by Marian Tee
Her heart was stuttering now. Stupid heart. How could it be so excited to get broken all over again? It would happen, sooner or later. It always did.
Even as everything inside Nik told him he was leaving himself open for more heartbreak, he forced himself to keep his hand outstretched. Frog mask in his hand, heart on his fucking sleeve.
“Please.” The whole world was hearing him beg now. But he didn’t give a damn. He just needed Daria to take it.
Unable to bear the desperate look in Nik’s eyes, Daria reached for the mask, and her heart lurched at the way tension visibly left Nik’s powerful frame.
Her hands shook as she put the mask on, conscious of the way Nik’s gaze didn’t stray from her the entire time.
Around them, everyone Nik had paid to have pandas with them showed up, and heart in his goddamn throat, he waited for Daria to realize what was happening.
Stepping back when the mask was secure on his face, Daria saw the crowd shifting around them, and her lips parted in silent shock as she saw pandas. Everywhere.
Panda kites. Panda balloons. Panda cup holders. Panda shirts. And oh God, was that a bare-chested guy with a panda tattoo on his beer belly?
When Daria looked back at him, her eyes were bright with tears that she wasn’t allowing herself to shed. “Nik…”
He didn’t think he had heard a sound more beautiful than his name on her lips, and he had to swallow before he, too, started fighting back tears like a goddamn kid.
He thought about all the twenty-eight frogs that she had met and loved, and it no longer angered him. If anything, the thought humbled him, knowing that the woman who had her heart broken so many damn times could still find the strength to love the worst frog of all.
Nik sank to one knee. It was a fucking embarrassing position, but he knew now that it was the only thing to do to make Daria understand just how much he loved her.
Everything had been dramatic and exaggerated with Daria.
Throwing a bottle at his head twice when they first met…
Pretending she was leaving him, empty suitcase in hand when they last fought…
It was his turn now.
“I want to believe the same way you believe in love…” Nik swallowed. “I want to believe that we have the kind of love that made you not care about what people say or do, even if they tell you you’re being foolish and crazy…”
He thought of Beth Lewis and what could be. He thought of Iolanthe, of Miranda, of people he could have or should have loved, but none of them had managed to get through his heart the way this woman did.
This woman had loved him the way none of them had loved him, but Daria was also the woman he had hurt the most.
“I want to stop being afraid like you. I want to stop pushing people away. I want my world to revolve around you, but more than that, I want to be like you, Daria Everest.”
Daria covered her trembling mouth at Nik’s last words. No one had ever said something like that about her. She didn’t think anyone would even want to say that. She was Daria Everest - the crazy, flirtatious, impulsive girl everyone loved to hate. And here was Nik, telling her he didn’t just love her, but he wanted to be like her.
Nik took a deep breath. Now or never, he thought. “I want to love you the way you loved me. Let me love you please, Daria, and I’ll wait until you can love me again.” He pulled his last surprise out from his other back pocket.
Daria couldn’t breathe.
It wasn’t a ring.
It was…something more.
It was the paper-cut tiara she had taught “Bella” to do, and as he offered it to her, she realized that he was embracing her fairytale with open arms. He was her frog, and he was asking her to be his princess.
Through the mask, she saw Nik close his eyes and oh God, she wanted to cry, she so badly wanted to cry when she saw him do it.
She knew, she knew that it was his way of saying he believed in their love the same way she did. With his eyes closed, he wouldn’t know she was gone before it was too late and the whole world had seen her turn him down.
Defeat crowded inside him, but he doggedly pushed it away even as the silence grew. He was going to give her as much time as she wanted, Nik told himself. He had hurt her a lot. It was only understandable she thought twice about trusting him again.
But God, there was so much damn silence—
And that was when he heard it.
The sounds of her footsteps—
Daria was walking away.
That was it then, he thought dully.
Something hit the side of his head. What the fuck? Did this fucking crowd think he was a sitting duck and he was on knees for them? His eyes opened and he pulled his mask off.
And that was when he saw the bottle right in front of him.
