Authors: Emma Taylor
Chapter 12
After we bathed and dressed, Roderick and I had breakfast in our dining room before he took me to the courtyard. His parents were sitting at a table, also eating and talking to each other.
“There they are, my father Rylen and my mother Ami,” he said to me in a low voice and I nodded. I was nervous to meet Roderick’s parents.
We approached and Roderick spoke, “Mother, Father.” They both looked up with welcoming smiles. Roderick was like a perfect mixture of his mother and father. He had his mother’s facial features and his father’s sun-touched skin tone.
“Roderick, Isabella, it is wonderful to see you two together.” Ami smiled at me widely as she got up and embraced me in a warm hug. It made me miss my own mother, who was suffering from the end stages of Alzheimer’s back home. My father had died a few years back. She was the only family I had and she often barely recognized me, but I missed her.
“How are you getting along here Isabella?” Rylen asked me, after Ami let me go so he could greet me with a kiss on each cheek.
“I think I am doing well, so far. Roderick has helped with adjusting, I’m getting there,” I answered him honestly. Ami smiled at me all over again.
“She’s honest too. Oh she is a perfect fit for you, Roderick.” Ami held onto one of my hands and smiled at her son.
“Yes, that is why she is my wife, Mother,” he said, as he smiled. I giggled.
“Come. I wish to speak with my new daughter,” Ami took me for a slow walk around the courtyard and Roderick sat with his father.
“Now, you must tell me honestly. Do you think you will grow into your role here, Isabella?” Ami asked me. She looked at me in all seriousness, though her eyes were kind.
“I think I can. Roderick has promised to help me.”
“Oh. Don’t worry. You have the help of a former queen at your disposal. I wouldn’t leave you to navigate through Avantian social circles on your own,” she said with a chuckle. I was immediately and immensely relieved.
“Thank you. You don’t know how much better that makes me feel,” I said. She rubbed my back soothingly.
“And how about your home? Do you miss it?” She asked me, and I hesitated.
“Well actually, I am trying not to. I know I’ll get terribly homesick if I do,” I replied.
“I cannot imagine how hard this would be for you. Is there anything that would make your transition easier?” I thought about it and then figured there was no point in saying it.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll eventually see Avant as home and I’ll be okay,” I said as decisively as I could sound.
“It does matter. What were you just thinking about?” Ami asked me.
“I have this picture of my mother when she was healthy, and my father and I. We were all younger and it had been taken at the park. We had such a great time that day and every time I look at that picture it brings me comfort. My father passed a few years ago and my mother is close now. It reminds me that their lives were good, and well-lived.” I said. Ami smiled at me.
“It is things like these that will help you. It’s okay to remember your home.”
I nodded and then asked Ami about a typical day for her. She was explaining her duties around the palace as we approached the table where Roderick and his father were sitting. They both stood as we arrived at the table.
“Good talk? I hope my mother didn’t turn you against me,” Roderick said. Ami laughed.
“Of course not. She only spoke highly of you and also told me about all the mischief you got into as a child,” I said. Rylen and Ami laughed, as if they were surprised I was poking fun at Roderick. He smiled at me crookedly and then surprised me by leaning in to press a light kiss to my lips.
“I must go and tend to some business with my father, if she tells you about the time I tried to steal a horse, don’t believe a word she says,” he murmured. I giggled as they both walked away.
Ami watched her husband and son walk away and leave the room. “Well Isabella, beautiful name by the way, my son is already fond of you. I have never seen him like this, ever,” Ami said. I beamed my smile at her.
“Do you think?” I asked her, and she nodded.
“I am certain of it. Come with me. Let us talk about the infamous royal court, shall we?” Ami and I took a walk to the gardens while she gave me a lesson in socialite politics, and all the other protocols that occurred. She told me I did not have to remember it all. Really her job was kind of like mine on Earth. I used to be a psychologist and specialized in helping people with mental disorders, foster healthy relationships, and work with families suffering from loss.
