by Casey, Ember
Smiling to myself, I look back at Justine. She still hasn’t moved, and I know she won’t be moving—not until everyone else has gone. Not until she and I are the only ones left in this bloody room.
Good, I think, staring her down. We have much to discuss, Princess.
Justine
William stands on the other side of the room as it quickly empties of conference attendees. I stand motionless, watching him, even as the sprinklers pour over my head. I’m only barely aware of my hair plastered against my cheeks, and only because part of it is in my eyes as I become more and more drenched.
He doesn’t move, either. I suppose he wants me to be the first to makes some sort of gesture—but what am I supposed to do? Go running to him to apologize for inviting James to speak at the conference? The man might be a pompous ass—and he’s been horrible to me—but he was well qualified to speak today. More than qualified, if I’m being honest. It was an honor for him to attend at all, and I’m not sure why William can’t see that.
I glare at him, though he’s too far away from me to see my gaze narrow. Perhaps I should go to him—I should yell at him for ruining my conference. I should slap him for the despicable names he called me last night. I should do all manner of things, but all I really want to do is go to him and beg him to forgive me for how horribly I’ve treated him. I just want a second chance—I’m not sure when things shifted for me, but they have. I want to make up for all the time I’ve wasted so far. I want to stay married to him so I can…date him, I suppose.
But he is not making anything easy for me. I lift my gaze to look across the room at him again, but I find he isn’t there. The wall where he’d been standing is empty now.
I turn and almost jump out of my soaked skin when I see William in front of me. I’m not certain how he could have crossed the room so quickly without sprinting, but he doesn’t appear to be out of breath. He’s drenched, the same as I am, and it’s a little difficult to ignore the way his wet shirt clings to his body.
But he says nothing…nothing…for an extraordinary amount of time, just glaring at me with a rage in his eyes I’ve never seen before with him. It isn’t difficult to set aside any attraction I might have felt for him, given that he looks like he wants to murder someone—probably me.
I meet his gaze for every moment his rests on mine. But I can’t stand the silence—I don’t know what came over him last night, and I have no idea what he was even thinking about when pulled the lever to engage the fire alarm.
“What the hell is wrong with you, William?”
“Oh, that’s rich. What’s wrong with me? I could ask the same of you, Princess.”
I push away the strands of hair that have plastered themselves across my eyes. “You’ve known about the conference. You knew—”
“That my wife is in love with another man? Yes, I suppose I should have known that. It isn’t as though you’ve tried to hide it.”
“How many times do I have to say that I am not in love with him—”
He interrupts me with a scoff and roll of his eyes. “Whatever you say, Princess. Though, I suppose you’ve proved that you don’t have to have feelings for anyone to fuck them.”
“What?” I fold my arms over my chest, suddenly acutely aware that my blouse has become entirely see-through now that it is wet. “If this has something to do with last night—”
“This has everything to do with last night, Princess, as if you didn’t know.” He glares at me. “How dare you. How dare you agree to marry me and then…and then…and then parade that man in front of me. Did you really think me that much of a coward? Did you really think me that much of a spineless fool that I would do nothing?”
My mouth gapes open, and I stare at him for a moment. “You mean to tell me that as your wife I’m not allowed to speak to another man? You really feel I should have to ask your permission to have a life—a career?”
“I don’t give a fuck what you do, Princess.”
“Well, at least that’s obvious.” I look up at the ceiling where water is still pouring from the sprinklers. “I don’t believe your little show today has done anything but prove that particular point.”
“And what else should I have done? Allowed him to continue to fawn over you?” He lifts a brow. “Perhaps you were planning to put on a show for your guests? Demonstrate to them exactly what he meant when he said you studied under him?”
I shake my head slowly at him. “What the hell is your problem, William?”
“I think I’ve just said—”
“You married me, and when you did, you married my past. And I married yours. You don’t see me harassing the women you’ve slept with in the past—”
“Well, that’s just it, isn’t it, Princess? If it was in the past, we wouldn’t have a problem.”
“We don’t have a problem, William. You have a problem.”
“Yes.” His head bobs. “Yes, I do. I have a very big problem with you fucking other men.”
“Well, how unfortunate that I’m not able to time travel and undo my past choices. How unfortunate that you didn’t marry a virgin. Perhaps if you’d bothered to check with me before forcing me into this marriage—”
“I did not force you into anything!” He almost growls the words. “Though, I had expected when you said ‘I do’ that you actually meant the words.”
My gaze narrows. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Your Highness, but I gave up as much for you as you did for me. It isn’t as though—”
“You gave up nothing. Nothing. We live here, in this godforsaken country.” He waves his arms wildly around him. “We live with your family. And you…you’re still fucking other men. Tell me exactly what it is you’ve given up, Princess.”
It takes me a moment to process what he’s just said. Of course, he has given up much more than I have. He did leave his country and his family. And I… I’m what?
“What the hell are you talking about, William? I’m fucking other men? What…what?”
