The Fidelity World- Nondisclosure

by Ellie Masters

  An impish grin filled her face. “Maybe you should sit down, Sir.”

  Sit down? Why the hell would I—oh! Hell yes!

  I allowed her to force me back a step and then another. It was a game because she was far too small to make me do anything. Looking over my shoulder, I shifted to the left and then plopped down in the chair. If she needed a little control, there was no way I would countermand her actions. For now, she was willing. I wasn’t going to stop anything. Not when it was freely given.

  And, while I craved to sample the essence of her on my tongue, the night had barely begun. As soon as I sat, she approached, looking a little turned on, and suddenly unsure. Or maybe I imagined those emotions flickering across her exquisite face.

  Rowan lowered to her knees. With the briefest glance up for reassurance, she focused on my crotch. Without any hesitation, she reached for my belt and unbuckled it. The zipper of my trousers rasped as she dragged it down, opening my pants and freeing the unbearable pressure on my cock. Her silken hand reached in and gripped me, and a tiny gasp of her own echoed my sharp intake of breath.

  Heaven.

  Only one word fit the feeling. She began with a tentative caress, merely touching my shaft, but then her hand moved. I resisted the urge to come like a one-pump-and-done virgin. No pressure, right? I gritted my teeth and forced myself to hold on, to hold off, and to ride the edge of ecstasy brought by her amazing hand.

  Freeing me, she ran her tongue over her lower teeth and then moistened her lips. Her gaze cast upward again, seeking my permission. Or so I hoped. I didn’t mind if she took over completely, but there was a part of me that needed to regain control, even as she held my cock in her hand.

  With a regal nod, I told her to begin. “It’s dangerous to tease a prince.”

  “What about a Dom?”

  “Even worse,” I said.

  “Hmm, then I definitely wouldn’t want to tease you.”

  I hoped she meant what I thought. “I suggest you do something other than squeeze it.”

  “Oh!” She jumped a little, perhaps unaware that she gripped me tight.

  Either she needed to move her hand or take me in her mouth. I was going insane with her holding me.

  Screw this. I would take what I needed.

  Leaning forward, I took control and pulled her to my cock. “Open,” I said with a growl.

  This was where I expected her to hesitate and pull back, but she inched forward, and settled into a more comfortable position. Her pert mouth opened and took me inside. I about died and came right then. Her rosebud lips wrapped around the flare of my cock, and her gentle eyes claimed mine. Full of nothing but trust, she waited.

  While I might have enjoyed a teasing lick or a long, slow suck, the urge to fuck overcame me. I slammed forward, grinding my hips against her mouth, oblivious to whether she choked or not. The heat from her mouth encased me. My breath fled, rushing out in a ragged exhale. Locking my fingers around her head, I held her there, maybe for a little too long, but she didn’t fight. Instead, the roughness of her tongue stroked the sensitive tissue under the head of my cock.

  “Holy fuck,” I said, pulling back.

  As she locked her eyes on mine, our gazes bound us together with the force of destiny. Her lips curled around the skin of my shaft, and that wicked tongue of hers drove me insane. A shiver began at my nape and zinged down to the base of my spine, coiling there. I had a sneaking suspicion I would not last another drag of her lips down my cock. But, damn, I needed more.

  With her trust held in the solidness of her gaze, I pressed forward, lifting again to bury myself deep within her mouth until the tip nudged the back of her throat. To my amazement, she never gagged, although her eyes did grow wide.

  A tingle began in my balls, the sure sign of my impending release, but I wasn’t yet ready for this to be done. My entire body was painfully aware and incredibly aroused with her on her knees, performing oral pleasure. If I didn’t do something soon, I’d be unloading down her throat.

  With a grunt, I pulled her off my cock, wanting nothing more than to ravage her amazing mouth. The look on her face, one of surprise, caught me off guard, but I didn’t let it affect what I did next.

  “Over there,” I said, pointing to the raised dais. “Lie down, on your back, heels to your ass and knees spread.”

  Her eyes widened even further, looking like they would pop, but she scurried to obey, crawling the short distance to the raised platform. She positioned herself on her back, bent her knees, and scooted her heels to press against her ass. My heart came to a thudding halt.

  The trifold mirrors afforded a view in nearly every direction, but my entire focus centered on the beauty displaying herself to my eyes.

  “Fucking gorgeous.”

  Rising from the chair, I covered the distance between us in two strides. It was my turn to go to my knees, and I didn’t mind that one bit. I intended to feast upon her flesh and worship this gift she gave. Only after I had her screaming my name would I unleash my fury and claim her as my own.

  Chapter 25: Charter

  Rowan

  Richard’s fingers curled around mine as we boarded the charter for our flight back to New York.

  Since we’d skipped dinner and hadn’t checked into our hotel until after midnight, he’d ordered room service while I retreated to the bathroom, my mind in a tailspin. To my surprise, every outfit he’d had me try on made it to the trunk of our rental car. He’d busied himself with hanging the dresses, gowns, and even that black-and-white pantsuit into the closet in our hotel suite.

  The question as to how compatible we might or might not be had been firmly and unequivocally answered in Clara’s Boutique.

