The Royals: Alexander and Clara: Volume One (The Royals Saga)

by Geneva Lee

  “I love watching you suck my cock,” he growled. “I love knowing that you can’t control yourself. There’s a hundred people in our house and you need my cock in your mouth.”

  I moaned as I continued to suck, aroused as much by his dirty mouth as by the possibility currently pumping against my mouth.

  “Poppet, I’m going to fuck your pretty little cunt so soon. Is it ready for me? Does it like it when you suck me off?” He ground against my lips as he spoke.

  Nodding, I drew my mouth up his shaft and traced circles around its crest before taking him fully again. Alexander responded by pistoning his hips furiously, not holding back as he fucked my mouth. The ache in my center built to an unbearable pulse as he jetted against my throat. I didn’t release him even as he surrendered himself to pleasure. I relished having this power over him, delighting in knowing I could make him lose control, even if only for a moment.

  Alexander stilled and finally released his hold on my hair. Reaching down, he helped me to my feet, brushing off my stockings before tucking himself back into his trousers. After I passed a cursory inspection, he held out an arm. “After you.”

  “You’re such a gentleman,” I said dryly.

  “I can be, poppet,” he said in a low voice that made me quiver. “Later I’ll show you how gentlemanly I can be.”

  “Another quick shag in the garden?” I asked hopefully.

  “No, I’ll need a much larger platform for my plans. A bed. The floor.”

  “We have grass,” I pointed out.

  “And ruin your dress?” His hand closed over the doorknob. “I really didn’t bring you out here to seduce you.”

  “You can’t help it, X,” I teased as we stepped back inside the house. Spotting David paging through a book near the shelves, I kissed Alexander on the cheek. “Find you in a minute.”

  I approached David warily, not wanting to scare him off. I had so much in common with him, but we barely knew each other. Not that I could fault him for being skittish, considering he had to keep up the pretense of being nothing more to Edward than a close friend.

  “Have you read it?” I asked him.

  He flipped to the cover and shook his head. “I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t read much since graduation.”

  “I’m guilty of that as well,” I admitted.

  “Have you seen Edward?” David’s voice was low so that his question wouldn’t be overheard.

  I hadn’t seen him since before I left with Alexander, but I sensed the anxiety rolling off David. I had firsthand experience with feeling left behind at a social event. Edward had asked David to come. He might have even begged, and now he was nowhere in sight. “He’s probably upstairs.” I tried to sound nonchalant, knowing I needed to distract him from his boyfriend’s absence. “Have you seen the library?”

  “No, but I’d like to.” He seemed to understand that this was his chance to get away from the crowd. It would also be an opportunity for us to speak to one another privately.

  I led him upstairs, pointing out the various rooms, and doing my best to be a decent hostess. David visibly relaxed as we continued down the hall.

  “I should have expected him to behave like this,” David confessed to me as my fingers closed over the library’s doorknob.

  “I won’t make excuses for him.” Even if I did understand why Edward acted the way he did. “He’s missed you.”

  “He has a strange way of showing it.”

  “Affection is not second nature to Alexander either,” I assured him.

  “He can’t keep his hands off you,” David said pointedly.

  I blushed, embarrassed that he’d noticed. “I think he’s overcompensating.”

  “That must be nice.”

  I paused, holding the door cracked open. “I said I wouldn’t make excuses for him, so I hope this doesn’t sound like one. But Edward is protecting you. Alexander tends to do the same. If they only understood that it drove us bloody crazy, maybe they would stop.”

  This earned me a genuine smile. David’s white teeth flashed as he grinned. Then he shook his head. “You’re right, of course. It doesn’t make it any easier though.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” I agreed. I pushed the door open and flipped on the light. “This is a work in progress, so excuse…”

  My words died on my lips as we stumbled upon Edward.

  And Lola.

  Edward and Lola kissing.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Edward’s hands were up as if trying not to touch her, but there was no mistaking that their mouths were locked together. My mouth fell open as my gaze swiveled from the pair back to David. His jaw tensed and his dark eyes narrowed, but he didn’t speak even as the couple startled apart. It took Edward considerably less time to process what was happening, and he immediately shoved Lola back.

  “David—” he began, but his lover was already out the door.

  “What the hell is going on?” I stormed.

  Edward began to speak then thought better of it and darted out the door after David.

  “What the hell, Lola?” I threw my hands up. David might not have seen what was going on here for what it truly was, but I had little doubt.

  Lola adjusted her dress and shot me a haughty smile. “Edward was showing me the library.”

  “I don’t remember your tonsils being on the official home tour.” Anger shook through me. This was the last thing David needed to see. Not while Edward was still trying to win him back. “What were you thinking? Or did you bother to think at all?”

  “Don’t pull that card on me,” she hissed. “I’m not a kid anymore and if I want to kiss—”

  “Did you ever stop to think he didn’t want to kiss you?” I asked her.

  Lola looked as if I’d slapped her, a pained look flickering over her elegant features. “Is it so hard to imagine that someone like him might be attracted to me? I know you’re so drunk on Alexander that you can’t see straight, but honestly!”

