Chapter 25

Defend & Protect

As soon as he arrived back at Storm's End, Gendry went off to find Jon. He knew exactly where Jon would be - in the gym. He wasn't surprised to find Loras there too, both of them practising some of the more demanding Krav Maga moves. It was no longer a case of Loras always having the upper hand, but Gendry did wonder if the only reason Loras took a fall was so he could pull Jon down on top of him. Loras never seemed to land on the mat on his own for some strange reason.

What he didn't expect was bloody Margaery to shout "Well hello there LB!" as soon as he walked into the gym.

It was another hot summer's day and, as usual, the glass roof was open to the sky. Margaery was sitting up on the terrace with a magazine.

"Oh, hi Marg" he grumbled. When he was pissed off at Arya it hadn't seemed like a bad idea to let Marg come on the bike ride, but now he had cooled his jets, he would much rather it was just him and Jon, or even Jon and Loras, but not bloody Marg. Now he wanted quiet, freedom, Zen on his bike, and that wasn't going to happen with chatterbox Marg.

However, she was here, so if he wanted company she was likely going to tag along too.

Jon and Loras only stopped rolling around once Loras managed to get the ballpoint pen out of Jon's hand and pretend to stab it in Jon's eye. Jesus – a ball point pen as a weapon. It was all too 'Jason Bourne' for Gendry who didn't see the point when you could just as easily rip someone's throat out with your wolf fangs. They were both panting and sweaty when they finally stood up.

"Hey. I fancy a bike ride…if you want to come?" He added quietly in the hope that Marg might not hear.

Jon wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "I'm dead dude. I need a shower and a rest."

"And I have more important things to do than roar around the Stormlands for the hell of it." Loras muttered grumpily.

"I'll come!" Margaery squealed loudly from the terrace above their heads.

The three of them looked up and Gendry muttered 'great' sarcastically under his breath.

Jon sighed heavily as he and Loras exchanged a knowing look.

"Ok, we'll come" Jon groaned, apparently speaking for both of them "We won't leave you with the wicked witch of the west."

Gendry was surprised Loras let the 'witch' comment pass. Maybe Edric was right, Margaery was majorly pissing Loras off for some reason.

"Give us twenty minutes to get showered and we'll meet you in the garage." Loras groaned resignedly.

"Ok, see you there in twenty minutes!" Margaery yelled down, before running off, no doubt to slap on some more make up.

Gendry waited until she was well out of earshot before asking Loras

"Is your sister pissing you off mate?"

Loras snorted. "How perceptive of you to finally notice LB"

Loras and Jon laughed at that. Obviously there was some in-joke about 'LB' that he had missed. He looked blankly at the two of them.

"Lover boy?" Jon groaned. "God, you can be so slow sometimes Gendry. Do you not see it?"

He shook his head.

"She's after you LB. We thought you put up with it as you enjoyed the attention or something."

"I thought she was only still here because Loras wanted her to stay!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Loras spluttered. "So I can watch her swan around all day while the rest of us work our arses off? I've asked her to help out. I've told her she needs to bloody do something but she just ignores me and yes - it does piss me off!"

"Watch yourself mate." Jon advised Gendry. "I don't trust her. She's up to something." Loras didn't comment, but he did look away, embarrassed.

Twenty minutes later the three of them were in the huge subterranean garage, dug out from the rock below Storm's End. Gendry loved it down here. It was cool, quiet and full of engines.

A few years before Renly and Loras had treated themselves to two Ducati Monster motorbikes. They had hardly been used and still looked as shiny and pristine as the day they'd come out of the factory. They were parked beside Gendry's huge green Kawasaki. The big Kwak dwarfed the two red Italian bikes and was at least 100kg heavier, but Gendry was a big guy and he'd bought a big bike. One of the reasons he'd bought such a big bike was because it had two comfy seats. Now that meant he got Margaery.

He still had his precious, painted Bull Helmet; one of the few things he'd taken from his flat before Loras burnt it down. His leather racing suit hadn't survived the fire, so Gendry had made sure he had a new one, purchased with his Baratheon credit card. The one he'd left hanging up in the wardrobe of his flat he'd bought second hand and it never really fitted him. The new one was something else - it fitted like a second skin with the lightest, strongest Kevlar body armour on the market. His suit was black and green, while the other two were red and white, all to match the bikes.

They were all ready and waiting on Margaery.

"Do you think we could just go without her?" Gendry wondered out loud.

"Come on, she's still my sister." Loras groaned.

"And you did invite her." Jon added.

So they waited. And waited.

Turning his Bull Helmet over in his gloved hands, admiring the paint job for the thousandth time, reminded Gendry he had to phone the guy who'd sprayed it. He needed to find out how the Wolf Helmet he'd commissioned for Arya's 21st birthday was coming on. He chuckled to himself when he thought about how anxious he had been handing over the £500 deposit. He'd ordered it a few days after he'd met Arya again in the Doctor's surgery as he'd known the guy took a long time and he had to order it really quickly if it was going to be ready in time for her birthday.

It had seemed such a lot of money back then. He had picked the best helmet to start with and he still had to pay another £200 when it was finished. Although he'd never doubted she was worth it, he had wondered what he would do with it if she dumped him before her birthday. He had simply decided failure wasn't an option. He had promised himself he'd do everything he could to make sure she never got away again. Little did he suspect back then all the weird shit that was going to happen.

