Disturbance: A King's Hart Novel Book 2 (BWWM)

IV. Final Straw

My fists bunched up at the hem of my dress as irritation at this infuriating audacious man nearly blinded me. How could he be so bold as to come in here and just . . . take over. Looking up to the ceiling I sent a quizzical look up at God wondering if he was trying to tell me something.

The irritating man peaked over at me and I was throwing mental daggers at him. He sighed sat up in my bed to watch me intently. Rubbing at his beard, his eyes softened as they crawled up and down my body. 

He really wasn't going anywhere and there was no way that I, nearly a foot shorter than him, could wrestle him out of here. Did I ever really want him to leave though?

I did not.

On an exasperated sigh, I bent down to retrieve his belt and jeans, than swiped his shirt off the living room chair where he had chucked it. I looked up at him, and sure enough he was still watching me. Watching me and waiting. 

I went to the edge of my bed and rested his clothes gently on the foot board. He threw his legs over the side of the bed with his hands at his sides. . . still waiting.

In the end, I went to him. I walked right in between his legs and set my hands on his thighs . . . strong, firm thighs that I was sure that, if he had the mind to do so, he could squeeze the very life out of me. 

We stared at each other for what seem like an eternity when I finally looked away first. Being here in his arms, protected by his body felt perfectly right. It felt like home. 

The rough pad of his thumb grazed my bottom lip. "You're so beautiful lady. It hurts to just look at you," he said as his other hand drew circles on my exposed thigh in a lazy fashion. He was weakening me.

He had no right.

"If you don't forgive me, I am not too sure I can get over it. You see. . . I want you Nuri. I want to be near you, and right now. . . I just want you to forgive me for betraying your trust like I did. It won't happen again I swear."

"How can you be so certain about something as serious as wanting to be around me?" I managed to ask him past the lump in my throat. "I am sure, I am more than certain that I am nothing like the women you are used to."

"Hey hey now," he said warning in his voice. His arms went up to my waist and squeezed. "I've been watching you remember. Don't you think I know how different you are? I've had long nights to sit and rack my brain trying to make sense of what kind of a woman stays home all day-- everyday-- reading her books and just. . . existing on her own hidden away from the world."

I subconsciously rubbed the back of my ear. "But I am not that interesting," I said hoping that he would see reason, convinced that he was under some kind of spell. Maybe he wasn't real. Maybe he was just some figment of my imagination. I reached out to touch his chest just to make sure. 

He covered my hand with his and said, "When I found you that night on my balcony, it was like stumbling onto some secret treasure that was out in plain sight for all the world to see. But baby," he pounded his chest.  "I saw you. I found you and wasn't the same since."

"But you're the King of Savoie," I said as my last stitch effort at getting him to snap out of whatever trance he was in. 

"So what, I want you to be my Queen," he said a bit harshly. "And I'm tired of you selling yourself short lady. You are a fucking goddess and you better not let yourself believe anything less."

"This is not real," I said shaking my head. 

"Nuri goddammit!," he raised his voice, stood at his feet, and went over to stand at my window. "Haven't you looked at yourself lately. Like really seen yourself?"

He was angry. . . for some reason. My frown line grew deeper as I watched him. 

"In here, you're Nuri Hart, recluse editor, designer... My angel."

He pointed at the door. "Out there, you are Ms.Hart. That lovely, beautiful, exotic, mysterious woman that everyone wants to be around. You step into a room and automatically become the center of attention. You mean to tell me you don't see that?"

I did see it. At the Gala last week his colleagues were stuck to me like moths to a flame. I just thought it was because I was different from what they were used to. I felt like a mosquito trapped in a tall glass of milk that night.

That night I also learned that my presence there sent some woman named Emma a-turning in over her grave, and that was what really terrified me about this man. His past. A past that I knew nothing about. He had surprises, and I wasn't too sure I wanted them springing up on my someday when I was least expecting it. 

Nathaniel is a man. He wants to possess me, to have me as his own. I wanted to be possessed by him. Pushing all rational thought aside I faced him squarely.

"Come here," I said quietly. 

He looked up at me an eager smile that nearly stopped my heart plastered on his face. Nathaniel, in two quick strides, made his way to me closing the space between us.

"If we are going to do this," I began. He was already nodding agreeing before he heard my terms. "I need you to be honest with me always. Keep nothing from me. Full disclosure Nathaniel."

He could barely keep his hands off me and buried his head in my neck breathing me in deeply. "Whatever you want Nuri baby. Yes."

I couldn't help the smile and said, "Okay."

"Fuck yes," he laughed, and bent down to wrap his arms around the back of my knees to lift me up so that we were face to face  with each other. "You won't regret this baby."

"I better not regret," I warned him and held his cheeks in my hand. Lowering lips to his, I covered his mouth with a kiss and he greedily took me into him. 

"Take me to bed Nathaniel," I told him when we pulled out of the kiss. 

"Yes ma'am," he said with a mischievous smile.