by M. S. Parker
“Tomas, Kai.” I opened the door and gave them each a quick smile. “Come here please.”
They both looked angry and, if what Reed had said was true, they had good reason to be. Neither of them said anything though. They wouldn't. Being detained wasn't exactly the kind of thing security would be pleased to tell their employer. They came in without a word or a greeting, but that wasn't entirely unusual.
“I want to get off from the last car,” I informed them. “Avoid the possibility of any media.”
They exchanged looks that I recognized. They didn't generally like it when I took charge. They preferred to follow things like class schedules, itineraries, things like that. They were loyal though, understood their role when it came to who was in charge. They would do what I asked unless it went directly against my father’s orders.
“Take the luggage to the car and wait for me there.”
“But, Pr–”
“Are you really going to argue?” I cut Tomas off before he could call me by my title. I didn't know how much Reed could hear, but I didn't want him hearing that. “It's a simple task. Take our luggage to the last train car and I'll meet you there when we arrive in Venice.”
“Shouldn't we not wait until we arrive at the station, take our things then and go together?” Kai suggested.
I shook my head. “Do you really think it's a good idea to try to haul all of our luggage through crowded corridors while everyone else is trying to leave too?”
They exchanged looks again and this time I knew it was because I'd made a good point. I honestly hadn't even thought about it until I'd said it, but it actually made sense. It seemed that luck was on my side.
“Hurry up.” I motioned towards the suitcases and then stepped off to the side to let them pass by. I backed up against the bathroom door so that neither of them would accidentally bump against it. Since it was one of the few places I could be out of the way, it didn't look suspicious.
I closed the door behind them as they left, but didn't tell Reed to come out yet. I wanted to be sure Tomas and Kai didn't come back for something they missed, so I waited a few minutes and then started to open the door. My hand was on the latch before I thought better of it. I didn't want to be rude. I rapped my fingers against the door twice.
“They're gone.”
He slid the door aside and we were suddenly face to face. A mere inch apart, I could feel the heat of him, smell the scent of the train's soap mingled with the scent that I recognized as him. I looked up at him, my heart beating hard in my chest.
He cupped my chin, his skin burning against mine. I barely had a moment to register the kiss before his mouth was hard against mine. A shiver of desire went through me as my lips molded themselves to his. My body leaned against his and I could feel him getting hard against my hip.
His teeth scraped my bottom lip and I moaned. I couldn't believe how good he made me feel. A single kiss and my knees were weak.
He sighed as he broke the kiss, but he didn't let me go. “I wish this was a much longer ride.”
“Regretting your offer?” I teased. I knew what he meant, but I didn't want to go there. I was already pushing what was smart. There couldn't be anything between us and I could feel us getting closer the longer we were together.
“Getting cold feet, are we?” He smiled at me as he laced his fingers through mine.
“Not a chance.” I smiled at him. “You're stuck with me.”
His eyes darkened and he squeezed my hand. “Sounds like fun to me.”
Silence fell between us, thick and tense with desire. How could I want him again? I'd slept with Aaron and enjoyed it well enough, but I hadn't wanted him a second time. With Reed, I'd had him twice and still, I wanted more. If I had my way, we'd be heading straight to a hotel and not coming out for a week.
Dammit. I seriously needed to stop thinking about sex with Reed. We weren't going there. We were going to be in Venice and I fully intended to see it.
“How do we do this?” I asked, breaking the moment. “Tomas and Kai will wait in the last car for a while, but I wouldn't put it past them for one to stay with the luggage and the other to come back and get me.”
“Then I guess we'd better move then.” He dropped a wink and opened the car door. He looked both ways, then pulled me out into the hall after him.
“Where are we going?” I kept my voice low, then flushed when I realized what I was doing.
Reed didn't seem to have noticed because he answered my question in a voice almost as quiet. “The dining car.”
“Really?” I asked.
“We'll follow people out of there into one of the other cars and get lost in the shuffle.”
“You think that'll work?” I gave him a doubtful look.
He shrugged. “Saw it work in a movie once.” He frowned. “At least I think it worked.”
I wasn't entirely sure if he was joking or not, but either way, I would go along with it. What was the worst that could happen?
As we made our way into the dining car and ducked into a booth, my stomach was in knots and my palms were sweating. I almost wanted to let go of Reed's hand, but I was more worried that I'd end up losing him in a crowd and then I'd be lost and by myself. I spoke several languages, but wasn't fluent in Italian. I hadn't realized how much I'd accepted the presence of my bodyguards until I thought about what would happen if Reed and I got separated.
“Are you okay?” Reed looked over at me, concern on his face.
I nodded.
“Because you're kind of hurting my hand.”
I flushed and let go. He smiled at me as he flexed his fingers and shook his hand.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“Are you sure you're alright?”
“I was just...worried that we'd get separated.”
Reed stood and held out his hand. “Don't worry. I won't let you go.”
My stomach twisted at his words and I warned myself not to read too much into what he'd said. He was talking about right now, that was all.