But, sitting with Jon and Loras, who were his pack brothers now, thinking about Edric, his real brother and looking over at his Aston Martin (parked safely in the corner against the wall where no idiot could bump it) he was glad it had all happened. He didn't just have a family now – he had a pack and he also had Arya. He hoped. Just as he had vowed to himself way back then, he would do whatever it took to make sure she remained his. A quiet life and a happy ending – that would suit him just fine.

"Are we going to race?" Jon wondered as they all grew restless, straddling the bikes, hands on the petrol tanks, anxious to be off.

"Why not?" Gendry smirked, confident he would win. "Loser has to take Marg back."

Jon groaned and Loras rolled his eyes, but they both agreed to the bet.

When she eventually opened the door to the garage, they didn't even wait for her to get on the back of Gendry's bike before they started their engines. The wonderful noise made by the three bikes thundered around the underground garage. The Kawasaki had a deep, throbbing rumble; the huge four stroke engine promising to devour any piece of tarmac it was shown. The Ducatis, being two strokes, sounded like eager dogs barking, desperate to slip the leash, run free and howl. In fact dogs, wasn't right – wolves was a much better comparison in the circumstances.

They sat revving their engines as Margaery fastened her helmet and climbed on. If she hoped Gendry was going to make a fuss of her, she would have been sorely disappointed. As soon as she was on he impatiently snapped his iridium visor down and revved the engine harder. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing, as her arms were quickly snaked around his waist and her helmet rested on his shoulder. Thank God he had on a leather suit, as he was sure her hands would have been up his jacket or down his trousers given half a chance.

Gendry sized up the competition as they carefully rode the bikes up the exit ramp towards daylight. While Gendry had the bigger, faster bike, he was two up. The Ducatis were smaller, lighter, more manoeuvrable, but he'd ridden a bike every day for the past ten years (well…almost everyday, except for the days he was still drunk from the night before, couldn't afford the petrol or stuck in the bloody Baratheon Enterprises office). Jon hadn't owned a bike for years and Loras was an unknown quantity. Loras was never less than impressive at anything he did, but judging by the lack of miles on his Ducati, he hadn't been on a bike for a long time either.

Feeling Margaery's arms around his waist reminded Gendry sharply of Arya and the time they'd set out to go to Harrenhal and only made it as far as Hot Pie's pub. He needed to take her back to Harrenhal sometime soon and drop in and see their old friend again. Maybe in the Aston Martin - he'd love to see Hot Pie's face when they drove up in that.

They rode slowly through the courtyard, under the great portcullis and out to the gatehouse. Jon and Loras were testing their bikes; weaving from side to side, revving the engines; getting used to the power and the handling. He didn't need to. His bike was like an old friend. He knew that, once they were through the gate, the fastest bike would win, until they got to the first bend anyway. He was going to make damn sure his was the fastest bike. Once they got into the bends, Margaery was a liability and no amount of skill or power would compensate for his having a pillion passenger. The Ducatis, being so much lighter, were more 'flickable' and would make up whatever advantage he gained on the straights once they got into the curves.

The three of them revved their engines as they waited for the security barrier to lift. The guards stood well out of the way, grinning as the barrier inched up. Gendry took the opportunity to turn around and tell Marg to hold on tight – although she didn't seem to need reminding. Any tighter and she'd be cutting off the blood supply to his damn legs.

As soon as the gate was open, Loras pulled a screaming wheelie and shot ahead. The Kawasaki was too heavy to wheelie, so Gendry held it in first gear, listening to the engine sing then scream as the Speedo hit 70 miles per hour. The rev counter was bouncing off the red line at 11,000 rpm as he dropped into second gear, holding the throttle open again until the revs were in the red and the Speedo was hitting 100. They were still only five seconds out of the gate. Loras and Jon were left in his dust. He was vaguely aware of Margaery's screaming being muffled by her helmet and his wailing banshee engine. A bit of girly screaming wasn't going to deter him from riding to win.

They were headed to the viewpoint, on the far side of Shipbreaker bay. There was a long straight before the first bend, but after that, the twists in the road would favour the lighter bikes. He knew this was his chance to get ahead and he crouched low over the tank, trying to tuck his head behind the screen so the air would slipstream over his Bull helmet. If bloody Marg had any sense, she'd be doing the same.

He could see the two red bikes in his mirrors and they weren't as far back as he'd hoped. He kept the throttle twisted open, screaming the bike up through the gears, keeping that needle up in the red until he had to brake. He saw 150 before he had to slow for the corner. If he'd been on a Ducati, he could have left the breaking until much later, but with a pillion and a heavy bike, there was no way to avoid squeezing the brake lever well before the corner. Hopefully Loras and Jon wouldn't be comfortable enough with their bikes yet to leave their breaking until the last minute.

He leaned the bike over as far as he dared with Marg on the back. Thankfully she didn't 'do an Arya' and lean the wrong way. Marg leant into the curve with him. He gunned the bike again as soon as they reached the apex of the bend, feeling the Kawasaki respond instantly, leaping forward as he twisted the throttle.

