SophiaI had an awful, sour taste in my mouth. I wasn’t sure if it was caused by jet lag, lack of sleep, or a combination of both. I could barely drink my coffee that morning, knowing what was going to happen when I arrived at work with no article.Leaving Luke was the hardest thing I had ever done. I didn’t care that his mother hated me because I wasn’t a woman she had chosen for her son. But I did care that Luke’s father—Erol Shaman—was dying and he hadn’t told his family. It was only by mistake that I stumbled upon him and his doctor speaking in confidence about his terminal diagnosis. The king had asked me to keep his secret, putting me in an awful position with Luke.After arriving in Qatar, Luke and I had become much closer than I ever imagined. I knew I had feelings for him, but after his mother told me that Luke was in love with me and that she didn’t think I was in love with him, I had a lot to think about. Adding the secret of his father’s illness had sent me off the deep en
SophiaI told her about meeting him—not that I stalked him at his office and his favorite coffee shop—then him whisking me away to his family’s palace. I didn’t need to exaggerate to get my point across. It really had been like a fairy tale.When I finished my story, I took a breath. Falling into the memory of my trip with Luke had brought back even more of the feelings that I had for him. I liked him. A lot. But was this love? Was his mother telling me the truth—that he loved me? Or was she trying to scare me away? Surely, any woman who went to the palace on the arm of a prince had some idea that she had the chance to become queen, but Luke and I had both been lying to his family about having a relationship. Did he love me or was he just playing the part in front of his family?Natalia crossed her arms and her thin eyebrows arched.“What?” I asked.“So, what is your story about?” she asked.“The prince’s rise to the throne?” I couldn’t help it coming out as a question. I wasn’t sure
LukeBy the time midweek came around, my anxiety about Sophia had risen to an all-time high. Just like she had stalked me, I dedicated much of my free time doing the same to her. I started with a simple Google search for her first and last name.Americans seemed to write about every little thing when it came to their achievements. I found Sophia’s name in an article about her high school graduation, some early pieces of her work on an old blog website that hadn’t been updated in years, and a few awards at her university.Where I fell into utter oblivion was when I searched for her articles at the Dallas Post. She’d been there for six years, and I read every single article that she ever published for them. Many were pieces about businesses and people in the Dallas area, but with each word, I could hear her voice as if she were reading them aloud to me. Even some of the drier topics had been more amusing with her style and turns of phrase.I had thought she was an annoying woman who was
Luke“I need you to come home,” she said. “That’s all.”“Okay,” I said. “I’ll schedule the jet for this afternoon.”“Oh, and Luke,” she said. “Don’t bring Sophia.”I ground my teeth together. She couldn’t resist throwing in her two cents about my “girlfriend.” I didn’t want the weekend Sophia and I spent together to go to waste, so I said, “Why not? You need to accept that she is a part of our—”“Don’t say ‘family,’” she said. “She’s not a part of our family. Father needs his real family right beside him. This isn’t some show.”By her words, it almost sounded like she knew that Sophia and I had played them. Or was she hoping? Heaven forbid I chose someone for myself and was happy.“Fine,” I said. “I won’t bring her.” It wasn’t as if I knew where she was. If she hadn’t posted the article about Father and his succession yet, maybe she hadn’t returned to the Post. Though, this news would get around soon enough.“I love you, son,” she said and then hung up the phone.Tossing all thoughts
SophiaThe rest of the week flew by. I buried myself in a different local assignment before going to England. It wasn’t anything pressing, and I hadn’t been assigned anything else, so I took my time, going over each word, changing more of the story as each day passed. When I wasn’t glued to my computer screen, I vacillated between Mr. Fraser’s office door and my email. I hadn’t heard anything from him or Chelsea on my request to go back to England.I wasn’t even sure I knew what I would do when I returned. At the thought of getting fired, my mouth opened before I had a chance to think about what I was saying. I doubted Luke would want to see me again, but we did have a deal. Would he claim he had already followed through with his side of the bargain by giving me the interview before I stupidly left because I couldn’t share a family secret with him? Or because I couldn’t deal with him having feelings for me?When I returned emptyhanded, I knew I didn’t deserve the promotion, but gettin
Sophia“Maddox,” I said. Maybe Luke hadn’t told him anything about the reason for my leaving.“How can I help you?” he asked.He was still cheerful, so I took that as a positive sign. Movement from Mr. Fraser’s office made me sink down into my seat. Of course, he’d probably pick this moment to fire me. Maddox would hear it, and then Luke would know that I was a failure at more than keeping a fake relationship intact. But my boss stayed put.“Is Luke available?” I knew better than to trust Victoria. She would protect her boss if he had told her he didn’t want to speak with me. Luke wasn’t the vengeful type, but I’d left him high and dry. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was upset enough with me to block any communication.“Why do I always feel like a bridesmaid wherever you’re concerned?” I heard the smile in his voice.“How so?”“You only have eyes for Luke,” he said.“I need to follow up on a few points for my story,” I said, hoping that Luke hadn’t shared everything with Maddox. Neith