  Two bedrooms? Something he’d arranged while I visited with Freddy. Now that our relationship had progressed, we would need only one, but it’d struck me hard.

  Had he arranged for that before or after the fiasco on the plane? Had it been a show of respect or a concession of defeat? The man had thought through every nuance and planned for every possibility. I found that admirable.

  My return ticket had been canceled, and I supposed that meant Richard had firmly taken control of our next steps.

  After taking separate showers last night, we’d polished off a late-night snack of sliders and wings and then crawled into bed. Was it odd how I found it funny that a prince would eat bar food? Something common and low class? I loved it, because Richard wasn’t a pretentious ass. He was down to earth, even to the way he licked the wing sauce off his fingers. It made him normal, more approachable, and less intimidating.

  His gentle snores might have kept me up any other night, but exhaustion had pulled me deep into slumber.

  Early morning sunshine had poured through the windows and woken me first. Without knowing if he wanted room service or not, I’d packed my things, surprised to find a brand-new suitcase waiting in the living area of the suite. Even in that, he’d thought ahead. My treasure trove of designer outfits went into the suitcase and I waited for him to wake.

  When he had, he’d pulled me from the couch, tossed me in bed, and made love to me until well past noon. I’d worried about missing my flight back, but he’d eased my fears, explaining the charter. We had taken a shower together. Explored every inch of each other’s body. Then, we’d dressed for brunch and headed to the airport.

  “Nice plane.”

  “Have you flown in a charter before?”

  I had grown up wealthy and had rich friends, like Patrick. We flaunted our wealth.

  “It’s been a while.”

  His invisible security detail revealed themselves. They’d shadowed us the entire trip, but we would return to New York together. Richard did not introduce me, and the men all but ignored me. The only acknowledgment I received was their help in moving my luggage from the back of our car to the waiting jet.

  Richard moved me to the rear of the plane. Overstuffed recliners waited there. Nestled into a private space, they would swivel and face each
other once we achieved altitude. Up front, three rows of seats faced forward. His security detail filled those seats. Six large men, all who barely gave me a second glance. Although I suspected they were well paid for their discretion.

  Richard buckled me in. “Once we’re airborne, we can face each other.”

  I’d already figured that out but gave a gracious nod. This was much better than flying first-class and worlds apart from flying coach.

  The single flight attendant approached Richard. “Your Royal Highness, may I get you a drink?”

  He glanced at me. “Scotch on the rocks, and the lady will have a glass of champagne.”

  A tingle of arousal rose in my belly and settled firmly between my legs. Such a simple thing, him ordering my drink, shouldn’t have this effect.

  The woman moved to the front of the plane, took the drink orders of the men, and continued to the forward galley. She served Richard and me first and then passed out the other drinks as the plane taxied to the runway.

  A few minutes later, we were airborne.

  Twenty minutes later, Richard inducted me into the Mile-High Club in the back lavatory, one better appointed and much larger than the tiny lavatory on the flight down.

  None of the men had turned around when Richard led me to the back or when we returned. Perhaps this was common behavior for their prince. My heart thudded with that thought. It was too easy to forget what he’d said about his playboy ways. Not that it should matter. We would be together for nothing more than the span of a year. Then, all this would be done.

  A buzzing sounded from his jacket, and he pulled out his cell phone. I swiveled away, giving as much privacy as I could, and took the opportunity to gaze out the window.

  I loved how the clouds streamed out below us. They obscured the ground and made me wonder if those below us enjoyed an overcast day or were in the middle of a deluge. From our altitude, the clouds had a darker coloring, which hinted at rain. Puffy peaks and valleys stretched out as far as I could see and made me wish, just once, that I could skim above their fantastical landscape.

  When I turned back to Richard, a frown filled his face. He clutched at the cell phone, the tendons on the back of his hand rigid and taut.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked although, from the look on his face, everything most definitely wasn’t okay.

  “What’s your schedule this week?”

  We hadn’t really discussed my availability, and after our brief weekend, attending class was the last thing on my mind.

  “I have classes from nine to three almost every day.”

  His jaw clenched. “And the weekend?”

  “I’m free.” It didn’t escape me how he had not yet answered my question. I wanted to ask but had a feeling this wasn’t the time to pry.

  “This includes Friday?”

  “That’s an early day for me. I’m out by one.”

  “And your passport? Do you have it?”

  There could only be one reason he’d asked about my passport. “If you need me to come to England, I can get out of my classes.”

  “No, you’re to attend all your classes.”

  “If this is because of our agreement with—”

  He gave a shake of his head and glanced at the men up front. They really were unobtrusive. I’d forgotten they were with us and almost breached the nondisclosure content of our Infidelity contract.

  “I can skip out,” I offered, growing more concerned.

  “No. It’s too easy to ask that of you, and once that starts, there will always be a reason.”

  “Richard…” I unbuckled and crossed the aisle to crouch in front of him. I lowered my voice. “Is everything okay?”

  The muscles of his jaw bunched. It looked like he might explain, but his eyes closed, and he tilted his head against the headrest of his seat. “Nothing that concerns you, but I need to leave for England as soon as possible. I’ll likely be there for more than a week.”

