Page 26 of A Ring to Claim Her Crown
‘I need you...to move.’ She gasped, craning her neck to seek out his kiss.
‘Like this?’ he asked softly, moving the barest few inches before stopping again. She moaned in protest so he moved again, the scantest couple of inches, before stopping.
‘Liro, please,’ she half-laughed, half-begged.
‘You want more?’ he said silkily, withdrawing completely and lying back on the bed. ‘Don’t ask me, don’t beg. Take it from me,princesa. Take what you need.’
‘I... I can’t see you.’ Her voice was a husky murmur as she turned over, hands outstretched.
‘You’ll find me.’ He watched, jaw clenched, as her hands found his skin and she guided herself into his lap. He didn’t know why he was playing games, only that he needed this. He needed to know that it wasn’t just him going out of his mind with need here in the darkness of the night. He wanted her to be fully in control—maybe then the ache in his chest would ease. Maybe then he could stop counting down the hours until this night would be over and he returned her to where she belonged. To the royal life in which she had been born to flourish, the kind of world to where he could never follow.
He wasn’t the right man for her in the daylight but here, under the cover of darkness, he knew that he could give her everything she had always been afraid to demand. He could show her the power she had over him, the power she had always wielded with effortless grace. If only she knew...
He waited patiently as she guided herself over him, resisting the urge to enter her as hard and fast as he had before. Teeth gritted, he hissed as she slid tentatively down onto his length with a sigh. He couldn’t see her face but only imagine the satisfied smile he might find there.
Suddenly he regretted the decision to move them into the dark—he wanted to watch her as she took him. Reaching over to the bedside table, he flicked on a lamp to its lowest setting, bathing the bedroom in soft amber light. Sure enough, the sight that met his eyes was more beautiful than he could ever have imagined.
Minerva’s eyes were heavy with pleasure as she found her own rhythm, her hands braced on his abdomen and her breasts...Dios, her breasts...
This was a queen seated atop her throne, conquering him with every slow circle of her toned hips. She used her thighs to grip him tighter, urging him to move faster and deeper and, after the slightest moment of resistance, he complied, smiling as she took exactly what she needed over and over again until he was the one falling apart under her control. She leaned down to kiss him as her own release sent her body into spasms and she finally went limp against his chest.
Liro felt as if he’d been hit by lightning, unable to do anything for a long time other than run his fingers along her dark curls and hold in the words that threatened to spill from his lips. When he felt Minerva’s breathing deepen, he arranged her onto the pillows alongside him and waited for the silence of the wide, open sea to soothe him to sleep as it always did.
But there was no soothing the ravaged beast that he had awakened within himself tonight. He’d been a fool to think that having Minerva in his bed one more time would be enough. He knew that he could not have her, but he had meant it when he’d said she shouldn’t have to marry at all.
His mind moved over the various possibilities that they might both get what they wanted but came up short. It seemed that, no matter which path they chose, one of them was destined to lose something important. And he knew that, if he had to choose, he would take that loss himself.
Every time.
Minerva awoke in the circle of Liro’s arms, her face pressed tight against the centre of his chest. His eyes were closed, his face peaceful, and she took a long time just simply to look at him. Never once had they fallen asleep all of the times they had been together as young lovers. Their meetings had always been rushed and secret, overshadowed by the worry of being caught. Last night Liro had come through on his promise not to stop until she was satisfied. They had made love twice more after that first time.
With no clock or watch to go by, she could only guess that they had slept for a few hours: the sky outside the portholes was still pitch-black, but with a tinge of violet to signify that dawn was not far off. Dawn meant that her day of freedom was officially over...and, with it, her time with Liro. She moved slowly out of the circle of his arms, sliding her bare feet down onto the plush sand-coloured carpet. Her body felt heavy, warm and satisfied in a way she didn’t think it had ever felt, not even after her most gruelling Olympic training sessions.
She stared around properly at the lavishly decorated space for the first time, taking in the inner sanctum of the powerful shipping mogul he’d become. Despite the obvious wealth and quality of everything aboard his yacht, Liro’s bedroom was quite warm and minimalist in its appearance. A tall shelf of books filled one wall, coupled with a comfortable-looking arm chair that faced out towards the tall windows. There were no family photos or mementos, but it felt lived in. Liro had said he’d chosen this vessel as his only home and she could feel that was what it was.
His bathroom was almost the same size as the main room, with a large double tub and a shower stall that took up the entire wall towards the end. A surprising ache formed in her chest as she spied his toothbrush sitting in a cup by the sink along with the mint-flavour paste. She stared at the mundane items that filled the open vanity cabinet, studying them, needing to know who he was. How he had lived for all these years when they had been apart.
She stepped into the shower stall, closed the door behind her and stared up at the confusing high-tech display. Her eyes unfocused as her mind continued to race. Had Liro brought other lovers here? Had they shared his bed and used this luxury shower the way she was doing now? Frowning, she tapped a few buttons, gasping when cold water instantly streamed down over her body. She frantically tapped the display again until it turned off, leaving her shivering but kind of thankful for the jolt away from her uncomfortable thoughts.
Everything about his world made her feel out of her depth: the fancy appliances, the lack of rules and routines. She knew nothing about this version of Liro, only that he wanted closure from their past just as she did. He said he had thought of her, sure, but had he missed her the way she’d longed for him? If he had cared half as much, surely he wouldn’t have been able to leave? She leaned her head forward, seeking the cool, glossy wall tiles to calm her racing thoughts, only to see a shimmer of moonlight on waves.
This was not a wall at all, she realised with a start, but a window. She gasped aloud, covering herself with two hands.
‘It’s one-way glass,’ a voice murmured from behind her. Minerva instantly moved to cover her bare breasts and relaxed once she saw Liro sliding open the shower door and stepping inside. His red hair was ruffled from sleep, his face slightly flushed. He looked infinitely younger...almost like the young man she’d once known.
She might not be able to name what he meant to her but she knew it wasn’t just freedom, a warm body to use or any of the things he had accused her of. It was more that he had always meant more to her than he was supposed to.
‘I didn’t know how to work it.’ She gestured to the shower and stepped back as he moved around her, fiddling with the display. Hot water fell from the wide waterfall-style attachment above and the scent of lavender essential oils filled the air.
‘You don’t look as blissfully relaxed as I hoped you would after last night’s efforts.’ He frowned, one large hand cupping her cheek. ‘Talk to me, Min.’
‘I’m okay,’ she said quickly, avoiding his eyes and how much they always seen. He moved closer, caging her in against the glass as the steam whirled around them.
‘You’re lying,’ he said. ‘Want to know how I know?’
‘How?’ she whispered.
‘Because I’m not okay either,’ he murmured. ‘I woke up alone in my bed...and I thought you’d gone back. And I wasn’t okay, Min. I wasn’t okay at all.’
