Chapter 8
“Did you mean it?” Jessica asked, lifting her head up so that she could look into Victor’s eyes. They lay on his bed, in his LA mansion.
“Mean what?” Victor asked, moving his hand so that it was cupped around Jessica’s naked shoulder.
They’d just made love, and the sheets rustled under Jessica as she shifted in the bed.
“When you said that you wouldn’t let anybody hurt me,” she said.
Victor looked gorgeous. The time in California’s sunshine had brought out golden tones in his skin. Jessica placed her hand on his bare torso, and let her fingers rest on his muscular pecs.
Victor stroked her shoulder. “Yes,” he said. “I meant it.”
Jessica felt bathed in the bliss of their lovemaking. She allowed his kind words to sink in, and felt her bliss increase. When she spoke, her voice sounded dreamy. “The women at work don’t believe it,” she said, running her hands up and down along his chest lazily. “They don’t believe in what we have.”
Victor was quiet.
“I don’t know if I believe it,” Jessica said softly. “I feel sometimes as though I’ve imagined the whole thing.”
“Jessica,” Victor said, sitting up slightly. “Why are you so hard on yourself?”
“Me?” Jessica asked. “I don’t know. Am I being hard on myself?”
“You act like you’re not the beautiful, sexy woman that you are.”
“Sexy, sure,” Jessica said, letting her hand trail down to Victor’s abdomen. “But Vic, is that enough for you?”
“What do you mean, ‘enough’?” Victor asked, moving his hand down across Jessica’s shoulder and towards her breast.
Jessica’s fingers traveled along the treasure trail of hair that led down to his package. She saw her touch excite him, and his dick stiffen.
“Enough,” Jessica said. “I mean… I’m not Chelsea. I’m not a sensible match for you.”
“Fuck sensible,” Victor said, maneuvering his body on top of Jessica, so that she was pinned down. He looked down at her body, and Jessica watched him take in the sight of her swelling breasts and her soft abdomen. “And Chelsea has nothing to do with this.”
Jessica sighed as Victor leaned down and kissed her neck. His lips, as they moved against her neck, created heat between her legs. She felt herself begin to ache for him.
“Have you seen her lately?” she asked. “Chelsea, I mean.”
Victor stopped kissing her and looked into her eyes. “Jess,” he said. “I told you, Chelsea has nothing to do with this.”
“Yes,” Jessica said, “she does. She’s the one your family wants you to be with. I know you have responsibilities, Victor. You’re a Prince. You’re a political figure.”
Victor sighed, and rolled off of Jessica.
“Yes,” he said. “I’ve seen her. She’s at every event, Jess, there’s no way to avoid it. I tell my family that there’s nothing between Chelsea and I, but they refuse to listen. I don’t know how to…”
His hand drifted up, so that it was above his head. He lifted his head and tucked his hand behind it, and Jess could sense that he was deep in thought. She watched him stare at the ceiling, his eyes moving back and forth across it.
“Unless,” he said. “Unless you were to come to Denmark,” he said. “Like I asked you before. I said one day, but I think it needs to be soon, Jess. Will you?”
“Will I….?”
“Will you travel to Denmark with me… this weekend, and stay at our country estate. My grandfather, King Emil, left it to the family, and we’ve taken a summer retreat there every year since.”
“Summer retreat?” asked Jessica.
“You know... Holiday. My brother will celebrate his birthday there, and we’ll officially welcome his new daughter, Alexandra, into the family.”
“Your niece?” Asked Jessica.
Victor nodded.
“Wow,” Jessica said, “that sounds like a lot of… family stuff.”
“Is there something wrong with that?” Victor asked.
Jessica bit her lip.
“There will be press, of course. The celebrations will last for the weekend. I know it might feel soon to you, Jess, but I want you to be there. With me. I need you to at my side. It’s the only way my family will stop pushing Chelsea onto me.”
The thought of Chelsea on top of Victor made Jess shudder. She didn’t want that woman anywhere near her man, let alone on him.
“Yes,” she said.
