by Sophie Stern
“I had no idea, Hayden. I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t scare you.”
“No!” She says firmly. “No, you didn’t scare me, Gaz. I feel safe with you. Complete. Whole. I feel good with you. It’s just that…”
“What, sweetie?”
“Gaz, I’d never had sex with anyone before he took me. The only times I’ve ever done that were with my kidnapper, and it was always forced.”
“Hayden,” I lift her chin so I can look at her. “Are you telling me you’ve never made love with someone you cared about?”
“No,” her word is a whisper.
“And you’re trusting me to take care of you?”
“Yes, Gaz, but I feel a little scared, and I’m sorry. I feel totally humiliated. Can we just…can we take it slow?”
“Of course we can take it slow, Hayden. We don’t have to do anything tonight, and just so we’re clear, this does not change how I feel about you.”
“Okay,” she breathes a sigh of relief and snuggles back against me. “Thank you, Gaz.”
“I love you, Hayden.”
Chapter 7
Hayden
I wake up the next morning wrapped in Gaz’s arms. They’re strong, and he’s holding me tightly against himself, but I’m not scared. I don’t feel nervous or afraid. I just feel cared for.
“Good morning,” he says.
“Hi,” I wiggle around to look at him. We slept with my back to his chest. I’m a little surprised I managed to sleep like that all night. Considering that I’ve slept alone my entire life, sleeping with someone wasn’t as difficult as I expected it would be.
“How’d you sleep?”
“Hard,” I admit. “Usually I wake up a couple of times during the night, but I didn’t last night.”
“Nightmares?”
“Sometimes.”
“I’m glad you slept well. I did, too.”
“You look surprised about that,” I smile.
“I’m not used to sleeping with someone.”
“You don’t let your girlfriends sleep over?” I ask.
“You know I haven’t had a girlfriend since I left home,” he tells me.
“But you’ve slept with people.”
“Most adults have,” Gaz says. “Does that bother you? That I have a past?”
“Not really. Maybe it should, but I think there are worse things in life than dating someone who knows his way around a woman’s body.”
“Are we dating, then?” He smiles, and I playfully slap his chest.
“We did say those three little words.”
“I meant them, Hayden.”
“I meant them, too.”
Gaz kisses me, but then he pulls away and climbs out of bed.
“I would love to stay here all day with you,” he tells me. “But sadly, duty calls.”
“Time to deal with Trevor,” I say knowingly.
“Sadly,” he says.
“Do you want to take a shower with me before you go?” I ask quietly. My words are so quiet I’m almost certain he won’t hear me, but he does. Gaz’s eyes flash purple, and then back to their usual bright blue. Is that an Orchidian thing?
“Are you sure you’re ready for that? There’s nothing wrong if you aren’t, Hayden.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m delicate just because of yesterday,” I tell him boldly. “I got nervous, I admit, but I’m okay, Gaz. I’m stronger than you think.”
“You’re a fortress, Hayden. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known, and then he kisses me. “But if we’re going to take a shower, we need to get you out of your pajamas.”
I look down at my clothes. I changed last night before we climbed into bed together. Gaz, on the other hand, was perfectly comfortable sleeping in his underwear.
“Okay,” I tell him. “Are you going to help me?”
“Of course,” he says, and he starts to tug my tank top up. He pulls it over my head, and then smiles when he sees I’m not wearing a bra. “Look at you, Hayden. Look how pretty your breasts are. I always knew they’d be beautiful.” He reaches for me and palms my breasts, and I bite back a moan.
“I thought you’d like them.”
“I do. They’re fantastic, but you’re still wearing too many clothes.” He kisses my mouth and moves slowly down my neck to my breasts. He kisses each of my nipples, but then continues to kiss and lick his way down my belly. When Gaz reaches my soft pants, he grins before taking the fabric between his teeth and tugging down, down, down.
And then I am naked before him.
He smiles up at me.
“Fucking gorgeous,” he says, as if confirming something he already knew. Gaz looks up at me and our eyes lock. I nod, slowly, and he leans forward and begins to lick me. He starts at my ankles and slowly moves up my body, teasing me. I lean back and close my eyes, just focusing on the sensations.
“You taste delicious,” he murmurs, kissing my skin.
“Sweet.”
Kiss.
“Perfect.”
Kiss.
“Delicate.”
Kiss.
“Mine.”
And then he reaches the top of my thighs, and he starts to kiss me there.
“Gaz!” I reach for his hair, opening my eyes. “I’ve never…”
“I know, darling,” he looks up at me. “I’m going to be your first.”
“I’m nervous.”
“I’ll be gentle.”
“I don’t know…” I shake my head. I don’t want to ruin the moment, but I’m suddenly so nervous. “What if I don’t taste good?”
“Is that what you’re scared of?” He laughs. The sound fills the room and then he bites my thigh playfully.
“Hey!”
“You are perfect. Don’t you worry about the fact that you taste like a woman, baby. I fucking love it.”
Then he starts licking me, and licking me, and licking me, and suddenly, I wonder what the hell I was so nervous about.
This?
This is what I’ve been missing out on?