This time he couldn't get any significant speed up before they hit the next curve, but more confident that Marg wasn't going to fuck up his cornering, he left the breaking slightly later and leaned the bike further over. He could see one of the red bikes in his mirrors, powering out of the last corner, but he couldn't tell which one it was.

The road to the view point was only 31 miles long and, at this rate, it wasn't going to take them long to get there. Already he could see the grey turrets of Griffen's Roost in the distance. They weren't following the road all the way around the bay to Rain House as, after the view point, the Cape Wrath road became a single track and, worse than that, it was full of potholes. He wondered why Renly hadn't done something about it before. It would make a great, long circuit if the road was better. He'd need to attend to that himself sometime, but right now he had to make sure he got to the view point first.

Another bend before they hit a straight. Both of the Ducatis had closed the gap through the bends and he needed to really nail this stretch past Griffen's Roost if he was going to win the bet. As he glanced at the red and white flag fluttering above the castle the name 'Connington' sprang to mind. Penrose was trying to teach him all about the lands he was now Lord of and, thankfully, it seemed as if some of the information had stuck.

Past Griffen's Roost and he'd widened the gap again. Another sweeping curve and he could see the red brick chimneys of Crow's Nest, further inland. House Morrigen - he remembered. Penrose would be proud.

The road became narrower now and headed slightly inland so the trees of Rainwood Forest blocked the views of the bay on their left hand side. There were no more straights between here and the viewpoint; only twisting, turning, tree lined curves. He hunkered down behind the screen and felt Margaery's head lean heavily on his shoulder but nothing mattered except the road and the race.

As he negotiated one sweeping bend after another, he could see that with every mile he was loosing ground to Jon and Loras. There wasn't much distance between the two red bikes and the gap between them and him was closing rapidly. He tore passed a road sign. "View point 2 ½ miles". If he could only hold them off that long he'd win.

He could hear the Ducati wolves barking at his heels as they finally broke through the tree line and out onto the barren rocks of the headland jutting into Shipbreaker bay. Suddenly there was nothing between them and the horizon except a car park that looked as if it was at the edge of the world.

With one last glance in his mirrors he pulled on the brakes and brought the bike to a skidding halt in front of the burger van parked at one end of the car park.

He didn't even have time to kick the side stand down before the two red bikes were screeching to a halt beside him. The first rider to arrive pulled off his helmet, whooping and hollering.

"What a buzz!" Loras yelled. "Man, I'd forgotten how good it feels to have a throbbing machine between my legs!"

Despite losing the bet, Jon looked equally exhilarated. "Nice riding Gendry. I nearly had you there Loras. Another couple of miles and you'd be eating my dust."

None of them paid any attention to Margaery until she staggered off the back of the bike and threw her helmet at Loras who caught it deftly with one hand.

"What the bloody fucking hell was that!? You nearly killed us Gendry!" she screamed.

"When?" he asked, surprised.

"The whole fucking time! If you think I'm EVER getting back on that bike again with you you've got another thing coming!"

"Awww, sorry Marg. I didn't mean to scare you. How about you ride back with Jon? He'd like that, wouldn't you Jon?" he smirked.

"Sure Margaery. I'll go nice and slow for you." Jon agreed.

"You can't do anything else mate!" Loras spluttered, before he and Gendry burst out laughing.

"Ohhhhh!" Margaery yelled in frustration as she stomped over and whacked Loras on the head with her gloves.

"Shit! What did I do to deserve that?!" Loras roared.

"It's bad enough them acting like little boys but you are old enough to know better!"

"Yeah old man! You snooze, you loose!" Gendry guffawed.

To Margaery's obvious annoyance, it was another twenty minutes before they were ready to ride back. Loras spent the time peering over the edge of the cliffs at the waves breaking on the rocks below. Jon bought a burger and Gendry took photos on his phone of Cape Wrath curving away in the distance on one side and Storm's End far across the bay on the other to show Arya when she arrived for the ball. Margaery had offered to be in them, but her offer was declined with a curt 'no thanks'.

The journey back was pretty uneventful. Jon and Gendry swapped bikes so Jon could take Margaery back. As Gendry expected, he was a much better rider than Loras when they were on identical bikes. Gendry was feeling very smug as he arrived back in the courtyard of Storm's End first to find Renly helping someone out of his Bentley; someone with long, white blond hair and a dirty French laugh.

"Perfect timing!" Renly declared, looking very pleased with himself. "I presume Jon's not far behind? I brought him a present."

Daenerys giggled "I 'ear Jon 'as been working too hard. I 'am 'ere to distract 'im!"

Gendry had no doubt Danni would do just that. Jon had been a miserable git since she left, but Jon had deliberately not been in touch with her since he'd had confirmation they were related. Jon had decided trying to forget all about her was the best way to deal with it. Gendry wondered if his uncle had asked Jon before inviting Danni. He doubted it as Jon would have said no.

As soon as Gendry had his Bull helmet off and saw Daenerys properly he knew there was something different about her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. Same sexy pout, hair the same, curves still in all the right places, same sophisticated French style – everything looked the same, but something was different. The breeze was blowing in the wrong direction, so he couldn't get a good sniff of her scent. What little he was getting was pure Danni – exotic, perfumed…aroused.

