by Geneva Lee
His eyes flashed and he gripped my hips. “I don’t think I spanked you hard enough.”
“Oh, you did,” I promised him with a laugh. “But, seriously, X, we were different people then. We were falling in love. We didn’t think we’d even stay together.”
“In other words, we were idiots.” He kissed me.
“This doesn’t mean everything is okay, though.” If we were being open, I couldn’t keep that from him. “I trust you with my body. I always will, but…”
“I need to earn back trust in some other areas.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I know, Poppet.”
“I just want to be clear that you can’t tie me up, give me the best orgasm of my life, and just get out of jail free whenever you screw up.”
“The best?” His boyish grin was so unlike him, carefree and happy. I melted against him, wrapping my arms around his neck, but it faded too quickly. “Then I should be clear. I still think you should consider one of the other estates.”
“Alexander, I can’t.” I shook my head, my mood darkening.
“Hear me out. Just until we sort this shit out. With my sister. With Parliament. I want you focused on the baby, not my mood swings.”
“I will keep that in mind,” I said, crossing my fingers behind his neck.
“But you aren’t going to listen, are you?”
“I think I’ve been pretty obedient today. Don’t press your luck, X.”
His hand slid under my stomach and his thumb found my clit. “Then let’s work on our communication for a while.”
“Yes, please.”
Chapter 12
Alexander
I caught myself smiling as I made my way to dinner that night. I wasn’t looking forward to hosting my sister and her guest. But Clara would be there, and I’d walk through hell to sit next to her for a moment. A few household staff gawked as I passed and then rushed away like they’d witnessed the calm before a storm. I couldn’t say they didn’t have their reasons.
My brother met me at the end of the hall. For a second, I envied his jeans and Oxford. He looked comfortable. I was always forced into these infernal suits. Then I remembered how long he’d hidden in his own skin. I grinned at him, realizing he was finally happy. What more could I want?
“You seem to be in a better mood.” Edward looked me over with suspicion.
“Would you rather I wasn’t?” I was in an excellent mood. I couldn’t keep a smug grin from my face as I considered how I’d spent my afternoon: buried deep within my wife.
“She just keeps forgiving you,” Edward said ruefully, guessing why I was in such a good mood.
“Would you rather she didn’t?” I felt like a broken record. Would I ever have a moment of happiness not chased away by my mistakes?
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. “No, but only because she’s a better sister than you are a brother.”
“Fair enough.” I took the corner, heading toward the dining room and he followed. “Why are you here? Not that I mind your company.”
“Some welcome.”
“The last time I checked you weren’t speaking to me.”
“Would you rather I wasn’t?” Now he sounded like me. I didn’t push it. If my brother was ready to call a truce, I would accept his terms. “Clara called me. She wanted back up.”
“Indeed.” I paused and considered what he must be thinking. “Look, I didn’t know Sarah was coming home.”
“Clara said that, too. You two seem…better.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” I wasn’t deluding myself that this afternoon meant we were past whatever problems we faced. The fact Edward was here was proof. I could only hope it was a start. If all I could give Clara was release—my body—I would, but I wanted to give her more. I wanted to give her all of me. I was finally ready.
“You might have invited me, though.”
Maybe Edward wasn’t taking this as well as I thought. “I was preoccupied,” I admitted. “Sarah told us she invited a friend to dinner.”
“A friend?” Edward chewed on his cheek thoughtfully, his mind somewhere else.
“I was trying not to think about it.” I’d put it out of my mind immediately. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know who my sister was cozying up to already, after a ten year absence. “Is that why…?”
“I didn’t bring David?” Edward nodded so vigorously I thought he might sprain a muscle. “Any friend of Sarah’s…”
“Is likely to be a snake,” I finished for him.
“I didn’t know she’d been in contact with anyone yet,” Edward said.
“Neither did I.” I would have to speak to Brex about keeping an eye on her friends. “I suppose it’s to be expected.”