Seriously, this feeling is incredible, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever felt before. Every so often, Gaz stops kissing and licking me to tell me how delicious I am, to whisper how much he loves me, to promise me he doesn’t want to be anywhere else but right here with me.
And when I finally reach the orgasm Gaz is offering me, it crashes over me like a storm of pleasure. Thunder and lightning fills my veins as I arch my back off the bed and cry out his name.
Gaz.
Gaz.
Gaz.
I love you.
Chapter 8
Gaz
By the time Hayden and I have finished showering, eating breakfast, and getting dressed, it’s well past time for me to head to work.
“What about your clothes?” She looks at the wrinkled suit I’m wearing.
“I keep an extra one at the office,” I admit.
“Do you often find yourself without clothing?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Izzie insisted. I thought it was weird at first, too, but you know me, Hayden.”
“You spilled on yourself one day, didn’t you?” She laughs.
“I did,” I admit. “It was right before I had to go defend someone and it was quite a hassle to get new clothes at the last second.”
“Only you would describe this sort of work emergency as a ‘hassle,’” Hayden smiles.
“It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Perhaps not, but you should get going. I should, too, or I’ll be late.”
“We can’t have that,” I move toward her and give her one last kiss. I don’t want to go to the office this morning. I don’t want to spend the day away from Hayden. I feel like we’ve spent so much time not being together that now it’s all I want to do.
I want to spend every waking moment with her.
Reluctantly, we say our goodbyes and I head in to the office. When I walk in, Izzie jumps up.
“Gaz!”
“Don’t worry, I�
��ve got an extra suit in my office,” I tell her as I stride by.
“Wait,” she says. “I couldn’t stop them. I tried, and I told them they needed an appointment, but they didn’t listen.”
“What are you talking about, Izzie? Who’s here?”
“We are,” a familiar voice says, and I turn to see a tall man with dark hair standing in the entrance to the hallway. Two members of the Orchidian police force are standing with him.
“What are you doing here?” I grit my words out. This is not happening.
“Is this how you greet your brother?” He strides forward and comes to stand directly in front of me, invading my space. My brother has never had any qualms about getting in someone’s face.
“There’s a reason I left Orchid,” I tell him. “Or have you forgotten?”
“You have a brother?” Izzie says from behind me. “Wow. You know, I can see the family resemblance, now that you mention it.”
“Gaz hasn’t told you?” Rex flashes his teeth and holds out his hand to Izzie. “It’s a nice to meet you. I’m sorry my big brother has such poor manners.”
“You’re a dick,” Izzie says, and Rex’s smile disappears. Yeah, he wasn’t expecting that reaction from Izzie. Rex is used to charming both women and men. No matter what sort of situation he finds himself in, he uses his charisma to get what he wants.
“Your good looks won’t work here,” I tell him.
“What a shame,” Rex says, looking at Izzie. “You and I could have had some fun, darling.”
“Not likely,” Izzie rolls her eyes and sits back down at her desk, apparently resigning herself to watch the shit show that’s about to unfold. “I don’t have any interest in overzealous jerks who don’t know their place.”
“Oh, I know my place just fine,” Rex turns back to me. “It’s Gazley here who doesn’t know where he belongs.”
“Gaz?”
I close my eyes when I hear Hayden’s voice from behind me because this is so not happening. Not right now. Why is she here right now? And why is Rex here? And what the hell is happening with my day?
Today was supposed to be simple, easy. I was supposed to change my clothes, tell Trevor to find himself a new attorney, and leave work early to spend time with Hayden. I was supposed to be able to lose myself in her.
I wasn’t supposed to have to see my long-lost brother or deal with the problems I left behind on Orchid.
Those are ghosts I don’t want to face.
Not now.
Not ever again.
“You forgot your communications unit,” Hayden says sweetly. She has it in her hand, but before I can take it from her, my brother darts over to her.
“Why hello,” he says. “And who might you be?” He takes her hand and kisses it dramatically. Hayden pulls her hand back.
“Well, I’m-” Izzie makes a motion to Hayden not to give anything away. Hayden looks confused, but luckily, she’s not stupid. She trusts me, and she trusts Izzie, and she handles stress and anxiety better than anyone else I’ve ever met. “I’m one of Gazley’s associates,” she finishes smoothly.
“Is that right?” Rex isn’t buying it. My brother looks from Hayden to me and back again. “Are you sure that you aren’t dating my brother? Because you kind of look like you’re dating my brother.”
“Who is this asshole?” Hayden turns to me, and Rex’s mouth drops open once more. Yeah, he’s really not used to women who stand up for themselves and who don’t like jerks. There’s nothing wrong with people on Orchid, but Orchidians tend to be swept up in Rex’s charms.
“What do you want, Rex?” I ask again. “And please, make it fast. I have a lot of things I need to do today and dealing with you and these guys,” I jerk my head toward the two uniformed police officers. “Isn’t exactly on the schedule.”
“It’s mother,” he says. “She wants you back.”
“No.”
