by Anna Lewis
The final surrender approached, causing her to clench down into his shoulder as her pelvis tightened. A knot formed in her solar plexus that grew in intensity until she released it. Electricity suddenly pulsed through every limb of her body, causing a fit of spasms to take over. Above her, Robin watched her release with excitement, his expression contorting as his thrusts increased. Within moments, he was shivering hard and grunting, his own climax taking over as hers calmed.
While laughing, he collapsed on the bed next to her and pulled her into a warm embrace. His nose sought her neck and buried himself into her skin, the feeling of his breath against her soothing her immediately. She giggled.
“That was beautiful, Nina,” he said.
“It was exactly what I needed,” she said.
“I agree,” he added.
She took a deep breath to level her breathing, beads of sweat decorating her forehead as the prince traced circles around her stomach.
“What should we do now?” she asked.
The prince sighed and rested his chin on her shoulder. She turned to look at him. Green eyes drank in her appearance, seeming to get lost in hers. He smiled drunkenly.
“We don't have to do anything, my love,” he replied.
“Really?” she asked.
“Of course not. We can lay here all night and order room service if you want,” he replied.
“I like the idea of the pool you mentioned earlier,” she admitted.
“Well, then we can do that,” he said.
She frowned while looking up at the ceiling.
“I don't have a swimsuit, Robin,” she said.
“So? I'll buy you one. Whatever one you want,” he said.
She smiled and turned her gaze to his.
“You don't have to do that,” she said.
“I know, but I want to,” he said with a grin.
Nina giggled.
“You're spoiling me,” she said. “And I think I like it.”
“Good. You should get used to me spoiling you. I want you to feel like a princess,” he said.
She giggled again.
“Well, it seems to be working,” she said.
“Let's get dressed, darling. We'll get you something to wear for dinner and then we'll have a swim,” he said. “How does that sound?”
“That sounds amazing.”
***
After their brief shopping trip, Robin treated Nina to a complete make-over. Her new hair felt soft and fine between her fingers, flowing like a river over her bare shoulders. The dark green mermaid dress she was wearing sparkled under the dim light of the restaurant, glasses clinking around them as she stared across the table with a goofy grin.
“I feel fancier than usual,” she admitted.
“Is that such a bad thing?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“It's just something I'm not used to,” she replied.
“I have lived in the wealthy world for years. It's what I've been accustomed to. I don't know how else to live, honestly,” he admitted.
“So, if you were to ever lose your title, you wouldn't be able to adapt?” she asked.
“I've never thought about that. I have thought about having a family, about fulfilling my role as a potential future king, and about how I might help bring more peace to more countries,” he replied.
“I think those are noble goals, Robin,” she said.
“It would make the world a better place, no?” he posed.
She smiled.
“It would. I admire that about you,” she said.
“Nina, I should be quite frank. I've been searching for a long time for someone with whom I'm compatible,” he explained.
She set her champagne down on the table, gripping the cloth of her dress while her eyes began to widen.
“This search has come to an end today. I know my life wouldn't be complete without a fine woman such as yourself, someone who is grounded and quite obviously a hard worker. I think you would make an amazing leader,” he went on.
“Robin, what are you saying?” she asked, the edges of her mouth twitching.
“I'm saying the reason I'm trying to treat you like a princess—” he said as he reached into his suit jacket, “—is because I want to make you one.”
Nina gasped. Her hands covered her face as tears made their way down her cheeks, staring at the ruby sitting in the center of the miniature velvet box. Silence surrounded them as the prince awaited her response. He implored her with his eyes, his brows furrowing together.
“Yes!” she cried while reaching over the table. “Absolutely, yes!”
The vase in the center of the table fell over and spilled water everywhere, but the two disregarded it. Robin stood to embrace his new fiancé, laying kisses all over her face as the guests in the restaurant applauded their new engagement. When he pulled away, he carefully slid the beautiful ring over her finger and she smiled through tears as he leaned down to kiss her again.
After their embrace, she returned to her chair and started cleaning up the mess from the vase. A waiter quickly approached and insisted he clean up, congratulating the two on their engagement. When the mess was clean, she propped her elbows up on the table and rested her hand on her chin, smiling at her future husband sitting across the table.
“You're sneaky,” she whispered.
“You like it,” he responded.
She nodded.
“And now I've lost my appetite because of the excitement,” she admitted.
“Oh, darling. You should eat something before we head out to celebrate,” he said.
“Celebrate?” she asked.
“We should invite your friends and have them meet us somewhere downtown. A nice place that can accommodate for a large party,” he said.
“That sounds like a lovely idea,” she said.
“Invite your sister—or your friend—Allyah,” he said.
Nina closed her eyes slowly and lowered her head, opening them to look at the ring on her hand that was resting on the table.
“She was pretty upset with me earlier,” she said.
“What happened?” he asked, reaching over to take her hand.
“I made a mistake in the kitchen which I don't normally do because I was preoccupied with our lunch arrangement,” she replied. “And now I'm not sure if I still have a job.”