LukeThe flight to my homeland felt as if it took days. I wasn’t able to do much more than stare out the window at the fluffy white clouds. Father would never sit on this plane again. He wouldn’t do much more than he already had. The thought punched me in the gut. I was barely able to take a full breath until we landed.The moment I stepped off the plane, I called Mother to make sure that Father was still alive.“He’s resting,” she said. “We have all the best doctors helping him get comfortable. I’m so glad you’re here.”“I’m not there yet,” I said, hanging up and getting into the car waiting for me. I snapped my fingers at the driver, and he took off. With just one look from me, he knew not to dilly dally. I placed my phone next to me on the seat in case Mother needed to get in touch with me. We had about a forty-minute drive until we reached the palace, but from the speed that the car was going, I had some idea we would make it there sooner.I hated when things were out of my contro
LukeAs much as I knew what I had to do, I couldn’t find the words. Not even now, when Father was on his deathbed.Instead, I kicked off my shoes and laid on the bed next to him, like I used to when I was first adopted. I used to have nightmares that someone was going to pull the rug out from under me and send me back to the orphanage. Father used to bring me into his bed after I had another nightmare and hold me until I fell asleep. Even though I wasn’t conscious for half of it, the memories came back full force, and this time, I couldn’t contain myself.Father and I sat there until his breathing became steady and he was the one comforted by me instead of the other way around.***I made sure that Father was fast asleep before I went out into the hallway. Mother sat in the chair across the hall, staring at her hands in her lap.“Where is the doctor?” I asked.She glanced up at me as if she hadn’t heard me come out. “I made him go eat something. He’s been with your father all day.”“H
LukeWhen a knock sounded on my door a little while later, I glanced at the clock, and my jaw dropped. An hour had already flown by, and I’d checked off several items from my list.“Come in!” I called. Everyone knew that when the door to the study was closed, they were to knock and wait for my approval before entering. It was my sacred space in the palace, and it wasn’t a hard rule to follow. Though, I imagined bending the rules for our child—whenever we got around to having one—since Father had always done so for me.Sophia stood in the doorway for a moment before entering the room.“Hi,” I said to her. “What’s up?”“Do you have a minute?” she asked. Her hands clasped in front of her, as Mother’s normally were. The both of them were turning into clones of each other. I wondered if I should limit their time together or not. The thought made me smile. Neither of them would agree to that. They were two peas in a pod now.“For you? Always.” I stood up and stretched. For the last hour, I
LukeAs I perused the newspaper in front of me, Sophia and Mother discussed some upcoming banquet. Glancing over the top of the paper, I watched my wife of six months calmly eating her breakfast. Tilting my head to the side, I noticed something different about her. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it. I wasn’t sure if it was her outfit; today she wore one of the more traditional outfits of our country. Over the last months, Mother had been an excellent tutor to Sophia, teaching her about our customs, traditions, and the language.Even though Sophia hated when we went full immersion with the language, she loved it at the same time. It worked her brain like her reporting career did. I still felt a little twinge of guilt now and then for taking her away from her passion, but she had a full schedule since we had returned from our honeymoon. We both liked to keep busy, and that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.It didn’t take long for Mother to get on board with the new way of life around the
SophiaHe drove a finger inside of me, and I bucked my hips up to meet him. Falling back against the fluffy pillows, we moved as one, intensifying the pleasure within me. Adding more fingers and that circling thumb, my eyes fluttered closed and moans escaped my lips. If this was what it was going to be like for the rest of my life, I looked forward to every moment spent in this bed with Luke.After the drama that we had to deal with in such a short amount of time, I never felt so relaxed in my life. That part of our struggle was over, and even though there would inevitably be issues with the kingdom and Luke’s reign, there would never be a problem that we couldn’t overcome, especially if we came together like this as much as possible.The idea that I might have missed out on this life with him made me hold him close to me. I sat up, deepening his reach inside of me, and I grabbed his hardness again, thrusting all of my love and appreciation into the movements.His chin lifted, and his
