Promised to a King

by Lisa Lang Blakeney

  SLOAN

  "They are not loud!" I protest. Gasping for breath in between laughter. He's tickling me to death.

  "My princess is a screamer."

  "Stop!" I plead as I grab a hold of my tormenter's wrists and hold them down above his head on the bed (or rather he permits me to).

  "Stop tickling me you neanderthal. You know I can't stand it," I say breathing heavily.

  "Wait until you see what happens at the next tenant meeting. Watch the looks that you get from sweet old Mrs. Mason. She can hear you through the walls even when she turns up the television."

  "You look positively thrilled about that."

  "I don't mind everyone in the building knowing that I know how to keep my woman satisfied. In fact, I'm actually surprised that Kyle has never mentioned how good you're getting it. Isn't his bedroom on the other side of our living room wall?"

  "This is not our living room wall. It's yours."

  Cutter's face hardens.

  This isn't our first conversation about our living arrangement or lack thereof. Cutter thinks it’s ridiculous that I want to stay in my apartment which is just a few feet away from his. I just don’t see it that way.

  "A fact which can easily be remedied by you giving me the ok to rent out your apartment. You're never in it."

  "You know how I feel about that."

  "You feel things entirely too much. Get out of your feelings, and let's be practical about it instead."

  I release his wrists and sit up.

  "You're talking to me about being practical? That's unbelievable seeing as how you bought this entire building just to harass me."

  "Correction, impress you."

  "What's impressive or practical about buying a piece of real estate that you didn't need nor want."

  "It's called being romantic, Miss Pearson, and romance always trumps practicality. Any other woman–"

  "Any other woman what?!" I interrupt defiantly.

  "Any other woman would see what I meant by the gesture. Would be moved by the gesture. Would be creaming in her panties because of the gesture."

  "Buying this building was over the top." I motion my hands around the room.

  "I'm fucking over the top, Sloan!” he yells. “Why are you acting like you don't know who I am. Who I've always been. Who you fell in love with."

  "You're right, I shouldn't have said that."

  "That's right, you shouldn't have. As a matter of fact there's a lot of things you shouldn't have said today, but I'm going to chalk that up to you not being a morning person."

  I don't respond to that and simply roll my eyes at him.

  "I bought you a ring and you said yes. We spend most of our time in this apartment. We're getting married this summer. There's no reason why you shouldn't just move in here officially. Especially because your unit could bring us in extra income. Fiscally it makes all the sense in the world."

  "I'm not trying sound pretentious or anything, but you and I both know that you can afford to keep that apartment vacant for the next twenty years and it wouldn't affect your bottom line. You don't need the money. You're loaded."

  "And good business decisions will help keep it that way."

  I slap him playfully in his abs and move to get off of him and out of the bed. I'm finished with all this discussion of moving in together. Things are fine just the way they are. I like knowing that I have my own apartment just in case I need or want my space, and I'm not budging on that, at least until we get married.

  "Stay where you are, Mrs. King."

  Cutter pulls me tenderly by the wrist and back down into his rock hard body.

  "It's still Miss Pearson. I'm not your wife quite yet."

  I kiss him softly on the cheek, and partially on the corner of his mouth. I love how his eyes close when I do this. As if my kiss is a soothing balm for his soul. As if my kiss is everything.

  "That's why our friends are throwing us an engagement versus an anniversary party tonight," I tell him. "A party which you better be at on time. No excuses."

  "Why do we have to pretend like this is a surprise again?"

  "Because I'm sure that Elizabeth didn't anticipate that your brother and your best friend would gossip to you about the party like two little ten year olds. It'll ruin everything if we don't act like we're surprised. She worked so hard."

  "It was kind of silly for her to think that she could keep anything a surprise from me. Cam is my brother and my best friend. He tells me everything. Everybody knows that."

  "Umm, well he doesn't tell you everything."

  "Like what?"

  "Oh how soon we forget," I taunt. "You practically disowned your beloved older brother when you found out that he didn't tell you about Stone."

  “You mean he didn’t mention the possibility of Stone's existence. He didn't know for sure.”

  "Tomato, Tamato."

  "That's not funny, Princess. Why are you bringing that old shit up."

  "I'm not trying to be funny, and it's not that old. It literally just happened."

  "It's over."

  "Okay, I'm just saying...your brother doesn't tell you everything."

  "You said that shit already."

  "Sheesh, your touchy. I thought you'd come to terms with the fact that Camden knew about your long lost brother before you did."

  "Like I said, Camden didn't actually know anything which is why he didn’t say anything. It's over and I have come to terms with it. Speaking of Stone, was he invited to this so-called surprise engagement party of ours tonight?" he asks in an almost accusatory tone as if Stone would be left out on purpose.

  "Of course he was."

  "How do you know that he was if the party is a secret."

  "No one is leaving Stone out of anything, Cutter. Relax. Elizabeth wouldn't do that."

  "I just want to make sure that he feels included."

  "You mean you want me to make sure that I include the man that was lying and stealing from one of my best friends?"

  "That's bullshit and you know it. There were extenuating circumstances."