“That's silly. You two sounded like you were so close. It was no wonder you called her your sister,” he said.
“Well, of course. She's been there for me so many times,” she said.
“Then, call her. I'm sure she'll accept an apology, and I know she'll be happy about your good news,” he said.
Nina shrugged.
“I don't want to bother her,” she said.
“Listen, Nina. You only have a handful of good people who come into your life and make a difference. She sounds like she's one of those people. Don't let the distance grow between you,” he advised.
Nina smiled while looking at their intertwined hands, running her fingers over the textured skin of his knuckles.
“You're right,” she admitted. “I'll call her when we're finished eating.”
“That's the spirit,” he said while sitting back.
When they pulled away, the waiter approached and took their order, making sure to bring them a new table cloth that was no longer soaked in champagne and water. A new bottle of champagne was brought to them as well, free of charge, and set in ice next to their table. The rest of their dinner was spent making jokes and laughing loudly, eliciting some stares from nearby tables.
Nina ignored it. She was having far too much fun to care about what anyone else thought. Though they were being particularly loud, it was the most happiness she had ever felt in her life. She felt open and free, utterly beautiful and unhinged, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of that.
After dinner, they retreated back to the prince's room and sat on the bed. Nina procured her phone from her bag and started scrol
ling through her contacts, sending a mass text inviting a number of people to meet them at one of the more upscale bars downtown. The last person on her list was Allyah.
The phone rang for a few minutes and then clicked, Nina holding her breath as Allyah responded:
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl,” Nina said carefully. “How are you?”
“Hey...” Allyah whispered. “I thought you wouldn't call.”
“Why would you think that?” Nina asked.
“Well, we were a bit heated earlier,” Allyah replied.
“Yeah, I guess we were,” Nina whispered. “But that's over with now.”
“That's true. I'm sorry I got so angry with you. That kitchen makes me frustrated sometimes,” Allyah said.
“I understand. I'm not worried about it. I know you care about my work and my performance, so I get why you reacted that way,” Nina said.
“I'm glad you understand. This is why you're one of my best workers,” Allyah said.
“I like to think we're more than just co-workers,” Nina said, rubbing the fabric of her dress.
“I think that as well, Nina. I think you're one of my best friends,” Allyah said.
Nina smiled.
“I'm glad you think that,” she said. “Because I do have amazing news and I need you to be with me when we go out to celebrate.”
“What's that?” Allyah asked.
“I'm engaged,” Nina replied.
A squeal came from the other end of the phone and Nina held it away from her ear while cringing.
“Seriously?! He proposed?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes, he did! You have to come to Night Circle. We're going to celebrate. I need you there with me,” Nina replied. “And you need to see this ring.”
She looked at Robin who smiled warmly.
“Of course, I'll be there! Give me some time to get ready. What are we wearing? Fancy stuff?” Allyah asked.
“Whatever you want. Fancy is fine,” Nina replied.
“What are you wearing?” Allyah asked.
“A mermaid gown,” Nina replied.
“Okay, so I have to wear something really nice. Got it,” Allyah said jokingly.
Nina laughed.
“I'll see you soon,” she said.
“Thirty minutes, tops,” Allyah claimed before the line clicked.
Nina set her phone down on the bed, looking over at the man who was changing her world by the minute.
“What?” he asked after a few minutes.
She shook her head.
“You're just amazing,” she said. “Everything you do surprises me.”
“I'm glad you're enjoying it,” he said.
“Who said I was enjoying it?” she joked.
The prince leaned over with a mischievous grin and pinned her to the bed, laying kisses all over her collar bone and breasts. She giggled and pushed his head.
“Don't get us started on round two. We're expected somewhere,” she said.
“You don't think we have time for one more?” he teased.
His hand rested gently over her stomach, massaging it through her dress.
“Robin, you're a beast,” she giggled. “But I think we can manage.”
With a grin, she lifted the hem of her dress up and guided his hand down to her feminine portal where his fingers began to dance. She cupped his face and rested her lips on his, enjoying the sensation of his pushing his fingers inside. Everything felt like it was falling into perfect harmony. She embraced him as he pleased her, moans slowly taking over the silence of the room.
They rolled across the bed, bodies tangled together in ecstatic bliss as their moans rose up to the ceiling. Hands dipped down into secret places and elicited moans as mouths collided. A phone rang in the corner, but the two happily ignored the noise. Their eyes were focused only on each other, pupils dilating to take in every bit of the other. Skin crackled with desire and eyes fluttered as they remained entwined, the reality surrounding them melting to reveal only them embracing.
And in that moment, they became one.
THE END
= Bonus Book 9 of 12 =
Between Dragons Fire
The first thing Amaya Bond noticed when she regained consciousness was not the cold night air, the tightness of the silver cords that bound her wrists, nor the rough stone that dug into her back.
It was the wings.
