“You should have opened it first,” she said.
“Has anybody ever told you that you can be quite the little princess?” I balanced her on my arm and jostled open the door handle, then kicked it open.
She giggled. “You. All the time.”
I carried my wife into our home and set her down next to the stairs. The halls were dark, but upstairs a flickering glow beckoned.
“Is the house on fire?” Tamara asked.
“It’s about to be.” I grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
Upstairs, everything was laid out exactly to my specifications. Rose petals on the floor and bed, candlesticks scattered throughout the room, a bottle of champagne on ice with two glasses on the bedside table. Tamara’s plump lips fell open in delight, candlelight reflecting in her eyes like gold.
“Welcome home,” I said.
She turned to me. “I’ve been home since I first met you.”
I pulled Tamara close and tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling out each of the pins until it fell down her back in waves. Her dress was modest, but still looked like sin stretched across her curves. I’d been dying to take it off all night.
“You’ve been my wife since I first met you.” I ran my thumb down her smooth cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I leaned down and kissed her. My wife. My future.
Our lips glided together softly, almost hesitantly, before I dragged her to my chest and plunged my tongue into her mouth. Tamara responded eagerly, opening for me. She moaned.
I grabbed a handful of lace-covered ass and felt my cock swell. I had no idea where to even begin taking off this dress, but fuck if I was going to let that stop me. As our kiss turned frantic, heavy, I fumbled with the pearl buttons down Tamara’s back until I set the first one free. My cock twitched in triumph and I set to work on the next.
Tamara curved against me. Her hands ripped at my shirt, taking less precaution than I was with her dress. I couldn’t have cared less if she ripped it to shreds. All I knew was I needed her. I needed my wife and her sweet, tight pussy.
I finished the last button on the dress and pulled it down. It swished to the floor, revealing a lacy set of white underwear that made my mouth water. Tamara’s dark nipples showed through the lace, and I couldn’t resist pulling it aside and leaning her back to cover her breast with my mouth.
Tamara mewled. Her nails scraped down my back under the shirt, and I growled with primal delight.
I turned her toward the bed and shoved her back. She landed on her ass and shimmied up the bed, hastily yanking off her undergarments. Soon she was bare before me. She spread her long legs, exposing her pink, puffy lips. My cock threatened to punch out of my trousers.
“You look so sexy like that,” I told her, stripping off my clothes. “Are you wet for me, Kitty Kat?”
As I watched, Tamara’s hand slid between her legs. She inserted one delicate finger inside of herself and bit her lip. “I’m soaked. I’ve been thinking about you fucking me all day.” She started rubbing her clit, arching her back so her tits heaved above her. “I was so horny all last night when we were apart. I tried to get myself off but it wasn’t the same without your cock.”
A shiver zapped straight to my balls. Fully naked, I climbed atop my wife and replaced her hand with my own. Like she said, she was soaked.
“Fuck,” I groaned, biting into her neck.
Tamara’s hand wrapped around my shaft and she squeezed. “I love how hard you get. Like a rock.” She rubbed me and I squeezed my eyes shut. “Fuck me, Alexander.”
“Yes, Princess.” I turned her over, arching her hips a little but otherwise holding her flat to the bed. The angle and her legs being closed made it hard to penetrate her at first, but it was all worth it the second I slid into her wet heat.
Tamara moaned into the pillow. I lay above her, supporting some of my weight on my forearms but otherwise pinning her to the bed. Our bodies rubbed against each other with every thrust, every slide of our hips, and I kissed her neck between panting breaths.
She held me tight, squeezing my shaft like a fist.
“You’re so deep,” she said hoarsely. “Oh my god, you’re so deep.”
I jerked my hips on the next thrust and she cried out. “You like me deep inside, baby?” I growled.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
I reached under her and started playing with her clit. Tamara was helpless and loved it, hands scrunched in the blanket. Her whimpers of pleasure were music to my ears.
