Chapter Twenty-Eight
Margot
After making sure that I’m okay, Stellan kisses me with so much passion that it leaves me shaking. I want more, so I kiss him again.
We quickly devolve into two creatures born of need. The kissing turns to fucking, the fucking turns to shouting each other’s names as we come. And then we do the whole thing again and again, until we are exhausted.
Stellan is splayed out on the bed, his eyes closed. I’m lying beside him, my leg thrown over his. I delicately trace the lines of his chest with my fingertips.
Looking up at his face, his dark hair all askew, his five o’clock shadow becoming more pronounced, I sigh silently. He is so damned beautiful, with a strength of character that drives me to distraction.
In the early evening light, shadows cling to his face in a way that I think is perfect. If I don’t get a picture of this moment, I’ll regret it. I want to suspend us in this moment in time, so that I can always return back to it.
Even after he’s gone. Even after I don’t have any right to touch him.
“Are you awake?” I whisper.
Stellan opens his eyes a crack. When he speaks, it’s a gravelly purr. “Sort of.”
“I want to get my camera and take some photos of you. The light is just perfect.”
He closes his eyes again and raises his fingers to press the bridge of his nose for a moment. “Photographs for your article?”
“No. Just… photos for me. I want to remember this exact moment. I swear to you, I’m the only one that will ever see them.”
His eyes open a slit and focus on me. I get the feeling that he’s trying to decide if I’m being truthful or not. My cheeks heat.
But he just closes his eyes again. “Sure,ja.”
I let out a squeak of excitement, bouncing up to retrieve my Nikon from inside my tote bag. I lie back down, a little farther back this time, and take the lens cap off. After fiddling with the camera setting for a second, I look through the viewfinder.
There Stellan is, seeming so much larger than life. His naked torso makes my mouth water. He shifts a little, putting his arm behind his head.
God, does he even realize how tantalizing he is in this moment? He’s a perfect specimen. He’s not just rich. Not just obscenely privileged. Not just attractive. Not just well-endowed.
He is all those things. And yet, there’s so much more underneath. Compassion, kindness, curiosity about the world around him… all supported by a backbone made of steel.
I squint and snap several photos, then move to my knees and try for a different angle. For a few minutes the room is silent except for the sound of my shutter clicking.
Stellan opens his eyes and gives me a knowing look. “Did you capture the perfect image of me?”
My lips curve upward and I wrinkle my nose. “Want to see?”
He arches a brow. “If you are offering, yes.”
I flip a switch on my camera and the screen below the viewfinder comes to life. Moving over to Stellan’s side, I show him the first photo. His brow draws down and he frowns ever so slightly, but he doesn’t say a word.
I silently toggle through the thirty or so shots I’ve taken. His face never changes; he shows a little interest and an equal amount of skepticism.
“Well?” I ask gently. “What do you think?”
He purses his lips and shrugs. “I understand why the outside world is so fascinated with me. I’m a member of the royal family. A curiosity. A zoo animal, at times.” He screws up his face. “But I don’t quite understand why you are interested in capturing me like this.”
Tilting my head a fraction, I turn the camera off. “Like what?”
He hesitates then shrugs. “Naked. Resting.” He squints. “Why would anyone want to see that particular side of me?”
“Do you mean while you are vulnerable?” I ask.