We shared a look. None of us knew exactly what was to be expected, but we had a pretty good idea. We’d all run with the same crowd until Clara had saved us from them. Now, none of them had been around in a long time.
“I didn’t think I’d have to deal with the brat pack again,” Edward grumbled.
“Brat pack?” I raised an eyebrow. That was a brilliant term for them.
“Your beautiful wife coined that term back when you were dating.”
It was a nice way to put it. Clara’s and my relationship had started in a much more physical capacity. My first realization about what she truly meant to me occurred around the people my sister had called friends—not because I cared what they’d thought, but because I knew how cruel and manipulative and elitist they could be. I’d been glad to be rid of them.
“What did she think of her room?” Edward asked.
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t bring it up.”
I didn’t have time to go into details, because we had reached the apartments. We’d chosen to dine in our family’s quarters rather than suffer through the inevitable awkwardness at one of the many over-long tables in the overly formal state rooms. That was Clara’s decision, and I’d agreed, wanting whatever made her feel comfortable. I hoped she hadn’t put herself to too much trouble following our afternoon together, but knowing Clara, she had. Despite how angry and confused she still felt, I knew my wife would do everything to make Sarah feel welcome, even if my sister continued to treat her like some lowly commoner. I also knew Clara wouldn’t put up with that treatment forever. If Sarah thought Clara was the type of woman she could walk all over, she was going to be very surprised.
The table was laid out formally. White roses, which I’d told Clara were Sarah’s favourite, had been placed in silver urns down its center. She’d chosen her favourite china, one my mother had commissioned after she’d first married my father. Despite those choices, there were a reasonable number of forks and glasses. The effect was elegant but not stuffy. It had been a long time since we’d sat down as a family to have dinner. I looked around for Elizabeth’s highchair, but it wasn’t there.
“I thought we’d make tonight adults-only,” Clara said from behind me.
I rather wanted to sit down with my wife and daughter, but turning to face her, I lost track of what I was about to say.
The dress she wore dipped low, putting her full breasts on display and skimming over the swell of her belly. The silky ivory material seemed to melt into her skin, nearly as soft and delicate as she was. While most of her was pale, her cheeks still held the flush I’d put there earlier today. My teeth sunk into my lower lip, remembering the velvet of her nipples against my tongue. Had she bathed and washed me from between her legs? I knew she hadn’t. I could almost smell it clinging to her, and it made me want to bend her over the table and fill her again. I wanted to see the marks I’d left. I wanted to kiss them.
“Oh Christ, you two have made up,” Edward muttered, looking away from us.
Both our heads whipped toward him at the same time. “No, we haven’t!”
Edward held up his hands in surrender, chuckling to himself. “Sure. Sure. Let me know if I should leave.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Clara
said, her cheeks deepening to scarlet.
“I’m talking about the fact that any moment now you two are going to start shagging on the table.”
“Well, I’m not hungry anymore,” a lofty voice said from the corridor.
I should have known exactly who my sister would invite to dinner. I should have put a stop to it. The lovely, flushed pink drained from Clara’s face, telling me I was right.
Sarah was back, which could only mean one thing: Pepper Lockwood was back, too.
Clara recovered before I did, holding an arm out to the table. “We’re glad you’re here. Alexander told me white roses were your favourite.”
“They were,” Sarah said coolly.
“You look nice.” Clara wasn’t giving up on winning her over, even with Pepper’s presence. She was a better person than me, because I wanted to cancel and send them on their way.
“We thought we’d go out after.” Pepper smirked, her eyes zeroing in on Clara’s pregnant belly. “We’d invite you, but…”
“Not really my scene.” Clara took a chair at the table.
“We didn’t realize this would be so family-friendly” Sarah said, gesturing to her outfit. She was overdressed for a family dinner—or underdressed, rather—in a tight, black dress that barely covered any of her. Pepper seemed to have drawn inspiration from her, as she was wearing a silvery scrap and sky-high heels. They were mirrors of each other: the bitchy, beautiful blonde and the cool, dark brunette. I pitied any man they set their sights on.