She headed straight for him, squealing "Gendry!" in that sexy French accent. He knew that his sharpened wolf senses would be able to tell him what his human ones couldn't. As he leaned over the bike to let her kiss his cheeks, he inhaled, drawing Danni's scent deep into his lungs, only to be shocked by the jolt he took. It was still unmistakeably Danni, but there was something else; something ancient, primal and terrifyingly strong had awakened in him. He'd never felt a surge of emotion quite like it. His wolf brain was roaring 'defend, defend, protect, protect!'

He felt as if he was reeling by the time she pulled away to greet Loras who had just pulled up. Gendry watched for Loras' reaction. As soon as Danni approached, he saw his pack brother's nostrils flare and his eyes spring wide open. Loras got it too. As Danni hugged and kissed him, his eyes closed and a beatific, serene look settled on his face. What the fuck?! He'd never seen Loras look like that before!

When Danni was finished greeting Loras and Loras had composed himself, Gendry caught his eye, raising his eyebrows and wordlessly communicating "What the fuck was that?"

Loras' grin was a mile wide as he mouthed back 'pregnant'.

Sweet Jesus! Jon was going to be a dad.

The man himself soon arrived on Gendry's bike with fucking Margaery clinging onto him like a limpet. Dear God, talk about bad fucking timing.

"Oo is she?!" Danni demanded in a very angry French accent.

Jon had his visor up and looked as shocked to see Danni as she was to see a woman with her arms wrapped around Jon. Even in a leather suit and a helmet, there was no mistaking Margaery for a bloke. Even Gendry had to admit, she had curves in all the right places.

As Margaery gracefully climbed off the back of Jon's bike, removing her helmet and shaking her long hair free, Gendry spluttered. He was desperately trying to come up with a plausible excuse for Jon having another woman on the back of his bike. Fortunately Loras was a faster thinker.

"That's Gendry's bike and she's my little sister Margaery. Gendry was supposed to take Margaery, but he scared her so much she swore she was never getting back on a bike with him. So Jon had to come to her rescue and bring her home!"

Judging by the smile on her face, Danni liked that fairy tale - Jon as the knight in shining armour.

"Ov course my Jon would come to the rescue!" Danni giggled as Jon removed his helmet to reveal a reluctant grin.

The shock on Danni's face was a picture.

"Mon Dieu! What 'av you done to your beautiful 'air? Where are your curls?" Danni shrieked.

"Oh, yeah that…" Jon groaned, rubbing his hand over his shaved head.

Loras came to the rescue again.

"I'm afraid I made him get it cut Miss Targaryen. Unfortunately long hair is too easy for an opponent to grab and use to his advantage."

Danni drew Loras a stinker of a look and then she glared at Margaery who was handing Jon back the spare helmet and thanking him profusely for being such a fantastic rider. With her fists balled on her hips, Danni looked like she was spoiling for a fight with either of the Tyrells. Renly stepped in to diffuse the situation, taking Margaery by the arm and steering her into the castle.

"I'm glad you're back Margaery dear. We need to go over some arrangements for the Ball."

As Danni cooed and drooled over Jon, who despite his previous protestations, looked equally delighted to see her, Gendry tried to gather his thoughts.

How long had it been since the night on the roof terrace? The night of the goddamn photos, the night before the full moon? The night before he'd been bitten?

The full moon was three days away now, so not even a month had passed. Did Danni realise herself yet? He thought not as he wasn't picking up any apprehension or nerves and surely there would be some if she was here to tell Jon her news.

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't really register Danni putting on Margaery's motorbike helmet and hitching her skirt up, preparing to climb on the back of Jon's bike – of his bike.

"Whoa!" Gendry yelled. "Danni, maybe you should relax a bit first, unwind, come and have a cup of tea, put your feet up…"

Loras was rolling his eyes at him and Jon was looking at him like he was an idiot.

"I want to ride zee beeg bike with Jon. I will relax later." Danni scolded as she swung her leg over the pillion seat, obviously not caring who saw her panties.

Trying to stop Danni hadn't worked, so he had to try and warn Jon.

"You've got a very precious cargo there."

"Yeah, I know" Jon smirked.

Dear God, you have no idea, Gendry thought to himself but only said "Please be careful Jon, very, very careful. No risks, no showing off."

"Chillax Gendry! Your bike will be safe." Jon groaned, snapping his visor down

It wasn't the goddamn bike he was worried about.

As Danni clung on around Jon's waist, skirt up around her arse, Jon gunned the big bike to life. With a nod and a wink to Gendry, Jon spun the back tyre, sending a fountain of gravel arcing behind the bike before roaring off towards the open road.

"Yeah, you need to chillax. She's pregnant, she's not sick." Loras tried to reassure Gendry, patting his shoulder. "Jon's a safe rider and he won't take any chances with Danni. They'll be fine."

The two of them stood together and watched Danni's pert backside disappear out of sight.

"Renly and I thought it would good for Jon to get a bit of rest and relaxation in before the full moon." Loras sighed "…but obviously we didn't know she was pregnant."

"We've got to tell him before the Full Moon if she doesn't." Gendry said anxiously.

Loras cocked one eyebrow, obviously thinking no such thing.

