The Fidelity World_Nondisclosure

by Ellie Masters

  Privilege granted many rights, but it took many more away. I peered into her eyes, only to see the resolute determination girding her countenance. My mother’s mind was made up.

  But so was mine.

  Chapter 44: The Rules

  Rowan

  The next few months passed in a daze. Richard and I spent our nights wrapped in a tangle of limbs, buried beneath the pleasures of the flesh, and enraptured with each other. We explored mutual fantasies, took tentative steps, and built something entirely ours.

  This man held my heart in his hands. I’d freely given it, knowing how this would end. I’d fallen completely and irrevocably in love with a man I could never have. He purchased the privilege of my time and stole my heart, and it was only a matter of time before he utterly destroyed me.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” he said, kissing my shoulder.

  I rubbed at the rope indentations encircling my wrists.

  My journey into bliss began with the strike of his hand and ended with the fury of crop and cane. He took without mercy and fucked with fury.

  My jaw ached. My pussy throbbed. I’d been gloriously fucked into oblivion, and I never wanted to leave this place of contentment. I snuggled against his hard body and drifted, at peace.

  “My mind’s a blank,” I murmured, lying to him.

  He flipped me over his legs and struck my ass ten times—hard and without concern for my screams. Those screams morphed into a low, reedy moan with the arrival of the delicious heat that followed.

  “Richard…” Do I dare beg for relief?

  “What happens when you lie?”

  “I get spanked.” I hated when he forced the truth.

  “Did you lie just now?” His hand caressed the tender flesh of my ass.

  After the cane, fresh welts lined my ass and thighs. The burn had faded, but the deep, aching throb persisted.

  I bit my lip. “Yes, Sir.”

  “And what are the rules?”

  “No lying.”

  “Then, tell me what you were thinking.”

  I didn’t want to ruin our moment. With his busy schedule, we had precious little time alone, and after his mother’s decree, I spent even less time with him in public. The press still followed us around, interested in the woman he kept by his side, but that was where the speculation ended.

  “I was thinking about next year.”

  My break from my degree would end with the arrival of the spring semester. My time with Richard would end then, too.

  He rubbed my ass, soothing the burn, but I needed more. His fingers dipped between my legs and found my aching clit. My body responded, racing too fast toward orgasm. With a flick of his thumb, my climax slammed into me, stealing my breath and making me forget our vacant future.

  He flipped me, dropping me to my back. Lifting my legs over his shoulders, he positioned his erect cock at my entrance. The slow slide of him inside me had my fingers clutching and my back arching off the bed. He rocked into me and then dragged his cock out. Not in any hurry to come again, he drove me over the edge. His hips bucked while the aftershocks of my orgasm ripped through me.

  “You’re mine,” he said, nipping at my throat. “Never forget it.”

  “But your—”

  The firmness of his lips silenced anything I’d had to say. “What did I say?”

  “I’m yours.”

  With his body once more wrapped around me, I sank into his embrace, but my mind spiraled into a lonely future.

  Chapter 45: Last Month

  Richard

  I concluded my dealings with Infidelity, buying out my contract. I would no longer pay for the privilege of Rowan’s company. She would no longer be an employee.

  She would find out later what that meant.

  Perhaps it wasn’t fair to keep my plans secret, but I couldn’t risk a leak—at least, not until I’d sorted out the obligations that bound me and my crown.

  Christmas came and went—time she spent alone while I attended state functions. Mum remained resolute, and a chill settled over our interactions. Her refusal to reconsider my relationship met the steel of my determination. We found ourselves at an impasse, and I saw no way around it.

  The week after New Year’s found Rowan in my arms. We were back in Savannah for her visit with her brother. Mark drove the car to Freddy’s home, and I clutched her against my chest. The crunching of gravel announced our arrival. I exited first and then gave her a hand to help her out.

  “I’ll wait for your call,” I said.

  We appeared to be alone, but I never knew when a telephoto lens might be aimed at us. Decorum dictated our behavior. I would not irritate my mother by being anything less than circumspect—at least, in the public eye.

  “It shouldn’t be that long.”

  “I hope not.”

  “I’m going to tell him,” she said.

  “About?”

  “He doesn’t handle change well. I need to tell him about us.” The smile on her face slipped, invaded by a frown.

  “What are you going to tell him?”

  Had she figured out my plan? I’d say yes, except for the melancholy in her expression.

  “I’ll start small, mention we won’t be seeing each other—”

  “Whoa, what do you mean, won’t be seeing each other?”

  “When I see him next month, we won’t be together. No lies, right? I can’t lie to my brother.”

  No lies. That was my rule. One I’d broken with the decisions made without her input. It was time to rectify that error, but first, I had a phone call to make.

  “Can you hold off on saying anything?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Consider it a request. Ask him if I can meet him when I pick you up. Can you do that?”

  “Why?”

  “I think we should tell him together.”

  She breathed out a sigh. “I suppose.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  Wrapping her in my arms, I hugged her tight, damn any lenses trained on us. She was my past, my present, and my future. My forever belonged with her.

  Rowan went to visit her brother while I had a conversation with my mother.

