JENNIE
The chirping of birds woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly, enjoying the laziness that permeated my muscles. I shifted and tried to untangle myself from the sheets when I realized I was pressed against Lisa.
"Good morning." Her voice rumbled out of her chest. She was propped on her elbow looking down at me.
"Uh." I made a face and closed my eyes against the bright light streaming in through the windows. "That's weird."
"What?" she chuckled.
"Watching me sleep. Is this going to be like those movies where we have sex and then the really hot guy turns out to be a creeper?"
"You make little mewing sounds."
"I do not."
"Like a baby kitten."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "I am not a baby kitten. I'm sleepy and annoyed."
"It's cute and sexy."
"Oh, no." I groaned. "You're a morning person."
"Mmhmm." She moved so that I was lying on my back and nuzzled my neck.
"We're going to have a hard time." I sighed as her hand ran over my stomach.
"I think you're right." She moved so that I could feel her pressed against my leg.
"Oh boy."
"You can say that again." She chuckled as she slid under the sheet, her mouth trailing over my skin.
"Oh boy." Her mouth covered one of my breasts, her tongue running over it teasingly. "Oh boy."
When she spread my legs and pressed kisses to the tender skin there, I whimpered. I was starting to think I had been waking up to the wrong alarm clock all these years. As she took her time tasting and licking, I closed my eyes and floated along the bliss. When she slid her fingers inside, my hips moved in response. I was tender in a good way, like after you exercise for the first time in a while. One thing was sure, she had given me a good work out.
She focused all her attention on the sensitive place at the top of my mound while she worked the perfect rhythm. Her fingers flicked just the right spot and I groaned loudly. I reached down, tangling my fingers in her blond hair. My movements increased and she understood the cue. Crawling up my body, she licked and sucked as she made her way out of the sheet. Reaching between us, she rubbed the head of her manhood against me.
I whimpered, needing her, and she smiled smugly. "Ask me."
"For what?" My voice came out breathy.
"What you didn't ask for last night."
I licked my lips. "Please kiss me, Lisa."
Her mouth covered mine and I could taste us mixed together on her lips. Her tongue slid into my mouth while she continued to tease me under the covers. She eased in just enough to make me moan, then pulled right back out. I growled into her mouth in frustration. When she did it again I slid my hands over her ass and pulled at her. I made some headway before she chuckled and pulled away.
She sat up and the sheet fell behind her, letting me enjoy the sight of her in the morning light. Gripping my hips, she pulled me to her, tilting me upward so that she could slide in. My breath left on an exhale of pleasure as she filled me. I wiggled against her, wanting more, but couldn't get enough traction. I reached above my head and placed my hands against the headboard and pushed, making us both groan.
She ran a hand over my stomach and between my breasts before cupping the back of my neck. She pulled me against her and moaned, her hips setting a slow rhythm that was just enough.
"I could watch you all day." She groaned louder when I pushed harder against the headboard, slamming her deeper. "God, that feels good."
"Jennie. I'm Jennie, not God."
"Jennie." She leaned forward, bracing herself on the hand that had been holding my neck. "Jennie, you feel so damn good." Her words slipped into Lilarian and I only paid attention to the sound of her voice.
As we moved together it wasn't fast or rushed, but a steady pace to find the finish line. When her breathing hitched, I was right there with her, my orgasm slamming into me as I felt her jerk inside of me.
She laid on me and rolled so that we were on our sides but still connected. It was a comfortable feeling and I liked knowing she was still inside me. My body was still twitching with aftershocks of pleasure. Her hand lazily ran up and down my arm.
"That's a great way to wake up." I sighed against her chest.
"Glad I could help." I looked up into her eyes and enjoyed her smug grin.
"But now I want a nap." I rubbed the tip of my nose against her.
"That sounds like a great idea." She pulled me tighter against her. "Unfortunately I have to leave soon."
Disappointment crashed into me, even though I had known she would need to go. I didn't say anything for a minute, just listened to her breathing and wondered what she was thinking. Her hand continued its steady movement against my skin and I sighed. I fought against the nerves that were starting to bubble up underneath my skin. The realization that I was already in deep was sinking in slowly.
"Do you have time for breakfast?" I looked up at her. We couldn't lie here all morning if she needed to go. And I needed to do something other than obsess about my fears.
"I have time to eat." Her eyes twinkled down at me. "And to take a shower."
I rolled away from her and stood up, looking over my shoulder as I walked to the bathroom. "What are you waiting for?"