"Come on! We need to! This changes everything. He's going to be a father and what son wants a Werewolf for a dad?" Gendry asked miserably.

Before Loras could answer, Renly interrupted, having returned to the courtyard without Margaery.

"My pack's certainly expanding more rapidly that I could have dared hope." he chuckled. "You and Arya need to get a move on Gendry."

Gendry instantly felt his hackles rise. Renly'spack?! When had they become Renly's pack? Maybe it was because his inner wolf had been woken by Danni and the primeval urge to protect and defend was still too raw, but Gendry knew from that moment - they weren't Renly's pack, they were hisand he'd destroy anyone or anything that stood in his way.

"If Arya still won't have you… remember there's always Margaery!" Renly smirked.

Gendry had managed to hold it for weeks now, but he lost control of his wolf then, snarling and spitting, teeth bared at Renly who just fucking laughed. Who the fuck did Renly think he was and what was he playing at?

If Loras hadn't come between them, face pressed against Gendry's, barking "Not here! Not now!", while pushing him away with superhuman force, he might have lost it all together. He might have gone all the way on his uncle. All the way… there and then, in broad daylight, in the courtyard of Storm's End.

"Chillax!" Renly shouted after them as Loras bundled Gendry away. "I was only joking!"

Like fuck he was. Gendry was beginning to think his uncle was behind bloody Margaery's ambition to become Lady Baratheon and there was no fucking way that was ever going to happen.

Arya was the one. Always had been, always would be. Arya was his to protect and defend. He wanted what Jon had. No more games, no more pissing around. Once she got here she wasn't leaving again until his baby was growing in her belly.

-o-

Uncle Renly's secretary had buzzed down to the Legal Department at 12.30 and asked that Edric be sent up to the up to the top floor. Myrcella would be waiting outside with his lunch at 1 o'clock. Whatever his uncle wanted, Edric hoped it wouldn't take long.

When Edric saw that Gendry was in his uncle's office too, standing looking out of the floor to ceiling glass window, he knew something was up. The tension between the two men was palpable.

"Take a seat." Uncle Renly ordered sternly. Gendry didn't look around; instead he kept right on staring out of the window, hands in pockets. That was odd; Gendry was usually so pleased to see him.

For a moment Edric thought he was in trouble. His mind raced through the mistakes he'd made in the past two and a half weeks, searching for anything that could have resulted in him getting a row. The only thing he could think of was that he'd made forty copies of a huge lease for the new warehouse by mistake, rather than four. Ok, so he wasted a forest worth of paper, but that didn't merit being called up to the Big, Big Boss's office did it? Gendry might call himself the Big Boss, but Edric knew who really held the reins of power in the company and it sure wasn't his brother.

"Do you know why you're here Edric?"

He gulped. "No." Even he could hear the tremor of fear in his voice.

"Well Gendry and I have been discussing the two and a half weeks you've spent with us and we have agreed that something is definitely lacking."

Edric's heart sank to his boots. He loved being here so much; surely they weren't going to send him back to Dragonstone already?

Gendry finally turned around, face stony.

"Here!" he growled, throwing something at Edric. Edric tried to catch, but fumbled and dropped a set of keys on the floor. As he bent down to pick them up he saw a Citroen car badge on the key fob. Car keys!

"She's waiting for you outside Bro!"

She? Myrcella? Then he realised Gendry probably meant the car.

"A sporty little Citroen DS3 Special Edition, black with a red roof, red mirrors, black alloys, tinted windows – you're going to love her." Gendry said enthusiastically. He seemed even more excited than Edric.

"And this is from me!" Uncle Renly tossed him another set of keys - the keys to his flat.

"Your flat is ready for you."

"Shag pad!" Gendry mouthed behind Renly's back.

Renly continued smoothly "I arranged for your things to be brought from Storm's End this morning. It's fully furnished; the fridge is stocked, so you should be ready to go."

"Shagging!" Gendry mouthed again, and this time adding some hip pumping action for extra emphasis.

Realising something was going on behind him as Edric couldn't stop himself sniggering, Renly swivelled around in his chair. He was too late to catch Gendry's shagging dance, but nevertheless caught Gendry looking guilty.

"I've programmed the address into the sat nav so you don't get lost!" Gendry explained, rapidly changing the subject.

"Good…" Renly agreed, looking suspiciously at Gendry "…and you can take the rest of the day off Edric."

Edric couldn't wait to get out and tell Myrcella all about it. Maybe he could run her home to pick up her overnight things. He really, really hoped she was going to stay the night.

It seemed Myrcella was already prepared. She was sitting waiting for him at the usual spot with a bright pink sports bag at her side – he hoped it was her over night bag.

He tried to walk calmly over to her, but he couldn't stop himself and he ran. She stood up, grinning, delighted to see him. He wasn't going to make another mistake, so he grabbed her and kissed her while urgency and excitement made him brave. It was awkward as they bumped noses and then teeth, but they did it! Her lips tasted of strawberry sweeties and, after a few seconds, they were kissing as smoothly and as passionately as if they'd been practicing for years. And the kiss kept going and going. All Gendry's advice went out the window. Tease her? He only came up for air because he couldn't breathe anymore.