I thought back to the first time we fucked, how I believed back then nothing would ever be as good. I never realized our explosive sexual chemistry would have more than one charge, no less an unlimited amount. Plus, how could you beat spontaneity like that?
But every time we fucked it was like the first time. The best time. My lust for this woman never dampened and being inside her felt like home.
Pressure built in my balls and I started to thrust harder, moving up further on my forearms to build more momentum. With the little bit of room that afforded, Tamara started thrusting back, moaning between breaths.
I licked the sweat from the back of her neck and sucked her throat. My body whirled with pleasure and I didn’t know how much longer I would last, but Tamara was close too. I could feel it in the way she strained, could hear it in the way she breathed.
And then, with a keening wail, Tamara clamped down on my cock.
My head exploded. I groaned and slammed inside one more time before releasing, electricity sizzling under my skin. For a moment, the world went black and white, and I struggled to catch my breath.
“Alex,” Tamara murmured.
“Yes?” I kissed her shoulder and rolled to the side, bundling her in my arms. She fit perfectly against my chest, chin tucked just under my collarbone.
She nuzzled against my chest and hummed with satisfaction, but didn’t speak right away. I ran my fingers down her back, sticky with sweat. I breathed in deep and my muscles turned to jelly against the mattress, perfectly relaxed.
When Tamara spoke, her voice crackled. “Our life is perfect, isn’t it?”
“An understatement.” I kissed the top of her head, pulse still thrumming from the sex. “Though I can think of one thing that would make it more perfect.”
She looked up at me, eyes golden pools in the dim light. “What’s that?”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “A baby.”
Tamara’s dark eyes sparkled and her lips tugged into a smile. “You know, my prince, I just can’t help but agree.”
Chapter 35
Epilogue
Three years later...
“Hank!” I skidded around the corner, socks sliding over the hardwood.
Hank didn’t have the same problem. The last I saw before he disappeared into the kitchen was his wagging tail. I vaulted after him, and Alex watched with an amused glint in his eye as I chased the mutt around the kitchen island.
“He never listens to me!” I huffed.
“He just likes to play with you.” Alex said.
On his lap, Beatrice giggled maniacally. She got that from her father.
“What are you laughing at? It’s your blanket I’m trying to retrieve.”
Hank ran toward the back door, but with nobody to open it for him, he was out of luck. With a victorious yell, I grabbed the blanket from his slobbery jaws and held it in the air.
“Look at that, Bea,” Alex said, bouncing her on his lap. “Mommy got your blanket back.”
I had, only it was coated in saliva. Bea pointed a finger. “Ew!”
Alex laughed and I nearly chuffed him. All the same, I couldn’t deny how funny the situation was, even if it meant struggling to catch my breath.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rainhall,” announced our butler, Gerry, stepping into the doorway. “You have guests.”
“Guests?” I asked, staring at Alex in confusion. Had he invited someone without telling me?
Just then, Jo forced her w
ay into the kitchen. She never waited in the front room like she was supposed to, even though she knew how much it vexed poor Gerry.
“Hey sis!” She pulled me in a hug. “Why are you so out of breath?”
Tristan followed behind her with a little more shame, but smiling nonetheless.
Beatrice jumped down from Alex’s lap and launched herself at Tristan, squealing with delight. “Uncle Tristan! Uncle Tristan!”
He was so good with kids. I always wondered when the two of them would have one of their own, especially since Jo finished university a month ago.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked.
Jo pulled back from the hug. “Is it crazy to want to drop in on my sister and niece?”
I cocked a brow.
“Fine.” She laughed. “We’ve got good news.”
“Let’s go outside,” I said, catching Gerry’s eye. “Could you please bring us some lemonade on the patio?”
He nodded. “Right away, ma’am.”
I still wasn’t used to that. Not sure I ever would be.
We spilled out onto the concrete, warm from hours spent drinking in the late summer sun. The air was thick with the smell of hydrangeas and freshly mown grass, and honey bees buzzed around the flowerbeds and gave the afternoon a lazy feel.