He nods, and his eyes are wild. He crosses his arms over his chest, the same way I’m doing. “You fucked him last night. How many times did he have you, Justine?”
I search his eyes. The rage in them is almost frightening. “I don’t—”
“You let me have you once. Once. I only want to know how many times you let him have you. That’s my only question.”
Hot tears sting at my eyes as I realize what it is he’s accusing me of doing. “What?”
“Once? Twice?” He runs a hand across his wet hair. “Three times?”
I blink several times, but my tears still spill over my cheeks. I doubt he would notice, and even if he could, the sprinklers are still raining down on me. “I don’t—”
“I believe I’m owed an answer after your betrayal. It’s my only question. I only want to know how many times you fucked him, Justine. I didn’t ask how many times he made you come, or whether you put your mouth on his cock—”
“How fucking dare you. How dare you even suggest that I—”
“Oh, that was going too far for my precious princess?” He nods. “I suppose I should take that as confirmation that you sucked him—”
“Go to hell, William.” I start for the door, but he catches me by the arm, spinning me back to face him.
“I asked you a question, Princess.”
I glare daggers at him. “Eighteen, Your Highness.”
He glares at me. “You’re mocking me? That hardly seems fair.”
“Oh, that hardly seems fair?” I shrug out of his grasp. “The answer to your question is zero, Your Highness. Now if you’ll excuse me.” I turn and start again for the door.
“Don’t lie to me. I heard you.”
I spin back around. “You heard what?”
“I heard you. In his room.”
“Oh. Well, that seems unlikely, given that I haven’t been in his room, Your Highness.” I glare at him again for a moment. “And I think I’ve heard enough of your insults for toda
y. I should go and check that all the guests made it out of the fire safely.”
“I. Heard. You.” He almost growls the words. “Don’t lie to me. Don’t stand there and tell me—”
“Ask your sister, then. I was in the aviary with her from the time you stomped out of my office until I returned to our suite an hour later to apologize to you.”
“To…apologize?”
“Yes, Your Highness. To apologize. Because I hadn’t meant for you to find out about Yale in that manner. I hadn’t even meant…” I shake my head. “You know what? It doesn’t matter now. I suppose I’ll be off to find some other man to go and fuck, since that seems to be the only thing you think me capable of. Or perhaps I’ll just suck his cock, since that seems to be another of your concerns.”
He reaches out and grabs my forearm. “Justine—”
I twist my arm out of his grasp. “I didn’t fuck him, William. And I haven’t fucked him in almost two years.” I blink back the tears that have started forming in my eyes again. “And trust me, I’ll never be fucking you again, either.”
William
So many thoughts are tumbling through my mind that I can’t seem to process any of them.
She hasn’t fucked James Camden in two years.
She was in the aviary with my sister.
She hasn’t had sex with anyone else since we were married.
I’ve ruined everything.
I don’t know if I can believe anything she says, but I want to so badly that I can’t bring myself to distrust her words, not in this moment.
But she’s getting away.
“Justine,” I call after her. I weave through the tables, following her until I can grab her arm again. “Justine, I—”
She spins around, eyes flashing. “I told you—I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“I’m sorry,” I blurt. I must sound pretty pathetic and desperate, because she doesn’t immediately turn away again. “I’m sorry,” I say again. “You must believe me, Justine. I…” I shake my head. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve certainly never been the jealous type. But you… Something about you…” I release her arm, knowing I’m not helping my case. Every word I’ve said is true, though—I don’t know what’s come over me. I got married and suddenly I’ve gone insane.
The sprinklers are still raining down on us, and Justine pushes her hair out of her eyes again. She looks so beautiful with the water dripping down her face, running over her faintly flushed skin. It makes me ache. She still looks angry, but something has softened in her eyes. It gives me hope.
“Maybe…maybe we can start over,” I say. “Pretend none of this ever happened.”
A wry expression spreads across her lips. “It’s not that simple.”
“No,” I admit. “I guess no one ever said marriage was easy.”
To my surprise, she actually laughs. “No, they didn’t.” Her expression sobers again. “But that doesn’t mean you can just—”
I grab her and kiss her, drowning out the rest of her words. For a split second, she stiffens in surprise, but then she leans into me, her lips opening beneath mine, letting me in.
My arms slide around her waist, pulling her hard against me. Her body melts against my chest, and her head tilts back as I deepen the kiss. My tongue teases the corner of her mouth, then slides along her upper lip, and she moans softly. The sound is lost beneath the sound of water splattering all around us, but I feel the vibration of it against my mouth. Her fingers cling to my shoulders.
I’m drowning. Everything we’ve been through, every emotion that’s built up over these past few weeks, comes rushing forward, twisting into the passion that now surges between us. Her skin is hot against mine, and her kisses and touches seem as desperate as my own. My hands have the zipper of her dress halfway down her back before either of us seems to remember where we are or what we’re doing.