She smiled happily and he loved how she was flushed, eyes sparkling and lip gloss smeared around her mouth. She must have shared her lip gloss with him as she pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his lips.

"You can't walk around like that" she giggled, showing him the pink lip gloss on her handkerchief.

"We're not walking anywhere!" he crowed, dangling the car keys in front of her "and I've got the rest of the day off!"

"I know." She giggled. "Mr Tyrell caught up with me yesterday when you went back to work and told me you'd be finishing at 1 o'clock today. That's why I'm organised." She smiled shyly as she picked up the pink sports bag, turning a quite wonderful shade of pink herself.

Edric carried her bag and together they walked to the car park.

"Oh yes!" Edric whooped as they turned the corner into the car park and saw a shiny little black and red Citroen, with a huge red bow on its roof. As they walked over, the old parking attendant who always seemed to be on duty came out of his hut holding a big pair of scissors. He held them out to Edric, who passed them to Myrcella.

As she cut through the ribbon, the big red bow slid off the roof and landed on their heads. They burst out laughing as they fought to escape from under the giant bow.

The attendant wished them luck as they excitedly got into the car. It smelled wonderful, as only a brand new car can. Already Edric loved the red seatbelts, the red steering wheel, red gear knob and the matt black dashboard.

When Edric switched on the sat nav, Yoda's voice told them to 'turn left in 500 yards'. They looked at each other and started giggling. Edric leaned across and kissed Myrcella again. He didn't know why he'd waited so long, as kissing her was brilliant.

-o-

"Are you ready?" Edric asked; key poised to unlock the door. Myrcella nodded eagerly. He turned the key and pushed the door open, revealing a glossy white kitchen with a huge, stainless steel fridge and bright spotlights set in the ceiling that made everything sparkle.

"Wow!" they both gasped together.

"Wait!" Edric said, dropping the pink bag at his feet. Myrcella looked at him, puzzled.

He'd always wanted to make a big, romantic gesture and now he had the chance. He wrapped his arms around her, scooped her up and carried her over the threshold of his new flat as she squealed with delight.

As soon as he put her down gently in the kitchen she pulled him to her for another kiss. He was lost again, until she broke off, panting "Don't forget my bag."

He retrieved the bag and locked the door.

"Come and see this!" she urged, holding one of the big fridge doors open.

It was full to bursting. There must have been at least a dozen bottles of champagne, a whole shelf of diet coke and another six shelves of relentlessly healthy stuff. This was obviously Gendry's doing. As if reading his mind, Myrcella elbowed him in the ribs

"Don't worry. I made us some cupcakes."

She opened her bag and, sitting on the top were two sparkly cupcakes in a plastic box. When she removed the box, he could help noticing the creamy, silky something folded underneath.

She noticed him staring. Looking sideways at him, she shyly pulled out a little, wispy, silky, floaty, nightie thing. She held it up to her shoulders, giving him an idea of what it was going to look like later on, in bed, when she was naked underneath. He gulped as he felt his dick suddenly strain against the zip of his suit trousers.

"This is for tonight" she giggled, twisting and turning so the nightie floated around. Bloody hell! It barely reached the top of her legs. His brain was working overtime, producing smoking hot images of what she was going to look like with only that on.

"Umm. Wow!" he managed to mutter.

"Come on. Let's explore the rest of your flat" she said excitedly, pulling him by the hand into the next room. As soon as her back was turned, he had to adjust his throbbing dick, trapped uncomfortably in his pants.

A huge TV occupied most of one wall, with empty book cases on either side. It wouldn't take him long to fill them up. In front of the TV was a big squashy, comfy brown sofa with one of those long bits at the end you could lie on and stretch your legs out. Heaven!

He jumped on it and could instantly tell he was going to spend many happy hours lying there watching The Big Bang Theory and all his other favourite shows. He patted the empty space beside him.

"You've got to come and try this!"

Myrcella grinned and rather awkwardly lay down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. He shifted, so that he could wrap his arm around her. As her soft hair brushed against the side of his face and his hand, he sighed contentedly. It wasn't planned, it just came out. She seemed to like it as she wriggled a bit closer, reaching her arm across his chest and under his suit jacket, giving him a squeeze. He sighed again, but this time it probably came out more like a frustrated moan.

He hadn't been able to imagine how it would actually happen before. He had imagined making love to her so many times, in so many ways, but in his fevered imagination, they were always mid act; she was already panting under him and his dick was already buried deep inside her. Now he was imagining something else; undressing her slowly as she undressed him, kissing her throat, her wondrous breasts, sliding his hand between her thighs to see if she was wet and ready for him…

"Hmm. I like this" she murmured, squeezing him again and wriggling against his hip.

Bloody hell! If she didn't stop doing that there was a good chance he was going to come in his pants before he'd even got to see her naked. Oh God, thinking about seeing her naked made it even worse.

He sat up suddenly. If he didn't get some distance between them he was going to embarrass himself.

"I think we should see what else there is." He said hurriedly as he rolled of the edge of the sofa, standing up and adjusting himself again as soon as his back was to her. Myrcella was left lying there on her own, wondering what the hell just happened. Edric didn't think this was quite what Gendry had in mind when he said 'tease her'.

