~Penny~Did the Duke pry into my background after that incident? I was worried he might see through my carefully fabricated facade. Nico was fully off-limits now. His Grace and his regal sister both took turns to warn me to stay away from the kid. I was just following instructions. Lawrence told me to get close to Nico. So I did. Now I needed to stay away from Nico and his uncle at any cost to avoid raising more doubts about me.The next few days unfolded in a flurry of needle and thread as I strived to keep busy and avoid running into the Duke. The sewing workstations were a bustling hive of activity today with long fabric bolts and a dozen work tables. The breaks were pathetically short and the head seamstress ensured we didn't dillydally.Despite the strict schedule and watchful eyes, there was often whispered gossip that helped me understand my perilous mission better. Some stories even delved into the Duke's past, his parents, and the choices that shaped him into the man he was,
~Penny~The smell of sizzling butter and breakfast eggs assaulted my nose as I tiptoed from my room past Aunt Molly. It was Sunday morning, and the weather outside was quiet and moody with gray skies. I had plans to curl up in my bed since there was no work to do, but Lawrence's letter and his pressure tactics deprived me of that luxury.Reaching the fireplace, I thrust the letter into the flames and watched the crumpled paper crackle, taking forever to turn to ash. If only I could burn his threats as easily as setting his words on fire. He wanted updates from me on the progress I made so far.What transpired between me and the Duke felt too personal and intimate to share with anybody, let alone with my ex who dumped me like I was a piece of trash. Lawrence was going to be in Mountbatten in two days, and I was sure he would explain the more innovative ways he could use to kill Ben if I didn't move faster.Days bled into weeks as the Duke's coronation day loomed ahead. I peered out the
~Leo~Mabel jutted her chin in defiance as the carriage rattled down the cobblestone streets. "I could have perfectly managed this meeting on my own, Leo.""With the help of your useless architect friend? If he had an ounce of common sense, he would have asked this accountant to meet with you two in the castle. You are so bent on doing things like a commoner, visiting this sketchy neighborhood after dark.""You exaggerate Leo. You are just upset because I am not using the services of our Royal Accountant.""Look outside for once Mabel." I pulled the curtains of the carriage window apart for her to take a look. "Look at the state of this place. There's a massive surge in immigration and we can't keep up with everyone's records in overcrowded regions. Poverty and under reported crime are rampant here."Peering out the frosted window, Mabel's breath hitched. She was expecting the usual massive elegant brownstones but dilapidated buildings were all huddled together here with rubbish strew
~Penny~***Warning: Some readers may find trigger elements in this chapter***I should have been running, but my feet refused to move. I was still in shock, unable to believe that the Duke had left me to my fate tonight. I stayed planted in my spot even when the three men across the street emerged from the shadows and stalked toward me.The Duke was gone. Abandoned. He knew I would get raped and might even be left to die on these streets. And yet he didn't want to take me with him. Was it too much to expect? Even a stranger would have helped me. It wasn't supposed to hurt like this. He merely touched me once, and it was entirely fueled by lust. Why did the weight of his betrayal press me down so badly then?The menacing figures circled me, their hungry gazes devouring me like I was their prey. I swallowed the lump in my throat, slowly stepping back as panic surged through me."I will go first," said the man with a scraggly beard. "She looks so delicate she might break if we pounce on
~Leo~It was three in the morning. Thick flakes of snow drifted down, swirling in slow motion across the impossibly bright night sky. I turned around and pressed my back against the cold window, staring into the warm fireplace and the ticking clock above it.What was she up to? Fast asleep in her bed, probably.Guilt gnawed at me. I couldn't stop thinking about her since that night. Mabel filled me in on what happened, and I had been kicking myself since then. Why hadn't I believed Penny? Even if her story was a web of lies, what harm could have come to me by taking her to the castle or dropping her off wherever she wanted me to?The truth was, even when I didn't want to acknowledge it, I felt like she betrayed me by letting some other guy touch her. Since I was so unreasonably possessive about her, I could have spared her the trauma and taken her home safely with me before anyone else touched her. But I allowed jealousy to cloud my judgment so terribly. This regret had turned into a
~Leo~"What are you doing, Penny?" I asked, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "When I said breakfast, I didn't mean it literally."Her large blue eyes stared into mine, a flicker of something unreadable swirling in her gaze. Pushing my hand away, she continued looking at me with the same indecipherable expression. Was it anger or mere surprise at what I said? Would apologizing again about the other night help? I couldn't bear the thought that she was trying so hard to stand away from me.Closing the distance between us, I lifted her up and placed her on the prep table, my fingers digging into her thighs as I spread them apart. The rise and fall of her chest from quick short breaths made the soft fabric of her dress strain against her bosom. Her tongue was too tied to utter a word when I failed to look away from the sexy swell of her breasts.Damn, I desperately wanted her in my bed. I wanted to shred every bit of clothing on her body and suck on those pert breasts until they were
