Book 2: At The Foot of the King

Surprise: The emotion triggered by something surprising or out of the ordinary.

JASMINE

The soft glow of the dim lights cast a warm haze over our bodies.

Theodore, his muscular form looming above me, held my gaze with an intensity that mirrored my own longing. His gaze was fiery and passionate, making me swoon.

Every sinew, every contour of his body was a work of art that I wanted to bask within. And I didn’t have to resist, because he was mine. Forever…

I absorbed every detail of his body, just as he did mine. His hardness grew with every passing moment, just from looking at me.

The knowledge that I could arouse him so effortlessly was thrilling. I was delighted to have such an effect on him.

In all honesty, he had a similar effect on me. I could feel myself growing wet, just from the intensity of his gaze. His eyes alone could make me drip with desire.

As he leaned in, the lust in his eyes became more pronounced, a hunger that mirrored my own. He leaned down and kissed me, his tongue dancing with mine, making me moan into him.

His sculpted body pressed against me, muscles rippling with each movement. I needed him. Now.

As if he could read my thoughts, his fingers began a slow journey down my body, finally coming to rest between my legs. I ran my hands over the veins on his neck and arms, marveling at the raw power he exuded, as he slipped his fingers inside of me.

His thumb teased my clit as I pressed into him. “You’re so wet already,” he murmured. I arched my back, surrendering to him.

Theodore slipped my underwear off and tossed it aside. Then he pulled my shirt over my head. His movements were forceful, needy. He’d clearly been just as touch-starved as me.

He paused for a moment, his hands cradling my breasts. My nipples hardened the moment his fingers brushed against them.

As his hands roamed over my body, I was lost in a haze of pleasure. I watched as he removed his shirt, his muscles rippling in the dim light.

My gaze then drifted lower, where the outline of his erection was visible through his pants. For an instant, I just stared at it, saliva pooling in my mouth.

I admired every inch. And there were many of those.

“Like what you see?” he chuckled, a deep low sound that sent a quiver down my spine. I could only nod.

I tugged at his waistband, a silent plea for him to free his beast, which elicited a smile from him.

I needed him inside of me. Now. Every inch of him.

“Are you ready?” he queried. “Yes,” I whispered.

For some reason, it felt as if we were about to make love for the first time.

I remembered our first night together. The night I gave myself to him. He was my boss then, and now he was my husband. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Maybe even a different life entirely.

His manhood leapt free of his pants, slapping against his firm stomach. It made me moan softly in spite of myself. How could he be so perfect?

I gasped as he entered me. He was gentle at first, careful not to cause me any pain.

As he filled me, a slight sting quickly morphed into pleasure and I nodded at him to begin moving.

He slipped deeper inside me, the heat of his skin against mine.

His size stretched me, pressing against my walls. I could feel every inch of him filling me, reaching deep within me.

Finally… I had missed this feeling. The sound of our heavy breathing, punctuated by soft moans and gasps, filled the room. Our bodies moved in perfect harmony.

My hands gripped his flexing, bending muscles, and I couldn’t help but yelp as his cock dove further and further into my body, driving me insane.

After several moments, he pulled out of me and I whimpered at the lack of contact.

But he wasn’t finished. He turned me around on all fours, peppering kisses down my neck and spine. I leaned forward, pressing my chest to the mattress. I was his to take.

Theodore gripped my hips and pulled me onto his length. Pleasure washed over me as I took him in, clenching around him and milking him.

Every touch, every kiss, every thrust sparked a flame within me, and I could feel my body craving more of him. I gave in to the pleasure, letting him lead me to new peaks of ecstasy.

He could do anything he wanted to me. I was putty in his hands.

The very same hands that were now moving around my body, teasing my clit from behind. He massaged it with his fingers, the tension building within me, begging for release.

Even as he fucked me with furious abandon, he was taking care of my pleasure, too. He really was the perfect man.

I was on the brink. Waves of pleasure coursed through my body, growing stronger and stronger, until I lost control completely and I came with a shout, spilling my juices all over his shaft.

Ecstasy washed over me, wave after wave as he filled me, spurred on by my own orgasm. I felt a rush as his warmth spread through me.

Finally, he collapsed onto the bed next to me, panting hard.

“That was amazing,” I murmured, breathless.

I turned to face him and Theodore pulled me in for a kiss. His lips tasted sweet against mine. This really was heaven.

“Want me to draw you a bath?” he offered what might have been an eternity later.

“Only if you join me,” I countered with a wink.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he smirked, springing out of bed and heading to the bathroom. I soon heard the flow of water from the tub.

By the time I followed him, the bath was ready. Bath salts and bubbles filled the air with a divine scent of lavender and roses.

“Careful,” Theodore cautioned as he helped me into the warm water. “Is it too hot?”

“No,” I sank into the tub and wrapped my body around his, “it’s perfect. Everything is perfect.”

Beneath the bubbles, our bodies fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

I wrapped my legs tighter around his torso as we soaped each other up. His muscular chest felt incredible under my fingers. I could run my fingers over him all day.

“You’re so perfect, Jasmine,” he murmured, his eyes drinking me in.

I grimaced. Compared to his godlike physique, I felt inadequate. “I don’t know,” I shrugged after a moment. “I’ve been feeling kind of gross lately. You have Emrich to thank for that.”

I felt his arms pull me closer to him. “I wish you could see yourself the way I see you,” he said, kissing me. “Nothing about you could ever be anything but beautiful.”

“I’ll take your word for it then,” I conceded. “So what shall we do with the rest of our night?” “Maybe we could watch a movie?”

“That sounds lovely,” he said, tucking a wet strand of my hair behind my ear.

***

We giggled as we made our way downstairs an hour later, high on happiness.

It felt like our first night together all over again. My body had missed him so much, and now that I had him, it was like a dark cloud had been removed from my head.

Upon reaching the kitchen, we were surprised to find Sherry and Mick sitting at the table, dour looks on their faces. They weren’t usually here at night. This was unusual. Perhaps Theodore had asked them to stay late tonight?

Yet, Theodore looked just as surprised as I was.

“Hey you two,” I greeted. “What brings you here?”

“Yeah, what are you doing here?” Theodore echoed, a frown clouding his gorgeous features.

In answer, Sherry picked up a piece of paper off the table and handed it wordlessly to Theodore.

“This just arrived from France,” Sherry said, her face grave. To my surprise, this made a shadow cross Theodore’s face.

“Let me see,” he said, his jovial demeanor long forgotten as he took the letter from Sherry. I could see now it bore the unmistakable seal of the French royal family.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Sherry said pointedly, patting my shoulder. What did they all know that I didn’t?

Theodore opened the letter and his eyes scanned the paper quickly. With each word, his expression grew more serious.

I hadn’t seen him like this since before we were together. The old Theodore, whom I thought was a thing of the past, was back.

“What is it, Theodore?” I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice.

A sense of dread washed over me as I waited for his response. The contents of the letter seemed to loom over me.

“It’s from the king,” he replied. “His heir, my uncle, is a washed-up drunk and—” He trailed off.

His sudden hesitation sent a wave of panic through me. We had barely any contact with Theodore’s extended family. I had heard stories, but Theodore had made it clear that he preferred to keep his distance. It was for the best, he had insisted.

“And what?” I pressed him to continue. “He wants us to move to France so I can return to my royal responsibilities.” He looked bitter as he spoke.

“He wants me to become heir to the throne.”