She pulled the sheets up over her chest as she thought of facing Victor’s family, the press, and even the woman who was the perfect match for Victor.
This isn’t going to be easy, she thought as she gripped the crisp, white sheet.
Victor leaned down and kissed her shoulder. “Great,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the look on my brother’s face. Now… where were we?”
His kisses crept along Jess’s collar bone, until his lips met her neck. Jessica felt the tingles between her legs return as Victor kissed her.
*****
Jessica wrapped the shawl that Victor had given her around her neck as a wind whipped across the hilly, grassy lawn. It seemed that the drive through the Danish countryside had lasted forever, and as they drove Jessica found herself unable to enjoy the beautiful scenery. She’d been entirely focused on her anxiety over meeting Victor’s family.
Now that she was facing the massive home, she finally let the beauty of the scene sink in.
The wind passed, and she smoothed down her hair so that she could see the house clearly. It was three stories high, and she counted eleven windows across the top story. The bottom half of the white house was blocked from her sight by rows of neat trees and then another row of square hedges. The smooth lawn of vibrant green grass in front of the home added to the manicured, country estate look.
“What do you think?” Victor asked, weaving his hand beneath her elbow. “Worth the traveling?”
Jessica swallowed. She’d never seen a building so lovely, stately, and with so much space surrounding it.
“There’s nothing else...” Jessica said, turning her head first to the left, and then to the right, “...for miles,” she said. “Is there?”
Victor laughed. “It’s not like LA, hm? You’re right. The estate came with an ample amount of land. My grandfather liked to hunt on the land, so he kept it entirely filled with woods, fields, and lawn. You won’t find another house for miles.”
Jessica thought of how close the buildings were in LA. In comparison, the massive white house seemed peacefully removed from society.
“It must be nice to have so much space around you all the time,” Jessica said.
Victor slid his arm down so that his hand was touching Jess’s. He wove his fingers between Jess’s fingers. “Sometimes, I don’t want to have that much space,” he said.
Jessica smiled. She breathed out. “Okay,” she said, mentally gearing herself up for the weekend. “I can do this.”
“Of course you can,” Victor said. “Just be yourself.”
Ten minutes later, Victor still hadn’t let go of her hand. They entered the house, and Victor led her through the rooms, which were just as austere and stunning as the outside of the house.
“My brother and father are probably out hunting,” he said. “I’ll introduce you to my mother. Then, I’ll show you your room so that you can rest. I know traveling isn’t easy.” He squeezed her hand.
Throughout the whirlwind flight and drive through Denmark, he’d been nothing but kind and caring. Jessica leaned her head against his shoulder.
Victor led Jessica into an expansive library, where a woman sat at a writing desk.
“I feel like I’m stepping back in time,” Jessica said, as she took in all of the books.
At the sound of Jessica’s voice, the woman at the table stood. The Queen looked older in person than she had in the photographs that Jessica had studied before her trip.
“Mother,” Victor said. “I’d like you to meet Jessica Lewis.”
“So, you’re the photographer from California,” the Queen said disdainfully, as if the title was something to be ashamed of.
Jessica lifted her chin. “Yes,” she said, refusing to let the Queen belittle her. “I am.”
Do you have a problem with that? She wanted to add. She bit her tongue, and held back from saying anything rude.
The Queen continued to scowl. “Well, Victor,” she said, looking to her son. “We’ve always said, your brother’s positive ratings make up for your mistakes.”
What’s that supposed to mean? Jessica wondered.
“We’re at 82%. The PR agents want to meet with you. They asked me to send you to the west wing as soon as you arrived. And we need to plan for the trip to Kilu island next month as well. Your father will want to speak to you about that when he returns from hunting, before the celebrations begin.”
“Okay, Mother,” Victor said. “This is Jessica’s first time to our country. Don’t you want to ask her how the trip was?” he prompted.
“No,” the Queen said.
She’s an ice queen, Jessica thought, watching the woman’s frosty expression. This is going to be harder than I thought.
“Mother!” Victor said, exasperated.