I took his hand and let him lead me into the group of people who were heading back to their seats. Even though I knew the chances of Tomas or Kai finding me so quickly were slim, I couldn't stop myself from looking over my shoulder. I had a feeling that wasn't going to change until we were safely outside and deep in the city.
As we stood near the door, Reed pulled me closer to him. “Ready to have some fun?”
I smiled up at him. Despite the nerves, I was starting to feel a rush of excitement, the kind of rush that came from doing something I wasn't supposed to. The best part about all of this, however, wasn't what I was about to do, or even how attracted I was to Reed. The best part was that Reed didn't know who I was, what I was, and he wanted to do this with me. He wanted me for me. Maybe most of it was for my body, but I knew there had to be at least a little part of him that liked me for more than sex, otherwise we wouldn't be here. For the first time in my life, I wasn't a princess or an heir to a throne. I was Nami. Just Nami. And I had a feeling I was going to like it.
Chapter 12
Reed
I couldn't believe I made the offer, and I was even more surprised that she'd accepted. The words had just kind of popped out and then I had to figure out what we were going to do. Fortunately, I was able to put the time I spent in the bathroom to good use. By the time she told me to come out, I had an idea of what to do to get off the train without being seen by her bodyguards. Then she'd been right there and I'd kissed her. I'd needed to kiss her. It wasn't like anything I could explain, only that with her standing that close, I couldn't help myself. The scent of her, the heat of her body.
I shook my head to clear it. I believed Nami when she said her bodyguards wouldn't hurt her. I wasn't so sure they wouldn't hurt me, however. I had a feeling I'd just missed getting the shit beat out of me in my hotel room. I was quite certain it would be in my best interest to avoid them altogether, and to do that, I needed a clear head. Unfortunately, with Nami so close by, it w
asn't as easy as I would have liked. I couldn't believe how easily she distracted me.
“When the doors open, just walk right out. Don't rush or keep looking over your shoulder. We're just two tourists coming in to Venice on the train.” I kept my voice low.
“More knowledge from movies?” she asked. I could hear a bit of strain in her voice¸ but there was excitement too.
I couldn't deny that I felt the same. It wasn't like this was some sort of rescue or anything like that. I was just trying to give someone a day or two of freedom and fun because I knew what it was like to live a life for someone else. Part of me wanted to tell her to break free completely, to not wait as long as I did, but I reminded myself that I didn't know Nami's whole story. I couldn't assume that her situation was like mine. I had to trust her to do what was right for her.
Besides, I wasn't a hero. I allowed myself a wry smile. I was an unemployed rich kid making my way across Europe, sleeping with whoever I happened to find. I had no direction, no purpose. In fact, standing here with Nami, getting ready to sneak off a train and vanish into Venice for a day or so, was the first time I'd had a plan beyond the times stamped on my train tickets.
The doors opened and we followed the crowd out. It was almost noon and a beautiful May day in Italy. Nami was gripping my hand tight enough for it almost to hurt, but I didn't say anything this time. Excitement was quickly chasing away my nerves. I led us towards the front of the train, hopefully away from where the bodyguards would be coming once they figured out Nami was gone.
Still, we needed to get away from the station and out of sight. I'd been to Venice once on a business trip, and while I hadn't had time to thoroughly explore the city, I did know a couple places. The first thing we needed, however, was a boat. It wasn't that difficult to find a gondola. Once we settled in, I spoke to the nice Italian man smiling at us. “Portaci al Museo Guggenheim, per favore.”
“What was that?” Nami asked. “I caught part of it, but Italian isn't my strongest language.”
“I asked him to take us to the Guggenheim Museum,” I said. I released her hand and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to me. “Now let's just look like we're enjoying the romance of the city.”
I nuzzled the back of her ear to make her laugh and it worked. I felt the last of the tension leave her as she turned towards me, her mouth covering mine. I made a sound of surprise as her tongue pushed between my lips. She turned her body towards me so that her breasts pushed against my chest, her kiss aggressive. My body began to respond and it was only the gondolier clearing his throat that kept me from taking things further.
“Young lovers?” His English was heavily accented but understandable. “From America, no?”
“Yes.” I gave him a charming smile. No need for Nami to tell him where she was from. A pair of Americans wouldn't attract that much attention. If Nami was from some place exotic, it might.
“I feel like I'm in a movie,” Nami said quietly as we settled back into more appropriate positions. “Something like Roman Holiday.”
“That's the one with Audrey Hepburn, right?” I asked. “I think I had to watch it in school once.”
She rolled her eyes. “You Americans can't even appreciate your finest accomplishments.”
I laughed. “Sorry. I'm a bit more of an action adventure kind of guy than the classics.”
“Ah, like the adventure we are on now.”
I kissed her nose. “Exactly.”
What was I doing? Acting like this was some cute little date? I'd always come across as suave and sophisticated. I didn't get women by being goofy or silly. I was charming. Cool, collected. A bit cocky.
Except around her. I'd been all those things yesterday, but today, I'd lost it. I found myself at a loss for words. Fell over my feet. And she seemed to like it. The odd thing was, I sort of did too. It was strange. I felt more relaxed around Nami than I had around any other woman I'd ever been with. Even Piper.
