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Jasper
I’m hers.
The thought floated through my mind even though it had no business being there.
Hers.
I’d never had any interest in claiming a bride. Long after I’d left my home planet and long after I’d started working for the princess on Oceaile, I’d ignored the fairytale idea that I might one day find someone to marry. That simply wasn’t me.
I had too much baggage. Everyone did. The idea of people actually being willing to settle down and marry another person seemed so foreign and strange to me, and yet there I was. Staring at the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life wasn’t exactly in the cards for me. I didn’t deserve to enjoy a moment like this. I really, really didn’t.
There was a soft, gentle knock at the door. Sliding from bed, I was careful not to disturb the woman who lay sleeping on top of the hover bed. She was floating like an angel, and I wasn’t going to be the one to wake her up. Not just yet.
When the moment was right, I wanted to smother her with kisses. I wanted to slide my tongue over her neck and just taste her. She was gorgeous. Her body was covered in lovely white tattoos that laced her skin. Her long, dark hair was spread all around her on the bed. The entire aesthetic was very pleasing to me, very pleasant. I wanted more.
Now, though, the door.
I pressed my hand to a panel on the wall and the door slid open. An angry-looking woman stood there before me. She didn’t have a crown on, but she might as well have. I knew exactly who this fiery lady was.
“Your majesty.”
I bowed my head but made no gesture to move. This was my room. These were my chambers. I was the guest, and I was the one staying here. She could be upset if she wanted to, but I didn’t want to leave the space I was in. I certainly wasn’t about to let the queen wake up the lady in my bed.
“Don’t give me that shit,” the queen snapped. “Where is she?”
I said nothing. I just kept standing there. I was wearing nothing but a small pair of shorts, and the queen was doing a wonderful job keeping her eyes on mine. She was a tall woman. Most of the women on Malum were. This one was no exception. She stared easily into my eyes and didn’t back down. I could see why the king liked her so much.
“Your highness,” I tried again. “It was a long night. I’d like some time to myself.”
More like, I’d like some time to crawl back into bed and make love to the woman lying there. I wanted some time to slide my cock deep inside of her wet, aching pussy and just lose myself there. Those were the things I wanted.
The queen’s eyes narrowed.
“One more chance,” she snapped. “Don’t make me call the king.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I chuckled. “Besides, he can’t do a thing. I don’t work for him. I’m a guest.”
I wouldn’t be for long. Not with my shitty-ass, snarky attitude. They’d send me back to Oceaile where I belonged. They’d send me back and let me work at one of the palaces until I fell down dead from sheer boredom and sadness.
Then, before I could say anything else, there was a rustling noise from behind me. Shit. I’d been too slow. I shouldn’t have opened the door at all. I wasn’t really sure why I hadn’t been able to resist, but I hadn’t.
“Lane?” A sleepy voice from behind me called out. “Queen? Is that you?”
Lane’s jaw dropped as she realized who exactly was in my bed. I pressed my lips together but didn’t say anything. Finally, I sighed and stepped aside, allowing the queen to rush into the room. She hurried over to her friend and placed her hands on Brianna’s shoulders.
“What are you doing here?” Brianna asked gently. “It’s the morning. Shouldn’t you be with Andy? Don’t the two of you have like, breakfast or something?” Brianna seemed genuinely confused as to why Lane might be here. Then she looked around, and she seemed to realize that she wasn’t in her room, either. “Wait a minute...”
“Brianna,” Lane said slowly. “Brianna, take a deep breath.”
“I think I drank too much last night,” Brianna said slowly. “The party was a lot of fun, but then we started doing shots and everything got so crazy. Lane, you wouldn’t believe it. There was this hot guy there. Like, he was really hot.”
“Brianna...”
Brianna ignored the queen and kept talking. She hadn’t noticed me yet, though. Hadn’t given me any mind at all, actually, and that was one of the biggest problems of all. Lane was blocking me from view, but I couldn’t have that. I needed Brianna to remember. I needed her to see me so she could remember what had happened, what we’d done.
I didn’t want her to regret what had occurred between us because I certainly didn’t. It wasn’t every day you met someone you found yourself falling for. It certainly wasn’t everyday you woke up with a stranger in your bed – one that you wanted very much to get to know.
“It was such a crazy night. I think we made out, Lane. I can still feel where he kissed me on my neck. Oh, shit. Do you think we did more than that? Am I in his room right now?” Brianna seemed to notice that she was naked. She looked down, and then she looked up.
That was when she saw me.
Her jaw dropped as she stared at me.
“It’s you.”
“And it’s you,” I agreed.
“I remember you,” she told me. “I remember you from last night.”
“Good,” I chuckled. “I’d feel pretty bad about myself if you didn’t remember me.”
“I just...what am I doing here?” Brianna asked breathlessly. Oh, she was so pretty here. Even when she was confused, and even when she wasn’t completely sure about what we’d done, she was fucking gorgeous.
“Don’t you remember?” Lane asked.
“She doesn’t.”
Brianna’s face wrinkled into a frown. She didn’t seem to care that she was naked in front of us both. She hadn’t even bothered to cover herself. She was just standing there, completely open, completely vulnerable, and she was looking at me like she couldn’t wait to hear what I was going to say next.
“Brianna, you and I...we got married last night.”
Brianna took one look at me, and then she looked at Lane.
“It’s true,” Lane nodded. “You two sort-of got married.”
Brianna didn’t even hesitate. She just fell, crumpling into a pile on the floor.
My bride had fainted.
The story continues in CRAZED.