  “Good evening, Mum.”

  “It’s late to be calling.”

  With the difference in time zones, she would be getting ready for bed, exactly when she was most vulnerable. No one would be with her, all the servants dismissed for the night. I needed to speak to my mother, not my Queen, and I needed her alone when I ripped out her heart.

  “I apologize.”

  “This couldn’t wait for morning?” The terseness of her tone reflected her irritation.

  “Not this.”

  “Well,” she snapped, “get on with it then. I don’t have all night.”

  Marrying without the Queen’s consent would disqualify me from succession. The law couldn’t be clearer. Faced with a life with Rowan and that without, my decision had not come easily. England would have its king. It just wouldn’t be me.

  “I’m with Rowan, visiting her brother.”

  “And this required a phone call?”

  “I’m going to ask for her brother’s blessing.”

  Silence greeted me on the other end of the line. “Richard—”

  “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, some burdens are too heavy to bear. You taught me to lead with wisdom but never forget to rule with my heart. Rowan is my heart. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Mum. I’m sorry what this will do to England, but this is my decision. If I can’t have your blessing, I pray, one day, you’ll understand the choice I made. I hope you can forgive me.”

  A click sounded.

  “Mum?”

  No answer.

  “Mum?”

  The call had disconnected.

  Chapter 46: Contract

  Rowan

  I should have heard something. At least ten times a day, I would open my inbox and then click it closed. My contract with Infidelity ha
d taken a beating, too, the papers crinkled as I pored over the legalese. The client had to exercise their notification within one month of the contract’s anniversary date. I had no notification of renewal.

  Perhaps I’d been foolish to believe our time would never end. I’d been well paid. At forty thousand a month, nearly half a million sat in my bank account. After Henry’s betrayal, I had no confidence in lawyers. It wasn’t smart to leave that money sitting in an account, but I had no idea what to do with it.

  I could always add to the land trust, but the problem with land was that it didn’t pay the bills. Half a million in the bank, three hundred million more sitting in a trust, and I didn’t want a penny of it. I wanted to turn back time and beg my father to make better choices and not leave Freddy and me alone. If that had happened, I never would have found myself at Club Infinity. I never would have met the love of my life. I never would be faced with saying good-bye.

  A month had passed since my last visit with Freddy. This time, Richard didn’t accompany me. He was in New York with David and left me to fly to Savannah alone.

  “Sis,” Freddy called out, “stop squeezing Rex. He’s full.”

  Despite my request to change feeding day to Saturday, Freddy had kept Sally and Rex on his Friday schedule. I was surprised he’d let me handle Rex. The cool scales of his skin chilled my skin as Rex coiled around my forearm. His forked tongue tasted the air, flicking out too fast to follow. Freddy cleaned the cage. Sally wound herself into a knot on his chair.

  We spent many of our visits doing mundane things. Generally, the monotony soothed me. Seeing Freddy happy in his home made it easier to bear the institutional necessity of his life.

  “I thought Richard would be here,” he said.

  “He couldn’t make it.”

  “He’s nice.”

  Theirs had been an odd interaction. Freddy had reacted well to Richard, talking animatedly about the line of succession. Freddy had recited some fifty-odd names, and Richard hadn’t missed a beat. Before I had known it, Freddy had pulled Richard aside, leaving me to read in the library. Where they had gone or what they’d talked about wasn’t something either of them had shared with me. What Richard and I hadn’t done was break the news to Freddy, which left me to do it alone.

  “Yes, he is.” I pulled Rex off my arm, cradling his long body with ease. “Is it ready yet?”

  “Almost,” Freddy said.

  “I want to talk to you about Richard.”

  “You love him.” Freddy cracked a grin.

  This wasn’t going how I wanted. “Sometimes, things don’t work out.” It was best to put the truth out there and pray Freddy understood. “Richard and I aren’t going to be seeing each other anymore.”

  Freddy gave a big grin. “You don’t know the secret.”

  My brows pulled together. “What secret?”

  His gaze zeroed in on the clock. “Tank’s clean. Give me Rex.”

  Freddy put Rex in the tank, and then he gathered Sally and deposited her inside. Covering the top, he clicked on the heating lamp to keep them warm. With his task complete, he turned to me. “You need to leave. Richard is here.”

  “Remember, I told you Richard is in New York?”

  “Richard’s outside.”

  I arched a brow, confused.

  “You need to go,” he said.

  I was dismissed.

  With my head down, I wandered outside. It would take time to make Freddy understand.

  Outside, a black car pulled up, and the man of my dreams stepped out of the car.

  “Richard!” Even knowing the end was barreling down on us, I leaped into his arms.

  “My sweet Rowan,” he said. “I have missed you.”

  His lips crushed mine, and I dissolved in one of the few remaining kisses we had left.

  “You didn’t tell me you were flying down!” I wrapped my arms tight around his neck, uncaring of royal protocols. I had one week left with this man, and I didn’t care if my actions weren’t proper.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked, triggering me to his state of mind.

  “Green,” I said, laughing. “Green all the way.”

  He settled me back on my feet and held open the door to the car. I crawled in the back, and he slid in beside me.

