Bellamy ismywife. And I protect what’s mine.
All through dinner, I engage in conversation with the Swiss president and the king of England, discussing matters of state and art and whatever bullshit they want to chat about. I can’t stop myself from throwing Bellamy glances as she talks politely with the Swiss president’s wife, whom I know to be gracious and kind like her husband.
At one point the woman who exposed Bellamy comes walking our way, her hand touching my shoulder. “Your Majesty,” she purrs.
Bellamy turns and gives the woman a wiggly finger wave, her large engagement ring and diamond wedding band sparkling as she does. The woman scowls, her eyes narrowing before she huffs and struts off. I can’t help my laugh and lean in to kiss Bellamy’s lips.
“I forgot how deliciously tenacious you can be,” I murmur against her.
“Now you remember never to cross me.”
“Never.”
As the evening finally draws to a close, I escort her through the grand ballroom, saying goodnight to everyone who dares to look at us with derision in their eyes.
“Well, we made it through,” Bellamy sighs once we hit the limo. Althea sits silently beside Bellamy, her fingers knotted in her lap.
“Relax, Aunt. We were going to tell the world next week anyway.”
She blusters out a breath. “Sebastian, it simply breaks my heart that you’ve had to face so many trials in your young life and it breaks it all over again that Bellamy has to do the same.”
“Or maybe if we hadn’t undergone all these trials on our own, we never would have been able to come together.”
“Are you ever not looking on the bright side of things?” Althea asks Bellamy, only the question makes the three of us laugh since we already know the answer is a resounding no.
The car brings us to the hotel through a backway and the ride up in the elevator is quiet and heavy. Tonight felt like one of the longest nights of my life and though we knew some of this was coming, I hate that Bellamy had to face it on our first official dinner.
The door clicks shut behind us, and we find ourselves alone at last. I can sense the tension in her shoulders as I turn her to face me. “Are you all right?”
She shrugs. “I am what I am. Tonight sucked. But I didn’t let them win. I just hate that I care what they all think of me. It’s not so much for me as it is for you and the children.”
“You brought sunshine back into our endlessly cloudy days. And while I appreciate the reason that you care, those people are sad and lost to their own self-absorption. They live and breathe to put others down because it makes them feel less miserable. Trust me, I’ve dealt with their kind my entire life.”
She nods, her eyes burning with a fierce and unshakable passion.
“I know all of that. I do. At least my head knows it. My heart just has to catch up.”
I lean in and kiss her because I don’t know what else to do to reassure her.
“I need you,” she whispers, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to steady it. “I need you so badly.”
“God, Bellamy,” I cup her jaw in my hand, my lips layered with hers. “I need you too.” I pull her tighter against me until our lips meet once again in a fiery and urgent kiss, our bodies melding together as one. I dip and slide my arms under her assand lift her off the floor. The sensation of our bodies pressed together as I remove one of her high-heeled shoes and then the other makes my heart beat faster.
Stepping a few paces toward the French doors that lead to the balcony, I set her down, her body sliding along the length of mine. I had this thought earlier and it’s something I can’t resist now. My fingers loop into the thin straps on her shoulders and I let them fall down her arms one at a time. My mouth meets the bony structure of her collarbone, placing open-mouthed kisses along her soft, sweet skin.
She tastes like heaven. Like sin. Like lust and desire. Likemine.
The dress falls to her waist where it catches on her hips. I give it a small tug and it cascades to the floor in a silky green pool. My breath catches and I take my time, letting my eyes roam over every inch of her as if I’m memorizing a map of her body for safekeeping.
“So fucking beautiful,” I murmur as I slowly undress myself while continuing to take in every piece of her bare flesh. My mouth dips down, licking her nipple before sucking it into my mouth. She moans, arching into me, but she has to know. Lowering myself to my knees, I stare reverently up at her, my hands cupping the bump growing our children. “I don’t care what they say. You are mine. I love you and I love them.” I lean in and press a kiss to the firm bump before I look back up at her. “If you want me to make a statement, I will. If you want to make a statement, I will stand by your side as you do. I made you my queen, and I know that’s not an easy thing to be. But baby, I’ll do anything to make you happy.”
Especially when I can’t help but feel I’ve continually failed her. First with Samil, then with her father’s fall, and now this. It’s been one thing after another since I brought her into my life, and with that, doubt and dread creep in.
Her hands run through my hair, her expression light and open. “You always make me happy. Even when you’re a growly beast, I can’t get enough of you. I see the worry in your eyes and I’m not sure what to say about it other than it’s life and shit happens. For now, we’ll see how it plays out and go from there.”
“Ever the wise queen.”
I press my lips to her belly again and then lower, kissing her bare mound. Her breath hitches as I take a deep inhale. Her scent and the way she feels between my lips send a surge of pleasure through me. With a deep breath, I stand and wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her to me until her full tits squish against me.