“It’s okay,” Jessica said, giving his arm a slight tug. She wanted to get out of the library. “It’s been a long day,” she added, as politely as she could. “I think I’d like to go lie down anyways. Before the party starts.”
The Queen continued to look down her nose. “Dinner starts at seven,” she said. “Cocktail hour begins at five.”
The old woman returned to her seat, and Jessica and Victor turned towards the door.
“Oh, Victor?” The Queen said.
Jessica paused and Victor turned.
“Chelsea will be here at four thirty with her people. She’s traveling to Kilu Island with us, because of her work with the schools there.”
“Great,” Victor said, his cheeks flushing. “Thank you.”
“You are welcome,” the Queen said, her Danish accent thick. She added something else in Danish, and Jessica watched Victor’s cheeks flush to a deeper shade of pink .
“What did she say?” Jessica asked, as they finally stepped out of the library and closed the doors behind them.
“She said, ‘you’re brother isn’t going to be happy’.” Victor said with a laugh. “As if that was news to me.”
“Why do you want to upset your brother?” Jess asked. She didn’t like the feeling of being used as a way for Victor to press her brother’s buttons.
“I just like to stir him up a bit,” Victor said. “You know… how you Americans say it… Ruffle his feathers. My brother likes to have his feathers just so.”
“And you don’t?” Jessica asked.
“I don’t need for things to look perfect, from the outside in, no,” Victor said.
They reached a wide central staircase, and Victor leapt up the first two steps.
He turned to face Jessica. “I care more about how it feels, inside.” He placed his hand on his chest.
Jessica smiled.
Victor stepped lightly down the two stairs he’d just climbed, so that he was in front of Jessica. He scooped her up into his arms, and she couldn’t help but squeal playfully and laugh as he lifted her up and placed her over his shoulder, as if he were a fireman. He patted her ass as he turned.
“Here,” he said. “I’ll give you a lift. I know how tired you are.”
Jessica was glad that Victor had brought some levity into the conversation. I don’t need to let this overwhelm me, she thought as Victor climbed the stairs. It’s still us—me and Vic. We’re together. That’s what matters.
She laughed as Victor placed her down at the top of the stairs.
“Whew,” he said, wiping his hand across his brow and pretending to breathe hard. “I think I deserve some sort of a reward for that.”
Jessica stood on her tip toes, and kissed him, quickly, on the lips.
“There,” she said, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips playfully.
“Oh, no, no, no!” Victor said. “Much more than that.” He stepped forward and leaned down. He kissed Jessica in earnest.
As he kissed her, Jessica felt all of her concerns slip away. Her chest started to feel lighter, and she felt her stomach flutter with joy.
This is all that matters, she thought, this feeling, right here.
When he pulled away, she felt dizzy with desire.
Victor reached for her hand again. He began leading her down the expansive, long hallway, lined with doorways.
They had almost reached the end of the hallway when Victor paused in front of a door. He pushed it open.
“Here it is,” he said, stepping in.
Jessica followed him. When they were inside, she barely glanced around the luxurious guest room before wrapping her arms around Victor’s neck.
“I’m not very tired,” she said. “All of a sudden, I have a burst of energy.”
“That just won’t do,” Victor said, grinning. “You’re supposed to take a nap so that you can be refreshed for the party.” He slipped out of her grasp and walked to the door.
Jessica shook her head. “There’s no way I could fall asleep right now, in the state I’m in.”
“What state is that?” Victor asked. He leaned against the doorframe.
Turned on, thought Jessica, eyeing Victor. He was more dressed up than usual, in a crisp blue button up shirt, and khakis instead of jeans. He’d cut his hair, and shaved his beard. His biceps bulged as he leaned against the door frame.
Jessica walked up to him and placed her hands on his collar. “I’m all wound up,” she said. She found the top button with her fingers and slipped it through the hole.
“Traveling does that to me,” she said. “It’s stressful, don’t you think?” She unbuttoned his second button.
“Yes,” Victor said. He stepped inside the door, and closed it behind him. “It is,” he said.