Ami even told me how she helped mend a broken home. The effects were threatening to dismantle a strong bond between a set of two regions and their ruling families. She had a knack for putting things into terms that I could understand, and for the first time, I felt like I could really do it. I could be queen of Avant.
Chapter 13
Ami and I had lunch together. Roderick found us in the gardens, and stole me away from her. He was acting strangely. As if he had a big secret.
“Are you alright, Roderick? You’re acting strangely,” I said. He looked down at me as we walked back to our wing of the palace.
“Oh I’m fine. I have something I want to show you,” he said. I followed.
“Okay then,” I said, and let him lead me to our bedroom. “Why are we in here?” I asked, and then he gestured to the mantle over the huge fireplace. I walked towards it and then recognized my old wooden picture frame; the one my father had made when I was younger, when he had been on a woodworking kick. It was my favorite family picture; the one I had told Ami about earlier.
“How did you…how did you get this?” I turned and asked him, my voice barely above a whisper. I was overwhelmed with emotion.
“I had a few of the men from my guard go and fetch it from Earth. You said it brings you comfort…and you should be comforted in your home,” Roderick said, and my eyes filled with tears. “What’s wrong? Is this not a good surprise?” he asked, panicking a little at the sight of my tears.
“No, no, it’s a wonderful surprise. Thank you, that was so sweet of you,” I said, and wiped at the tears with my hand. Roderick walked over to me and took my face in his hands to wipe my tears away with his thumbs.
“I want you to
want
to be here Isabella. I care about your happiness,” he said. His golden eyes full of sincerity. Something in my chest clicked into place and I knew then, without a doubt, that Roderick was really a wonderful man under his stoic demeanor. When it came to me, he was perfect.
“Isabella, I…I do not know what magic it is, but I am different when I am with you. You make me feel different. It is like you have taught me that I have a heart and all you have to do is look at me and I feel…” Roderick struggled with expressing his thoughts. All I could do was smile softly up at him while he tried to tell me how he felt.
“I am in love with you,” he finally said. The words were filled with emotion.
I saw in his eyes what no one else saw; Roderick was caring and kind, and fun, and teasing. I also knew for sure that nothing would change what I felt for him then, how strongly I felt for him.
“I love you too, Roderick,” I said. A breathtaking smile spread across his mouth, reaching all the way to his eyes.
Roderick picked me up and the next thing I knew, we were on the bed. Roderick’s hands were already pulling off the top I wore as I unbuttoned his shirt and pressed my hands against his chest.
Roderick moaned and whispered, “Don’t stop touching me.” His lips found my neck and he kissed a trail of fire to my ear and then jaw. Our breathing was picking up as the urgency grew, and we both tore at each other’s clothes until we were naked and tangled around each other. Roderick’s erection was pressing against my belly, hot and hard, while he cupped my breasts and pulled on my nipples.
I moaned and slid my hands up to his shoulders. Roderick’s mouth was everywhere as he explored my body. He licked and sucked his way across my stomach to my thighs. My sex was wet and throbbing with need. I was about to beg him to push inside me, when his mouth found my folds and his tongue pressed up against my clit.
I cried out as he began to move his tongue against me and circle around the sensitive nub. My hands were restless in his hair and his name was bursting from my lips over and over.
“Please, please Roderick, I need you inside me.” I begged him. He looked up at me before kissing my inner thigh. He slid up my body, trailing his lips over my skin. He pushed up on his knees, and spread my legs wider. I slid my hand down his body and wrapped it around his hard, impressive length. Roderick hissed and thrust his hips against my hand.
“Watch,” I whispered.
I slowly slid him against my wet core before I guided him inside my body.
“Isabella,” he groaned.
He throbbed in my hand. I pulled my hand away so he could completely slide into me. I was shocked that he was able to fill me up completely. Incredible, intense pleasure pulsed through my body. He fit inside my body perfectly.
He started to move his hips against mine, thrusting into my sensitized body slowly at first, as he kissed anywhere and everywhere he could reach with his lips. He kept murmuring how beautiful I was and how good I felt. As the pleasure built, his thrusts became faster and harder, I didn’t mind one bit as I was lost in the pleasure he was giving me.
