SophiaHis hot breath puffed against my skin, and my heavy breathing matched his. Electricity coursed throughout my body, and even though the bedpost dug into my back, I didn’t want to move from that spot. We fit together so perfectly. I knew when we finally came together, it would be an epic event. One that I could barely wait for.Luke thrust so hard into me that I couldn’t help but cry out when the wooden post heaved against me.“We’re going to break this thing,” I said.Luke glanced up as if debating on whether or not he cared.Shifting slightly, he lowered me to the bed. While I loved how he felt so close to me, my back thanked him for the reprieve.He scooted me to the edge of the bed and lifted my legs up, holding them out on either side of him. If it were possible, he pushed even farther into me.I cried out as he went to the limit, stretching me until I couldn’t take it anymore.His eyes were heavy and lidded, his mouth slightly open as he slowly moved in and out of me. He ca
LukeThe afterglow from the activities of last night made Sophia’s face shine brighter than ever. Every time I was intimate with her, my fondness for her grew. Would there ever be a cap on that, or would I love her so much that I would always feel the urge to burst with love at every moment?It wasn’t a terrible feeling, and I welcomed it as it pushed down the dark swirls of fear for what our future held within the kingdom.The question from last night lingered in my mind. She seemed ready and willing to get married as soon as possible, but I did notice hesitation in her eyes. Did she want the big fancy wedding? I had enough money to make that happen, but she didn’t have much family around. So, why did she brush it off? Maybe she was hurt that I hadn’t predicted what she wanted. I supposed I’d have to have the conversation again with her, but I had to do one thing first.Sophia stood next to the intricate coffee machine down in the kitchen while one of the servants pushed buttons acro
LukeThe thought made me shiver. We were that much closer to solidifying our relationship within the kingdom. I could see our future right around the corner, where everyone would be happy. Abir could be with Alda and stay out of the spotlight as king, and I could hold that position while standing next to the woman of my dreams.I headed back to my chambers. It was a strange thing not to have any specific plans that day. I had cleared much of my schedule for the trip to England—mostly wanting to keep the council at bay when it came to a decision about Sophia and me. They carried on with their duties while I set my plans in stone to convince them that I was the best choice for king and whomever I chose to spend the rest of my life with was no business of theirs.Inside my chambers, the bed was already made up and the surfaces polished. Sophia’s phone and mine sat side by side on my desk, the servants having moved them there so they wouldn’t get lost. Sophia didn’t need her phone, but I
SophiaThe marble countertop pressed against the small of my back as I watched Luke walk away and leave me alone with his mother. On any other day, her presence in the room would be cause for alarm, but after the conversation between the two of them the day before, Luke left us, knowing that his mother wasn’t about to berate me about my background or being with her eldest son.At least, I hoped that wasn’t her plan. I hadn’t had enough coffee that morning to put up a proper fight about my background, though why should I be expected to?With a shaky hand, I placed my mug down on the counter and plastered a smile on my face. “Where would you like to go, Gia?”“Every morning, I enjoy taking a stroll around the grounds. It clears my head for the day. I wanted you to accompany me.”I nodded. “Okay.”She tucked her hands under the folds of her dress and turned around, facing the doorway that Luke had just walked through.I scurried to her side as she led the way for our morning stroll. Sinc
SophiaGia indicated a nearby bench and invited me to sit with her.I sat, and the muscles in my legs twitched. I wished we could have kept walking; it was helping to keep my nerves from overwhelming me. I clasped my hands in my lap and tried to act as calmly as possible.“I dreamed of being a journalist my entire life. But after meeting Luke, things came up at work, and I wasn’t going to move forward in that career.”“So, it was time for a change?” Gia asked.“It was,” I said. “I never would have left if it weren’t for Luke.”“Why is that?” Her eyebrows drew together, and I could already hear the phrase “gold digger” in her mind.“He supported me and my career, but in a way, I was always looking for more. That more turned out to be Luke.”“So, you quit your job for him?” Gia asked.“Not exactly,” I said, treading carefully. I was never the type of person to do something because someone told me to do it. In fact, I was quite the opposite. “I interviewed and got another job with a diff
LukeAfter the conversation with Maddox, I was more than excited to tell Sophia the big news. I hoped it wouldn’t scare her, but if she felt the same way I did, there was no reason we had to wait any longer to be man and wife. It would take a lot of planning and money, but I had enough staff and money at my fingertips to give Sophia all she wanted and needed when it came to her wedding day.I didn’t care much about the day, other than spending every second of it with her.I thought about how the council would handle it when we returned to the palace as man and wife. They would probably flip out and threaten my seat on the throne again. While I wanted nothing more than to marry Sophia, I had to be smart about all of this. I couldn’t get a wedding arranged any sooner than Saturday, so there was time between now and then to settle things with the council. In a perfect world, I would want them to accept Sophia and me. Then we could have our wedding without any baggage on our shoulders.Wa
SophiaOur evening together was one of my favorite nights with Luke. While we’d gone to the most expensive and luxurious restaurants and hotels in the world, I was still that Southern girl who loved to kick back with her man and spend the night with just him.As if the servants were already aware of Luke’s plan, they’d arrived in the room quickly with all the necessary things to turn the balcony into a private dining experience. The table was small and just big enough for our food, offering comfort and intimacy that a meal in the dining room never could.I felt bad for skipping out on dinner with Gia right after we’d started to get along, but once Luke informed her of our plan to get married that weekend, I hoped she would forgive us, knowing that we had wanted to spend one night alone with the secret. I honestly wanted her to fill that mother-shaped gap in my heart.The next morning, my hands shook as we walked out of Luke’s bedroom for breakfast. While we hadn’t stayed up all night
SophiaAbir reached over and touched Gia’s hand. Gia turned to him.“I just wanted to make sure you haven’t taken ill,” Abir said.Gia swatted at him. “The two of you. You have no faith in me. After losing Erol, I’ve concluded that I’m not willing to lose any more men in my life. Traditions are important, but you two, and you, Sophia, are much more important to me.” Her eyes met mine, and her smile had returned. “All I ask is that I can help with the arrangements. It’s the least I can do for you both.”“Of course,” Luke said, taking my hand in his. He moved our hands to the surface of the table.It was the first time that Luke and I were so close in front of his mother without her scowling at me. I wondered what the hell someone had put into her tea that morning because I wanted some of it. I was seeing a damn miracle unfold in front of me. I’d never seen her be so agreeable about anything in the time I’d known her. And by the slack-jawed expression on Luke’s face, it appeared that ne