A Gatorade fucking bottle.
A shadow fell over him, and as he looked up, Daria fell to her knees in front of him. She was smiling, but more than that, she was crying.
So many damn tears.
It fell on his hand as she reached for it and placed his hand on her face. “Time to turn you into a prince.” Tears choking her words, more tears falling down her face, and as he raised his other hand to cup her face and cover her mouth with his, more tears flavored their kiss, and they tasted like…love.
EPILOGUE
After securely tying the knot of her robe around her naked body, Daria walked determinedly towards Nik’s private stateroom, which housed his office on board. He had promised her he wouldn’t work during their honeymoon, and yet it was just the third day and he was already sneaking off.
Daria shook her head. Did he think she wouldn’t notice? She was his princess, duh. Of course she would notice everything he did and didn’t do.
Nik frowned when someone knocked on his door. “Who is it?” When no one answered, he stood up, and upon opening it, Daria launched herself into his arms and caught her mouth with his.
He had the presence of his mind to kick the door shut behind her but after that, he was no longer able to think. His hands had immediately slipped inside her silk robe, and his mind had shut down the moment he felt her breasts bare against his palms.
Pulling away, she leaned back against his arms and said, “I knew it!” His laptop was open on the table, its screen lit up. “I’m holding you hostage as punishment!”
Nik frowned, unable to comprehend a single word that his wife spoke. “Err…”
“You’ve been a very bad frog.”
He rolled his eyes, but his voice was mild as he said, “You have to lay that to rest.”
She ignored his words. She knew he was right. Nik looked and acted nothing like a frog. He was more a prince than she was a princess, but she didn’t want to think of that either.
“Anyway,” she said briskly, “as your punishment, I command you to give me…” She paused as she made calculations in her mind. “Umm, seven orgasms!” That should keep Nik busy and too tired to work after.
She kissed him right after, probably so Nik wouldn’t argue with her. Silly beautiful vixen, he thought. He would never argue with her about that.
After an indefinite time, he had her on the table, one leg dangling over the edge while he held the other one straight up by the ankle.
The position allowed Nik to thrust deeper into her, and she couldn’t help crying out with every thrust.
A thought occurred hazily to him, and he panted her name out to call her attention.
“W-what?” Her eyes were dazed with desire, most of her concentration focused on the way his cock plunged inside her body with such terrifyingly beautiful force.
“What was the hostage thing about?” he asked.
“I’m…holding you hostage…from work. That’s why you’re here all the time—” She tried to scowl, but she ended up moaning louder at the way Nik suddenly rolled his hips and caused his cock to move a different way inside her.
“Oh God, Nik…”
He shuddered, her cries spurring him into
a release, and he reached for her clit, rubbing it furiously so she would reach her climax the same time he did.
“Nik!” Her body curved up from the table as she came, and he followed her shortly, growling out his release while he poured all his seed into her.
When he found both his head and his voice, their earlier conversation returned to him, and Nik laughed.
Daria blinked drowsily at him. “What’s funny?”
“Don’t move, mm?” He left her on the table and went to where his laptop was. Careful to keep his naked body away from the screen, he clicked on the necessary buttons to switch off his camera but kept the audio on.
After turning the laptop towards the window, he went back to Daria and scooped her into his arms.
“Let me show you what I’m working on,” he told her.
She sighed. “Should I be worried that you’re working on our honeymoon?”
He didn’t bother to answer, only taking his seat before arranging her on his lap. He had her lying against him, her back against his chest, one leg dangled over each armrest.
He started playing with her breasts until her nipples pricked into life. When she started to moan, he took her hand and placed it between her legs, commanding her silently to play with herself.
When she did, he reached for the laptop and turned it towards them.
Daria shrieked when she saw Alyx on the screen. She was in her office, glasses perched on her nose and earphones plugged in.
Alyx winced at her shriek. “Jesus, Daria!”
When her friend turned towards the screen, Daria remembered too late she had her fingers on her sex and shrieked again. Her hands flew to her breasts and then moved down. Her hands crisscrossed over her body several times as Daria furiously tried to decide which part she would cover first.