  “You don’t think it was a little strange that he ran out after David?” My voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. It wasn’t any of Lola’s business, but she was my sister and I didn’t like the idea of hurting her feelings. I also knew Edward’s secret would be safe with her. Lola could be thoughtless, but she wasn’t cruel.

  “I…” Her words trailed away as her eyes popped open and she stared at me. “Oh.”

  “Oh, indeed.” I sighed and threw an arm around her shoulder, tugging her into a loose hug. “Do you see why I was surprised?”

  She nodded.

  “And do you see why I was upset?”

  Her head bobbed once but then it reversed. “No, actually.”

  “David and Edward have a complicated relationship. It’s secret for obvious reasons,” I explained. “Things have been rough for them lately.”

  “And I just cocked it up more.” Her lips twisted ruefully. She turned sad eyes on me. “Can you blame me for trying? He’s handsome and his reputation—”

  “No, I can’t blame you,” I interrupted. “Maybe exercise a little more prudence next time.”

  “Says my sister who kissed her boyfriend the first time they met and moved in with him months later,” she said. Heaving a big sigh, she looked toward the door. “Maybe I should go and explain.”

  “Let them work it out,” I advised. “But do me a favor and don’t drag any more of the guests into dark corners.”

  We made our way downstairs only to discover the crowd had migrated toward the front door, shamelessly watching the fight taking place on my front stoop.

  David’s voice rose above the whispers of the audience. “What am I supposed to think exactly? You asked me to come here, and then I find you kissing some girl.”

  Next to me, Lola stiffened. No one knew who David was talking about, but that didn’t stop her from feeling guilty.

  “I wasn’t kissing her. She was kissing me,” Edward pleaded, taking a step closer to him. If they were aware that they were being watched, t
hey didn’t care.

  I pushed my way through the crowd, but Alexander stopped me at the door. “Leave them.”

  “No, they wouldn’t want—”

  Alexander cut me off with a stern look. Maybe he wasn’t worried, but that did nothing to allay my concerns.

  “Why am I here, Edward?” David demanded. “To make you feel better? Because you feel you need to make some claim on me? Because I’m not here for the right reasons.”

  Behind me the whispers grew louder as the truth dawned on people. I should have been glad to have one less secret in this sordid family, but all I felt was a sickening pit forming in my stomach.

  “Because I love you,” Edward thundered. “Because I always want you with me.”

  “You have a funny way of—” David’s response was cut short as Edward closed the gap between them and drew him into a rough kiss. It wasn’t a tentative display of affection. It was a revelation—to the two of them as much as everyone watching them.

  And then to my surprise someone began to applaud. Others joined in. When the two broke apart they stared, startled, as the entire house cheered them on. Edward, always present of mind, tilted his head in acknowledgement before giving his audience an encore.

  As they returned, hand in hand, Alexander met them at the door, gathering them both into a hug.

  “It’s about time,” he crowed, ruffling Edward’s hair with brotherly affection. David looked too shocked to speak. Whether that was from the uncharacteristically warm response of Alexander or the exhibition itself, I couldn’t say. My heart soared, as I took my own opportunity to whisper congratulations.

  “I had an excellent example,” Edward said with meaning. He clapped a hand on his older brother’s shoulder, sharing a long look with him. All around us, people gathered to offer support and congratulations of their own. The only person hanging back was Pepper, who couldn’t contain her aghast expression. Why hadn’t I carried a camera this evening?

  I pushed the wicked thought out of my mind only to spot my parents in the crowd.

  One less secret for Alexander and Edward to carry, but I was carrying a secret of my own. It burned through me. I’d been dreading seeing my father this evening, knowing that I couldn’t avoid what I knew any longer. Maneuvering through the crush of people in the entry, I reached my father.

  “Can I talk to you?” I called over the noise. “Alone?”

  He raised an eyebrow, but I didn’t bother to explain myself. Leading him toward the kitchen, I prepared myself for a confrontation. Rounding on him, I tried to stay calm.

  “I saw you,” I said in a low voice.

  My father looked genuinely confused. “Where?”

  “On the street, getting into a cab.” I did my best to keep my emotions from overtaking my words, but they crept into my voice anyway. “I saw her.”

  “Clara, I’m not sure what you’re accusing me of,” he said, but I saw the truth in his eyes.

  I shook my head, unable to hold my tears at bay. “Does Mom know?”

  “I spend time with my colleagues, some of them are female.” His tone switched to an unfamiliarly condescending tone. Even when I was young, he never spoke to me like this.

  “Do you kiss them all?”

  “Enough,” my mother interrupted us. She strode into the room and took my father’s hand. “This is none of your business, Clara.”

  “It’s your business though.” I didn’t hide my disappointment. She had known, but how could she live with it? For how long had my fragile mother, who needed us to tiptoe around her feelings, been living with this betrayal?

  “I don’t need my daughter treating me like a child,” she snapped.

  “That’s just it, Mom. I’m treating you like an adult,” I countered. “Something none of us have done for far too long.”

  “I will not be spoken to like this!”

  “Clara,” my father interceded, “this is a misunderstanding.”