  "Tiny threw him out of her house."

  "And now they live in another house together. Like two little love birds.“

  "I'll never understand it."

  "If she's figured out a way to forgive him, so can you."

  "Well that goes both ways. Tonight is going to be a great night for you to bond with Tiny. So please be on your best behavior."

  "What do you mean bond with her?"

  "You know very well that she's one of my best friends, and is in love with the new brother, yet you've only exchanged about ten words with her."

  "That's not true."

  "It's totally true."

  "It's not my fault she doesn't talk."

  "No one can get a word in edgewise when you're in the room."

  "Yet, it's amazing how you always seem to have plenty to say." Cutter grins.

  "Just figure it out, wise ass, because if Tiny doesn't give you the best friend seal of approval, I may have to reconsider marrying you."

  CUTTER

  "Is that a threat?" I ask giving Sloan a careful glance. With every semi-fucked up thing she's said this morning, I'm not completely sure whether or not we're still playing around.

  "It's a promise," she says with mischief in her eyes.

  Okay, we're still playing.

  That's more like it.

  "So if I agree to win her over tonight will you be nicer to me right now?" I ask suggestively.

  "You know I'd love to but seriously I can't." She kisses me dismissively on the lips. "I've already texted my client the hugest lie ever as an excuse for pushing back the meeting."

  "Who are you meeting with again?"

  "A lawyer named Edward Prentis. This is actually our second meeting."

  "You mean Eddie lazy eye Prentis?"

  Sloan sighs with exasperation.

  "Don't tell me you know him."

  "He's a partner over at the Provident Law Group ri
ght?"

  "Oh my god! Do you know every man under forty-years-old on this planet?"

  "Not everyone, darlin', but I definitely know everyone in Philadelphia, and within a fifty mile radius of it. This is my town. Camden and I practically raised ourselves in these streets, and we've met a lot more people as fixers."

  "So in other words, you know Mr. Prentis, and there's something about him that you don't particularly care for."

  I hate that Sloan calls Prentis mister anything. He doesn't deserve the respect. This is exactly why I wish she would just take my referrals. I know of several businesses that would hire her strictly for her commercial design skills. Not just to get into her panties. Which is Prentis’s total MO.

  "Yeah, I don't particularly care for the fact that he's a dick."

  "Well I'm never going to get any work if I have to avoid every man who you think is a dick."

  Eh, maybe she's right.

  "Just work for women then," I suggest.

  "That's a terribly ignorant thing to say."

  "You're right. I bet there's a shit ton of women who'd like to sleep with you too given the chance. So how about you just redecorate the club then? Only work for me. That'll keep things super simple."

  "You're certifiable. You know that right?"

  Powerful pheromones are flying all over the room. The scent of me all over Sloan is wafting inside of my nostrils, making me want her again in the most primal sort of way. I just want to pull her back into bed and make love to her for another hour.

  And another.

  And another.

  Good thing I'm marrying this woman because I'm definitely addicted to being inside of her. It's my favorite place on earth.

  "I know, darlin'. That's why you love me."

  "I can't redesign the club. It was just redecorated."

  "Yeah– but I bet you could make it look even sexier."

  I began to knead the muscles of Sloan’s beautifully, toned thighs. Hoping she'll finally break down and ditch the meeting with lazy eye Prentis.

  "I bet I could," she says smiling at me. "But that's not the point. That would be a total waste of your money. Plus that's just your way of keeping an eye on me. Why you think every man in the world wants to sleep with me is beyond me."

  “Because they do.”

  “Cutter–”

  Sloan is all woman. She likes to put on makeup and a nice dress when she goes out, but truly has no idea how totally stunning she is. I haven't met a man yet that hasn't given her a second look or a third when she walks in a room. Sometimes they look so hard at her that they make my eyelid twitch which is never a good thing. It means that I'm probably getting ready to beat somebody's ass.

  "You literally have thousands of Instagram followers, and a huge percentage of them are men. Men who like every post and reply with weird fucking emojis. They're probably jacking off to your pictures right now."

  "Well first of all, it's weird that you've been stalking my Instagram account, so stop it. Second of all, you know many of those guys follow me because they're intrigued with anything having to do with my father."

  "They're not liking pictures of your long legs and big ass in a short dress because of your father."

  "Oh, stop it. It's not like I ever met a man through social media. The truth is I hadn't been on a decent date in months, before I started seeing you."

  I prop myself half up in the bed with a pillow and position her straddled across my lap.

  “Do you really think that was because the dating gods had it out for you?" I chuckle.

  "Probably, I was in a huge slump.“

  She's so stinking cute.

  "No, my love. You're not that unlucky. That was completely all of my handiwork."

  "Wait...what?"

  SLOAN

  My mouth forms the most perfect round o shape.

  I'm shocked.

  I'm engaged to a saboteur.

  Elizabeth's fiance (Roman) mentioned something about this to me a long time ago, but I dismissed it because I thought he was messing with my head. The two of us kind of have a love-hate relationship with each other.

