“No, Duchess. You need your sleep.” He rolls off the bed, and when I go to follow him into the bathroom, he pins me to the mattress with his stare. “I’ll bring you back a cloth, unless you need to use the loo?”
“No, I’m good.” I straighten the duvet, debating whether to climb under or find my pajamas and head back to my suite and Wren.
But Roark’s back. He swishes open the duvet and points. I have a choice—go or stay—but I crawl in and he takes care of me before pulling my naked back to his front. His arm locks our little and big spoons in place. It’s been a long day. It’s not hard to fall asleep.
Icrack my eyes open. Morning. The light glows through his open curtains. It’s not nearly as bright as the morning light on my side of the castle. I’ve only forgotten to close my blinds once, and that was enough.
Roark’s leg is over mine, and his arm pins me down. I should get up and go make sure Wren is okay. But the weight of his body on me is too delicious to move. I close my eyes and doze, then wake again with a start.
I should go. But Roark’s hand eases from my waist and over my bottom to my core. His fingers trail between my legs. “Open up for me, Duchess.”
I spread my legs, and his thick fingers circle my clit. Once, twice, and then he’s throwing the covers off. His tongue does things to me I’ll never get over. My back arches, and I rocket off. I’m hardly down from my high when I reach for him. I should be exhausted, but I want him. I push on his shoulder, and he sinks to the mattress. With energy I shouldn’t have, I straddle him and ride him until he’s shouting Duchess loud enough to echo through the castle. He rolls over, pulling me with him, his large hands holding the sides of my face. “You are...” He roars, a noise that’s more animal than man. But I know what he means. I’ve never felt this way. It’s more than his size, his talent, which I’m trying really hard to not think about how he acquired. I’m taking it as a compliment.
Roark rolls again, and I’m lying on top of him. He holds me to his chest, pressing me in. I had a cat once that didn’t like to snuggle. I used to hold it the same way, hoping that at some point it would just give in and go to sleep. Gracing me with its presence. Forced love, I called it. Eventually, she’d pry her way out from my arms and I’d be left with a sweater full of cat hair.
But unlike her, I don’t want to move. I tilt my chin up, looking at him. His eyes are closed, but he’s not asleep. I’m not sure Roark ever voluntarily sleeps.
“You want to go?” His eyes crack open.
“No, but yes. Wren has to leave this morning, and I wantto make sure she’s okay after everything that happened last night. And I should get to the collection.”
“Go, Duchess. I will see you later. No collection. It’s Saturday and you need to take a break.”
“I took a break yesterday.”
“Indeed, and you can take another one today.”
“But . . .”
Roark’s arms band around me. He interlocks his fingers. “A break, proper food, and rest.”
I reach up and boop his nose. “Who are you to tell me about proper food and rest?” He stares at my finger, so I do it again. “Boop.” This time with sound effects.
51
RAINE
It’s early. I’m quiet when I open my suite door, but I’m in no way surprised that my sister isn’t in bed. She’s never been one to sleep in. And with being a flight attendant, she’s learned how to keep strange hours and be fine with it.
I take a quick shower and hesitate for a minute over what clothes I should wear before putting on my casual business clothes that I use for when I’m working in the collection. I know what Roark said, that I should take a day off, but... I really can’t give up any more time.
In the bathroom, I find my watch, which leads me to my phone on the charger by the bedside, somewhere I definitely don’t remember placing it. But then, the bed’s made too. On my phone, Wren left me a message that she’s having the best breakfast of her life in the dining room.
I hustle downstairs and find her. “Hey,” I say ashamedly, out of breath. Wren is sitting in the seat I normally sit in. Isink into Evander’s chair across from her. “I should start exercising.”
“I don’t know, sis. It sounded like you were exercising this morning.”
I don’t need a mirror to know the heat on my face has turned me into a tomato. “You could hear me?”
“I’m pretty sure the mega villas around Lake Como in Italy could hear you. But there’s no need to be ashamed.”
“Right. No need.”
Leo steps into the room with my coffee and a plate of eggs made just the way I like, with multi-grain toast. “Miss Fischer. Can I get you anything else?”
“This is perfect as always, thank you.” The first sip of coffee hits my system like a harsh hug. Welcome, but jarring.
“Leopold had my rental car gassed up.”
