“I’m glad to hear it.” Theo places his hands on his thighs. “Are there any questions you might have? I know this is all very new to you, and the next month will fly by. I want you to know that we’re open books, so if you need to ask us anything, we’re here for you.”
“Thank you,” Keller says as he rises. He buttons his suit jacket. “I look forward to our conversations about what the future entails.” Ew, God, suck up much, Keller?
“You’ll be working closely with me,” Katla says. “As the person who supports the crown, I believe I can offer you some valuable insight.”
“I look forward to it,” Keller says and lends me his hand. I take it, allowing him to help me to my feet. “I hate to cut this short, but I believe we have another engagement. An interview in the four-season glass patio.”
“Ah, yes, you do.” Theo rises and leans in to hug me.
We exchange goodbyes, and then with my hand in his, Keller guides me out the door and down the hallway once again.
After we’re a few feet away, I ask, “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” he answers curtly.
“You don’t sound okay. You actually seem quite tense. Would that be because you can’t play with my nipple piercings anymore?”
He stops and takes a deep breath before addressing me. “Lilly, what have I said about that mouth of yours?”
“To use it to swallow your cock?” I smile up at him, but I’m greeted with a furious set of eyebrows.
Huh, not in the joking mood.
Gripping my hand tightly, he diverts me to a room off the hallway and shuts the door behind us, only to pin me against it. With his voice so quiet, I almost can’t hear him, he says, “These next four weeks are going to be hell, so I suggest you don’t press my buttons by mouthing off. Got it?”
I know what other women would be thinking. “How dare you let him talk to you like that?” But the thing is, I like it. I like when he turns into a moody, commanding bastard. I like the way it feels when he tries to control me, and I enjoy testing him, seeing how far I can push him past his irritated point.
“Uh-huh,” I answer while my eyes fall to his lips. “But why were you so willing to just give me up back there?” I ask, my hands lifting to his chest to play with his exposed skin from the top few buttons undone on his dress shirt. “You acted as if not having sex with me will just be some easy task to check off your to-do list.”
“What did you want me to do? Hump your leg in front of everyone and beg them to reconsider?”
“I would have at least felt cherished with that.” I glide my finger along his heated skin.
His hand cups my cheek, and he lowers his face close to mine. His irritation fades as he intimately says, “You know I cherish you. You’re my everything, Lilly. But it’s important for me to respect Theo and Katla’s wishes, and if that means keeping my hands off you, then so be it.”
“But . . . aren’t you going to miss me?” I ask.
“What the hell do you think?” He sucks in a sharp breath as his nose runs along my jaw, sending a wave of chills down my arms and legs.
“I want to say yes you’ll miss me.” His nose moves up my cheek, his lips trailing. “That you’ll miss my mouth, my kisses . . . my cunt, but now I’m questioning everything.”
“Lilly, stop,” he says, his voice so dark that it turns me on even more. His hand slides up my side, right below my breast. “Don’t make it harder than it has to be.”
“Are you hard now?” I ask, bringing my hand to the front of his pants where I can feel how stiff he is just by being this close to me.
“Don’t.” He hisses as he takes deep breaths. “Don’t tease me. You know I won’t disobey Theo.”
“Just tell me what you’ll miss the most.”
His eyes connect with mine as he says, “Being inside you. Nothing is more real, and nothing beats the feeling.”
I lean my head against the door and groan. “This isn’t fair.”
“It’s not, and you must know I want nothing more than to put all of this—the planning, the interviews, the classes—aside and just be married to you. If we could elope, I would. But that can’t happen because you’re the future of Torskethorpe, and the people of this country want to celebrate that.”
“I know. But from that meeting alone, I can already tell this is going to be stressful, demanding. And these classes? Do you really think we need them?”
He shakes his head. “No. I don’t, but once again, it’s something that Theo and Katla would appreciate we take part in.”