  Plus I didn't think it was possible for anyone to interfere in my love life like that, nor did I understand what Cutter's motivation would be. I always believed that he thought of me as strictly Elizabeth's best friend and nothing more.

  He never showed any interest in me. In fact he barely said two words to me when I would go to the club. He was too busy holding court with all of his other women, or as I (not so) fondly call them his mindless minions. Club sluts that happily do his bidding.

  "How?"

  "It was easy,” he said. “I just cocked blocked."

  "Explain,” I say. Demanding a more detailed answer than that.

  "I simply had a few gentle conversations with whatever man tried to get into your panties. So needless to say, I was having a lot of those conversations. You're a very popular girl, Princess. No surprise there. You're intoxicating."

  "That would actually be kind of sweet if it wasn't so crazy. Were you a bully in high school or something? I can't believe you just go around threatening people for fun."

  "Who said anything about bullying? I told you. I had a few gentle conversations with the dudes. I was doing you a favor. They were all douchebags anyway."

  He starts playing with my nipples. Knowing that's my number one weakness. I take the tiniest gasp of pleasure but try and stay focused on the conversation at hand. He's clearly deflecting.

  "I've never heard or seen you do anything gentle in your life," I say.

  "What did we just do this morning? That was gentle."

  I grab his hands to stop them from playing with me.

  "You fucked me."

  "Uh, uh, uh. I made sweet love to you."

  "There was nothing sweet about it."

  He chuckles. "It was very sweet."

  "It was rough and dirty. It's always rough and dirty."

  "I didn't tie your ass up to this bedpost, so it was sweet by my standards." He attempts to sound a little offended, but I know better. There isn't much that can offend Cutter, especially when it comes to his sexual performance. He's quite confident about his skills in the bedroom.

  "Exactly...your standards are highly questionable. But make no doubt about it, my liege." I kiss him firmly on his mouth and he moans softly. "I love every little dirty moment, but now I've really got to get to work."

  I catch Cutter off guard and leap off of him, practically running out of the room towards the shower. He's the kind of man who has a difficult time taking no for an answer, so sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands. I can't help but laugh when not even three minutes later I hear the bathroom door handle jiggling.

  "Sloan!" I hear him roar.

  Cutter loves to have shower sex, and any other day I do too, but we just don't have the time. I'm beyond late.

  "Open this fucking door!" he commands.

  "Oh did I lock it?" I laugh as I turn on the water.

  "That's not funny, Sloan."

  "I don't have time for any shower games with you. A good fiance would support his woman and not try to sabotage her career."

  "You already cancelled the appointment, so you might as well stay in with me."

  I hear the knob jiggling some more. Harder this time.

  "You better not break that doorknob, Cutter. That's a custom piece I ordered for you, not some mass market made knob from the neighborhood hardware store. And I didn't cancel my appointment, I just pushed it back."

  The jiggling stops.

  Finally he's given up.

  Good.

  In my text, I rescheduled with Edward and told him that I'd meet him in ninety minutes at my favorite coffee shop, Java The Hut. As long as traffic is good, and the meeting stays on track, I'll still have plenty of time afterwards to pick up a new dress for tonight and get my hair done by party time.

  I'm right in the middle of washing my private parts when I hear a clicki
ng sound. I can't see much due to the fog clouding the glass of the shower door, but I notice the large silhouette entering the bathroom and placing what appears to be some sort of dark colored credit card on the counter.

  It can’t be.

  "Did you just jimmy the bathroom lock with your American Express Black Card?" I ask incredulously.

  Cutter's heavy barefooted steps continue to silently walk across the tiles of the bathroom floor with purpose. I feel an instant rush of cool air as the shower door whips open, and I stare slack jawed at the man standing on the other side of it in all his naked glory.

  I know I get to see him everyday, but the magnificence of Cutter's nude body is something to behold. It takes my breath away each and every time I look at him. Not an ounce of fat on him. Shoulders so strong and sculpted that it's no wonder how they've effortlessly lifted me into all sorts of small places and strange positions. A perfect six pack that trails into a well cut V which points to my favorite piece of his anatomy. Yeah, there's no doubt about it. I'm a lucky girl.

  "Can I help you?" I ask sarcastically as my body reacts to him like the double-crosser it is. My nipples turn as hard as the diamond on my finger.

  Cutter licks the corner of his mouth while staring directly at my breasts, then down at the washcloth in my hand (especially where it's positioned), then looks back at me with the huge grin that I've grown to love.

  "You won't be needing this, Princess." He drops to his knees and snatches the washcloth out of my hand. Tossing it against the tiled wall. Then closing the shower door behind him. "I've taken the liberty of pushing your meeting back with Eddie another hour. He won't mind."

  "You're insufferable," I groan as my head falls back in pleasure against the granite tiles.

  "Yes I am," he says smugly. "And you're welcome."

  SLOAN

  Sloan

  My mother was a rare beauty in her heyday. Actually she still is. Long legs, stunning eyes, natural blonde waves, and curves in all the right places. My father was a highly skilled professional athlete with a rock hard body, beautiful coffee brown skin, and a smile that notoriously broke hearts.