by Nana Malone
I wrinkled my nose and considered that. “Fine, I guess.”
Ben laughed. “Shite. You have it bad.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes, it’s that bloody obvious. I watch her because, well, I’m a dirty bloke. Can’t help it. She has really nice tits.”
I glowered at him, and he held his hands up. “I’m just saying it objectively, but you watch her, and I can see it in your eyes. You mean that shit.”
“Yeah, well, she’s still mad at me because I lied about the whole double 0 thing, so she’s coming to terms with it all.”
“Nah, mate, I see it. She’s in love too.”
I coughed. “No one said anything about love.”
Ben tossed his head and laughed. “Mate, how do you not see it? You are so bug sappy stupid in love with that girl.”
“I—" Shit. My heart raced, but then a weird calm fell over me, like that was exactly the revelation I was supposed to have. From the corner of my eye, I saw someone I wasn’t expecting, and then I glowered at Ben. “Is that your doing?”
Ben looked up from his drink. His immediate frown told me that it wasn’t, in fact, his doing. “No. I didn’t even know he was going to be here.”
“Fantastic.”
Reese spotted me right away and came over. “Cousin,” he said to Ben.
Ben inclined his head but said nothing. And then Reese focused on me. “Roone, all right, mate?”
“I’m not your mate.”
My brother sighed. “Ben, a minute, would you?”
Ben slid me a glance and then shrugged, sliding out of the booth. “I’ll be back. I’ll order you the veal.”
I nodded my thanks, and my brother sat. “I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“Well, I’ve been busy.”
He sighed. “Look, I know you don’t want to see me or talk to me, but this is important.”
“So you ambushed me?”
“Not intentionally. I was already here. I had a meeting, but then one of the butlers approached me and mentioned that you were here. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”
“What is it you want?”
“I wrote you a letter, mate. Did you not get it?”
“I’ve been here. I haven’t gotten any mail. Then I went back to the island for a while, and now I’m back. Maybe it was forwarded. I don’t know where anything is.”
He nodded slowly. “So, you don’t know.”
“Know what, Reese? What are you doing here? Why were you at my mother’s grave?”
“I told you, she was kind to me when she didn’t have to be. I appreciated it and…” He cleared his throat. “I’m appalled by what my mother did to you.”
I scowled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
His mother had been cruel. When my father was alive, she tolerated me. But as soon as his back was turned, she was absolutely terrible to me. And then when he passed away, during the time that he’d dictated that I spend with Reese, she was always there, interfering, never allowing us to bond. Then, when my mother was ill, she’d been very clear that no money that father left was ever going to come to me. And when mom died, she said that to bury my mother, I just had to do it the old-fashioned way, with a shovel. The word was, Reese’s mother was mentally unstable, in and out of hospitals. But none of that excused what she did to me then. The pain still sliced.
“Look, Roone, my mother—"
“There’s no amount of apologizing you can do on her behalf that will change anything.”
“I don't imagine there would be. She was alone, but it doesn’t matter. You weren’t the one who was in love with someone else. None of it was personal, and she shouldn’t have taken her anger out on you.”
“I was a child.”
His voice went quiet. “I know.”
“If we’re done with this walk down memory lane, I’d like to get my drink now.”
“No, not quite.”
“What the fuck do you need, Reese?”
“In that letter, I was trying to tell you about the changes to his estate. With Mum’s last stint at the facility, there were so many things to go through before I saw the paperwork she’d filed.”
“What paperwork?”
“The one that allowed you to have access to your inheritance.”
I frowned. “What inheritance?”
He sighed. “Dad… I think he always regretted letting you and your mum go. He always regretted being forced into the life he had with my mother.”
“That’s bullshit. He loved you.”
“Yes, me he loved. Mom, not so much. And she certainly never loved him. I was overindulged, I know. I’m kind of a twat. A wanker, in its finest form. When Dad died, he left you money. Well, you and your mother. He left you money and the title. Lord Roone Ainsley, the Earldom, he left it to you.”
I blinked at him. “Shut it. You’re taking a piss now.”
“I wish I was. My mother got wind of it from the lawyer. Since she was the executor of his estate, she and the lawyer were in on it. But they couldn’t completely keep the money away from you. They just didn’t have to give it to you until your twenty-fifth birthday.”
“So she—she kept me from being able to properly bury my mother out of spite?”
He sighed. “Yeah, she did. I was horrified when I found out. That’s when I started—" he cleared his throat, “—that’s when I started going to her grave. Putting flowers there, making sure it was clean. She had it fixed so you never would have found out either until she died or you reached the age of inheritance. Although, I guess you’re twenty-six now. I’ve been trying to reach you basically ever since I discovered what was going on.”
A year. He’d been trying to reach me for a year. That would account for the letters that I’d burned.
“Fuck.”
“I know there’s no amount of apologies I can make that will ever make up for it. But I just thought you should know. Now that I have informed you, I can get you the paperwork to sign at any time. The title, the money, it’s yours.”
“But you… What about you?”
Reese laughed. “Oh, he left me more money than I know what to do with. I don’t even want the lands, or the title, or any of that bullshit. I’m better with my nose in a book anyway. I don’t want all the trappings.”
