“Yes, but—”
“But nothing,” he chokes out, his voice growing gravelly. I realize that maybe he isn’t just playing the demanding role of my boyfriend, of my lover, ofmy King, but he’s truly worried. His hand cups my cheek softly. “I can’t... I can’t have anything happen to you, Lilly. It’ll fucking destroy me. Tomorrow, everything changes. Everything. And I need you to know that you’ll be safe, that you’ll make safe choices because when you step foot in Strombly, I won’t be able to protect you from everything, and that terrifies me.”
“Keller,” I whisper. “I—I wasn’t trying to make you feel this way. I had everything under control.”
“That was obvious,” he says. “But moving forward, Lilly, please, please promise me you’ll make smart choices. Promise me you’ll protect yourself because you’re protecting what matters most to me.” He wets his lips. “I already lost my parents. I can’t lose you as well.”
My heart hammers as I try to free my arms. “Untie me, Keller. Now.”
He does as I say, and when I’m free, I push him back on the headboard so he’s leaning against it. I straddle his lap, placing my hands on his shoulders.
“You’re not going to lose me,” I say, pressing my thumb under his chin so he has to look at me. “I’m yours. I’m here to stay. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“You never know for certain.” He wets his lips as his hands fall to my waist. They shake ever so slightly, and I can feel just how terrified he is. “We don’t know how people will accept you. They might be so angry that you’re not from Torskethorpe that they try something stupid, and if I’m not there to protect you and something happens...”
“Stop. You can’t think that way. I have Brimar and Lara and whoever else joins the team, people you trust and know will protect me when you’re not around.”
He nods but still looks terrified. So, I do the only thing I know to do. I lift up and move his once-again hard cock to my entrance and slowly lower myself. We both suck in a sharp breath once I’m fully seated.
“You feel that?” I ask him. “You feel that connection?”
He nods, his hands helping me rock over him.
“That connection is unbreakable, Keller. Nothing is going to get between us, and nothing is going to hurt us. It’s you and me, together in this world.” I connect our foreheads as my rocking starts to pick up, my orgasm building.
“Lilly.” His voice is distraught. When I look him in the eyes, he says, “I... fuck, I shouldn’t say this, not like this, but I need you to know... I need you to understand how much I care for you.”
My heart hammers, pounding so hard my pulse feels like fire in my veins.
“Say it.”
He wets his lips again and looks me in the eyes. “I... I love you, Lilly.”
His cock hits me in all the right places, and even though the words are on the tip of my tongue, I can’t voice them as my orgasm tears through me, shooting through my limbs and causing me to feel weightless as I come all over his cock.
To my surprise, he flips me to my back and pounds into me a few more times before he stills and groans as he comes as well.
When our eyes connect, we both attempt to catch our breath. He tries to maneuver out of me, but I clamp my legs around him, holding him in place. With my hand on the back of his head, I bring him close to my mouth and say, “I love you, Keller, so much.”
“You do?” he asks, insecurity clear in his expression.
“Yes, I do. You make me feel truly whole.”
“Love...” he says softly. “Fuck.” He presses his forehead to mine and then kisses me softly.
We spend the next few minutes cleaning up and getting ready for bed. Once we’re done, we fall back into his bed, my back to his chest as he spoons me from behind, his large, warm body offering me all the comfort I need in this world.
He gave me his heart.
“I need you to understand how much I care for you. I... I love you, Lilly.”
It’s been years since anyone’s said that to me. Years since I heard my parents’ voices telling me they loved me.Years since I felt this safe. This loved.
* * *
Timmy:Is today the big day?
Lilly:Driving to the palace now.
