KENNEDY
He’s awesome.
He could be as committed as Prince Thayer in front of his people and could be as the free-spirited ordinary man beside me right now. He was flexible—from a man who had a huge responsibility to a thoughtful friend to Lud and Ash.
I’d been watching him in awe. Everything he did made me admire him even more, and without a doubt, it had nothing to do with how I was madly in love with him that I couldn’t see and think straight. Right now, he was the most adorable and my favorite person on earth.
He was shaking in amusement as he watched his friends, yeah, his friends—those guys down the water who would take a bullet for him, not because they got paid hefty of money to protect him, but the genuine care for him as his friends.
“Are your balls freezing already?” he yelled from the top of the deck.
“The water isn’t cold, candy ass! Come on and jump already!” Lud had been convincing him to jump and join them. Thayer just laughed and talked about frozen balls.
“You can go and join them. They seem to be having fun down there.”
He shook his head again. “Nah. I’d love to be here beside you. I’m having more fun watching those idiots like kids.”
“You’re getting softie and pussy-whipped, Your Highness!”
“Should I push him down?” I told Lud.
“Or you could jump together!” Ash suggested.
“I think I stay.” I laughed.
“Do you wanna go down and swim? I’s stay on the deck and watch over you.”
I looked at him. His eyes twinkled like those stars above us—he was ecstatic. So was I. “No. I’m kind of a pool girl.”
“You can go ahead. The water’s temperature is warm.” He looked at the enticing pool.
I drew a deep breath. “Would you like to join me?”
“Of course, I will follow you.”
I framed his face with my hands and kissed him loudly. “Thank you. Seeing you this happy makes me happy.”
“You make me happy, darling.” He kissed me.
“Got to go. The pool is calling. I untied my kimono and showed him what he would be missing. I chose the two-piece red swimsuit. It was skimpy that barely covered my butt crack, but I loved it.
Watching his eyes darken, hearing him groan, and knowing that he liked what he saw made my skin tingle. My inner thigh clenched the moment his gaze dropped down to his prize.
I swayed my hips and walked with a huge grin on my face.
I tested the temperature of the water. Thayer was right—it was just perfect not to freeze me. I dipped into the water and swam—it felt so good. My muscles relaxed in the water. It had been a while since I had my vacation. I was so focused on my promotion. The thought of the work I left still made me sad. I thought of the brighter side—maybe something better planned for me. And I still believed it.
After three laps, I laid back, allowing myself to float. I closed my eyes and blocked all those issues I left behind. I focused on the good things I had right now. I focused my attention on the man I loved.
I pulled the string of my suits and swam to the edge. I wasn’t an adventurous type of person, and I never put anything at risk, especially my work. Lately, I had questioned myself about the decisions I made. But as they said, you’ve got to live the life how you wanted, not how people dictated you. And this was what I wanted right now.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
I jolted up and followed my gaze towards the voice of Thayer. He was already getting in the pool with my swimsuits.
“Skinny-dipping?”
“Damn it, darling.” He looked up and searched for something.
“What are you looking up?” I looked up as well. I didn’t see anything other than the most dazzling stars and clear night.
“You can’t just take off your clothes and get naked. Put these back on,” he ordered and gave me my swimsuits.
“Why not? It's not that the Captain and his crew are interested in me?” I reluctantly took my suits.
“I’m not worried of them, Kennedy. They have signed NDAs and would never leak your naked photos and sell our story to the press. Now, please, put those on. As much as I love watching you naked, I won’t share those gorgeous tits with anyone. Never.”
I glared at him. “I’m in the pool, for God’s sake. Look out there? Who would come and be a peeping tom?”
His jaw ticked. He looked pissed. “Look, my family has spent a lot of money to keep our image clean. Not only that, we hired people to protect us not only from possible assassinations, they are hired to make sure that nothing such indecent photos or videos would get to the press and social media as well.”
“So, you mean to say, I can ruin your clean slate reputations, right?”