“I’m sure Brex will be happy to take you out.” I chose my words carefully. My sister wasn’t a child anymore, but she wasn’t exactly an adult, either. Brex would keep an eye on them, but it might take Norris to keep the press at bay. After ten years, I didn’t have the heart to tell her she couldn’t go, but I would have to speak with her. For now, we needed to get through this meal.
“Is he the one who drove me here?” she asked. When I nodded, she licked her lips. “Pepper, you’ll like him.”
I tuned the rest out, my stomach turning a little, and sat next to Clara, dropping my hand on her thigh. Her eyes fluttered to me, surprised by the gesture, but she didn’t say anything.
“You don’t sit at the head of the table?” Sarah asked, watching us intently.
“My place is by my wife’s side.” I said it more for Clara’s benefit than hers. Maybe we hadn’t fixed everything between us, but I wanted her to know I still believed that.
“How modern of you.” She rolled her eyes at her friend.
Pepper unfolded her napkin and placed it on her lap. “Tell me, Clara. Do you struggle with getting enough to eat for the baby?” She threw an anxious look at Sarah. “Clara has an eating disorder.”
“Oh? They didn’t tell me that.” Sarah dropped her chin onto her hand, leveling her gaze at me like a dare.
“My wife —” I began, but Clara placed a hand over mine.
“It’s fine. They’re just concerned,” she said meaningfully. “I struggled a little with morning sickness, but we’re both healthy. I suppose not being able to eat makes you appreciate food more.”
I was in awe of my wife. Here she was, sitting at her own table across from two vipers, acting like they were old friends. I’d always known Clara was magnificent, but she’d never seemed more like a queen. It wasn’t going to keep the snakes at bay, but maybe they’d think before they tried to strike.
“I was sorry to hear that your wedding was called off,” Edward said from the end of the table, turning on them. “Pepper was engaged to Philip Abernathy, but didn’t he leave you at the altar?”
Pepper’s nostrils flared and she nearly spilled her wine on the linen tablecloth. “I called off the wedding. He was still hung on that bitch ex-fiancée of his.”
I closed my eyes, searching for strength. I was going to need it in about two seconds. But neither Edward nor Clara rose to the bait.
“Belle is a singular woman,” I said when they didn’t speak. This earned me a surprised look from my brother and a grateful one from my wife. In truth, I was certain Belle hated me passionately, but I would allow no one to speak ill of their best friend. Pepper might keep trying to challenge the Queen, but she needed to remember there was a king at this table.
“I’m surprised you noticed. I didn’t think you looked at women that way,” Pepper said to Edward, as though his homosexuality was some type of ammunition.
Sarah waved her off with a laugh. “I knew that before the accident.”
“I was thirteen when you had your accident,” Edward said flatly.
“It was a surprise to us,” Pepper said. “None of us saw it coming. He always acted so normal.”
“Normal?” I repeated. “Maybe I didn’t hear you correctly.”
“Oh, darling,” Sarah said, sounding genuine for the first time, “I never judged. I only wish I could’ve been there for you.”
She sounded like this proclamation warranted sainthood. I still couldn’t decide if she was being sincere or making another dig.
“We all wish that.” Edward picked at his salad and I made a mental note to have Pepper officially banished from the grounds.
Despite the sniping, we made it to the main course before things got really ugly. Clara’s diplomacy had a limit, and she’d played her hand subtly by way of her choice of entrée: a thick steak surrounded by béarnaise sauce.
Pepper stared at it like she’d been served dirt.
“I don’t eat red meat,” she whined.
Sarah frowned, her fingers lingering over her fork and knife. “I asked the kitchens to prepare something light. My apologies.”