Bea and Hank immediately raced onto the lawn, playing some sort of game of tag that only they knew the rules of, and the adults settled onto the furniture just as Gerry came out with our lemonade.
“What’s new with you two lovebirds, then?” asked Alexander.
Tristan opened his mouth but Jo spoke over him. “We’re going on a trip!” she said. “We’re going to backpack around Europe for a month since we didn’t get to have a long honeymoon.”
“That’s a great idea,” I said. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow.” Jo sipped her lemonade and sighed.
“So soon?” I asked. “What’s the rush?”
“It’s got to do with the big news.” Sunlight danced in her irises and made her skin glow. “I’m pregnant.”
I shot up out of my chair and wrapped Jo in a tight hug. “That’s incredible! I’m so excited for you!”
“I know!” she squealed.
“Have you told Mom and Dad yet?” I released her and took my seat, vibrating with energy.
Jo shook her head. “We’re having dinner with them tonight.”
“They’re going to be thrilled,” Alex said.
I laughed. “No kidding. I bet they’ll be glad they moved here.” An idea popped in my head. “Hey! Why don’t you invite them here for dinner? We could have a barbecue, make a thing of it.” I smiled shyly. “I’ve got some news too.”
Alexander whipped his head to look at me, eyes wide. I had his full attention.
“What’s that?” Jo asked.
I patted my belly. “I’m pregnant too.”
Jo screamed but I barely heard her since Alex threw his chair back and raced over to pull me into his arms. My chair clattered to the ground.
He kissed me, softly at first, but with more pressure the more the news sank in. We were having another baby. I could barely believe it still.
“I love you,” Alex said, setting me on my feet.
Jo and Tristan were staring at us, holding hands and smiling. It was a good thing we were outside, because I found it hard to believe our house could contain this much happiness without the roof bursting off.
“Why don’t we invite Edward, Clarissa and Victoria?” I asked.
Alex’s eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. “Maybe my dad will be available too. We could tell them all at once.”
I held his face, my grinning threatening to tear my face apart. “I would love that.”
Alex kissed me, and he tasted of sunlight and honey blossoms. He tasted of home and safety.
Our family was royal. We lived in the public eye and performed our duties, fulfilling obligations set by a thousand years of monarchy, but we were more than that.
We were a family.
Sometimes we wore crowns, but most of the time we were a close-knit, down-to-earth group who always looked out for each other.
Princess of Nowhere came to a natural conclusion after three seasons, and even though I’d been swamped with offers I’d decided that would be the natural conclusion of my acting career too. At least for now. The gossip magazines didn’t understand why, but I didn’t care what they thought. This was what I wanted.
Alexander. Beatrice. Mom and Dad. Jo. The charities. They were my entire life, and I liked it that way. Whatever I’d been looking for pursuing acting, I’d found with them.
Princess of Nowhere was in my past. I was a princess of somewhere now, and it felt good.
Stranded
A Reverse Harem Romance
CHANCE CARTER
Chapter 1
“So where are you off to, Beautiful?”
Joss looked up from her book, ‘Wild Food and Medicinal Plants of the South Pacific’, meeting her driver’s eyes in the rear view mirror. He offered her a cheeky wink, as though hoping his weak compliment would make her drop her panties right there and then. He was not bad looking, so she could only assume his charm had worked once or twice before.
“Vatuvara,” she replied, looking back down to her book in an attempt to avoid the flirtatious small talk that would inevitably follow if she maintained eye contact.
“Exotic. Where’s that, sexy?” he asked, undeterred.
“Fiji Islands,” she shrugged, searching for the paragraph she’d paused at. Most people would find the subject matter dry and uninteresting, but Joss was fascinated with the material. As a survival enthusiast, and an Instructor at Alderleaf Wilderness College, it wasn’t surprising that this particular book was in her hands, but the truth was, she was reading for pleasure, not business. She was obsessed with the study of botany.