  “You look amazing,” I said.

  He was dressed in a dark suit, pressed white oxford, and narrow black tie. The suit was barely a step below a tuxedo, and I’d seen him in plenty of those. The man wore a suit like a second skin.

  “What’s the occasion?” I asked.

  “I’m going shopping,” he answered and then flashed a grin.

  “I see. You’re going shopping.”

  “Indeed, I am. Now, sit back, and behave.”

  I needed no encouragement. Nor was I surprised when we pulled up outside of Clara’s Boutique. Our adventure had begun here. It might have started at Club Infinity, but this was where I’d made the decision to stop running.

  He climbed out and offered his hand to help me exit the car. Clara met us at the door, a huge smile on her face. This time, she greeted me with a hug and kisses to my cheeks.

  “It’s so good to see you.” Clara turned to Richard and dropped a set of keys in his hands. “Everything is set up exactly as you asked. Good luck.”

  Good luck?

  “Come,” he said, pulling me inside. “Stay there, and don’t you dare move.”

  No problem. There wasn’t anywhere to go.

  He spun around, locked the front door, and lowered the shades. He gave a wink. “To keep prying eyes out.”

  “I guess you don’t want them to see what you’re shopping for,” I remembered the leather and chain outfit I had worn last time we were here.

  “Most definitely.” He came to me, more of a prowl than anything else.

  Between one step and the next, the entire tone of our evening changed. This was no longer Richard the Prince. This was the man I loved and the uncaged beast inside.

  He held my hand and took me to the sitting area. “Strip.”

  My eyes widened, but I obeyed without hesitation. If he had a mind to play, I would follow. I kicked off my shoes, a smile lifting my cheeks. Then, I pulled off my blouse, shimmying out of it as I began my striptease. There wasn’t anything sexy about me taking off my clothes. Grace was not one of my gifts, but Richard didn’t seem to mind. My pants came next, and I peeled those off in a disastrous mess of hopping around. I couldn’t help giggling. Finally, I kicked them off, and his laughter spilled into the room, mingling with mine. That warmed my heart and hurt it, too.

  Putting my hands to my hips, I stared him down. “If you’re going to laugh, I’m stopping right here.”

  His head shook, slow and purposeful. “If you don’t strip out of your bra and panties, I’m going to rip them off myself.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” I teased.

  “You really don’t want to spend the next few minutes over my knee.” He gestured with an imperious wave. “Now, strip.”

  I removed my bra with much more grace than I’d taken off my pants. Hooking my thumbs under the band of my panties, I made a show of stripping out of them nice and slow, knowing exactly what that would do to him. A quick glance at the tenting of his pants, and my work was done.

  He approached me but stayed a foot from the dais as he walked around, taking me in from every angle. It took everything not to fidget or squirm.

  “I will never get tired of this. You’re amazing.”

  If he didn’t think he’d ever get tired of me, why the hell hadn’t he renewed our agreement? My pride kept me from asking that question.

  “Now,” he said, “listen carefully.”

  My spine stiffened, as I knew we were transitioning into our private roles.

  “I want you to go into that dressing room and put on the dress I picked out. Understand?”

  “Okay.” That seemed like a simple request. Why was he acting weird about it?

  I swore, his eyes never le
ft me.

  “I’m serious.”

  “I think I can handle that.”

  He huffed a low laugh. “We’ll see about that.”

  Great. He had something up his sleeve. Didn’t matter. He gave an order, and I obeyed.

  Rolling my shoulders back, I puffed out my chest and enjoyed how his gaze angled to my breasts, tightening my nipples. I marched off the stage, turned the corner into the dressing room, and pulled up short. My hands covered my mouth, and tears poured out of my eyes.

  All satin and lace, the cornflower-blue Cinderella dress boasted layers and layers of tulle in a petticoat that seemed to float on air. Gems were embedded in the layers that shimmered beneath the lights, and a corset framed the top of the sleeveless gown.

  The solid tread of feet had me spinning around. I took a step back and gasped when Richard took a knee. He held up none other than a glass slipper. His grin spread across his entire face, reaching to the corners of his eyes where the lights overhead reflected and sparkled.

  “I have a ring, but I couldn’t resist becoming a cliché. Now, are you going to put on your dress, or am I going to have to spank that pert little ass?”

  “What is this?” My cheeks hurt from the smile on my face. “Your mother forbid—”

  “If you dare mention my mother while standing naked in front of me, I’m going to smack that ass until you can’t sit for a month. Now, Miss Rowan Cartwright, will you do me the honor of being my bride?” He rose and came to me. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a ring and then knelt again. “Will you marry me?”

  “How…” My mind splintered in a million different directions. “You can’t. What about…” I knew we didn’t have his mother’s blessing and exactly what that meant.

  He bowed his head and then gripped my hand. Before I knew it, the ring slipped onto my finger. “I can’t imagine a life without you.”

  “What about Infidelity?” I hadn’t heard anything from them. Not one peep.

  “I bought out the contract. I want you for the rest of my life.” Standing, he went to the dress. “Now, I really need you to put this on.”