I turned the knobs for the water until I found a comfortable temperature. I was checking to make sure we had enough towels when she slid her hands around my waist. I sucked in a breath and fidgeted in her grasp.
"Your hands are so cold!"
"That's why I'm trying to warm them up."
"Dirty." I stepped away from her and pulled open the shower door. I smiled at her as I moved under the water. She followed close behind and turned a knob so the extra shower head came to life.
"You already know I don't play fair."
My soaps had been put in the bathroom, which was kind of creepy, but I didn't linger on it for too long. I poured body wash onto the bath sponge and began to lather my arms when Lisa plucked it from my hands.
She didn't say anything, just ran it over my body in slow circles. I had thought I was more than sated, but when she knelt down to wash my legs, my hormones came alive. She looked up at me, her wet hair trailing water down her shoulders as she lifted one of my feet and then the other. There was something gentle in her expression as she took her time cleaning me and it made my heart thump in a different way.
When she had finished I took the sponge and gave her the same treatment. I took my time cleaning every inch of her body. When I moved my hands down her thighs, she twitched and started to grow hard. Lisa grabbed my wrists and wrapped my arms around her neck. She kissed me slowly before pressing her forehead to mine.
"I'd like nothing more than to stay locked away with you, but I have to go to Paris." She twined her fingers with mine. "And if you kept doing that we aren't going to make it out of your room."
"Now you have something to look forward to."
Her eyes bored into mine. "I won't be able to think of anything else."
Eventually we finished getting clean and dried off. Thankfully, there were extra toothbrushes in the cabinets. I pulled out some new clothes and got dressed while she pulled her jeans from the night before back on. She stood there for a minute, looking around the room.
"What?" I pulled on a sock and looked at her as she frowned.
"I think my shirt is downstairs." Lisa looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh." I realized we had left evidence. "Oh! I'll go down and grab it." I opened the door, but someone had folded and stacked her shirt and jacket neatly just on the other side. "So much for no one knowing what happened here."
She took her shirt and pulled it on. "They won't say anything, Jennie."
"I know." I frowned. "It's not them I'm worried about."
"The press?"
"I just got here and this would be even more fodder for the tabloids." I bit my lip. "But it's not just me, Lisa. The papers would eat this up because it's you. I mean, can you get in trouble for this?" I motioned between us.
"I'm a grown person, or hadn't you noticed?"
"I noticed all right." I smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed next to her while she put on her shoes. "I just don't want to cause trouble for you."
"People are going to be interested in us no matter what. That's not going to change whether we're together or not." She looked at me seriously. "And there is no reason I would get in trouble over us."
"Is there an us?" It sure felt like there was an us after last night. And this morning. And the shower.
"You told me you don't do one-night stands." She brushed some of the wet hair away from my face. "And while the sex is awesome, that's not all I'm looking for either."
"So, us." I shook my head. "Lisa, I—"
"Don't make this complicated." She frowned. "We can keep it quiet, see how it works."
"Someone already knows."
"There's no getting around that. People are going to know; some people have to know." She didn't look happy about this plan and I felt guilty.
"Lisa, it's not that I don't want people to know—it's that I don't want people to put pressure on us. I've been famous for a week and I already know that we would never get a break." I grabbed her hand.
"I understand." She stood up and pulled me with her. "Let's go get some breakfast, I'm starved."
We went downstairs and were met with the sound of voices in the kitchen. Lisa laced her fingers through mine before lifting our hands to her mouth and kissing my knuckles. Whoever had picked up the clothes by the door had to know what had happened. Or at least had a good idea. There was no reason to try to hide it.
Jimin was sitting at the island, a plate full of food in front of him while Margie moved about the kitchen. Margie was the first to spot us and smiled.
"Good morning, Jennie. Ma'am." She dipped a quick curtsy. "I wasn't sure what you like for breakfast so made a little of everything."
Jimin looked over his shoulder at us and smiled. "Good morning."
I grabbed a plate off the island and picked out some food. "Thank you, Margie. You didn't have to make breakfast."
"I like to cook and I love that I have new people to cook for." She smiled as she cut up some fruit. "Jimin did tell me you enjoy fresh fruit for breakfast."
"Thank you." I sat next to Jimin and he pushed a cup of coffee in my direction.
"Where's the normally grumpy Jennie this morning? Is there a coffeepot in your room?" He took a bite of his toast and looked at me with innocent eyes.
"It's a pretty morning." I shrugged and sipped my coffee.
"A very pretty morning." Lisa sat across from me and smirked. I glared at her over my cup, but that just seemed to amuse her.