Myrcella reluctantly got up and followed him to the bathroom. There was no shower, but there was a large oval bath with the taps in the centre. A person could comfortably sit at each end. Edric wondered if that was Gendry's idea too. Myrcella had a look in the mirrored cabinets while he tried not to look at her bum and tried not to imagine that little nightie skimming the tops of her thighs with a little bit of bum cheek peeking out under her nightie. That particular mental image forced him to hurriedly walk out of the bathroom and adjust himself in his suit trousers again.

She followed him. "We could take a bath" she murmured, standing on her tip toes before kissing him softly on the lips. He was acutely aware of his erection trapped between them and all he could think about was whether she noticed it too. He was too distracted this time to kiss her back. She dropped down onto her heels again, looking at him strangely.

"Are you ok Edric?"

"Umm, of course – great. Let's look at the bedrooms."

The first door revealed a smallish bedroom with a big bed taking up almost all the space. Above the bed was a big, framed picture of an angry looking black and green motorbike. It seemed Gendry was staking a claim to this spare room. Myrcella didn't look very impressed.

The next bedroom was much bigger and the bed looked very inviting. The décor was very manly – all navy, white and dark wood. There were mirrored wardrobes along one wall and an en-suite with a shower big enough for two. When he came back from inspecting the shower, Myrcella was lying on the bed, shoes off, looking very pleased with herself. He'd never known what 'come to bed eyes' were before, but he guessed he was seeing them now.

"You've got to try this!" she giggled, patting the bed beside her.

He gulped. This was awkward. Was she a virgin? Could she tell he was?

"Err, can we get something to eat first?" he wondered nervously.

Her face fell, and then she obviously had an idea. "You can eat me if you like" she giggled, her face turning a delightful shade of pink again.

"Errrr…." He stammered.

She sat up on the bed with a determined look on her face.

"Edric! Get over here now!"

She jabbed the empty space at her side with her finger.

He hurried over and sat down on the bed beside her, nervously rubbing his hands on his knees, avoiding eye contact.

"I know you've not done this before…"

Oh shit! Was it that obvious? He thought he was playing it cool.

"…and neither have I but we're doing it now. Ok?"

He gulped and nodded.

"Take your shoes off." She ordered.

He did what he was told as she slid off the bed and kneeled in front of him on the floor. Oh shit! Was she going to do what he thought…what he hoped she was going to do? Keeping her eyes locked on his, as if daring him to try and stop her, she pushed his knees apart and slid forwards, so she was kneeling right between his thighs. Then she reached up, unfastened the top button of his shirt and loosened his tie. If the touch of her hands felt this good through his shirt, what the hell was naked going to feel like?

She pulled on his tie, making him bend forward, where her eager lips were waiting for his. This kiss was different. He felt her tongue reaching for his and, as their tongues intertwined, he felt her hand on his belt – undoing it, then the button, then the zip. He gasped as he felt her fingers brush against his swollen dick. They both looked down at the big bulge in his white cotton trunks rearing through the opening in his trousers. There was already a large, wet circle on the white cotton where his dick had been oozing pre-cum since she'd shown him her skimpy nightie.

She licked her lips and stared up at him with those big, green eyes. Letting go of his tie, she worked his Armani trunks down further, allowing his dick to spring free. It wasn't porn star length, but it wasn't short either and it was thick as a tin of tuna. He was already very proud of it and her leaving his trunks bunched up under his balls just made his whole package stand even more proudly to her attention.

He couldn't quite believe it was really happening as she wrapped one soft hand around his shaft and glanced up at him again, mouth open and ready to take him in her mouth. He had to fight the urge to close his eyes. He was in heaven, but he wanted to see this and remember it for ever.

She licked the tip delicately and he shuddered at the unfamiliar yet marvellous feeling. He hoped he was going to be able to last long enough to not embarrass himself. He wanted to show her what a considerate lover he was, but there was a very good chance he wasn't going to last any time at all. As she took him fully into her mouth for the first time, the new sensation of her hand and her mouth working him together was better than even his wildest fantasies. His hands had to do something and they gripped the bunched up bedclothes so hard his knuckles turned white. Sweet Jesus, this was fucking awesome. Looking at her, with her lips wrapped around his shaft and her cheeks hollowed as she sucked, would have been enough to push him over the edge without the added stimulation of her tongue and her mouth doing all sorts of new and wonderful things to his dick.

Seconds later he was groaning and panting, "Myrcella…stop…I'm going to…" but she only sucked harder and he exploded in her mouth before he even had time to warn her properly.

After he'd come and could breath again, he was overcome with embarrassment. He needed to apologise for being such a light weight, but her eyes were dancing, smiling up at him as she slid her mouth off his dick and reached for a tissue from the box thoughtfully placed by the bed. She spat into the tissue as delicately as she could, then handed him one, so he could clean himself up.

"I know I'm supposed to swallow, but I…I just couldn't. I'll try and do it next time though" she mumbled shyly.

She was apologising to him!?

"Come here!" he gasped and pulled her up, collapsing back on the bed so she was lying on top of him. Their noses were almost touching and he thought he could drown in those green eyes.

"That was the most fucking awesome thing that has ever happened to me and you were fantastic. It's me who needs to apologise for coming so quickly…and in your mouth too." He was embarrassed by his lack of stamina.