  But regardless of how she felt about my interference, my mother wasn’t about to let his comment pass. “It might not be her business, Harold, but I won’t have you lying to her either. I’ve known what you were up to for months. You could respect your family enough not to lie.”

  “I…I…” He stammered, unable to come up with a suitable response.

  “This is a party,” my mother hissed, returning to her attack on me. “How could you think this was an appropriate place to discuss a private matter? You’ve been avoiding us for months and then you attack—”

  “I’m on your side,” I stopped her.

  “Are you?” she asked.

  I balked, frustration and hurt overcoming me. How could she think I wasn’t? And how could she choose to live like this?

  “I don’t expect you to understand the complexities of marriage, especially when you treat the subject so lightly.” Her harsh attitude tore through me.

  Lola stepped from the shadows and placed a hand on our mother’s arm. “We should go.”

  “Yes, that seems like an excellent idea.” I crossed my arms over my chest as though I could protect myself from the pain.

  My mother allowed Lola to guide her toward the door.

  “I’ll call you,” Lola promised over her shoulder.

  I nodded once, not caring if she did or didn’t. After tonight I was going to hole up in my house and avoid the world. It was all too messy. My father shuffled his feet uncertainly.

  “Clara—”

  I held up a hand to stop him. Right now I didn’t care what he had to say. My whole life I’d looked up to my father, but there was no smoothing this over. Someone had to show him that. He left, his shoulders slumping in resignation. I watched this as they left, wondering why it always felt easier to cling to a lie than to confront the truth.

  Lies were always told out of necessity. To protect. To comfort. Lies were simply easier.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The party was winding down, but I couldn’t stomach another second of pretending everything was okay. Between Pepper’s threat and my nuclear family’s near implosion, I needed a second to collect myself. The second floor was quiet, offering the respite I desperately craved from the lingering crowd downstairs. Slipping into my bedroom, I kicked off my heels and sagged against the wall. The room was dark and silent. Two things I welcomed after the chaos of the evening. Soon everyone would leave and I would have Alexander to myself. My body yearned for the reassurance of his touch. No matter how complicated things had been between us of late, there was solace in his embrace. There always would be.

  The door to the en suite creaked and I startled. Maybe I wasn’t alone after all.

  “Is someone there?” I called out. No response came and I felt silly.

  Sinking down onto the bed, I unpinned my hair, allowing it to tumble free. I would have to return to the party, but I no longer needed to be perfectly presentable. The few remaining guests wouldn’t even notice. A hand slipped over my shoulder and a cold shiver ran down my spine, freezing me in place.

  I was in my own home with a dozen people I knew and trusted—and a few I knew and didn’t trust—but I recognized the touch immediately. It was as unwelcome as the fear paralyzing me now.

  “Hello Clara. Lovely party.” Daniel’s voice was low, matching the darkness of the room.

  I made a decision before I could overthink it. Jumping from the bed, I ran toward the door and the safety of numbers. Daniel beat me there, slamming the door shut and twisting the lock. Turning he barred the door and I skidded to a stop. My heart raced ahead but I willed myself to be calm.

  “You weren’t invited,” I said coldly. I didn’t dare to take a step closer to him. Daniel had never been physically violent, but he also had never broken into my house before.

  “Regrettably, you’re right.” He sauntered closer, forcing me to back up. “I’m certain it was an oversight.”

  I squared my shoulders and found my voice. “It wasn’t.”

  “That’s hardly complimentary. We were s
o close, or have you forgotten that?” He closed the space between us, and I discovered to my horror that he’d backed me right into the opposite wall.

  “You need to leave before something unfortunate happens.” But I knew the warning fell on deaf ears. Daniel confirmed this with a laugh. “What are you doing here?”

  “Perhaps I came to offer my congratulations.” He reached out and trailed a finger along my throat, undermining the false sincerity of his words.

  My muscles tensed, revulsion rolling through me. No one but Alexander had touched me this intimately in nearly a year and my body rebelled against his unwanted advance. “Don’t touch me.”

  Daniel’s reaction was instantaneous. His hand flew to my neck, gripping it tightly in a strangle hold. “Is that what you say to him?” He hissed the words in my face, sending drops of spit across my skin.

  I wrenched away, but his grip tightened, holding me in place and cutting off my air supply.

  “It isn’t, is it?” he continued. “I saw the messages he sent you. I have to admit I’m surprised. You were never a whore for me, Clara. I can see it now though. What a little slut you are.”

  What messages? The truth dawned on me in horrifying clarity. The notes missing from my desk. The stranger who had called Bennett asking about me. It was all connected to the man with his hands around my throat. I choked, sputtering for breath as rage and fear bubbled in my chest. Daniel’s eyes narrowed, but he loosened his hold.

  I choked, sputtering for breath as rage and fear bubbled in my chest. Daniel’s eyes narrowed, but he loosened his hold on my neck.

  “Let me go,” I wheezed. My fingers clawed at him, but he’d left enough distance between our bodies that I could barely touch him. Kicking out, my stocking covered foot made contact with his thigh but it didn’t faze him. Tears crept to my eyes. I should have kept my shoes on. I should have listened when Alexander had suggested stationing security on every floor.