Royally Not Ready(75)

“Thank you,” I tell her, looking her in the eyes.

“It was my pleasure, my King.”

“Tonight, you’ll get what you deserve.”

Her eyes light up. “You’re going to make me wait?”

“Yes, Lilly. You’ll wait, but it’ll be worth it.” I drag my finger over her cheek. “If you need to take care of yourself, go ahead, but you won’t get me until tonight.”

She shakes her head. “I want to wait for you.”

“Good answer.” I kiss her lips again and then pull away, giving us distance. “Get dressed. We have work to do.”

I attempt to push away, but she grips my waist and holds me in place. “Keller?” she asks, sounding insecure.

“Yes?”

“Can we just—can we just talk for a second? After last night and this morning, I want to make sure we’re on the same page.” Her eyes drift down as she says, “I know I put on an agitated front during our run, but when you wouldn’t kiss me, it really hurt my feelings and made me feel incredibly insecure. I’ve made it clear that I want something with you. Before I get my hopes up, though, I just need to know what to expect.”

If I’m honest, what I didn’t expect was the many different facets of this woman’s personality. When I first met her, I thought our country was doomed. Yet she’s shown depth, integrity, intelligence, empathy, and now . . . passion. I don’t know what we can have between us, but after her sexual submission to me, her natural reverence, I know I want to try.

I tilt her head up with my thumb to her chin. “Where do we stand?” Her eyes search mine as she lightly nods. “Tell me this, what do you want from me?”

“I want you,” she whispers. “I want all of you. And I don’t want you to regret being with me. I don’t want you to second-guess if what we’re doing is the right thing. And when I lift up on my toes to kiss you, I want you to meet me halfway, not deny me your affection.”

“It was out of self-preservation,” I say. “You must know, at this point, the only reason I’ve been so controlled around you is because of the sensitive situation we’re in. You would’ve been claimed as mine weeks ago if you were anyone else.”

“What about now?” she asks, her fingers dancing up my bare chest. “Are you claiming me as yours?”

I pause, the weight of her question resting heavily on my shoulders. It goes against everything I’ve been taught, everything I’ve ever fucking known, but . . . fuck me, I like her. So goddamn much, and even though there’s a little voice in the back of my head telling me what I’m about to say is against all my rules, I don’t stop myself, because this full-body passion I have for this woman wins out.

She’s the woman I want, and there’s no way I can turn off that feeling.

And I doubt that it will ever go away.

So, I’m letting myself win.

“Yes,” I whisper. “I’m claiming you as mine, Lilly.”

Her smile stretches across her face as she loops her arm around my neck, pulling me in close so our foreheads connect. She reaches up so her lips are a whisper away. I know exactly what she’s looking for. So, I meet her halfway and connect our mouths, stealing a searing kiss from her all over again.

So searing, that both of our mouths part at the same time as I press her against the wall, holding her ribcage so she can’t move. I tilt my head to the side for a better angle and then drive my tongue into her mouth. Her moan vibrates through me, so I cup her breast and roll her nipple between my fingers.

She moans again and wraps her leg around mine, pressing her center against my once-again hardening cock. Christ.

I lift her up and she wraps both legs around my waist now as I hold her against the wall and rock my hips into hers.

“Yes,” she gasps as her hand floats to the back of my head, where she tugs on my hair.

“Harder,” I rasp as my mouth falls to her collarbone. I suck on her skin, marking her as mine, while she tugs on my hair even more. I continue to drive my hard cock against her thong-covered center. “Mine,” I growl as I nip at her skin, sucking hard, knowing I’ll leave a bruise, just what I want. “You’re fucking mine.”

“Yes, my King,” she says with a gasp. “Oh God, you make me so hot.”

I growl again, my hips moving so goddamn fast I don’t have a moment to catch my breath. All I can think about is making sure she knows exactly who she belongs to in this moment. I piston my hips in and out, slamming her against the wall now.

“Come for me, Lilly.” I drag my tongue up the column of her neck and when I reach her mouth, I kiss her, hard. There’s no finesse about it. Our tongues slap together, her nails claw into my back to the point that I’m pretty sure she draws blood, but I say nothing because it’s spurring me on.

I drive harder and harder and harder, the dresser next to us shaking from the force of my hips, and when I feel her tense around me, I don’t stop.

“Fuck, I’m—I’m there,” she says right before she lets out a low moan, her nails dangerously dug into my skin, and she comes. “Yes, oh God, Keller . . . yes.”

It takes me two more pulses before I’m coming as well, my cum shooting between us.

Once my hips slow down and we’re both sated, I lay her on the bed. I lean over and press a kiss to her lips and whisper, “Stay here.”