Troop movements and supplies. Tactical advantages and numerical superiority. That was my entire morning, one war issue after another, over and over again.

It was important work. I couldn’t deny that. It held the fate of my country. Everything I did could sway things one way or the other.

But I was just one man, and as soon as I got that text from Bryce, I knew what I wanted to do with my break.

And so I found myself striding through the halls, smirking to myself. There was nothing I wanted more than to take a break by seeing Bryce, the only person in the entire country who made me feel anything anymore.

Few people understood the stresses of being king. Few people could possibly understand the toll that sort of constant pressure could take on a person. I needed an out, a release. I needed something to take my mind off the horrors that were happening in my country, at least for a few minutes.

And Bryce was perfect. She wasn’t just a distraction; she was a welcome distraction. She made me feel something other than stress, and that was what I needed.

Although what that feeling meant was maybe a little more complicated than I wanted to admit. At first I thought I simply wanted to possess her. I thought she was just some gorgeous, fiery, and exciting foreigner I wanted to make mine. But as I got to know her, I realized she was much more than that. She was more than I could have ever imagined.

I knocked on her door. She answered quickly.

“Hi, Trip,” she said.

“Bryce.” I grinned at her. She was wearing a cute, short dress that made her eyes look gorgeous. “Ready?”

“Sure.” She stepped into the hallway. Our security detail moved back to a respectful distance. “Where are we going?”

“I want to show you the last interesting part of the castle.”

“I thought I got the full tour already.”

“Not quite.”

We strode through the hallways and took a short turn. Ahead was a doorway. I pulled it open and we stood in front of an old stone spiral staircase.

She frowned. “Looks like a tight fit,” she said, stepping up onto the steps.

“Yes, it does,” I replied, looking at her perfect ass. “But I think I’ll fit into it sooner or later.”

She turned and frowned at me. “What?”

“I was just admiring your fucking perfect ass. That’s what you were talking about, right?”

“I meant the staircase. Very funny. Do men in your country joke about that sort of thing?”

“I don’t joke about wanting your ass. I don’t joke about it at all.”

She shook her head and began climbing the stairs. I grinned and followed her, twisting up and up.

“It was built like this on purpose,” I said to her. “Back in the day, it made it so it was hard to swing a sword in these tight spaces. Defenders would have shorter swords and they’d have the advantage of height. Plus, attackers wouldn’t know who was coming or how many there were.”

“Interesting,” Bryce said. “I thought they just didn’t know how to build staircases.”

I laughed. “No. They built them very, very well.” We climbed and climbed until finally Bryce pushed open a small wooden door.

And the outside air came rushing in.

“Whoa,” Bryce said. “Are we on the roof?” Ahead of us, a relatively wide stone walkway stretched out toward the other wall.

“Something like that,” I said. Al and the security detail stepped up to the top. “Al, stay here. Do not open this door unless you hear me command. Understood?”

“Your Highness—” he started, but I stopped him.

“I’ve had a rough morning, Al. Stay here.”

He nodded. “Very well.”

I stepped outside next to Bryce and shut the door.

“Alone at last,” she joked.

“Entirely,” I agreed. “Nobody can see up here.”

“Where is this exactly?”

“These are the battlements. Come here.” I walked farther ahead to where there was a break in the wall.

Bryce stood up next to me. “Holy shit,” she said.

Spread out around us was the city of Stehen. It was a beautiful view from the very top of the castle. The city was absolutely gorgeous from the battlements.

“Very few people see this anymore,” I said. “Defenders used to stay up here all day and all night. Now just a few people get to come up.”

“I’m honored,” she said. “This is so beautiful.”

“Come on. There’s something cool over here.”

She followed me down the battlements toward the center of the wall. There was another break in the stone, but this time in the center of the stone was a statue.

Bryce laughed. “A gargoyle?”

“That’s right,” I said, nodding. “We invented the gargoyle. It was meant to scare attackers. I guess they were superstitious.”

The wall was at least five feet wide, and the gargoyle stood in the center of the wall.

She leaned forward, trying to look over the edge. “Thanks for bringing me up here,” she said. “Honestly. This is amazing.”

“I’m just happy the weather is nice. It’s usually raining this time of year. But apparently you make Stehen more beautiful.”

She looked back at me, smiling. “What a bad line.”

“I’m the king. I order you to be flattered.”

She turned to face me, her palms on the stone. “I’m flattered then.”

I stepped closer to her, my heart beating fast. I took her hips and lifted her up until she was sitting on the wall with her back to the gargoyle. She bit her lip as I pressed my lips against her ear.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “You’re nowhere near the edge. The gargoyle here will keep you safe.”

“What about you? Will you keep me safe?”

“Always,” I said. “Until I decide you need a little danger, and then I’ll give you exactly what you need.”

I kissed her hard and she didn’t resist. Her lips were soft and delicious as our tongues touched and I wrapped my fingers through her hair. She spread her legs open and I pushed myself against her, feeling her heat against my stomach.

I kissed her hard, knowing that this was exactly what I’d been needing for too damn long. There was nobody to interrupt us and only the whole city of Stehen spread out before us, though nobody down below could see up at us.

She tipped her head back and steadied herself with her hands, her back against the gargoyle, as I kissed her neck. My hands roamed slowly up her thighs until I found her soaking pussy, her panties drenched through already.

