Cherished (5 page)

He strode from the room, eagerness quickening his step as he mounted the staircase leading up to the second level. His suite encompassed a large portion of the upper story, but Garon, Sebastien and Nico all had rooms that boxed his in. They were his friends, yes, but foremost, they had devoted their lives to his protection.

The villa was heavily fortified, surrounded and monitored by military loyal to the royal family. But they remained an invisible force. He knew they were there, but they were rarely seen. Garon took reports from them and conveyed any concerns to Xander. Only he, Sebastien and Nico resided in Xander’s inner sanctum. Only they shared in his hedonistic lifestyle. To the rest of the world, he was the model of propriety.

He paused at the heavy double wooden doors that led into his bedroom. He considered knocking, but then shook off the notion that he should somehow start his time with Talia by being…soft.

This was his room. It and she belonged to him.

He pushed open the doors and strode in, his gaze seeking her out. She wasn’t in the sitting room that overlooked the expansive terrace he often ate his breakfast on. The view of the ocean was fantastic from there and he enjoyed the cooler morning air.

When he entered the bedroom, he glanced first in the direction of the huge bathroom but heard no sound that indicated she was there. As he moved farther inside, he found her standing to the right, staring out of the huge picture window to the ocean below.

Her suitcase was still unopened and perched by the bed—his
bed—and she was still wearing the clothing she’d arrived in. She looked deep in thought—she hadn’t heard him come in. And her shoulders were tense as if she fretted over something. He frowned and cleared his throat.

She swiveled immediately, her eyes widening. In fright? Alarm? Or was it just uncertainty that made them seem too large for her face.

“It’s been well over an hour, Talia. Why haven’t you unpacked? Or changed? Dinner will be served soon.”

The words came out more clipped than he intended. It wasn’t his intention to reprimand her. He merely wanted to know why she’d done nothing since she’d gone up to the bedroom.

She swallowed nervously and then stared around the room as if she were lost. “I—I…” She trailed off and then directed her gaze downward, her shoulders drooping.

His frown deepening, he crossed the short distance between them and slid his hands up her arms to her shoulders, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Is something the matter? Is the room not to your liking?”

She gave a halfhearted laugh. “Oh no, it’s perfect. Everything’s perfect. I can’t imagine a more perfect place in the entire world. It’s just that I wasn’t sure…that is I’m just a little overwhelmed. This is obviously your room and given our previous conversation, I realize that I’m not likely to have a room of my own.”

“This bothers you?”

“I’m not sure,” she said honestly. “It’s not that I’m being demanding. It just seemed so presumptive to just come into your private quarters and unpack my things. I began to worry. What if I put my things where you didn’t want them? What if you intended me to only have a portion of the room? I don’t know what your expectations are. Beyond…sex,” she choked out. “You made yourself abundantly clear in that area. I feel like I’m in some sort
of minefield and uncertain of where to step for fear of a bomb exploding in my face.”

He sighed and pulled her toward the bed. He sank onto the edge and held her there in front of him as he stared up into her eyes. Eyes that carried a wealth of emotions, none of which he’d wanted her to feel.

“What I want is for you to make yourself at home. No, you will not have a room of your own.
This
is your room. What’s mine is yours for the entirety of your stay. You belong to me and I keep what is mine close at all times. You’ll sleep in my bed. You’ll bathe in my bathroom. You’ll dress in my bedroom. Your toothpaste and all your feminine accoutrements will be in my bathroom.”

She slowly nodded her understanding but she nibbled nervously at her bottom lip, a gesture that he found endearing. She was a shy one. She certainly had her moments of spirit where she spoke her mind and stood up for herself, but she was adorably shy. He was looking forward to drawing her out of her shell.

The fact that he would be her first lover satisfied him on many levels. He very much wanted to draw those first sighs of pleasure. To be watching as she experienced what it was like to be possessed body and soul by a man.

He was as hard as a rock and throbbing painfully imagining the full seduction scene when he took what he’d considered his for many years.