The pleasure crested and my orgasm crashed over me. As my sex gripped around him tightly and clenched over and over. I felt him throb and expand inside me and he groaned out really loud and I felt him pulsing inside me. I felt his hot release spurt into my body. We held onto each other tightly until we recovered from our shared ecstasy.
“It’s perfect…you’re perfect,” he whispered.
“You’re perfect too. I’m glad you abducted me,” I said.
“I love you,” he whispered to me again and I kissed his chest.
“I love you too.”
THE END
Breaking Free
Mallory stood at the edge of the dry sand just before the water’s edge and stared out at the clear blue water, breathing deeply and basking in the early evening sun caressing her soft skin, the smells assaulting her senses from every direction and the slight breeze causing her flowery wrap-around skirt to brush against her legs.
Heaven.
She sighed. This was worth every overtime hour she had worked to gain the promotion. Her diligence to the project had paid off and now she could breathe.
Her chestnut brown hair whispered against the back of her neck with the breeze from the water. The water rushed to the edge of the sand. The cool liquid was blissfully welcome across her painted pink toenails and feet. She felt much older than her twenty-six years. Sometimes she wondered if her ferocious ambition was worth it. She had never taken a vacation. Enough about business. She mentally shut her brain off and shook her head.
Enjoy the scenery Mallory. You are here to unwind. Forget work.
She slid her sunglasses up off her nose and squinted her dark green eyes to her left and to her right; sand! Lots and lots of pale, beautiful sand and people. Happy, laughing people. Her two-piece flowery bathing suit and matching wrap-around skirt fit right in with the beach crowd. She leaned down and picked up the big beach bag she had dragged down with her. It had everything in it for the beach, but nothing remotely related to work. She slung it over her shoulder.
Mallory smiled as she started backing away from the edge of the water. These next seven days were going to be just what she needed. She could already feel the effects of the sun and heat rejuvenating her athletic body. She couldn’t wait to take a run in this paradise in the morning. Morning running was the best.
As she was backing up, Mallory bumped into someone who happened to be walking behind her, startling her and nearly falling over. Elric’s quick reaction, he caught her elbow and put his shin behind hers to protect her from falling to the sand’s soft surface. She leaned into his strong grip and turned, looking into his eyes in surprise, then smiled in gratitude.
“Thank you for that," she said, after she caught her breath.
No problem." He smiled at her.
She started to stand up instead of continuing to lean on him and asked, "Well savior, do you have a name?"
"Elric," he replied, and steadying her before releasing her hand. "And yours?"
She wiped the sand off her leg and then looked back up at him, smiled wider and replied, "Mallory."
"Mallory. Well. I’m very glad to meet you, even if you nearly knocked me over. He smiled as he said it and it showed off his beautiful, straight white teeth."
"Nice to meet you Elric," Mallory told him.
"What brings you to Little's beach this time of year?"
"I'm spending some time on holiday. I got a promotion and I'm spending the first bonus on my stay here before the craziness of the holidays."
"Congratulations," he said
"And you?" she asked.
"Getting a much needed break from my own sort of job at home."
"Sort of job?"
"It's hard to explain," he said, brushing off the subject.
As he had been speaking, Mallory was taking a discreet inventory of Elric. She liked the look of him. He was tall, over six feet with a strong jaw and kind-faced. His body was slightly tanned, and muscular and toned. He didn’t look like he sat on the beach all day. She hoped he wasn’t a bum or a conman. She’d had enough of those. His hands were thick and she had felt his grip when he’d caught her. Her body had reacted to his strong, thick fingers. She wanted to feel that grip on the rest of her body. She was getting a good feeling about Elric. She wanted to know more about him. She was enticed.
"How are you this evening?" he asked.
"I… uh," she stuttered.
"Are you okay?"
She laughed. "I’m fine… fine. Just fine."
He smiled at her. "Do you need anything?"