The sound of leathery wings beating somewhere overhead, close enough and large enough to be heard over the city sounds that echoed up from the busy Manhattan streets over a thousand feet below.
Craning her head back as far as she could, Amaya tried to scan the night sky for the source of the sound to see if she could draw some logical conclusion as to why it seemed like a giant bat was swooping low over New York City. Her efforts were rewarded by a sharp burst of pain as her head collided with solid stone back of the chair.
Why was there a roughly hewn stone chair on the spacious rooftop patio of her father’s chic Manhattan skyscraper? Amaya had designed the décor of the patio herself, and she definitely didn’t remember adding an ugly granite monstrosity to the final design.
The beating of the wings faded into the distance and all of Amaya’s other senses kicked in to fill the void. It was freezing, the December air bit through the thin white silk of the evening gown her father had insisted that she wear to his annual Winter Solstice soiree. The cold marble of the chair was unforgiving against her slender body. The edge of the seat bit into the back of her thighs. She tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position, but her wrists and ankles were bound; impossibly thin silver cords lashed her tightly to the chair.
The last thing Amaya remembered, her father had been toasting her with a glass of dry champagne. She had taken a sip from her own glass and then darkness had fallen.
“Father!” Amaya shouted, but her voice was swallowed by the winter wind and the ominous flapping sound, coming nearer again.
There was no voice in reply, just the beating of wings, so close now that the frenzied flurries of the air stung her eyes.
Where is he? Amaya thought frantically, struggling at her ropes. The silver cording sparkled in the clear moonlight, merrily mocking her struggles. “Father!” she shouted again, and again her cries died in the wind.
A memory flashed, just a brief moment after she had sipped her champagne but before the darkness swallowed her. Her father smiled sadly at her, resignation in his eyes. “I love you, Amaya,” he’d said to her. “And I’m so, so sorry.”
A shot of adrenaline coursed through her and Amaya struggled once more against the bonds. “Help!” she cried, twisting against her cords. She knew it was pointless to shout, she was over a thousand feet above the city. Her father had built the tallest tower he could, a symbol of his wealth and power. The old-money families of the city mocked him, turned up their noses at William Bond’s newly earned fortune. But William didn’t care about the opinion of New York’s old families and their dormant dynasties. He had conquered the stock exchange and become one of the richest men in America in only three short decades. They could mock him all they wanted, he was now worth more than almost all of them combined.
The Bond Building was a symbol of William’s success: it was new, it was tall, it was gaudy. And now it was a trap for his only daughter.
The door banged open behind her and Amaya craned her head, trying to get a glimpse of the visitor. She wasn’t able to see him, the tall stone back of the chair was too wide, but the voice was familiar.
“Your father requested that you cease shouting, Miss Bond.” It was Holm, her father’s bodyguard. Amaya had known that low, comforting voice all her life, but there was a new tone in it. An indifferent chill that she’d never heard before.
“Holm, thank god,” Amaya gushed. “Please, I don’t know what you and father are up to but—“
“It will all be over soon, Miss Bond,” Holm interrupted.
“What?” she said. “Holm, what are you tal
king about?” Amaya had to raise her voice now because the beating of wings was almost too intense to bear.
“Holm!” she shouted once more, but the only reply was the slamming of the door, metal against metal.
The wind whipped over the rooftop. Holm was gone, but Amaya did not think she was alone.
The irate air was beating down on her now, tangling her carefully-coiffed copper curls. Amaya dropped her head, closed her eyes tightly against the intensity of the wind and begged whatever deity watched over imperiled socialites to make it stop.
And it did. The only sound now was the blood rushing through her ears, the beating of her heart, her own ragged breathing.
A curious scent– a mix of sea salt and sulfur– reached her only a moment before a voice.
“Well, what do we have here?” A rough-edged drawl cut through the fresh stillness of the rooftop.
Amaya hazarded a glance through her squinting lashes. A black-haired man stood in front of her, tattooed arms crossed firmly over his bare chest. Her peripheral vision informed her that the nudity wasn’t restricted to the stranger’s upper body. She resolutely kept her eyes locked on his face, ignoring the urge to drop her eyes to the dark patch that hovered tantalizingly at the bottom of her vision. It was impolite to ogle naked strangers, even if they were trespassing on her father’s roof.
The stranger grinned at her, and took a step closer, as if daring her to drop her gaze. Amaya held his eyes instead, keeping hers locked on his, not looking away from their emerald depths.
Something stirred deep within her, past the fear, past the anger. The mocking gleam of the stranger’s gaze had reached a part of Amaya that she didn’t even know existed. It was confusing. It was terrifying. It was intoxicating.
She pushed the feeling aside and sat as straight as she could as the stranger approached her, his bare footsteps silent on the flagstones. She may be tied to a weird stone chair and faced with a nude, handsome stranger, but she was Amaya Bond, daughter of billionaire entrepreneur and heiress to the Bond fortune. Whatever was about to happen to her, she would face it with dignity.