~Penny~My first day back at work was busy as usual. The workroom was bustling with activity, with workers feverishly snipping at intricate fabrics and stitching delicate seams. My eyes kept wandering to the door, expecting the Butler to come in and announce again like he did last time, "His Grace wants to see you in the dining hall." But the day was flying by and there was no sign of the Butler.As the last rays of sunlight faded behind the castle's keep, my mind raced with jumbled up thoughts and emotions."Eyes on the fabric!" The Head Seamstress hissed, tapping my worktable. Her eyes were cold and brimming with disapproval.I stood up from my seat, wanting to look apologetic and get back to weaving the vibrant threads in my hands, but I just stared at her instead, my thoughts elsewhere. I was still upset at myself, for how weak and easily swayed I was by the Duke's charms. It was as if he had taken my brain out and put it on the prep table before scooping me into his arms at Aunt
~Penny~He seized my waist and pinned me to the wall with his large, rough hands. My gaze darted around, searching for any onlookers. We barely made it up the steps and around the corner. "Your Grace, w---""Leo is my name," he murmured into my ear, sweeping the hair off my shoulders and wrapping it around his fist.I sucked in a sharp breath as he pulled on my hair and buried his face into the crook of my neck. My whole body tingled in anticipation. "Mhmm..." Whimpering softly, I nodded, feeling too shy to utter his name.Before I could say another word, he lifted me off my feet and led us into the empty room. Kicking the door shut, he laid me on the bed, pulling off his belt to toss it on the floor. My heart raced as I watched him kick off his shoes and shed his clothes, revealing his toned abs and muscular arms. I licked my lips at the sight of the hard erection straining against his underwear. "Your turn," he said, planting a trail of hot kisses on my stomach while savagely pul
~Penny~I didn't know what came up in me to tell him this. I just wanted to stop the guard from clarifying about the meeting with Alice. But the flicker of longing in Leo's eyes and how he looked at me as if we hadn't seen each other for days even when it was just one night, pulled me towards him like a magnet.Until then, a fierce internal battle was raging within me, my mind screaming at me to flee Mountbatten as soon as possible. But my heart craved his comfort and solace, his familiar warmth. It yearned to share the news about the child growing inside me."What? Leo, is this true?"His mom exclaimed before I even had a chance to process Leo's reaction. When I told him about the baby, his face crumpled as if it were the last thing he ever wanted from me. "It's just one of her new moves to force you to keep her here, isn't it, Leo? Say something!""What the fuck Leo?" His dad roared. "Can you not fuck this up any more than it already is?""Do you believe all this, Ian?" His mom aske
~Leo~"That would be all Mr. Gilbert," I told my dresser, accepting the clean, pressed shirt from him.In less than three hours, I'd be boarding the train to Campbell with Penny. My parents, Trevor, and almost everyone seemed to want to go with me, not trusting me enough to bring my sister back on my own. They were certain I'd choose Penny over Mabel.Why would I make such bonehead decisions and agree to those outrageous terms with the Campbells if I could have simply kept Penny?"What is it, Mr. Gilbert?" Being my dresser and advisor, he lingered, wanting to add his two cents about what a mistake I was making. He got to witness the scandalous spectacle Penny created on my coronation day firsthand."Leo, we would like a word with you." Mom's nagging from the other side of the door grated on my nerves. I chose to ignore her but she barged in anyway."Is this why you refused to see us yesterday?" Her fingers traced the edge of the purple bruise on my neck. "Goodness gracious, what has s
~Penny~"Look at me, Penny." His deep, commanding voice made my body burn from the inside out. My legs were weak from the lingering orgasm but he didn't give me a chance to recover. His hands ran down the curve of my back, yanking on my dress as my body bounced on the bed."Please..." I begged him to hurry up, too scared to use my fingers."Show me that pussy," he ordered, spreading my knees with his.He undid his pants and flung them toward the door, his stormy gray eyes devouring my breasts and my wet heat. His gaze lingered a beat longer on my stomach, making me nervous. I instinctively covered it with my hands. Was he able to tell it wasn't as flat anymore?Yanking my hands away, he lowered his head, peppering my midriff with kisses. When his mouth found the hollow of my navel and his tongue laved the delicate curve, I threw my legs across his back, tugging his face closer."Oh my god, please, yes, suck on my skin, just like that, just like that...fuck!" I gripped his hair and rock
~Leo~"Dude, how has your dick not fallen off yet?" Trevor was being a pain in the ass right now, his judgmental gaze darting between Penny and me. "If you weren't such a cockblock banging at my door all the time, maybe it would have," I retorted, grabbing the bunch of legal documents he brought for me."You are fucking obsessed with her."He wasn't wrong. Penny could get me so fucking sore and still leave me craving for more. When I asked her to meet me at my cabin, I didn't really know what I wanted to do with her. My body was strung tight from a desperate need to be close to her. "I hope you realize the gravity of this decision." Trevor's voice oozed with disapproval as I skimmed through the agreement that Dad had drawn up with the help of our lawyers. "You want to abandon every project that helped Mountbatten outcompete the Campbells in trade and industry for half a decade now? I'll be sure not to be anywhere near when you and your dad talk about this totally avoidable setback."