He reached up to stroke her cheek and then gently prodded her lip until she set it free. Plump and swollen from her nervous habit, it was a temptation he couldn’t resist.

He pulled her down until she was once more in his lap, her body soft against his. Cupping her face, he angled his mouth to brush across hers, tasting her for the first time.

It was heaven. So very sweet. For a moment she went completely still and then she softened against him, her lips melting over his.
She emitted a breathy sigh, allowing his tongue to slip inside her mouth.

She tasted of things he’d long forgotten. It had been a long while since he’d been so gentle and patient with a lover. But this was Talia. She was no woman to simply slake his lust with. She was no vessel to accommodate his sexual needs.

She deserved, and would get, the most tender of wooings. He would ease her into the role he’d envisioned for her. And he would be the one to take her virginity. That was for him alone.

He nipped at her lip and then slid his tongue deeper, tasting every inch of her mouth. Tentatively she brushed her tongue over his and he nearly groaned at the sweetness of the gesture.

She was so very beautiful. Perfection. All he wanted. Young. Innocent. Willing to please. Obedient to his every wish. His fantasies surrounding her had kept him up many a night and now that she was here, he could barely contain his impatience to mark her. To possess her and to live out every single one of those decadent fantasies that had lived so long in his head.

He was a depraved son of a bitch and she was an innocent virgin. The two seemed incongruous, but somehow he was going to make it work. He couldn’t change who he was and he damn sure wasn’t going to give her up.

She would adjust. She had to because he’d never let her go.

He drew away, though it took every bit of restraint he had not to roll her over onto the bed and take her now. Only knowing that she deserved better and that he was determined to give it to her kept him from acting on his urge.

“I’ll have someone come up to unpack for you,” he said in a voice he didn’t recognize. Then he checked his watch. “You have half an hour to shower, if you so choose, and change for dinner.”

Pink stained her cheeks. “And what should I wear?”

He smiled his approval. It hadn’t been a test, but if it had been, she passed with flying colors. He would have allowed her to wear
whatever she liked. He wanted her to be comfortable. But that she was already leaning in the direction he wanted her to go gratified him.

He touched her cheek again, fascinated by the softness of her skin. “You’re very beautiful, Talia.”

She flushed deeper but her eyes shone with delight at the compliment.

“You likely haven’t checked the closets yet but they are full of clothing in your sizes. There is a particularly lovely sarong that is hanging next to a pink top that I think would look spectacular with your coloring.”

She nodded and started to get off his lap, but he caught her hand and turned her back to look at him.

“Don’t, however, wear any underthings. No bra. No panties.”

Her eyes widened and her lips parted as a rush of air whispered past them.

He smoothed his thumb over her knuckles and then raised her hand to his lips.

“I won’t expect you to plunge directly into my world. I’ll ease you into it as much as possible. Soon, I’ll expect you to wear nothing at all if I command it so it’s better to begin getting used to any embarrassment or discomfort you feel now.”

She slowly nodded her understanding, but her cheeks were still streaked with color.

“No one will know but you and I, Talia. And Garon, Sebastien and Nico, of course. But no one will be able to see. Except your breasts of course, but it’s damn near a sin to restrain breasts as lovely as yours. I’ll enjoy seeing what I can’t yet touch and will enjoy the others looking upon your beauty as well.

“But it will give me even greater pleasure to know that underneath the sarong, you are bare and that if I so chose, it would be a simple matter of sweeping aside one delicate piece of material and you would be available for my immediate possession.”

Her breathing changed, became more erratic and her pupils dilated.

“I, of course, would not do such a thing. Not tonight at least. You are a virgin still, and I don’t want you to worry that your first sexual experience will be painful or rushed.”

She swallowed and averted her gaze. He could feel her discomfort radiating in waves. He rose to stand in front of her. He gathered her carefully in his arms, tipping her chin upward so he could press a kiss to her lips.

