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
SophiaThe trip to Qatar was much different than taking a private jet from the UK to the Middle East. The flight from Texas to the UK was fine, but the last leg was long as hell, and by the time I landed, I had no idea what day it was.During my last trip here, Luke had accompanied me the entire time that I moved through Qatar. We’d had armed guards and all of our accommodations ready and waiting for us. I didn’t have to find a place to stay since I was his guest at the palace, and we had a private car to travel around in.Luke hadn’t asked me to return any of the clothes that we’d bought together, so at least in that regard, I was somewhat prepared. Getting a ride to the palace was another story.I wasn’t sure if the leering looks had happened the first time around, but everywhere I looked, someone was looking at me. I was a fish out of the water, and everyone knew it.After inquiring at the airport for the location of the palace, I haggled with my cab driver about a price for the tr
SophiaMy life flashed before my eyes, and I skittered back a few feet, showing that I wasn’t a threat. Keeping my hands where they could see them, I tried to peer around them to see if I could spot Abir or even, Luke himself.“I’ve come a long way,” I said.“Move along,” the first guard said.I wasn’t leaving without seeing Luke. They would have to drag me away before I gave up.“Please, I need to see Lu—Prince Luke,” I said.“Sophia?” Luke’s commanding voice sounded behind the guards.The guards moved aside, while remaining between Luke and me.My gaze flicked to Luke. He was in a suit, just like the first time I met him. My heart galloped as I drank him in. It looked as if he hadn’t shaved or slept all week. Seeing the effects of me leaving him wasn’t something I was proud of, but the result warmed my insides. He looked like a rugged model that might grace the cover of a women’s magazine.“Luke,” I said, stepping closer to the gate.“What are you doing here?” he asked, not moving f
LukeWhen it came to Sophia, Mother always had a way of ruining any good moments. I was on the verge of kissing Sophia—really kissing her—when we were interrupted by Mother’s nosiness.I was still reeling from Sophia traveling so far to see me. Hearing her mirror the same feelings I had for her had lifted some of the weight off my shoulders. I wasn’t sure why she showed up in person when she could have easily called me, but I didn’t regret her decision. Her by my side was where she belonged.At least, that was what I thought.Mother, on the other hand, had other ideas.In a way, I wished Sophia would have announced her arrival. At the very least, I could have warned her that Mother specifically told me she wasn’t invited. As my girlfriend and guest, my opinion about Sophia overruled hers.I didn’t suspect that Mother would cause any issues with Sophia while Father was sick, but I could never be sure with her. She might very well use Father’s illness as a way to push Sophia away. Like
LukeShe whirled around when I arrived by her side. “Luke, I can stay in a hotel. It’s not a big deal.”“It is a big deal,” I said. “I want you with me.”“Are you sure?” she asked. “You should be with family right now.”“I am,” I assured her.She quirked her lips but didn’t argue with me further.I offered my hand to her, and she took it. I didn’t realize how much I missed holding her hand. It was the most intimate we’d been in the time we’d known each other. There was no reason for us to make out in front of my parents, but I had a feeling that she wouldn’t mind doing it if I asked her. I would never overstep, but I would if Mother and Father insisted on making sure that Sophia and I were a genuine couple.Surprisingly, no one other than Mother questioned our relationship. It was mostly because she wanted me with anyone other than Sophia since she wasn’t someone that Mother picked out specifically for me. Even if I found a beautiful Middle Eastern woman on my own, I doubted Mother wo
SophiaI couldn’t believe that Luke wanted me to stay in his room. The gesture felt intimate, and I surprised myself by how ready and willing I was to stay with him. I worried that his mother would have a fit, but the way that Luke commanded the conversation with her earlier made me think that his father’s illness had changed him. I was glad that I wasn’t the one to bring about that change in him. In a way, I felt as if he would blame me for knowing first, even though I stumbled upon it accidentally.Watching Luke as he walked next to me, his shoulders were relaxed yet pushed back into a perfect posture. He looked more like royalty than ever. Over the last weekend we had been here, he was relaxed and ready to defend our relationship. This Luke had the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders, and I wondered if he had accepted the role of king yet. Would it be appropriate for me to ask? It wasn’t time to be shy with him when my job was on the line.I thought he would tell me, but maybe h
Sophia“You’re welcome,” I said. “Not that it did much good. They all found out anyway.”“My dear, I’ve been fighting this illness for a long time,” he said. “I’m an old man, and I’m tired of fighting. You couldn’t have prevented that.”“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”He sighed. “Pride, I suppose. I should have said something, but there’s no changing the past. That’s something I will have to bear.”“Are you going to tell Luke that I knew?” I asked. I didn’t think he had a reason to suspect our relationship was fake, but I couldn’t be too careful.“No,” he said. “He is happy with you.”I twined my fingers together in my lap. It was strange having approval from one of Luke’s parents. I wanted to know more. “You think so?” Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I pressed my hands against them.“My dear,” Erol said with a smile. It lit up his face. “I’m out of touch with the dating world, but I know love when I see it. Luke’s mother and I didn’t experience it until later on, but I do recogn
LukeSeeing Father smiling at Sophia when I returned with the water made my heart skip a beat. Even though I hadn’t directly said I was going to take the throne, knowing he was happy about who I’d chosen to be my partner—for real this time—gave me a sense of calm that I hadn’t had before Sophia showed up.I took her hand as we walked through the hallway, squeezing it. She had turned my life upside down, and I couldn’t imagine having anyone else by my side during this trying time.“I thought we were going to the dining room?” Sophia asked as I led her down another hallway, not in the direction of the central stairwell.“We’re going to get Abir,” I said. “He’s holed himself in his room for several days. It’s time for him to join the living and say goodbye to his father.”“He’s grieving,” Sophia said.I gritted my teeth. “Father isn’t dead yet. Abir might get a pass to complain for a little while, but he needs to step up and be the man that Father thinks he is, or he’ll regret it.”“Isn’
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