“Some of us have to watch our figures, we haven’t cornered our men yet.” Pepper fluttered her eyelashes and smile sweetly at Clara like this was a compliment. I considered throwing my knife at her.
But Clara lifted her fork and knife to cut into her steak without blinking. “I spoke with them as well,” she said, not the least bit apologetic. “I asked for the steak. The iron is good for the baby.”
She hadn’t apologized. It was a message. Here—in this palace—her decisions took precedence.
“I’ll pass.” Pepper pushed her plate forward and an attendant rushed in to take it to the kitchen. “It must be so nice not worrying about how you look anymore, Clara.”
“Pepper,” Edward said, his mouth twisting as if his food was bitter. I could see my brother’s patience growing thinner by the minute. I’d already begun to visualize dropping the girl’s scrawny ass outside the gates.
“I’ve never really worried about how I look,” Clara said with a shrug.
“Alexander doesn’t have any complaints,” Edward said, backing her up with a good-natured reminder of his earlier teasing about our bedroom habits.
“He does already have you up the duff again,” Sarah commented. “Although I heard she was pregnant when you married her. I wouldn’t have thought that would work on you. It’s convenient, really, to—”
“Sarah.” This time it was me giving the warning. I could give my sister some slack. None of us understood what it was like to be her right now. But she was walking a dangerous path. If she wasn’t careful, she would slip and hang herself on the rope I’d given her.
“I think that was her plan from the beginning,” Pepper jumped in, not heeding my warning. “She’s like an animal. Every time I see them they’ve just shagged.”
“This conversation needs to stop right now,” I said in a low voice. Heat flooded through me, threatening to boil over.
“What?” Pepper said with mock innocence. She leaned closer to Sarah, as though to share some juicy gossip, but she didn’t bother to whisper. “Clara knows what I’m talking about. Don’t you remember the time I saw you? Well, Alexander didn’t see, but she looked right at me. It was that hunting weekend in the country. I’ve never seen a woman act so filthy. She was giving it to him right on the balcony. He took her knickers and—”
I was on my feet, my fist slamming into the table before
she’d finished sullying that memory. “Get out!”
“She is my guest,” Sarah started.
“Consider this me rescinding her invitation,” I growled.
Clara placed a hand on my upper arm. “X”
“Don’t try to be diplomatic,” I said, not looking at her. “My sister seems to be struggling with something. This palace is ours now. The throne? The crown? Mine and hers.” I pointed to Clara to clear it up for Sarah. If she wanted to see how far she could push me, she’d find out that it wasn’t far where my wife was concerned.
Sarah was on her feet, leaning across the table toward me. “Then why not leave me in Windsor? I see you have a nice thing going here. Who would want little sister to come fuck everything up?”
I opened my mouth to speak but there was a loud knock at the door. We all turned to find Norris standing there looking unfazed to find us already at each other’s throats. “I apologize for the interruption, but I need to speak to His Majesty immediately.”
“We’re in the middle of dinner,” I grunted out, willing him to understand that now was not the moment.
“Actually, we’re through.” Sarah stepped away from the table and Pepper stood, throwing her napkin down. They sauntered out of the room and back to whatever suite we’d arranged for her.
I looked to Norris, hoping for a reprieve. Now wasn’t the time to leave my wife. Not after what they’d been saying to her. “Can this wait?”
He shook his head regretfully. “I’m afraid not.”
“Don’t worry,” Edward said. “Clara and I are going to finish our steaks and then we’re going to eat everyone’s desserts while coming up with new nicknames for Pepper Spray.”
Clara giggled, but it was half-hearted. “Go on, X. I’ll be fine.”
I hesitated, but she shoved at me playfully. We’d been putting on a show here tonight, presenting a united front, and at some point, it had become real. There was a real possibility that if I walked out now I’d come back to find that door has been closed. I tore my eyes away from her and looked to my brother. “Force-feed her chocolate so she forgets that Pepper was in our home.”