His nose flared as he walked away from me. “Put that thing on. When I come back, make sure you’re fully dressed. I don’t want more than anything but to let you enjoy, but you have to follow me.”
“Follow your bark, you mean. You’re being an ass.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
Frowning, I put my swimsuits back on. I was just enjoying it a while ago, and now, it was ruined because he was so paranoid.
“Ludovic! Ash! Get up in here and scan the area!” His order was like thunder in the storm.
Why was he so pissed at me? Had something happened like this before?
I sat on the lounge and sipped my drinks. When Ash and Lud climbed up, I decided to just call it a night. I went to our room, took a shower, and put my nightie on.
I was brushing my hair when the door creaked open.
“Kennedy?”
“I’m here.”
Judging by the look on his face, he’d noticed the lack of energy in my voice. He sighed. “I don’t want to ruin your reputation. My life is—” He sighed again. “Difficult. It looks extravagant in the public eye, but trust me, I once wished to be just an ordinary man who could walk and drive a car freely, but this is me. Once we started dating—” He paused. “Look, Kennedy. I don’t wanna tell you this because I don’t want you to run away again. I can’t take it and lose you, darling. But you have to understand certain things. Once the people officially know that we’re dating, your life is completely linked to mine. If I make mistake, it’s yours too, especially when it has something to do with our relationship.”
“I get it. I should protect your image and behave like a good woman—a trophy girlfriend.”
“Jesus.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “These past few days, our PR team had been gathering files online that the press might find a connection to you and me. Good thing you have been inactive in your social media accounts because there had been suspicions that you’re the American girl who was on the picture during the gala.”
“I didn’t know it was such a big deal.” I put the brush down and linked my fingers on my lap.
“Everything is a big deal, Kennedy. That’s why I want you to be extra careful because, with just one bad press about you, your reputation would change forever. They’ve already started their speculations. Some thought positively. Some trolls say you’re just a—”
“A what?” I stared at him when he suddenly stopped.
“Nevermind.”
“No. I want to know.”
“It doesn’t matter, darling. What is important is you contemplate what I said to you. All I care about is you. You’re so important to me, and I can’t just watch and listen to those people as they ruin your life. Do you understand me?”
I watched him through blurry eyes.
“Damn it, Kennedy.” He shut his eyes closed when he struggled to express. I could feel him falling apart. When he opened them, his emotions were too much, they knifed straight to my heart. “I love you. So fucking much I couldn’t see straight. I couldn’t think straight about everything if I made you unhappy.”
For a fraction of moments, I thought I flew high. I blinked as I tried to process what he just said—Thayer just confessed he loved me.
Oh, my God.
I stood up and cupped his face. His eyes filled so many pent-up emotions. I smashed my lips into his, kissed him hard, and poured everything I had. He kissed me back. We kissed like we were starved for each other.
One moment I was angry at him for snapping at me, the next minute, I was kissing him. God, this was crazy—beautiful and fascinating kind of crazy.
I ripped off his shirt, buttons flew and clattered on the floor. “I want you,” I said into our lips as they glided and molded in a hungry kiss.
“I’d been wanting to take you in that pool,” he replied, pushing down my nightie.
“What’s stopping you?”
“Drone?”
I pulled away, panting as I stared at him with wide eyes. “What?”
His lips were swollen red, and he was also catching my breath. “Let me make love to you first. Once we’re sated, then we’ll continue talking about this.”
“Yeah. That can wait,” I agreed.
“Get in bed, and spread those gorgeous legs for me. My prize. Those tits and that pussy are mine alone. For me to enjoy, to see, to touch, to eat, and to fuck. Do you understand me?”
It was erotic to watch him as he pumped his hard-on while watching me as I spread my legs apart.
“So beautiful. Are you wet, darling? Does watching me turn you on?”
“That’s so hot, my prince.” I dragged my hand down to my mound, traced my throbbing clit, and moved my finger in circles. I dipped my finger into my heat and showed him how wet I was for him.
“Fuck me.” He was there standing while pumping his cock, in an instant, he was hovering over me, thrusting his length inside me.