She smiled as she shook her head. "How kind. But, no. I’m ok. I was just enjoying the view." She wanted Elric to know that it wasn’t just the sun’s view she had been enjoying. She also didn’t want to come off as desperate in their first-time meeting.
She said, "Well then, we can keep one another company?"
Elric ran his hand through his hair and looked away, then back at her, nodding his head. "We could."
They found their chairs and moved them under a tree overhanging onto the beach, casting sporadic shadows all over them. They talked about themselves. She found out that he liked sweets and couldn't have enough, where she could take them or leave them. She preferred salty foods. He didn’t like dogs very much, saying he knew too much about them, whatever that meant, while she loved them and wanted one. He asked why didn’t she already have one, and she revealed it was because she lived in an apartment in LA. He nodded, wondering what it was like to live there. She told him how crowded and gentrified it was. She was sick of it. She hoped to someday have the chance to move wherever she wanted. They got to know one another like that, talking steadily for a few hours.
Every now and then, while he was speaking, his hand would graze her skin, or he would lean close to speak and she could feel his hot breath gusting over her skin and even with the sun blaring, her skin broke out in goosebumps. She was sweating from the sun and Elric’s closeness. When he spoke, he would look her right in the eyes. At one point he had said they should both take off their sunglasses so they could see each other’s eyes.
He’d stared and smiled as he lifted his glasses. She was sort of nervous. This was intense. His eyes were piercing blue. Her jaw dropped open. She stared. He was gorgeous. He had raised one eyebrow at her. She smiled. Lifted her glasses away from her face. His smiled beamed. ‘No, they aren’t contacts,’ she’d told him. He had nodded and said, ‘Mallory, I already knew you were beautiful, but you just let me in… really let me in. Thank you.’
His hand had reached out, probably without him even realizing it and he had caressed her cheek and jaw. Before he had dropped his hand, he’d smiled at her and winked. Her stomach had felt like butterflies were going crazy inside her. Her blood had raced through her body. Her pulse had pounded so hard. Just from his one touch. She couldn’t believe the reaction she was having to him.
It was Sunday, and on Little's, it meant there were drummers on the beach, preparing everyone for the staff spinning and fire show once nighttime fell.
The beats throbbed through the sand into their feet. They laughed at some of the goofy antics and snickered at some of the drunken antics. They ordered food to the beach and stayed right where they were sitting. They had a pile of wings, and fries and veggies, and stuffed their faces, laughing at the spots where the sauce from the wings would land. And they talked, about everything and nothing. Mallory was blissfully blissful.
Then the festivities began. They watched a fire spinner twirl the staff while doing a one-handed cartwheel and another spun it so fast around their front and back that it left light trails. The drumming went to the beat of the spinners. It was thrilling and entertaining.
Mallory hadn’t drank much. Elric hadn’t drank much. They had bottled water more than anything. Mallory told Elric about her running ritual and he told her that he liked to run too. They had discussed the possibility of meeting up for a morning run. When the festivities on the beach had ended, Elric had offered to walk Mallory to her room, and told her that he was not trying to get into her room. He liked her and didn’t want to ruin anything by being too pushy. She had thanked him for being such an enjoyable and entertaining companion for the evening, he said the same.
When they got to her hotel room, she pulled her room key out of her beach bag. Elric took it from her hand and smiled. He slid the key in, the light turning green and he pushed the door open for her. And stood back.
She smiled. "Elric, I had a great time. I’m really glad I nearly fell on you." She laughed.
He smiled. "I’m really glad you nearly fell on me too, Mallory." He leaned in to her. Mallory’s heart was pounding. God. He was going to hear it. He whispered against her ear, "I love the way you react to me. Breathe Mallory. Sweet dreams." His soft and perfectly cool lips grazed over her cheek and then the contact was gone. She had been holding her breath. Then he was gone.
She leaned against her hotel room door and let out a deep breath. It felt like she had been holding that breath all day. It felt good to feel so alive. She smiled as she pulled away from the door and let it close. She headed for the bathroom. A shower… was definitely called for, and most assuredly needed, right now.