“So shy. So modest. I want you to be comfortable around me, Talia. It is why I go to such great lengths to make this transition as easy as I can when I burn with impatience to have you.”

“Thank you,” she said softly.

One eyebrow arched. He hadn’t expected her to thank him and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it. She sounded sincere, not at all like she was mocking him. There was no hint of sarcasm.

As if realizing he hadn’t been certain how to take it, she quickly took his hand, twining her fingers with his. It was the first overt gesture she’d made to touch him or to initiate contact with him, and he found it pleased him greatly.

“You must know how nervous I am. I’m terrified if you want the truth. But I appreciate how…gentle…you’re being with me. It truly means a lot that you’ve done so much for me. Not just for me but my family. It’s true you could do what you want with me. I’m here. Alone. There is no one to run to. I’m completely at your mercy and if you so chose, you could take me now. You could invite your friends in and force me to do whatever it is you want. But you’ve done none of those things and moreover, you seem to genuinely care about my feelings. About how comfortable I am.”

He was horrified that such a thing had even crossed her mind. He wasn’t even sure if he was capable of responding. The words were stuck in his throat, and he had to suck in air through his nose for several long seconds.

“Xander?” Her worried voice reached through the fog surrounding his mind. “Did I offend you? I’m sorry. I was just being truthful. I do appreciate your kindness and your generosity.”

He put his finger over her lips before she could go any further. And then he shook his head. “I’m shamed that you would even consider for a moment that you had anything to fear from me. Nico was right. You
are
terrified. I should have done things differently. For this I apologize. It pains me that you would be frightened of being hurt and used in such a manner.”

“I don’t fear you,” she said in a soft whisper. She squeezed his hand as if to emphasize her statement. “My fear isn’t of you but of the unknown. Of failing you. Of not being what you want.”

She fidgeted a moment, looked briefly away but then found his gaze once more. Her eyes were earnest like she very much wanted him to understand her thoughts.

“I was told in stark detail what to expect before I arrived here. But hearing it in abstract is one thing. I thought I had it settled in my mind but when I arrived and then suddenly here you are and these other men and it was all so overwhelming. I thought, oh God, this is real. And then I realized that maybe I would not be what you want. I have no experience. You know this. I don’t know how to please one man much less four. I can’t even imagine being naked in front of you.”

His heart squeezed and he couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips upward. He hugged her to him again, wanting nothing more than to allay her silly fears. Not please him? She pleased him just by being here.

When he pulled away, he trailed his fingers through her hair, smoothing it away from her cheeks and tucking it behind her ears.

“I like that you aren’t experienced. If I’d wanted a woman with considerable knowledge, it would be very easy for me to have one. I don’t want them. I want you. I will delight in teaching you everything you need to know about pleasing me and the others.”

There was a hint of relief in her smile this time. Then she twisted his hand so she could look at his watch and then winced. “My half hour has dwindled to fifteen minutes. I must go now if I’m not to make you wait.”

He caught her before she could slip away and simply held her a long moment before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Take your half hour, Talia. For this night, I find myself feeling very lenient with you. I will send Nico up to collect you in thirty minutes’ time.”

Chapter 5

When the knock sounded at her door, Talia turned nervously, still tying the ends of the sarong around her waist.

“Come in,” she called, hoping she said it loudly enough.

The door opened and Nico appeared, his gaze seeking her out. Her hands began to shake and she glanced down to refocus on the task of securing the sarong.

Nico walked over and gently took the ends from her grasp. “Let me.”

He tied a secure knot, leaving it loose enough to angle over her hips. When she thought he would have stepped back, he remained close and dropped one hand down the long slit that traveled the length of her leg from hip to ankle.

“Are you wearing anything underneath?”

Her eyes widened and for a moment she was too taken aback to say anything.

He slid his palm up the underside of her leg and over the bare curve of her behind. “I asked you a question.”

Her brow furrowed. His hand was on her bare ass. He ought to damn well know she wasn’t wearing underwear.