"Spring is definitely on its way," Margie said. Her back was turned to us, so she didn't notice the looks that were being passed around.
"I believe I heard some birds this morning," Lisa said as she ate her pancakes.
"I wonder when the bees will make an appearance," Jimin said thoughtfully. "Pollinate a few flowers and such."
"Really?" I shot them both looks.
"Ignore them, Jennie." Margie looked over her shoulder at us. "Do you think you're the first people to fall into bed together? Or the first people that had a lot on the line?"
I closed my mouth and set down my cup. Lisa cleared her throat and turned to look at the older woman. "I'm sorry if we've put you in an uncomfortable position, but this is something we would like to keep to ourselves if possible. The less people who know about us, the better."
"Oh, I understand. That's why I folded up your clothes and set them next to your room."
"You had clothes all over the house?" Jimin chuckled. "Somi would be very proud."
"How did you know Lisa was here?" I asked. He hadn't seemed surprised in the least.
"Her Land Rover is out front." He shook his head and looked at Lisa. "And Ned called me. I told him that I thought you had come over early to make sure Jennie was settled."
"Thank you." Lisa nodded her head.
"Of course, I didn't tell him that you were the one doing all the settling."
"I've created a monster." I groaned. Jimin winked at me.
"I should have turned my phone on this morning, but didn't want to deal with it yet." Lisa polished off her food.
"Why do you have to go to Paris?" I hadn't asked her earlier. There had been more pressing things at hand.
"One of the head chairs was hospitalized last night and he was scheduled for a large appearance. They need me to cover for him this week." she leaned back in her chair. "It's mostly promotion."
"Parties and fund-raisers?" I pushed the food around on my plate.
"There's a gala and a few plaque unveilings." She sighed. "Get used to the idea of unveiling plaques. You will lose count of how many you've done before this year is over."
"Plaques?"
"To commemorate one thing or another." She scratched at her chin. "For some people the monarchy is an outdated institution. We hold a little more sway than some of the other remaining royal households because we have retained ownership of the lands that made our country what it is. However, we do so much more than some people notice. We're the ones sent to rally people for events, to congratulate someone on a job well done. In a time where real, honest successes often go unnoticed, we are the ones who make sure they don't. If someone has spent fifty years of their life dedicating work to a charity or an important cause, we honor them. If the people feel they are being neglected by the government, they can petition us to bring their troubles to parliament."
"Did you know that Lilaria is considered one of the happiest countries?" Jimin asked me.
"I didn't." I finished my coffee. I hadn't really thought of the monarchy as offering support and guidance. Then again, as an foreigner I hadn't really spent a lot of time thinking about what a monarchy did. "It's almost like you guys are the parents and the country is your child."
"You're part of that too." Lisa leaned forward.
"And you know how you can tell if there are good parents?" Jimin asked.
"Happy children," Margie said.
"Exactly." Jimin smiled.
Lisa stood up and put her plate in the sink. I could tell from her face that it was time for her to leave but she didn't want to. She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest, watching me as I finished my food.
"Have to go?"
"Unfortunately." She pushed away from the counter and walked around the island. I stood up, intending to walk her out, but she pulled me into her arms and kissed me right there. It was a tender kiss that left me feeling breathless. So much for keeping things quiet. "I'll see you soon."
"Okay." I looked up at her and couldn't help the smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. So far I was kicking myself for having not given in sooner.
She pressed a kissed to the charm on my necklace before letting me go, then turned to smile at the cook. "Thank you for breakfast, Margie."
"My pleasure, Ma'am."
"Jimin, always good to see you." Lisa shook her hand.
"Have a safe trip."
She pulled on her jacket as she left and my knees felt weak as I watched her go. I slid into my seat and sighed.
"You're welcome." Jimin bit off a piece of toast and smiled at me.
"For what?"
"My pep talk. Maybe I should become a life coach."
"Oh, good idea since you're about to lose your current job."
"Apparently your pleasant morning attitude left with Lisa." He shook his head.
"What are we doing today?" I sipped my coffee, ignoring him. "I'd like to see more of the property."
"I've kept the next few days clear so you can take your time learning the area."
"Great. I want to see the lake."
After breakfast I headed out with Stanley to see the property. The lake was a short walk from the house, but long enough that I worried my dad might not make it.
"Do we have anything that would be able to carry my father here?" I stared out over the water. It was beautiful.
"Yes, we have a golf cart that can make the drive as long as there hasn't been any bad weather." Stanley put his hands on his hips. "We also have furniture that we can put up and leave once spring sets in."
