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JULIUS
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“You snake,” Zoe turned on him the minute they were back in her lounge room, “you didn’t need to kiss me at all, you could have simply touched my hand to transport me to Kizmet.”
“True, but kissing you was more fun, admit it, you enjoyed it too.” Julius laughed at the way Zoe’s mouth flapped open and closed, regretting it when her hand connected with his stomach.
“I hate you,” she hissed.
“Zoe,” he snatched up her hand, pulling her body flush against his, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist, his arousal pressing against the fabric of his trousers, “don’t say that,” he commanded, “please, I don’t want you to regret it later.”
“As if I-” Julius cut her off, his mouth crashing down on hers with a raw need. His tongue probed her mouth, tasting her, teasing until he heard the sound of her sigh and felt her body melting into his.
“Say you want me,” he broke the kiss, still keeping her pressed against him, knowing she could feel his erection pressing against her stomach.
“No.”
“You can pretend all you like Zoe, but your own body betrays you.” Julius dipped his head to capture her breast through the layers of her clothing, smiling when she arched her back. “That’s what I thought. I wonder...”
Zoe's eyes grew round as she watched Julius slide her skirt up, her breath hitching as he slid his hand beneath the fabric of her panties, his finger sliding across her wet nub and down to her dripping centre. “You’re so wet for me Zoe, so wet,” he slid two fingers inside her folds. “It’s okay to want Zoe, it’s okay to ache, to need,” he plunged his fingers in and out of her folds, feeling her juices slide down his hand. “Tell me you want me as much as you know I want you.”
“No,” Zoe shook her head vehemently.
“Fine.” Julius removed his fingers from her delicious centre and straightened her clothing, licking his fingers clean as she watched, her mouth agape. “So you know, the next time I touch you, it will be because you begged me to, is that clear?” At her nod, he stepped away from her. “Now, this wasn’t exactly how I had imagined this going, but it can’t be helped now. Zoe,” he turned to face her, “will you marry me?”
“I beg your pardon?” Zoe looked confused. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, marry me.”
“Why?”
“You are carrying my child, the heir to Kizmet’s throne. He or she will not be illegitimate.” Julius countered, having already prepared his arguments before asking her.
“I see. In that case, no. Don’t worry though, I’ll keep your mistake a secret, they won’t know you exist, I promise you. Now, get out of my house.” Zoe pointed towards the front door.
“Zoe, you misunderstand. I will claim this child as my own, that is not up for discussion. I am offering you far more than I have ever offered anyone else before, marriage, to a prince.”
“I’ll pass.”
“You’d give up your own child, just walk away, as your mother did?” Julius fired his winning shot, Zoe gasping as it hit his target.
“What are you saying?” He heard the doubt in her voice, and fear. As much as he hated to play on her past, he knew it was the only way to get her to agree to marry him.
“Eventually I will marry. To you or to someone else is of no consequence. This child will be raised as my heir, at my palace, with my family. I am offering you a way to remain in their life.” Julius crossed his arms and looked at Zoe, a bored expression on his face.
“By marrying you?”
“Yes.”
“Julius, are you serious?” It was the way she said his name, all breathless and shy, that almost had him confessing to her, but he held firm.
“Very. I’ll give you a day to decide. Come on now, don’t look so upset, there are perks to marrying me you know. Money and houses of course, but apart from that, there will be endless nights of pleasure, with you wrapped around me while I bury myself deep inside you.”
Julius knew that he had backed Zoe into a corner, but he didn’t care. After overhearing her conversation with his mother earlier that day he had decided that there was no way he was going to risk losing her or the baby and had come up with a plan to get them both.
He had hoped that he would be able to win back her friendship, and then eventually, if he was lucky, her heart, but it seemed that everything he did was wrong. He was at a loss as to how to get through to her, how to get her to see that he loved her. this way, at least, he would be able to keep them both safe, and in his life. It was better than nothing. She just needed to say yes.