*****
Jumping Ship
Mallory woke up the next morning, smiling. She stretched and wiggled her body all over the bed. She had slept like a baby. She felt amazing. Jumping out of bed, Mallory headed to the washroom. She tinkled.
Heading back into her bedroom, she walked over to the little table and grabbed a banana from the small fruit basket she had brought up with her. She ate the banana and as she let it digest before going running, she tidied up the bed, her clothes from the night before. Brushed her teeth. Tied up her unruly hair. Dressed in her bikini and then her running clothes over her swimsuit. She knew it was going to be hot and didn’t want to have to come back up to change, just to swim after running.
She tied the small but functional pack around her waist; hotel key, money, bandaids, phone neatly tucked inside and a bottle of water inserted just beside the pouch. She didn’t need to tune anything out here, so she left the earbuds in her room. It was going to be heaven to run and not have to block out the LA noise.
As she exited the elevator, she looked up and there was Elric, leaning against one of the thick, marble columns that decorated the hotel lobby and was probably a very pivotal part of the structure. With more windows and doors open than a regular hotel, there was a gentle breeze blowing in. You could hear water splashing, and laughter, and all the other sounds associated with a resort close to boats and water.
Elric had his shirt tucked into the waistband of his shorts.
Oh god. His shorts.
She was going to die. Right there. They weren’t too tight, but they weren’t loose either. She could almost see… She stopped herself before she let it get any dirtier. They smiled at each other.
He lifted his sunglasses as she approached him. "Mornin’ beautiful." His blue eyes sparkled as he looked her right in the eyes, and asked, "Did you sleep well?"
She smiled at him. "Good morning Elric. Yes, I slept like a baby. Yesterday was a lot of fun and I was exhausted when I got to bed. Did you sleep well?"
Mallory watched Elric’s face as his eyes pulled away from her eyes, almost regrettably, and slid down her body and took in exactly what she was wearing. She wanted to smile but her body was too busy pulsing with his stare. She was very glad that she had picked the soft pink, tight tank top and snug, black spandex shorts to wear. The shorts stopped mid-thigh. She could hear his breathing. It was deep and speeding up. It sounded like he groaned. She smiled. He looked back up, into her eyes.
"Yes, Mallory, I slept great. God. I can’t stare at you for long or everyone in this lobby is going to know just how happy I am to see you. Let’s go running." She laughed. He laughed. They walked out of the hotel. He pulled the shirt out of his waistband and slid it over his head.
"Phew. That was close. An embarrassment that I didn’t really want to experience." They laughed louder.
They headed to the paved path that wrapped around the hotel property. There was a small hut with lockers inside where people could leave their stuff. There was a bottled water machine. You could swipe your room card and get a water. They stopped and began stretching their bodies. Arms and legs were extended and small grunts could be heard. Mallory loved the sounds coming from him. They were otherwise quiet in their minute of preparing to run.
Elric turned to Mallory and asked, "How long do you run for Mallory?"
She finished her stretch and replied, "I’m not a crazy runner. I just like to run to unwind a bit before my day, so 2 or 3 miles is good for me."
He smiled. "Perfect. Ready to go?" She nodded. They headed out toward the paved path and started pounding the smooth path. Within a few minutes, they were both breathing a little heavier. Mallory concentrated on running. She didn’t want to screw up and fall. Her body was vibrating to life. Every inch of her thrumming with the force of hitting the pavement. She laughed. This was why she ran. This exhilarating feeling.
Elric didn’t speak. They didn’t need to talk. They savored the peace and enjoyed the sounds of nature surrounding them. They followed the windy path around the resort and saw colorful birds in trees and on the ground. There was a pond in the middle of the natural sanctuary and birds were flying in and landing on the water gracefully. The squawked and frolicked in the water.
They had been running for about 20 minutes when Elric asked if she had been running long enough. Mallory nodded and they started to slow their pace down. They slowed to a fast walking pace for another minute and pulled in deep gulps of air. Once they had stopped running and were walking at a brisk pace, they turned around and headed back to the resort’s main building.