SophiaEvery single point where our bodies touched lit me up inside until searing heat scorched every fiber of my being. Touching Luke’s face, feeling the stubble of his chin under my fingertips, added licks of heat to burn through me. I fell into the pools of his eyes, my love for him wanting to burst out of me. My panties were soaked through as his hand moved up the side of my body. His fingers brushed over the side of my breast. After getting out of my dress last night, I changed into a ratty old T-shirt. The fabric was thin and worn, which didn’t offer any protection from his touches. Not that I wanted any.His fingers lightly touched my neck. He put some pressure on my jaw, and I moved my head to the side. I loved when Luke kissed the sensitive part of my neck. It was one of his favorite moves. At least, from what I could tell.His soft lips touched my skin. With each movement of my body, he left a wake of warm invisible kisses along the way. He trapped my earlobe between his lip
LukeJoining her, the two of us brushed our teeth together. It was nice to get the stale taste of food and champagne out of my mouth. I watched Sophia through the mirror as she watched me. Energy crackled between us, and I could have dragged her into the shower to expend that energy. Knowing we were to be joined by several servants as they brought breakfast in the room for us made me kill the urge. For now.Even though it was the simplest of acts, the idea that I would brush my teeth at least once a day with this woman filled me with the most joy I’d ever felt. I wondered if only the birth of our children would rival that feeling.I finished before her and held her against me while she finished. With a shimmy of her ass against my crotch, I glanced at her. She leaned back against me, lifting her perky breasts higher. Slowly guiding my hand along her middle, I caressed the outside of her breasts.That was when I heard the door open from the other room. My hand froze before I removed it
LukeI never wanted my wedding day to end. Even though it was an intimate affair with under a hundred guests, the party went much longer than most banquets that I’d attended. Sophia and I stumbled into my bedroom in the wee hours of the morning.Even though I celebrated, neither of us drank heavily. I supposed we were almost drunk from the music and dancing, so when we arrived in a quiet and sacred space, the both of us passed out from exhaustion.The one thing I remembered as my eyes closed was the way she looked slipping out of her wedding dress. God, I was a lucky-ass man.***When my eyes finally peeled open, Sophia was already up and facing me. She had a big smile on her face, and her left hand propped on the pillow between us. The sparkling engagement ring glittered in the morning light that streamed through the windows. The night before, I’d barely gotten out of my clothes, so there was no chance I had been able to reach the blackout curtains before falling onto the bed.“Good
SophiaGia smiled and reached up to grab my veil. She pulled it down over my face, and the world turned a hazy shade of white. All but two of the servants dispersed, and Gia walked into the room, closing the door behind her.“You ready to get married?” Matt asked me.“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin. For a moment, I felt like Gia. Since I was to take her place as queen one day, it seemed fitting.A swell of music filtered out from under the doorway and the doors opened. It was a good thing the veil covered the surprised expression on my face. We’d planned for the wedding to be small and intimate, but I didn’t know that there would be more than immediate family at the event. Gia had mentioned some close family and friends that she’d wanted there, and I brushed it off, thinking there would be one or two extra people.All in all, there were only about fifty people, but when their gazes turned toward me, there might as well have been two hundred people there.Matt gripped my hand harder. “J
SophiaSince Gia put together the wedding in such a short amount of time, there was nothing Luke or I could say when it came to the night before the wedding. She’d let go of most of her traditional views but chose to hold on to the one that didn’t allow us to sleep together that night.While I wanted to show Luke how appreciative I was about what he’d done for me, we respected her wishes.After a wonderful rehearsal dinner with the people we loved, I took Matt around the palace while Luke and Maddox went off together. Maddox had mentioned something about the bachelor party, and Gia’s face had paled to the color of the tablecloth. I knew Luke didn’t plan on going out to a strip club—I didn’t think they had those here—but he went off with Maddox anyway, probably to defeat his best friend’s urge to flirt.Matt eventually dropped me off in the same bedroom that I’d slept in when I first came to the palace. We said goodnight, and I thought I saw excitement flash in his eyes when he asked w
LukeThe council members shifted in their seats. I couldn’t be prouder of my mother for standing up for me. It was something I always wanted but never knew that I needed. I didn’t care that she commanded the meeting space where I was supposed to reign. We were a family, and treating the kingdom like that would be my legacy.“When Erol and I chose to adopt a son, it was not something we took lightly. We knew we would change a child’s life and possibly be able to choose the successor to the throne.” She looked over at me and smiled, the way she used to when I was a child. When things seemed much simpler. When had I lost touch with that?“We picked a boy that we felt, in our hearts, needed us as much as we needed him. You all worked with my husband and the previous king. You saw how big of a heart he had for this country. You trusted his choices. Why are you turning your backs on him now? He wanted Luke to become king in his stead. What would you say to him right now, face to face, if yo