“Wow, that’s a long way to venture on your own. Are you traveling for work?” he said, either ignoring her ‘not interested’ signals, or too self-absorbed to care. She was certain it was the latter.
Joss sighed, and met his gaze again, wondering if he planned to chit-chat the entire ninety minutes, from Monroe to the Sea-Tac airport. Sure, he was hot, and most women would be happy to schmooze with him, but Joss was a social introvert, and for the most part, a little shy. She forced herself to be friendly in social situations, or when teaching, so most people considered her out-going, but the truth was, she preferred solitude. Her alone time was precious to her. She would use it to recharge her batteries, and she had been counting on the travel time to do just that. That is before she was hauled into the crazy festivities of Hannah’s wedding.
Surrendering to the conversation, she placed her book back into her carry on bag. “Yes and no,” she admitted, certain he wouldn’t spare her anyway. “My friend is getting married on Monday and I’m a bridesmaid.”
“And that’s work?” he chuckled, trying to catch her eye again.
Joss grinned back and shrugged. “If you knew Hannah, you would understand,” she giggled, thinking of her crazy friend, “but no, I’m actually participating in a five day survival course in Vanua Levu, after the wedding. Work is paying for it.”
“Sounds intriguing. What exactly do you do for a living?”
“I’m a Certified Survival Instructor. I teach at Alderleaf,” she explained, checking the time on her watch. It was a paracord survival watch, complete with a whistle, fire starter, compass, and a thermometer, among other useful things. It was ugly but functional. Her father had presented it to her just before she left to hike the Pacific Crest Trail a few years earlier. She treasured the gift because it was the last thing he ever gave to her, and his way of saying that he supported her choices, as unconventional as they were. God, she missed him.
“Wow, that’s cool. How did you fall into that?” he asked, genuinely impressed, as though suddenly realizing she might be more than just a pretty face.
“It’s a long story,”
Joss shrugged, hoping he wouldn’t want to hear it.
“We have time,” he teased, flashing her another playboy grin, perhaps hoping he’d wear her down. Joss shook her head at him and chuckled, (almost) immune to his charms.
“My Dad and I used to go camping when I was a kid. I loved it, being out in the middle of no where, surrounded by nature, relying only on our wits and creativity. I felt more at home in the woods with him than I did anywhere else,” she smiled, her voice thick with recollection. “It was so much fun to be around him, without the stressors of everyday life wearing him down, you know?”
“Sounds like a great dad.”
“He was...” she whispered, grief catching in her throat. She briefly met his eyes before dropping her head. “He died several years ago. Heart attack.”
“Sorry.”
“Anyway,” she continued, casually bypassing the condolences, “when it was time to pick a career, I wanted to be out in nature, but my pragmatic mother talked me into nursing. I had a strong penchant for the sciences and she was insistent that I pursue a sensible career, something that would serve me long term and offer a decent wage, something with a suitable pension package. She had me planning my retirement before I even started working.”
“Ah, and you were too obedient to say no?” he grinned, as though imagining her submissive.
Joss laughed and nodded her head. “Something like that. Mary was not a woman you wanted to argue with, trust me. So I did it. I enrolled at Seattle U, excelled through school, and soared through every term on the Dean’s list, but right before I graduated, I walked away from it all.”
“Really?” he chimed in, curious by the admission.
Joss hesitated for a moment, wondering why she was sharing so much with him. It was so out of character for her, but she’d already gone this far and she decided to continue. Hell, she’d probably never see him again, she thought.
“Yeah, I really did. I went through a pretty rough break up and was frigging miserable. Actually I was suffering from depression and my doctor put me on some heavy duty prescriptions. To put it mildly, the drugs made me feel like the walking dead. Truthfully, I felt like I had no control over my own life, and the depression was a symptom of my own despair. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, switching gears may have saved my life.”
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