“Fuck.”
Reese nodded slowly. “Look, I know I’m just your half brother and you don’t much like me, which is fine, and I probably deserve that.”
I swallowed hard. “I guess I don’t really know you.”
He shook his head. “No. And I don’t really know you. But once I graduated from Uni, I took some time and traveled. I went to a whole bunch of places in the world where there were people less fortunate than me. I got rid of most of my stupid. It still flares on occasion, but yeah, building wells for people who need clean water to drink daily gives you some perspective.”
I stared at him. How was this my brother? He’d always been the favored son, the one who got everything. Toys. Love. Attention. Nothing that I’d had.
Yes, you did have it from your mother.
That was true. And in that moment, I started to look at him differently. “You really have changed, haven’t you?”
He shrugged. “I certainly hope so. I’m nothing like her. I wouldn’t have kept this from you. I’m so sorry.”
The refusal to forgive anyone surrounding my mother’s death, the cloud of it, just dissipated in that moment. I couldn’t hold on to it any longer, all because my brother had actually tried to do the right thing. “I don’t even know where to go from here.”
Reese nodded slowly. “Well, I for one would like to get to know my big brother better. You know, it doesn’t have to be a big thing, but maybe I can come see you on the island sometime.”
“Yeah. Maybe that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. And maybe you can help me figure out how to run an earldom?”
He laughed. “I figured you might have some questions.
Somehow sorry doesn’t seem like enough.”
I shook my head. “But you know what? Sometimes it’s a start.”
“Well, I don’t know if it’s ever been done before, but I think you’ll probably be the first Winston Isles Royal Guard with his own title.”
It was only then that it occurred to me. I was gentry now. Not a single person on the Regents Council could object to me being with Jessa. And somehow that scared me even more than the prospect of not being with her.
Jessa
My head was buzzing. Those two tequila shots were making me warm and fuzzy. Roone walked in the door, and I sidled up to him. “Well, there you are, handsome.”
I could tell something was wrong. For once, his gaze was distant. He didn’t have that signature smirk on his lips, the one I’d like to kiss off all the time. “What’s wrong?”
He shook his head. “I just, um, I got some unexpected news tonight.”
“I thought you were with Ben? What happened?”
“I saw my brother.”
“Shit. What was he doing with Ben?”
“He wasn’t. I just—" He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m here. Go ahead and get ready for bed. I’m just going to chill tonight. Reese said something about my dad, and I just need to process it for a bit.“
I’d never seen him like this. He looked lost, like he needed something. “Okay. Well, why don’t you have a seat? Would you like me to bring you something to drink?”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah, I think I need a scotch.”
I ran to get it. “What did Ben say?”
“He was as surprised as I was. I could barely eat I was so out of it.”
“Are you hungry?”
He shook his head. “No, I just—sorry. Why don’t we get ready for bed?”
“You enjoy your drink, okay? Just take a little bit to clear your head.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m just going to take a few minutes. Decompress.”
Not exactly what I’d planned for the night, but this was about him. I hopped in the shower. I wanted to see if I could get him to bed. Give him kisses to make me feel good. But wait… that wasn’t what this was about. He needed to feel good. This wasn’t about me. And it was time I took a definitive step.
I knew just how to do it.
I took the shower cap off and opened a decadent lotion that was provided in the suite. And to my joy, I found out it smelled just like roses. Sort of like my perfume. And delightfully, there were some sparkles in it, so I would shimmer like a Grecian statue.
I wrapped myself in one of the big plush robes, then I padded back out to the living room. Roone was exactly where I’d left him, drink in hand, except the drink was mostly gone now. He raised his head, and his brows lifted. “Princess?”
“I feel like you’ve been taking care of me, and now maybe it’s time I take care of you.”
He shook his head. “I—what is happening?”
“All you have to do is relax and sit back.” The nerves fluttered in my belly. I’d started down this road, and I was saying something very definitive. I was taking that step into the terrifying unknown abyss of staking my claim, of saying I wanted to be with someone.
I’d never done that in real life. I was so scared. But I was going to do this, and there would be no looking back, because for once, I was taking charge of my own life. My fingers went to the knot in my robe. Roone’s gaze went heavy lidded, and he sucked in his bottom lip, grazing it with his teeth.
“What are you doing, princess?”
I undid the robe and parted the thick cloth. “I’m finally taking what I want.”
Roone
My hands shook, I wanted her so bad.
“I—I’m in a weird headspace, princess. I’m not sure how gentle I can be.”
“Roone, I want this. I want you. You don’t have to be gentle. Maybe I won’t be gentle on you.”
Despite the cocktail of confusion, despair, and raging desire in my blood, she managed to make me smile. How did she always do that? “I look forward to you having your way with me.”
Sure, it sounded like I was going to let her lead. But she was so close. I could smell her faint perfume. I knew how I’d feel with her wrapped around me. Whole.
I slid my hands into the hair at her nape and fisted, angling her head and kissing her deep. I kissed her with all the love I didn’t know how to express. My tongue sliding over hers, demanding she respond to me. And respond she did. She made my favorite little mewling sound, and I was lost.
