“She’s just looking out for you.”
I raised an eyebrow, surprised London would defend her.
“That’s also her job, being honest with you even though it’ll make you angry. I know it’s annoying, but she’s loyal to you. Any criticism she gives comes from a good place. She has your back, Crewe.”
I stared at her in surprise, unable to believe that London could say something good about Ariel when Ariel had nothing but mean things to say about her. That only convinced me that Ariel was being overly paranoid. “Hungry?”
“You know the answer.”
I rose to my feet and lifted her with me, her body light as a feather. A simple conversation with her had completely flipped my mood. She was the only person capable of making the impossible happen.
I held her against my chest with her legs wrapped around my waist. My hand gripped her ass, feeling the smooth skin underneath her dress. I had an appetite just a moment ago, but now I was in the mood for something else.
Her eyes darkened like she could read my mind.
I laid her down on my desk, aroused by the stark contrast between her fair skin and the dark mahogany wood. I’d never taken any other woman in my office besides London. She was the only one to have the pleasure of infecting my entire life.
I pulled her panties off and hiked up her dress to her waist. My slacks and boxers fell to my ankles, and I positioned her ass slightly off the desk. My cock was already twitching, and I knew her pussy was wet without even checking. I shoved my dick inside her roughly, wanting to claim her as soon as possible. My eyes honed in on her reaction, watching her cheeks flush and her breathing hitch.
She gripped my wrists as I held on to her thighs. Her nails dug into my skin the harder I gripped her, and nearly silent moans escaped her lips before I even moved.
This was not just an act.
This was all real.
I knew it.
16
London
Ariel wasn’t stupid.
She was onto me.
An intelligent woman liked that noticed everything under her nose. She knew Crewe better than I did, so she knew when his behavior was out of the ordinary. She knew he was changing just the way I noticed he was changing.
But that meant my plan was working.
Crewe didn’t share Ariel’s suspicions at all.
He trusted me.
That actually made me feel terrible. Guilt overwhelmed me when it shouldn’t, and I found myself questioning the plan I’d set out. But I had to remind myself that I was a prisoner when I should be a free woman. Even if my anger had softened, that didn’t change my circumstances.
I deserved to be free.
I had to keep moving forward. Once Crewe gave me a clear sign that what we had was real, I’d finally have the courage to ask him if I could leave. I could plan another escape since the guards weren’t as suspicious anymore, but that would probably backfire. And I felt like Crewe deserved more than a breakout in the middle of the night.
If he had a heart like I thought he did, we could come to an understanding. He would let me go because he knew it was the right thing to do. Our relationship had changed so much, and we couldn’t stay this way any longer.
He cared about me.
He respected me.
He would let me go.
I knew he would.
A week went by, and Crewe was back to being in a good mood. Ariel must have dropped her argument, and they returned to their comfortable business relationship, focusing on numbers and scotch. We shared all our meals together and had amazing sex at night. It was as good as it was going to get.
Fall had set in, so it was a cool day. The sky was overcast with heavy clouds that hinted at rain, so I stayed in the royal chambers in the private living room while the fire roared in the hearth. There was a nice collection of books on the shelf, so I made my way through each one. Some of them were first editions, Scottish literature that would be worth thousands if they were taken to market. They were special antiques that filled the air with dust and time, making me feel like I was in a different century.
Crewe finished working after five and walked inside, stripping his jacket and tie by the door. “Lovely?” He called out to me when he couldn’t see me in the bedroom.
I suddenly felt like a married couple, the husband coming home and announcing his presence to his wife.
I liked it and hated it. “I’m in here.”
Crewe walked in as he unbuttoned his white collared shirt. He didn’t smile when he stood near the couch and looked at me. He stared at me with an expression I’d become used to. It was nothing but intensity, the way he showed he was excited to see me.