She pushes against my chest, leaning back. “We can’t…” She twists her head, looking at the doors behind us. “Not here.”
“I’m not waiting to have you anywhere else,” I say. “Let them see. Let them all bloody see.”
I grab her again, and she gasps as I lift her off her feet. I turn and take her back to the raised stage, and I sit her on the edge of the platform before pulling her face back to mine again. She loops her arms around my neck and holds me close. Whatever reservations she had about doing this here seem to be gone.
And I don’t intend to waste another moment.
Her zipper is still partway undone, and I unzip it the rest of the way, exposing more of her bare skin to my hands. Her skin is slick from the water still pouring down on us, and I marvel at how smooth it feels beneath my fingers. But as much as I’d like to explore every bit of her body, my need is too urgent right now.
Releasing her back, my hands drop to her legs. The dress she’s wearing today is modest, knee-length, and professional—very easy to push up her thighs. I spread her knees wide apart, leaning between them and pulling her chest close to mine. She moans as my groin presses between her thighs. Her legs wrap around my waist, keeping me snug against her, as my tongue slips into her mouth again.
No woman has ever infuriated me the way Justine does. But I’ve also never wanted any woman as much as I want her—a true madness has come over me, taking over my senses and drowning out every bit of logic and reason. I need her—and I know nothing else.
My hand drops between her legs, sliding between us. Her underwear is shockingly warmer and wetter than the rest of her, and that knowledge sends another surge of blood through me. I can’t wait a moment longer.
She can’t seem to, either. She releases her legs from around my waist, and together, we wrestle her panties down her legs. Before I can even pull her close again, she’s reaching for my fly, and she has my belt and zipper undone in a matter of seconds. I push my pants down and step between her legs again. Her ankles cross behind my back once more, pulling my groin right against hers.
We’ve only done this once before, but our bodies already know each other well. I slip into her as easily as if I’ve done it a hundred times before, as if our bodies already know perfectly how to fit together. Her nails dig into my spine, and I groan in the back of my throat as I bury myself as deep in her as I can go. I want to savor this feeling, to linger in this place of connection and pleasure.
But my body has other needs, other ideas. As does Justine, it seems. Our bodies begin to move at the same time, my hips thrusting against her while she arches herself toward me. Her head falls back, her wet hair dangling down behind her, as I move against her again and again. Her thighs tighten against my hips, driving me onward, silently begging me to go harder and deeper.
And I obey her body’s commands.
I drop my face to her exposed throat, nipping at her damp skin as I drive into her again and again, trying to push myself deeper with every thrust. She’s mine, all mine—and I don’t want either of us to forget that ever again.
The sprinklers continue to rain down on us, soaking our clothes and skin. The water feels icy against my hot skin, but the shock of it only enhances my nerves. Everything is sensation and pleasure, driven by a primal need I didn’t know I carried. This is more than the desire I usually carry for women—this goes far deeper. It’s woven into my very bones, more intense than any hunger I’ve ever known.
“Justine,” I groan against her throat. “Fuck, Justine.”
She responds by tightening her grip on my back and squeezing me harder with her legs, a wordless encouragement. I can no longer think, no longer even feel—my mind and body know but one purpose.
Suddenly, Justine’s nails dig so deeply into my skin that I let out a growl of pain. She arches sharply against me, throwing her hips against mine, and her mouth falls open, releasing a soft but distinctive cry. As her body convulses around mine, my own release comes quickly, my body following hers quickly over the edge. The sound that escapes my lips
is almost animal, and I thrust into her as hard and as deep as I can, filling her with every bit of my desire.
When it’s done, I nearly collapse on her, only barely catching myself on my elbows. She’s on her back on the stage, her legs still wrapped around me. I’m still buried inside of her, and though my body is tender, I can’t bring myself to separate from her yet. I feel as if I’m on fire, and all the sprinklers in the world can’t douse the heat moving through me.
I’m not sure how long we lie there, trying to catch our breath. I can barely put two thoughts together. Sweat and water drip from my nose, landing on Justine’s throat, but she doesn’t seem to notice. Her breasts rise and fall rapidly, and when I feel the hard nubs of her nipples press against me through her soaked dress, my cock twitches inside her, already thinking about round two.
I should say something. We’ve crossed some turning point in our relationship—I’m sure of that much. But the right words won’t come to my sex-addled brain, so I just continue to lie there, half on top of her, unable to do anything.
Suddenly, Justine’s eyes widen.
“It’s stopped,” she says breathlessly. “The sprinklers. And the alarm.”
“Ah,” I say, glancing up. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“No, you don’t understand. They’ve stopped. That means the fire brigade must be here.”
I’m still trying to process what she’s saying. She shoves me off her, and in my current condition I don’t quite manage to find my feet. I fall to the floor, my pants still around my ankles.
Justine throws herself down on the ground next to me, pulling me behind one of the tables even as she reaches for her discarded underwear. It’s not until that moment that I realize what she’s so worried about—just as I hear the doors open.