She moaned, rocking her hips over me. Why was this always so good? Was it supposed to be this good? It was like the two of us just fit together in a way that made me feel as though my skin was on fire, like my hair was in flames.
I kissed her deeper while my cock twitched inside my boxers. She could feel how much I wanted her. There was no hiding that.
“Roone,” her whispered moan was harsh and throaty.
Our movements were frenzied and quick as we devoured each other. With a frustrated groan, I tore my lips from hers and made quick work of my shirt. I needed skin to skin contact, and I was tired of the tease.
I ducked and suckled her breasts as I whispered homage to them. Her fucking tits could occupy me for days. I licked. I teased. With my tongue and teeth, I tormented and pinched her nipples gently. Her sharp pants told me I was hitting the mark.
Jessa dug her nails into my back as she rotated her hips. My cock was searching for entry even through my pants. Like the fucker knew she was naked.
Dick: I’m not dumb. I know where I belong.
She met each shallow thrust with a roll of her hips, making my balls ache. “Roone…”
I grinned as I nuzzled her neck. “Can I make you come from just this, I wonder?”
I gripped her hips, my fingers digging in as we ground against each other. Shit. I wasn’t going to be able to hold this. I moaned low, throwing my head back. Fuck, this sensation was everything.
Sliding my hand between us, I found that spot she needed me to touch. That secret place that was the key to everything. Gently, I stroked my thumb over her clit.
Bloody fucking jackpot. With a low moan, Jessa threw her head back, convulsing in my arms. I lifted my head to watch her in awe. Just the look on her face was enough to send me to my knees.
I stared up at the woman on top of me with breasts worth paying homage to, her skin practically glowing in the dim light of the room. With every glance from under her lashes, and every tentative touch of her fingertips, my whole body felt like it was on fire, being stoked to full blaze.
Her mocha-tipped breasts swayed as she shifted her straddle further down my legs. Her hands came into contact with the elastic of my boxers, and the buckle of my pants and my cock throbbed and strained. Involuntarily, my hips rose, and I tried to school my breathing.
With some wiggling, we worked together to shed my trousers, then I lay back watching her.
She supported her weight with her hands on either side of me.
“Has anyone ever told you you’re very big?”
I grinned. “Nope. You're the first.”
She cocked an eyebrow, then resumed her inspection of my body. When she leaned directly over my straining cock, her long hair brushed against my skin, and her breath floated over my dick. It only took two puffs of breath from her, and my control snapped.
My hands banded around her biceps, and I hauled her up against me and flipped us over so I could kiss her.
She trembled underneath me. Against my thigh, I could feel the moisture of her slick core. I tried not to think about how soft she would be. I needed to go slow. My cock, on the other hand, had a mind of its own and pulsed against her thigh.
I gave her another peck on the lips before tracing feather-light kisses along her jaw. When I nuzzled her neck, she giggled. When I went from muzzling to nibbling, she moaned. My hands enjoyed free rein of her breasts, testing the weight of the full globes, teasing the tight buds to a pucker. Her hips rose to meet me ev
ery time I tugged on one of the tips.
I placed open-mouthed kisses on her clavicle and her chest, eventually making my way to her breasts. But no matter how much she shifted, I didn’t kiss her nipples again. Not even when her hands tried to pull my head to her breasts. Though I wanted to taste them again, there was somewhere else I needed to be.
My lips continued a path down her ribs to her belly button. When the tip of my tongue dipped into the tiny crevice, she parted her thighs on an exhale.
“Princess, I want you so much.”
Her eyes fluttered closed, and she moaned. “I’m yours.”
My cock strained against the material imprisoning it, and I growled. Since we’d moved to London Lords, the cameras were only outside of the suite to see who came and went, so I didn’t have to worry about not having privacy.
I wanted her so bad, but I wanted to take my time in bed with her. Pushing off of Jessa, I stood and tugged her with me. I made quick work of the rest of my clothes, then I pulled her to her feet and shed her robe. The moonlight streamed into the suite, making her look incandescent.
Picking her up easily, I carried her into our room and gently placed her on the bed. Her delicate fingers reached for me, and she found her target easily. She pumped my cock with her palm once, then twice. The trembling in my body started in my legs first.
“Love, I—”
She pumped me again, but this time she brought my cock to her dewy center. I hissed a breath and squeezed my eyes shut, praying I didn’t come before I was inside her. Blinking rapidly, I gazed into her eyes. She owned a part of me. Completely. And she knew it. And I owned her too.
With a growl, I shoved a hand under her back, grabbing onto her waist, then I flipped her over onto her stomach, and she squealed.
“This okay princess?” I glided a hand down her smooth back to her perfect, round ass. I drew her limp body up onto her knees. Leaning into her, I whispered, “Hold on to the headboard.”
She flicked me a cocked eyebrow over her shoulder, but she complied.
“That’s a good girl. Now spread your knees for me.” When she parted her legs, I bit back a groan. She had a truly spectacular arse. Shifting behind her, I covered her body with mine again. I inserted one finger in her still slick pussy, and she moaned.