He placed his hands on Jessica’s hips. His touch felt warm against her skin. She wore leggings and a loose fitting top, and he slipped his hands beneath the top and stroked his thumbs against her abdomen. Then he pulled her close and kissed her.
Jessica closed her eyes. Her fingers stopped working on his buttons. She lost herself in Victor’s kiss.
When he pulled away, she caught her breath. She felt off balance, and she leaned into Victor breathlessly. He held her upright.
He was breathless as well.
Jessica reached for his hand and started pulling him towards the large, four poster bed in the middle of the room. There were fancy, tassel pillows stacked along the top of it, and then set in rows. As they reached the bed, Jessica turned to Victor.
He was close behind her, and he kissed her again. This time his hands moved to her shirt, and he started to pull it up. They broke apart just long enough for Jessica to raise her hands above her head.
Victor looked at Jessica’s body with awe. “How do you do this to me, Jess?” he asked. “Every time. It never gets old.” He ran his hands along her bra, and then cupped her breasts.
Jessica saw that his khakis were tented with his erection.
“Every time I see you,” he said, “it feels as good as the first time I laid eyes on you, in the cathedral.”
Jessica smiled, thinking of that moment. She closed her eyes. She felt her hair slip down, in front of her face.She let it lie there,
Then she felt Victor’s touch, as he pushed the hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered behind her ear, and then traveled down the side of her neck. Jessica turned her head to the side, delighting in his light, feather-like touch. She shivered as his fingers slipped underneath her bra strap. She felt him pull the strap down, off of her shoulder.
Then, his lips moved to her ear. He kissed her earlobe playfully, gently. His kisses traveled to her neck, and then her shoulder.
His hands moved to her back, and she felt her bra come undone. The fabric, which had been slightly binding, released, making her feel free. She heard her bra fall to the floor.
She felt Victor’s hands move to her hips. He gripped her and picked her up, and gently placed her on the bed. Jessica felt the firm mattress beneath her, and the cushioning of a fluffy comforter beneath her back. She unbuttoned her pants and shimmied out of them, as Victor pulled off his shirt.
By the time he pulled down his pants and boxers, and joined her on the bed, he was completely naked.
We talked about our chemistry, Jessica thought, as Victor began touching her lightly, all over her body. Our chemistry with our clothes on is nothing compared to this.
In the expansive bed, with naked Victor next to her, ready and willing to play, Jessica felt like she was in heaven.
If I had to dream of something wonderful, Jessica realized as Victor ran his hands along her lower abdomen, I would think of this.
She raked her fingers through Victor’s hair, letting her fingernails run lightly along his scalp. Victor sighed in appreciation.
“Mmmm” he said. “That feels so good.”
“I know what will feel even better,” Jessica said.
She moved on the bed so that she was on top of him, and then lowered her lips to his stiff penis. As her lips and tongue made contact with his erection, Victor moaned. Jessica liked the sound.
She took him into her mouth, and sucked hard.
His dick was large, and it was difficult to fit him in her mouth. She took him in as far as she could and then started rhythmically moving her lips up and down his shaft, fucking him with her mouth.
His moans became louder.
After several minutes, Jessica was wet with desire.
Without asking Victor, she stopped giving him head. She reached for her purse, which she’d placed at the foot of the bed, and pulled out a condom.
Rolling it over him quickly, she then moved so that she could sit on him. Victor groaned loudly as she lowered herself onto him. Jessica let out a moan of happiness and pleasure as well. His dick felt so good inside of her, that she could barely move.
Finally, as the shockwaves of pleasure subsided, she started rocking as she sat on him. She moved slowly and steadily, at first. Then, as she felt herself becoming more and more excited, her tempo changed. She felt her hips grinding against his, and she began moving as fast and as hard as she could.
Unable to control herself, she let out a scream of pleasure.
“Oh, yes,” Victor said. “Yeah baby, just like that.”
Jessica enjoyed the sound of his voice, but she didn't need his encouragement as she rode him. She couldn't control herself as she bucked and thrust her pelvis against his.
“Oh yeah, Jess. Come baby. I want you to come.”