  “I can speak with my professors.”

  We’d just come together, and it was too early to be ripped apart.

  “No,” he said, “we honor our agreements, and that is a part of mine, but I need you to leave immediately after your class on Friday. I’ll have a driver pick you up and bring you to the airport.”

  “And you?”

  “I’ll leave immediately.”

  Home? My tiny shoebox home with the dirty streets and sidewalks and a security door that was laughable at best.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Lifting up, I kissed his brow and made to move back to my seat. His powerful arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me into his lap. Not caring about the men, he angled my face for a kiss. Not a slow, sensual thing. Not hot and hungry. This was a kiss of connecting and becoming one. Deep, passionate, and soulful, it was the stuff of fairy tales.

  He pulled away, ending the electrifying contact, but kept me in his lap. Not knowing what to do, I snuggled against him. Together, we watched the clouds and the sunset. When we landed, he walked me to a waiting car. One of the security team carried my luggage and placed it in the trunk.

  “I’ll see you this weekend,” he said, giving me one final kiss good night.

  After our passion-filled weekend, this ending came far too abruptly. He didn’t share, and I didn’t pry.

  “I’m going to miss you,” I said, realizing the truth behind that statement.

  He cupped my cheek and ran his thumb along my jaw. “Not as much as I’ll miss you. Now, promise you’ll attend every class and study extra hard.”

  “I will.”

  He leaned in, and our lips brushed chastely together. “I look forward to seeing you soon.” Crooking a finger, he brought a security man over. “This is Mark Shepard. He’s assigned to be your security while I’m gone.”

  “Hello, Miss Cartwright,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “I don’t need a security detail.”

  “It’s standard protocol, Miss Cartwright,” Mark explained. “Anyone involved with a member of the Royal household requires security escort. I promise, you’ll barely know I’m here.”

  “Well then, it’s nice to meet you.”

  A black SUV rolled up. The remaining five men gathered bags and loaded up the rear. Richard’s bag topped the pile.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “That’s my ride.” Gripping my hands in his, he pulled me into a final hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “I miss you already,” I said, wondering what could possibly be pulling him away.

  Chapter 26: Hospital

  Richard

  Accident.

  Edmund at hospital.

  Need you immediately.

  No further details came with the message. Our individual phones had some of the most secure encryptions on the planet, but the Crown never took chances.

  What happened to Edmund? Why hadn’t Mum given me more information? I hated heading into the unknown.

  “Are you ready, Your Royal Highness?”

  My security detail slipped back into proper etiquette now that we were headed home. No longer Richard, my title came to rest squarely on my shoulders.

  “I am.”

  One week without tasting Rowan, touching her, making love to her—would I last? My heart said to make the call. Bring her back. Take her with me. But that wasn’t how this worked. Contracts and stipulations guided our actions. Her limits must be obeyed, and I couldn’t violate them.

  David and I had taken a few benders during our tenure at Oxford. My grades had tanked. For me, it hadn’t mattered if I skipped long stretches of classes, but I’d spent many long hours making up what I’d missed under the stern eyes of royal tutors. Rowan didn’t have that luxury. And did I want that for her? Did I want her to give up her dreams to chase me around the world?

  The quick, and selfish, answer was most definitely yes, but my mother had instilled wisdom and an eye for the future in her younger son. My short-term needs weren’t worth the long-term damage such
a decision would make in Rowan’s life.

  One week. I could handle a week without her in my bed.

  Seven hours of flight time brought me to London. Immediately, all the pomp and circumstance of my position smothered me. I hated every bit of it.

  I missed Rowan.

  The driver took me to King Edward VII’s Hospital, nestled in an inconspicuous street in Marylebone. London’s foremost private hospital, it played nurse to the royal family. With the presence of guards, there was no doubt my brother was inside. The car pulled up, and security detail flanked me as I entered. News hadn’t made it to the populace because the streets outside were empty of pedestrian traffic. Soon, paparazzi would crowd the sidewalks.

  The reception area was fittingly smart with stained glass windows and an open fireplace. A receptionist in a waistcoat and tie glanced up. Moving to his feet, he snapped to attention.

  “Your Royal Highness.” He handed me a ledger and then allowed me to pass after I signed.

  With only fifty-six beds, the hospital catered to a wealthy and exclusive clientele. One of those rooms was reserved for the royal household. A short distance down a well-appointed corridor, a fully stocked library came into view. More fitting for a private members club than a hospital, it didn’t faze me to see it here. I hadn’t been kidding when I told Rowan I’d go head-to-head with her brother in a royal trivia match. My entire upbringing had been steeped in the history of my line. That library was where the Prime Minister had resigned his post back in the early sixties. Tons of trivia such as that rattled around in my head.

  A yawn escaped me. Jet-lagged, my body had no idea what time it should be. Guards snapped to attention outside Edmund’s room. With a rap of my knuckles, I entered. My security detail remained in the hall. One step in, and I came to a sudden and heart-thudding halt. Edmund lay in the bed, pale and wasted. Tubes and lines snaked from his body.

  Mum stood beside him, cradling his hands. She looked tired and frail.

  When had she grown so old? Where was her strength? Her vigor?