"That sounds good." I walked along the edge of the water. The call of a hawk drew my attention up to the sky. The weather had cleared up a great deal and standing there in the sun with the birds flying overhead, I felt like I could finally breathe.
"The lake also runs along the princess's estate." Stanley pointed off in the distance. "I'm sure the land was divided in such a way that the original landowners could both have access to the water."
I nodded my head. That made perfect sense. "What else is out here? Tell me about the land."
"There are a few hiking trails and a running trail that circle the lake." Stanley pointed out the entrance. "Jeanette runs in the early mornings and I walk the trails from time to time to make sure there haven't been any problems."
"That's nice. I like to run when it's not freezing out." I picked up a small rock and ran my fingers over it.
"We also have horses. Most of the hiking trails are perfect for riding."
"We have horses?" I looked over at him with a smile. "I haven't ridden since I was a little girl."
"Three. Let's go check out the stables."
The stables were tidy, and several grooms were tending to the horses. They all stopped what they were doing to bow while Stanley introduced them and I spent some time asking about their jobs. The horses themselves were gorgeous and one of the mares was with foal.
"How many other people work on the estate?" I asked as we walked through one of the gardens.
"We have ten full-time staff and five who work part time. Many of them only work on certain days or on rotation."
"Wow. That many?" That was intimidating. Fifteen people coming in and out of my property all the time?
"Actually, we run on a very tight ship and those numbers include me and Margie. I was planning on hiring more people now that we have you in residence." Stanley picked up a rake that had fallen over.
"Why do we need more people?"
"I'm sure you'll be hosting dinners or fund-raisers." Stanley stuck his hands in his pockets. "We'll need more staff to keep up with the influx of people."
"Dinners? Fund-raisers?" I laughed and rubbed my face.
"Eventually all this will feel normal." Stanley laughed. "I have to admit, I'm looking forward to what all you do. I think this place is going to be much livelier from now on."
"I guess we'll see."
We spent a lot of time going over the things that were done on a regular basis. It probably felt silly to him, but Stanley answered every question with as much explanation as possible. The more we walked around the property, the more I fell in love with it. There was so much history and one of my favorite parts of the whole place was a little area near a stone wall. The trees overlapped and I could see much of the property. There was a worn stone bench and I imagine it had been used by many over the years.
I checked out the cottage that would be Jimin's home and the garage. I took pictures as we walked. I couldn't wait to send them to my dad and Somi. They were going to love it here. Ryujin called to see how I was settling in and said she wanted to come visit next weekend. Once we had it figured out, I spent the rest of the day unpacking the boxes I'd brought with me and trying to make the place feel like home.
I was sitting on the floor in my room and sorting my books when my phone rang. I pulled it out of my pocket and smiled like an idiot when I realized it was Lisa.
"Hello?"
"Miss me yet?"
"Nope." I smiled.
"Liar." She laughed.
"You should be studied for that giant ego of yours. It's unhealthy." I set a couple of books on a shelf I had cleared.
"I think it's well deserved."
"You would." I laughed. "Aren't you breaking some kind of dating rule? Like wait a full day before calling?"
"What can I say? I'm thinking about that shower and wishing I had stayed."
My breath caught as an image of her covered in water flashed in my mind. "Well, I did warn you."
"True."
"Have you made it to Paris?"
"I'm here, have unveiled a plaque, finished a conference call, and am now back at my apartment."
"You have an apartment there?" I was wishing I hadn't wanted to keep our relationship quiet. I'd always wanted to visit Paris.
"I do. It's in the seventh arrondissement." I could hear her walking around. "I can see the Eiffel Tower from my bedroom."
"Wow. I thought you'd have to stay at the Lilarian embassy." I leaned back against my bed.
"I like having my own place. Then I don't have to explain to anyone when I get up in the middle of the night for a glass of milk."
"I have no idea how to respond to that." My imagination went into overdrive at the thought of her walking around naked.
"I do. Come here and keep me warm." Her voice took on a serious tone.
"I just got here, Lisa. And your sister is coming in a few days." I chewed on my thumbnail.
"It's for the best, I suppose. The press here can be vicious." She sighed. "Not to mention you're a blanket hog."
"I am not!"
"And you make weird noises."
"You said that was cute!" I laughed.
"And sexy." She chuckled.
We talked for a while and she explained some of the internal workings of the FBT and I talked to her about the estate. We didn't run out of things to talk about and it wasn't until she got another call that we hung up. I couldn't wait to talk to her again.