She grinned, letting him know she didn't mind. She was so amazing he had to kiss her, not caring where her mouth had just been. He lifted his head and neck up off the bed to kiss her. She returned his kiss with equal passion, crushing their lips together. He tasted himself on a girl's lips for the first time and found he didn't mind at all.

As they kissed, Myrcella reached for his hand and placed it on her breast. He squeezed it gently making her groan into his mouth as their kisses deepened. He felt his dick begin to throb again. It would be so easy to throw her on her back and plunge straight into her, but that would hardly be fair and anyway, he'd been reading up on how to make her come with his tongue, just as Gendry suggested.

Without breaking their kiss, he worked his hands down between them. It was his turn to unbutton her jeans and slide them down over her hips. Soon he couldn't get them any further and she broke off their tonguing kiss to hurriedly remove them, before dropping back down on top of him again. This time he rolled her over and slid his hand down between their bodies and into her panties, instinctively seeking the entrance to that warm, wet place he'd dreamt about so often. She gasped as his fingers found her clit for the first time, encouraging him to reach down further. As he searched, she shifted slightly under him and one finger tip slid easily inside. She was warmer, wetter and tighter than he had ever imagined. The soft little 'uh' sounds she made as he gently explored her made him desperate for more.

It was time to take things down south and he eased himself up and off her, loving the fact that she groaned with disappointment as he removed his finger.

First he pushed her T shirt up, exposing her lacy white bra, before gently freeing her breasts, one at a time, from the lace. Her exposed breasts reminded him of the most delicious, cherry topped cakes. He drew one of the ripe, cherry nipples into his mouth, sucking her tender flesh as she arched her back and pushed her breasts together for him. Taking the hint, he sucked on the other one until it was as hard and red as its twin.

Delighted he was able to give so much pleasure to his beautiful girl; he knelt above her and pushed her knees apart, revealing an already soaking scrap of cotton. She lifted her hips to help him dispose of her panties, revealing springy golden curls which were dark in her centre where they were soaked with her juices. Remembering the instructions he'd found on the internet, he pressed his face between her legs and began to nuzzle her, loving her groans that intensified every time he flicked his tongue on her clit. That website deserved every one of its five star reviews.

She opened herself up further to him as he explored those mysterious folds with his tongue, probing into her centre and tasting her musky arousal. She was pushing against him, moaning and instinctively he knew she was close. He concentrated on her clit and was surprised when her fingers were suddenly in his hair, pulling him away.

"Get in me now Edric." She panted.

"But…" he started to protest, wanting to make her come first as Gendry had said.

"Now!"

He wasn't going to argue and moved up the bed, feeling his dick nudge against her. She felt for him, guiding him and then, amazingly, wonderfully, he was inside her. She was fantastically tight and wet and he pushed himself in as far in as he could, feeling her jolt under him. He was vaguely aware that he had just taken her virginity, but his desperate need to plunge into her again was too great to make him want to stop and besides, she was groaning and panting as hard as he was. He pulled back before plunging in again with all his weigh behind the thrust and continued to ram into her, his balls tightening as he reached exploding point. She jolted suddenly up against him and her tight muscles contracted on his whole length as she groaned his name. Knowing he had given her an orgasm was enough to send him over the edge and he came in a pulse that rocked his world. He didn't think he could ever be more content than he was at that moment.

"Still hungry?" she asked a while later as they lay entwined on his bed.

"Always" he teased, nibbling her earlobe.

"I could make us a salad."

"Bugger a salad! I'll phone us a pizza. If they deliver to work, they'll deliver here. I've got the number in my phone."

He dialled and ordered.

"Forty minutes. What are we going do to until then?"

She giggled. "You could eat me."

This time he didn't have to be asked twice.

Twenty five minutes later the doorbell rang. They'd just finished, but Edric had to hurriedly pull on his trousers and shirt before running barefoot to the door.

"Hurry back!" she told him breathlessly. No fear of him not.

When he opened the door he was surprised to see a freakishly tall man, wide enough to fill almost the entire doorway. Edric was even more surprised when the man took a step into the flat without being asked, jamming his boot against the door.

"Edric Baratheon?" the huge man rasped.

"That's me." Edric replied, thinking that Gerry's Pizza Palace must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel to find their delivery drivers these days.

"Myrcella Lannister here with you?"

How did the man know that? Too late Edric realised there was no pizza box and this wasn't the delivery man.

"Who's she?" he asked, brain racing, trying to think of a way out of this. "Look, if its money you want, I've got plenty if you'll just…"

Myrcella ruined his half formed plan by shouting "Hurry up!" from the bedroom.

As soon as he heard Myrcella's voice, an evil grin spread across the man's wretched face.

The next thing Edric knew, he was on his knees, watching his own blood stain the sparkling white floor. Before he could think about getting up, a boot smashed into his stomach and he flew backwards, seeing only brilliant spotlights before the back of his head hit the floor. More blows rained down upon him until all he could see was a haze of white and red. Myrcella screaming his name was the last thing he heard.

Aww, poor Edric. At least he got some satisfaction first. I never intended write such a smutty POV for him, but sometimes I just can't stop myself…