Nik’s powerful body rocked with silent mirth behind her. “Relax. She can only hear us.”
The words sank in, and Daria shrieked again.
On the screen, Alyx jumped in her seat. “For God’s sake, Daria,” she hissed. “You’re making me deaf.”
“Turn it off,” she whispered furiously.
But her gorgeous husband only smirked. Without taking his gaze off hers, he asked Alyx, “Did you hear everything she said earlier?”
Alyx smiled slyly. “Well…let’s just say I’m keeping count.”
Daria moaned even as her hands still kept moving over her body. She knew Alyx couldn’t see her, but with her friend’s face filling up the screen, it still felt like Alyx did.
“We’re at #3 now, I believe,” Nik told Alyx thoughtfully.
Daria covered her face in embarrassment. “Oh my God, will you two shut up?” She uncovered her face to glare at Nik. “Why are you two even talking?” Her head snapped towards Alyx. “You didn’t tell him—” Alyx hastily shaking her head at Daria made her wish she hadn’t said anything.
Nik looked at her with interest. “What didn’t she tell me?”
“What were you, umm, talking about first?”
“Your surprise party,” he answered readily. “But obviously, that surprise is ruined now. You’ve been a very bad princess.” He mimicked her voice.
She could only stare at him. She could just die now at how cute her husband was being.
His grin vanished. “Daria, dammit.” He knew exactly what she was thinking. She had told him often enough, and it was both embarrassing and flattering, but only because it was his wife thinking he was…
He shuddered, unable to even think of the C-word. Changing the subject swiftly so she would be the embarrassed one, not him, he asked Alyx, “What do you say I raise the ante and make it ten for tonight?” As he spoke, he reached between Daria’s legs and began to play with her sex. She tried to struggle silently, pushing his hand away, only to cause his fingers to slip inside her.
Daria hurriedly covered her mouth before Alyx could hear her whimper.
Behind her, she could hear Nik smirking as he asked idly, “Do you think ten’s enough to cripple your friend and keep Daria out of trouble?” He pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his cock.
She moaned against her hands, and her eyes squeezed shut as he started to bounce her on his cock.
Alyx patted her chin. “Mm, yeah, possible.”
“Keep count, will you?” Nik lifted her up without pulling out of her. Letting her slide to his feet, he pushed her down on the table with gentle firmness. He caught her arms behind her, and then he pushed back in.
This time, there was no way to keep her moans silent. Nik pushed his cock deeper into her, and Daria’s eyes rolled back. “Oh God.”
“Eww, Daria, that panting—”
“I. Can’t. Help. It.” She panted each word out even as her cheeks reddened with embarrassment. She looked at Nik over her shoulder to glare at him.
He smiled back at her, disarmingly beautiful, and she was lost.
Then he pummeled her harder with his cock, and she was panting again.
“That’s it,” Alyx said from the screen. “I’m going to call Yanna in a three way so we can suffer together, listening—”
“No, don’t—” But she couldn’t stop panting. It was so gooooood—
“Yuck, Daria, will you exercise more or something? You pant too much!”
The End
Dear Readers,
Thank you for patiently waiting for the second half (but really it’s a standalone) of Nik and Daria’s story. It’s a lot longer than my usual, more emotionally draining, too, because Daria is, mm, let’s just say she’s less “perfect” than my usual heroines and because of it, I felt her pain more than usual, too.
If this is the first book of mine you’ve read, you might also want to read Nik and Daria’s prequel, just to see how they first met.
More links to my other books below – just scroll down. :)
For those waiting for updates, I’ll have the last books of My Werewolf Professor out next and after that it will be Yuri’s story.
Until our next journey!
Marian Tee
P.S. If you enjoyed reading this book, it would mean so much if you could post a review on it. Let me know if you do through my website, email, Twitter, or Facebook. Or just contact me for whatever – I love hearing from readers.
P.P.S. Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter! That’s how you’ll get to hear first about my newest book releases and enjoy sneak peeks.
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