I lay over her, feeling her hard nipples brush against my skin, staring into her beautiful eyes. I need to show her how much she means to me because if today was any indication of how unwelcoming my family is going to be, she’s going to need to know I’m never letting anything get in between us again. “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes, so you would know how absolutely perfect you are. You're everything I've been looking for in a woman.” I give her a long kiss on her mouth. “Nothing will ever make me stop loving you, Addie.”

Tears fill her eyes. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

She reaches her hand up behind my neck and pulls me closer, then we kiss like there's no tomorrow. My cock throbs with need as she wraps her legs around my waist. I'm snug up to her ripe pussy now, and she's warm and slick against me. She bucks her hips, her body begging me to find my way inside her tight, little sex. I reach down and line my cock up to her, rubbing myself along the inside of her lips, wetting myself and watching her face as she closes her eyes and moans. That little sound has my cock twitching with excitement. Her hands run down my back and she pulls me to her even closer than we already were. I move my hand out of the way and glide into her wet, tight pussy, stretching her with every inch I give her. She winces a little and I stop for a second. Even though we’ve made love so many times in the last month, I’m still too big for her. “Are you all right?”

Nodding, she says, “Yes. I want you to give it to me. All of you.”

Those words make me wild. I want to slam myself into her, but I hold back and take it slow, nuzzling her neck and kissing my way up to her mouth as I make one final thrust. Her eyes fly open and she gasps. “Oh, fuck,” she cries out.

I stop and wait for her to relax, kissing her long and deep, until I feel her body start moving under me. Her hips move in slow drags until I start up again, sliding in and out as carefully as I can. “You feel so good. You’re so soft and wet for me.”

The look that she gives me now says, 'fuck me’ and I do. Her hands are on my ass, nudging me to thrust harder now. I pump myself into her over and over, feeling her pussy throbbing and soaking me, listening to her pant in my ear. Her hot breath against my skin. It's the most perfect moment of my life, taking her like this, in front of the fire. “You’re mine and I’ll do whatever I have to so I can keep you forever.”

We move like this together for a long time, much longer than I thought I'd last tonight, until I can feel her starting to get ready to come. She closes her eyes tight and lifts her hips so I'm in even deeper now. My balls slam against her sweet, luscious ass as I feel her tense around my cock. It's too much for me to stop, I pump myself into her with two hard thrusts and let go, spilling my seed into her. She tucks her head into my neck as we come together, pulsing and moaning and kissing and holding each other until I've given her every last drop I had.

When it's over, I gaze down at her flushed skin, falling even more in love with her beautiful face. She smiles up at me and we kiss some more as we recover.

I sigh happily. “We’re going to be all right, Addie. You will be my bride soon and no one will ever tear us apart, I promise.”

She’s smiling but behind that smile is fear and it breaks my heart. She’s been let down so horribly in her life but she won’t be by me.

I kiss her again. “I promise you this is forever. I know it’s hard for you to trust, but I’ll be by your side forever, no matter what. I’d give up my throne for you. I’d give up my riches for you. I’d give up my life for you.”

***

“Oh, Henry, there you are. I trust you slept well in your own bed,” My father says, looking up from his newspaper with a raised eyebrow that says he knows where I really spent the night.

I left Addison sleeping in her room, having written a note in case she wakes, for her to relax in bed until I return with breakfast. Then I went straight to my father’s office.

“Yes, Father. We need to talk.”

“Certainly. Have a seat.” He sits back in his chair.

I remain standing to show I am not going to be told what to do, even if it’s something so simple. “Whatever you and Mother have planned to do to chase Addison off, you can just forget it. I’m going to marry her and there is nothing you can do about it.”

“What are you talking about? We don’t have anything planned.”

Folding my arms across my chest, I say, “No? Like seating me next to Bianca last night? Or Mother refusing to speak to Addison?”

He shrugs. “Talk to your mother about that. You know I don’t have anything to do with seating arrangements and I certainly can’t control how she greets people.”

“Believe me I will. But I wanted to make it very clear to you that if you or Mother do anything else to show Addison she’s unwelcome, we will leave immediately and not return.”

“Henry, stop being so dramatic. You almost sound like you’re willing to give up your future for this girl.”

“That’s because I will.”

The door to my father’s office opens and my mother walks in, stopping for a second when she sees me. Then she puts on a serene smile and crosses the room. “Henry, darling. You’re up early. I thought you’d be suffering from jet lag and we wouldn’t see you until close to lunch today.” She reaches up on her tippy toes and kisses me on the cheek. “Where’s your little friend today? Still sleeping?”

“Cut the crap, Mother.”

Gasping, she puts one hand on her chest. “Henry! How dare you speak to me that way.”

“I’m putting you on notice, Mother. I know what you’re trying to do and it won’t work. If you try to interfere, I promise you I will leave Tanovia, marry her in the U.S., and make a life for us there.”

“That’s ridiculous. You can’t mean that!”

“I can and I do. Addison is perfect for me. She’s smart and she cares about people and she loves me for who I am, not my bank account.”

“Nonsense. She’s a gold digger. Anyone with two eyes could see that immediately,” my mother says.

“She is not. She’s studying to be a civil rights lawyer, and she’ll be a damn fine one at that. And she’s been a very good influence on me, actually. For the first time, I’ve made the dean’s list this semester, instead of skating by.” My tone is firm. “And you owe it to me to give her a chance.”

“We don’t owe you anything,” my father says calmly. “You are our son. We’ve given you everything you’ve ever wanted since you were born and it’s time you repay us.”

“And how exactly shall I do that?”

“By breaking it off with this silly American and announcing your engagement to Bianca.”

I shake my head. “Never. I’ve made my choice. You can either accept her or accept the fact that you will lose me.”

“I can’t believe you’re serious,” my mother says, pretending to tear up. “After everything we’ve done for you,” she sobs into her hands. “I endured twenty-nine hours of hard labor to bring you into the world. Twenty-nine. ‘Take some drugs to ease the pain,’ the doctor said, but I refused. ‘I won’t do anything to hurt my child,’ I told him. And now, you just turn on us like this.”

“I’m sorry if you think me ungrateful, but I won’t marry someone I don’t love just because you refused an epidural twenty-six years ago!”