Royally Not Ready(76)
When I lift up, I go to the bathroom, wash myself, and wet a washcloth for her.
Entering the room, I catch her smiling and watching me the whole time, a look of total satisfaction on her face. I situate myself between her legs, spread them, and then lean down and swipe my tongue all the way up her arousal, her gasp like a goddamn symphony to my ears.
“Fucking delicious,” I say before taking the washcloth and cleaning her up.
She sighs into the mattress. “God, Keller, you’re so hot.”
“Glad you think that.” I finish up, fold the washcloth over, and turn my back toward her.
“Oh God,” she gasps and sits up. “I made you bleed.”
I sit down next to her and hand her the washcloth. “Good, that means I’m yours now.”
She dabs at the fingernail imprints. “Are you okay?”
“Perfect, Lilly.” I grip her leg, the one that’s wrapped around me, as she scoots closer to dab at my scratches. “You’re going to have a serious hickey on your collarbone. Wear it with pride under your shirt. You hear me?”
“I wouldn’t dream of wearing it any other way.”
“No one else fucking touches you, from here on out. Got it? Even if you don’t stay here, you’re mine.”
Her lips press a kiss to my heated back. “Yours, Keller. Only yours.” And then she sets the washcloth down and wraps her arms around my waist in a hug.
I grip her arms from the front and say, “You were supposed to wait until tonight, but, fuck, you’re irresistible.”
“I can say the same about you.”
“Today’s going to be a tough day, Lilly. We have some intense things to go over. I want you to know, though, that I’m here. And no matter what, I will never—and I mean never—let anything happen to you. You’re my responsibility. You’re safe with me.”
“I’ve never doubted it.”
I turn and lay her back down on the bed, only to hover over her. I press a kiss to her nose. “Get dressed, and don’t forget, skip the goddamn underwear.”
She smiles. “I will.”
In our learning room, I’ve drawn the curtains, eclipsing the space into complete darkness besides a single nightstand light. In the middle of the floor is one chair with Lilly strapped to it in zip ties.
Earlier, while we were eating breakfast, Lara and Brimar staged a kidnapping. They came in from behind, put a bag over her head, and secured her against her will. She screamed, being caught off guard, and they dragged her to the learning room.
It made me fucking sick to my stomach to watch. I wish this wasn’t part of the training every royal has to go through, but it’s the reality of the situation. Because of their status, there are enough threats—with a few successful kidnappings in the past throughout the world, where they’ve been held for ransom—to warrant the training.
After they secured her to the chair, keeping the bag over her head, Lara and Brimar came back out to the dining room, where we cleaned up and discussed the next plan of action. I would coach Lilly through the kidnapping while Brimar and Lara would act as the captors.
“Let me talk to her first, and then I’ll have you come in,” I say to Lara and Brimar.
They both nod. They hold a belt, and a few other things to threaten her with.
I step into the room and shut the door behind me, my eyes falling to Lilly, who’s slouched forward, the zip ties pulling on her delicate skin. Walking up to her, I place my hands on her thighs and whisper, “How are you doing, Lilly?”
“Keller,” she cries. “What’s happening?”
“Crisis management. This won’t be fun, but it’s necessary, okay?”
She nods. “Are you going to stay here?”
“Yes. I’ll be by your side the whole time, coaching you. Remember, this is an exercise, and we’re trying to make it as realistic as possible. Lara and Brimar are going to come into the room in a second and act like they’re your captors. Okay?”
She nods, and I continue to smooth my hands over her thighs. “Your goal is to become their friend, to gain their trust. You need to form a bond with them, because if you form a bond, it’s less likely the captor will hurt you.”
“Okay. I . . . I can do that.”
“Good girl,” I whisper as I move my hands up to her hips. “Are you hurting?”
“The zip ties are a little tight, but they’re okay. I understand the need to take this seriously.”
“Let me know if you need me to loosen the ties.”
“I will.”
I stand and press my palm to her cheek beneath the bag. She sinks into my touch, and that’s where I stay for a few more beats, staring down at this beautiful girl. When I say I snapped earlier, I did. The willpower I was hanging on to, broke in the blink of an eye, and now that I’ve opened myself to what I’ve been feeling for this woman, I can’t seem to stop myself from taking every morsel of what I want from her. Even a simple touch.
“I’m nervous,” she says so, so softly.
Because I can’t stand seeing her like this, I lean down and place a soft kiss to her shaking hand. “I’ll be right here. I’d never let anything bad happen to you. Right?”
She nods. “Right.”