“So fucking wet,” I said. “I knew you’d be dripping, you dirty fucking girl.”

“Only for you,” she said.

I began to rub her clit, working her in soft circles over her wet panties as I kissed her. She moaned into my mouth, and my cock was hard as hell, straining against my pants.

I needed her. I’d waited so damn long, and I wasn’t waiting another second. I grabbed her hips and tipped them forward to pull her dress up. She gasped as I pulled her panties off, sliding them down her skin. She bit her lip as I tossed them off the edge of the wall.

“Trip!” she gasped.

“Whoops,” I said.

“I needed those.”

I spread her legs wide and slowly rubbed her clit with my fingers. “No, you didn’t.”

“Shit,” she gasped. “You can’t throw my panties off the castle.”

“I can and I did. Any complaints?” I pressed my fingers deep inside her soaking wet pussy.

“Oh, you asshole,” she moaned, but it was far too late for that. I began to fuck her pussy with my fingers, kissing her mouth and working her.

She moaned into my lips as I worked her pussy, fucking her and then rubbing her clit. I spread her legs wider, pushing her back against the gargoyle. She groaned as I kissed her neck, working her pussy, fucking her deep with my fingers.

“I need to fucking taste you,” I said. “Fuck, Bryce.”

“Right here?” she gasped.

I didn’t wait. I pulled back and spread her legs wide, pressing my lips against her soaking clit.

I began to suck and lick her, loving every second of it. Bryce tasted fucking incredible, and I loved the way she reacted to me. Her hands instantly pressed into my hair, gripping hard as I sucked that clit, working her with my tongue.

“Oh my god, Trip,” she moaned. “Oh my god. Maybe this is dangerous.”

“It’s dangerous,” I said, “but not for the reason you think.” I pressed my fingers deep inside her, grinning.

“Oh god,” she moaned, her eyes locking onto mine.

I went back to work, my tongue rolling expertly along her clit as my fingers pressed inside her. I wanted her so badly, wanted to make her body feel things she’d never felt before. I worked that clit, loving the taste, not afraid to lick every inch of her.

I pulled my fingers out and rolled my tongue down along her full length. I licked every inch, low to high, loving her taste and the way she reacted to me. She was trying not to moan too loudly, but she clearly couldn’t help herself.

It didn’t matter. Any noises she made would be lost in the wind. We were so high up, high above the greatest city in the world, high above my city. Everything beneath us was mine, but the only thing I really wanted was Bryce’s dripping wet pussy.

I sucked her clit, licking her juices, loving her taste. She began to work her hips, her moans coming faster, closer. I could tell she was getting close, so I pressed my fingers back deep inside her, fucking her pussy.

She began to rock her hips, pressing my face hard against her wet clit. “Trip, fuck,” she said. “Oh shit, Trip. I’m so close. Holy shit, I’m close.”

I didn’t ease up one bit. I wanted this, wanted it so badly. I wanted to make her feel as good as she’d been making me feel. I wanted to make her come high above the city, her body on top of thousands of years of history.

I continued to work her, relentless, merciless. My fingers pressed deep inside her, my tongue and lips worked her clit, and she continued to roll her hips.

And then her body began to stiffen as she came. Her legs twitched and she moved, but I held her ass in my hands and pushed her against me as I licked her. I didn’t relent as she said my name, over and over, the orgasm rolling through her like madness.

And slowly she finished. I loved that she came on my mouth, loved her taste, loved everything about her.

“Shit, Trip,” she said. “I can barely think.”

“Good,” I said, grinning at her. I kissed her lips gently. “Nothing gets me harder than getting you off.”

Just as I kissed her again, I heard a noise. She pulled her dress down as Al appeared at the doorway, frowning.

“Your Highness,” he called, “I’m sorry, but there has been a serious development.”

“What now?” I called back.

“We have to go. It’s urgent.”

I frowned and then helped Bryce down off the wall. She was blushing like mad and breathing deeply.

“Very well. Go ahead and clear the way. We’ll drop Bryce off first.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

We walked slowly back toward the staircase, Bryce breathing deeply. “They have great timing,” she said.

“That’s what happens when you’re a king,” I said. “Events don’t wait for you.”

She laughed as we wound back down the staircase. “I guess not.”

“Even when you want them to.”

As we walked back toward her room, I found myself holding her hand and wishing that we didn’t have to part. I knew that whatever had happened must be bad, otherwise Al would never interrupt like that. Still, it was strange. I got one taste of her delicious pussy and now I was holding her hand.

We finally got back to her room. Al and the others hung back at the end of the hall, waiting.

“Thanks for the, uh, for the tour,” she said.

“You mean, ‘Thanks for the orgasm, Your Majesty,’ right?” I said, grinning.

She blushed again. “Something like that.”

“Good.” I tipped her chin toward me. “You’re very welcome.” I kissed her softly on the lips. “I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.”

I turned and strode quickly back toward Al and the others.

I didn’t know what was waiting for me at the situation room, but it didn’t matter. I had the taste I needed, and although it left me wanting more and more, it helped. I knew I’d have another taste sooner rather than later, and that thought drove me wild with anticipation.

I was going to have her. I was going to make Bryce mine.