~Penny~Thirteen more hours. I had thirteen long hours to wait before we reached Mountbatten. I would have to run before Leo took me over to Lawrence. There was no way I could ever tell him about the baby... if there was a baby.Leo never came inside me. I was probably panicking for nothing. I did have delayed periods in the past, sometimes I think. I might have developed seasickness over time. Was that a thing, to be completely fine on the sea for days and---"Er, My Lady, let's take a step back," Lucy's words cut through my thoughts."Huh?" I forgot I was in the kitchen with her."The milk. It was too hot when you added that ginger.""Oh..." I looked down at the saucepan to see the disaster boiling away gloriously. Lucy gave me a recipe for ginger posset, something she claimed to be wonderful during colder weather. It just needed milk, ginger, honey, and nutmeg to be mixed in four easy, straightforward steps. And I fucked up step one.I looked over the recipe again. Lucy had clearly
~Penny~ Leo's cousin has been banging on the door for the past five minutes, wanting to meet him. But Leo had resolved to ruin me today. The small log cabin room barely offered any insulation. It was embarrassing to imagine Trevor hearing it every time Leo thrust into me so hard. The room was filled with my cries, our bodies slick against each other. "Come back later, Trev!" He said through clenched teeth, his eyes not leaving my flushed face. "Jeez, Leo." Trevor knocked again. "I have some new intel." "I'll be out in a minute," he said, leaning his lips to my ear and sucking on my lobe. My back was shoved against the wall, my wrists pinned over my head. I was standing on my tiptoes as he slammed into me over and over. The weather was clearing up and we were about to board the ship to Mountbatten in an hour. Leo was acting like he was deprived of sex for decades. I lost count of how many times I came today. There was nothing really to do when we were snowed in but it was time to
~Leo~The relentless snowstorm had delayed my return quite a bit. We left Glacier's Edge three days ago but the morning the ship touched Emerald Isle to stock up on food supplies, it had been terrible weather with blinding blizzards and no visibility for hours at a stretch.The wind was howling like a banshee outside this tiny log cabin I was stuck in. If not for the constant crackling fire in the hearth, we wouldn't have survived this winter's wrath.To make things worse, my parents just wanted to wait until my return. I expected Dad to go get Mabel back but he wanted to be fucking diplomatic and secretive about this whole thing now that all of Mountbatten was scrutinizing every step we took, thanks to Penny.Dad believed Lawrence just wanted Penny in exchange for Mabel. And he was right. It made me want to fling a chair at this darned frost etched window. That twisted fuck Lawrence wanted what I had, just to regain his sense of control. He fully intended to kill Penny once she was d
~Penny~I woke once again to darkness, with just a hint of warm light by the fireplace. My thighs were wobbly as I got off the bed to clean up. Even a hot bath didn't do much to heal the achy thighs. The lingering dull throb in countless spots on my body was oddly satisfying.Alice exclaimed as I approached the kitchen with hesitant steps. "Oh look who's here! It sounded like you were dying up there Penny, screaming sooo loud, heavens!" Lucy just stared at me silently as a slight warmth crept up my neck. Alice brought some cutlery to the dining table when I reached for a plate."I'm starving, Alice," I said, hoping there was something to eat. What time was it anyway? "Um, where's Le- His Grace?""His Grace went with Miss Byrne to the mountains, to show her some ice caves and hot springs up there."Huh, give me a fucking break. My appetite died just like that. I stared at the plate full of poached fish, roasted potatoes, and carrots that Alice served me. It was half past six, the sun
~Penny~My spine stiffened. Was he going to stick his cock in my ass? His fingers brushed up my bare thigh, his hands groping my ass and pulling it apart."I'll use this body of yours the way it should be used, and you are going to take it like the slutty little whore you are.""Your Grace, I don't mean to interrupt you in any way, but... I d-don't think it's a good idea..." my voice wavered slightly as he waited for me to say more. "My uncle has two daughters, and they are pretty horny. They..." My words tapered off into silence when I saw the slightest of a smirk on his face."They got fucked in the ass?" He asked, massaging the opening of the tight hole between my cheeks."They... aahhh." A whimper escaped my lips as he pushed the tip of his finger inside of me."Touch yourself," he ordered, pushing his finger into my ass while using his other hand to release one of my hands from the restraints.I blinked. "Er---"