We pulled up next to the museum and I helped Nami up onto the sidewalk. We kept holding hands as we walked into the museum. I'd never been inside, but I figured this would be the best place to hide for a bit. Her bodyguards would have to search for her alone unless they wanted to make a scene by calling the cops and the impression I'd gotten from Nami was that no one wanted attention. Venice was full of places like this and the chances of them finding us right away were slim.
“You know,” Nami said quietly. “If I wanted to tour museums, I could've done that with Tomas and Kai.”
“Ah,” I said. “But could they give you running commentary about European Abstractionism or one of Jackson Pollock's greatest masterpieces?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You learned about art while getting your MBA?”
“Nope.” I grinned at her. “Learned it to impress girls. Did it work?”
She laughed, then slapped a hand over her mouth as the sound echoed. “I think that's one of the things I always hated about these places. I love the beauty of the art work, but I always feel like I'm in church, like I can't talk too loud or I'll be reprimanded.”
“I know what you mean,” I said, pitching my voice just as low. “And you know what?” I pulled Nami through a door that said 'Employees Only.' “It's always made me want to do something a bit...wicked.”
I shut the door behind us and pulled her to me. I couldn't say what it was, but I couldn't keep my hands off her. My mouth was hard on hers and she made a noise that sent my blood rushing south. I cupped her breast through her shirt while the other hand moved down to her ass. She ground her hips against me and it was my turn to moan. The things this woman did to me.
She pushed me back against the door and moved her mouth from mine, trailing kisses down my neck, pausing at the base to lightly nip at the skin. Her hand slid between us and she pressed her palm against my cock.
“Dammit, Nami,” I groaned. If she kept that up, I was either going to end up with a massive hard-on when we walked out of here or I was going to embarrass myself and come in my pants. Neither option was appealing.
“I think I should help you with this little problem.” She grinned at me. “Or…not so little.”
I stared at her as she went down on her knees. When I'd pulled her in here, I'd imagined making out, copping a feel over her clothes. Not this.
“What are you doing?” The question was ludicrous, but I couldn't stop myself from asking it.
“Having fun.” She winked at me as her hands quickly undid my pants, pulling them down just enough for her to reach into my underwear and pull out my cock.
I was already mostly hard, but the moment her lips touched me, that changed. My hands curled into fists as she took half of me, letting me swell in her mouth until she had to release me.
“Nami.”
“Shh,” she said, her hand running up and down my length. “We don't want anyone coming in here, do we?” She looked up at me, hints of cyan peeking through her thick lashes. “Unless that's what you want.” She flicked out her tongue against the tip of my cock and it twitched.
The mental image of what someone would see if they came in flashed through my mind. This beautiful woman on her knees, hand and mouth on my cock. It was gone as quickly as it came, the wet heat of Nami's mouth driving away all coherent thoughts.
I put my hand on her head, not to control her, but needing to touch her. Her curls were soft against my fingers, the sensation adding to what I was feeling as she began to suck on my cock, deep, steady pulls of her mouth that had my knees weak and my pulse racing.
“Nami.” I twisted my fingers in her curls. “I'm close.”
She looked up at me as my cock slid from between her lips. “I want you to go in my mouth.”
I swore. Where had this woman come from?
“Is there a reason why you shouldn't?”
I shook my head.
“Unless you don't want to?” Her voice was soft, uncertain.
I dropped my hand from her head and ran my thumb along her sli
ghtly swollen lips. “You have no idea how much I want to.”
She took the tip of my thumb in her mouth, sucking on it hard before releasing it. I rested my hand on her cheek as she leaned forward to wrap her lips around me again. My eyes closed, head falling back against the door with a thunk. Some women had a natural affinity for things of a primal nature. Nami had to be one of those because the things she was doing with her mouth and tongue...
My entire body stiffened as I came. I bit down on my bottom lip to stifle the sounds I wanted to make. My cock pulsed in her mouth, emptying even as her hand continued to work over the base, milking out every last drop. I could feel her swallowing and forced my eyes open. I looked down to find her eyes already on me, watching as she licked me clean.
I reached down and grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet a bit more roughly than I'd intended.
“My turn.” The words were practically a growl and her eyes darkened at the sound.
I turned her so she was facing the door and quickly opened her pants. She gasped as I shoved my hand down beneath her panties. Her legs parted as my fingers slid between her folds.
“I wish you were wearing a skirt,” I said, my voice low. I pressed my mouth against her ear. “Because I really want my mouth on you.”
My fingers began to rub over her clit as my other hand slid under her shirt, moving up to her bra and pulling a cup down so I could get my hands on bare skin. Her nipple hardened almost immediately as my fingers closed around it. She rested her forehead against the door, her breath coming in harsh pants as I drove her body towards climax. As much as I wanted to take my time with her, show her just how high I could take her, I knew this had to be fast, and there was something to be said for a quickie.
“You're so hot and wet.” I traced the shell of her ear with the tip of my tongue and she shuddered. “So wet for me.”