Chapter 16

Ash

God, everything is so perfect.

Naked. Sweaty.

Drew’s strong, muscular arms wrapped around my body as we nestle together. Like two puzzle pieces that make the perfect fit. There’s seriously no other place I want to be but here with him.

I reach up and kiss him on the lips, then I smile and wrinkle my nose, which always makes him smile that big, handsome grin. It’s enough to make me want to grab him and fuck him all over again.

Suddenly, I sit up.

“Let’s go again,” I announce hungrily.

He laughs and pulls me back down to him.

“My naughty little princess, you’re deranged!” He nuzzles his face into my hair as I giggle. “We haven’t even caught our breaths yet.”

I sit up again and start mounting him. I know he’s right—I’m way too exhausted to go another round right this second—but part of me can’t help feeling like I want to keep the fantasy going.

Everything is so perfect with King Andrew. But when we’re not having sex, I slowly start to realize the bleak reality of the situation—King Fungus.

As perfect and magical as everything currently is with Drew, I can’t ignore the fact that I’m still engaged to Fergus, and right now he’s back at the palace probably looking for us.

God, what is he going to do to me?

It’s moments like this where I wish I had short-term amnesia that would allow me to forget everything about Fergus.

In a perfect world, I could marry Drew and we could live happily ever after without any conflict attached to it. If I decide not to marry Fergus, it might complicate the alliance between the countries.

As royalty, I can’t just make decisions based solely on emotions. In fact, most of it is purely political, which is complete bullshit.

What good is politics if my life gets ruined in the process?

If I have to spend a lifetime with Fergus—a man who would have willfully raped me this evening—I’m not sure if I can fulfill my duties as princess without wanting to hurl myself into the ocean.

Why can’t I just be free to make my own choices? Why can’t I just have sex with Drew on the beach, or in the meadow, or in the orchard, for the rest of my life and never have to think about kingdoms, alliances, or Fergus ever again?

Fuck reality, I just want to keep living in this moment with Drew.

“I want to have sex with you forever.” I run my hands down Drew’s rock-hard chest. I swear, I’m sure I could break a plank of wood on it. “If we stop having sex, I’ll start worrying about everything that’ll happen to us once we return to the palace.”

Drew’s eyes look concerned as he sits up and wraps his arms around me.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” he whispers. “We’ll handle that little weasel, Fergus. I don’t want you to get anxious about it.”

“How can I not be anxious about it?!”

I wiggle out of his grasp and start getting dressed. Drew watches me with lustful eyes, so I stop and purposely leave my dress partially open.

“Listen, don’t worry about that bastard,” Drew says as he sits up. “I think I know how I can handle him.”

“How’s that?” I ask. “You knocked him out! When he wakes up, he’s going to be pissed. What if he retaliates, huh? I know for a fact he’ll have some cruel plan up his sleeve. He’s evil.”

I scoot closer to Drew, who caresses my face with his large hands.

“He’s a son of a bitch, alright,” he says with a grin. “That’s why we have to fool him at his own game.”

“What do you mean?”

“That little prick is clearly up to something,” Drew says as he scratches his beard. “I overheard him and his military advisor friend talking about something that sounds very much like a sinister plot is afoot.”

Honestly, hearing this should surprise me, but it doesn’t. Since I’ve met him, Fergus has been nothing but rude and disparaging to me and my country. I wouldn’t put it past him to have some ulterior motive up his sleeve.

But hearing it confirmed by Drew just solidifies that my suspicions were correct.

And I’m mad as hell.

“What exactly did he say?”

“Something about pretending to like your country and promising a deal to his advisor,” he says. “I didn’t catch the entire conversation, but it’s obvious that he’s planning something that might end up hurting you and your country.”

Drew reaches up and starts wiping away tears from my face, which completely takes me by surprise because I didn’t realize I was crying.

Taken aback, I wave his hand away to wipe away my own tears. I feel embarrassed for some reason.

“That fucking asshole,” I say. “What are we going to do? We have to stop him!”

Drew looks out into the sunset, and the wind blows through his perfect hair. He looks like a statue or a painting. He’s so beautiful; he almost looks as if he belongs in a museum.

“I think I have a plan,” he says slowly. “But it might require you to do something you might not like.”

I snort. “Like what? Have sex with Fergus?”

“Oh god, absolutely not!” Drew looks like he’s going to throw up. “Over my dead body. I’ll never let that little weasel touch you again.”

Seeing him all riled up gets me feeling a little horny. He’s so hot when he’s like this.

“But I’m engaged to him,” I tease him, “so I might have to at least blow him a couple of times.”

Drew’s face contorts like he just ate a lemon. “I’ll kill him,” he says in a low voice. “I’ll destroy him if he even thinks of doing anything with you.”

A mischievous grin slowly spreads across my face as Drew realizes I’m messing with him.

“Cut that out,” he says, now grinning. “You know how I get when you say things like that. It just...makes my blood boil.”

“I know,” I purr. “And it’s hot. I love it when you fight for my honor.”

Drew reaches over to me and looks me in the eyes. His eyes are so piercing, I feel like I’m going to fall into him.

“Well, you’re worth fighting for.”

He grabs my hand and kisses it, like a loyal knight to his queen. I feel like the ground has disappeared beneath me and I’m floating...

And then I remember Fergus again.

Ugh, I wish I could just erase that little wort right out of my life and start all over again with Drew.

“We have to get rid of Fergus,” I say. “We can’t keep going on like this. We need a plan.”

Drew nods his head in agreement. “I told you, I have a plan, but you might not like it.”

“Why?” I brace myself.

Hopefully it’s nothing too disgusting. But knowing Drew, I don’t think he’ll intentionally put me in any harmful situations.

“Fergus is up to something, but I don’t know what.” Drew looks down at his hands, his perfect hair drooping into his eyes. “I need to find out what his plan is because, whatever it is, it could be dire for all of us.”

“Okay, okay,” I say. “But how do we find out what his plan is?”

“Well...” Drew stretches his arms behind his head as he leans back down. “That’s where you come in.”

“Oh, no.” I’m dreading this already. “Don’t tell me.”

“I know it’s going to be painful, but I need you to pretend you still want to marry Fergus.”

“No!” I stand up in a fury. “Absolutely not! You punched him in the face. How am I supposed to just waltz back to him and pretend like nothing happened?”

Drew stands up with me, and I realize he’s still naked. My eyes drop quickly to his cock, which knocks gently against my thighs.

How badly I just want him to take me again. And again.

“I know it looks bad,” he says, looking into my eyes, “but I’ll apologize to him and try to smooth things over.”

“And you think that’ll work?” I feel skeptical.

Evil Fergus accepting an olive branch from his arch nemesis? The same arch nemesis that just socked him in the face? I’m not feeling optimistic about it.

“It’ll have to work,” Drew says as he rubs my shoulders. “I just need more time to figure out how to take him down.”

He looks deep into my eyes, and I feel my entire body convulse.

“Are you in?”

I look out to the sea, feeling the air as it blows through my hair, and turn back to him.

I want all of this. And if I want it all, then I have to play this game a little longer.

“I’m in.”