled her. A whirlwind vision of promising developments for her company made her forget about the man who had hurt her long ago.
She almost couldn’t believe it when she found herself in a private jet an hour later. The modern, lavish interior was even more impressive than that of the limousine. It looked like she’d been transported to a small-sized elegant penthouse.
Wow, she thought, giddy like a teenager in love.
After basking in the beauty and sophistication of the room, she settled into the La-Z-Boy chair beside one of the windows. Looking at the clouds zooming past, she reclined the chair a bit and grinned widely. “I can get used to this,” she said to herself.
And as she relished the wonders of the billionaire lifestyle, she found herself dreaming even bigger dreams than she’d ever imagined.
“Would you like something for brunch, Madame?”
Tasha turned around in surprise. She hadn’t realized there was someone else on board apart from the pilot and herself. A lady food server in uniform held out a tray of mini sandwiches, cake slices, and fruits. Very tempting.
Thinking of her diet, she was about to say no. But then, she realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! On second thought, she smiled and nodded.
The woman took out a makeshift table from one of the walls and placed it beside her. She placed the tray of delicious food on top. “What drink would you like? We have fresh orange juice, lemonade, coffee, soda…”
“Uh, just warm water, please,” Tasha said before the lady server could finish. She didn’t want to feel too stuffed or she might run into a problem during the meeting.
During the rest of the short trip, Tasha decided to review her presentation as she munched on the yummy treats. By the time they landed, she felt ready and confident enough to face the owner of the world’s largest real estate empire.
As Tasha stood on the pavement in front of the enormous Walton Enterprises building, she took a moment to look around and savor the Big Apple environment. She had only been to New York a few times before, and e
ach visit always amazed her.
The headquarters of the world-famous Walton hotels and real estate developments loomed above her, making her feel quite small. But she knew she shouldn’t be thinking that way. After all, out of all the proposals they probably received on a regular basis, her company had been the one they had picked out to grant a meeting to. For all she knew, this was probably just for formality’s sake.
She squared her shoulders and sauntered to the front door, guided by a friendly assistant who had been awaiting her arrival. One mistake and she’d lose this deal. She couldn’t afford to make even the slightest blunder or her dreams for her company would go crumbling down.
It wasn’t long before she was ushered into a huge, elegant office with its own living area and dining setup.
A tall man with broad shoulders stood behind a classic shiny wooden desk, looking out the spectacular view of the city from the 28th floor of the building.
Tasha’s heart began to pound. She felt her palms growing sweaty. This is it. I’ve got to nail this.
The assistant gave her a smile and a nod before leaving the room.
Not sure what to do, Tasha slowly approached the desk, admiring not just the grandeur of the office but the obviously fit physique of the old man.
“Uh, Mr. Walton?” she said hesitantly upon halting a few inches from his desk.
He turned around then.
She almost gasped when she saw that it was a much younger man than who she’d expected. Was this the Bret Walton Alex had been talking about?
She’d seen him in some pictures but had not paid that much attention because she had been too preoccupied with learning more about their company and assets. She knew he had the looks of a Hollywood celebrity, but she wasn’t prepared for the heart-thumping, mind-boggling effect he’d have on her up close.