Rex’s eyes narrow, but I shake my head. I promised myself when I left Orchid that I wouldn’t return. Not for Rex. Not for my mother. Not for anyone. The political system on Orchid is corrupt and the corruption is far deeper than anyone could possibly imagine. There needs to be a complete overhaul of how the planet is run and I have no interest in being there for that.
It sounds terrible and mean, but people on Orchid are happy with their planet. They’re happy with their elitist society. They’re happy with their lives. They don’t want someone who is going to mess that up for them and even if I did accept my rightful place on Orchid, I’m not under the impression that anything would be able to change.
“You must return. It is your duty,” Rex tries again.
“I left Orchid, or have you forgotten that I’m essentially an outlaw? Have you forgotten what mother said to me when I turned away from the plan she had for my life?”
“You are the crown prince,” Rex says. “It is your duty.”
Hayden lets out a tiny gasp and a smug expression crosses Rex’s face.
“Didn’t tell you that, did he?” My heart sinks as I look at Hayden and wonder what she’s going to do.
Is this the part where she accuses me of lying to her?
Is this the part where she insists our entire relationship is built on deceit?
Is this the part where she walks out of the office and doesn’t look back?
What happens now?
I hold my breath as I watch the woman of my dreams slip through my fingers because I wasn’t brave enough to tell her who I really am.
Chapter 9
Hayden
When Gaz left his communications device at the house, I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I would simply drop it off to him on my way to work, where I would somehow manage to make it through the hours until I could see him again.
Only, that’s not what happened.
I knew something was wrong as soon as I stepped into the lobby.
First of all, there were two uniformed Orchidian police officers standing in the office. Even though I didn’t realize what the official uniforms looked like until I saw them, the resemblance to Gaz was undeniable. They weren’t blue, for one thing. They also looked incredibly serious, for another.
Sapphirans can be serious, of course. We can be really, really serious. We also know how to lighten the fuck up and have a good time when it’s appropriate. These guys, though? Talk about grim.
The other giveaway was the fact that the man facing off with Gaz looked exactly like him. I’m talking almost identical twins. Gaz never talks about Orchid or the things he left behind. He doesn’t talk about his family, so I had no idea until that moment he had a brother. Judging by the body language, I’d guess they didn’t part on amicable terms.
And now I’m standing between the two men and I’ve just learned that my boyfriend is secretly a prince.
Gaz, of all people, is secretly royalty.
Who would have guessed?
I wouldn’t have. Gaz lives a simple life. Oh, he likes fast cars and he’s had his share of women. I’m not naïve. I might not be sexually experienced, but I’m not clueless. I know Gaz has a wild side when he calms down enough to enjoy the world around him.
I also know that he’s sweet, and thoughtful, and caring.
I know he’s gentle.
I know he’s kind.
And I know, more than anything else, that is a brother is a real dick.
Gaz didn’t tell me about his family, and now I can see why. He left Orchid and now he’s an outlaw? His mother wants him back? He’s on the run? No wonder he’s such a private person. Leaving his whole planet behind must have been hard and painful.
Why would he want to go back now?
He’s got a good life here. He’s got a stable job and a hovercar and a house. He’s got friends, clients, and relationships. He’s become an integral part of this community. Gaz leaving now wouldn’t make any sense.
So why the hell would his brother ask him to?
I’m not naïve. It’s not my first day being around
assholes. It is, however, my first time seeing Gaz look nervous and uncomfortable, and I realize he’s waiting to see what I’m going to do.
He thinks I’m going to take his brother’s side, I realize.
Well, fuck that.
“Fuck you,” I tell Rex.
“What?” Rex’s eyes pop open so wide I’m a little surprised they didn’t explode.
“Fuck. You.” I enunciate my words and poke Rex in the chest as I speak. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, coming to Sapphira and causing trouble, but I don’t like it.”
Rex straightens up, steeling himself. “Why, I am the second-born prince of Orchid, heir to the throne.”
“Yeah,” I say dryly. “I got that bit, and I also got the part where Gaz told you he isn’t interested in the throne, so fuck off.”
I turn to Gaz and give him a hug.
“Are you okay?” I whisper in his ear, and he nods.
“That was incredible,” he says, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
“I knew it!” Izzie shouts from her spot by the reception desk. “I knew you two were going to hook up! I called it.”
“Yes, yes,” Gaz waves a hand toward her. “Happy endings for everyone, I know.”
“Not for you,” Rex says, stepping forward. “Mother has demanded your presence.”
“Why?” Gaz says. Suddenly, he seems a little bit stronger, a little bit darker, and I wonder what he’s going to say to his brother. Rex seems like a weasel. He’s not exactly the type of person I’d want to be around.
He’s also nothing like my own brothers, who are kind and gentle and good.
Now Rex is the one who seems uncomfortable.
“Why would Mother, after all of this time, want me to come back to Orchid?” Gaz’s eyes narrow. “I stepped away from the crown, brother. I left that world, and it was made very clear I was no longer welcome on Orchid.”
“Well, she…”
“She what?” Gaz says, and then his gaze deepens. “Or is this not about mother at all? Is this about you? Have you finally realized what she expects from the crown prince?”