Hi guys welcome to the third book, first thing I wanted to say is I asked you guys what you wanted to see in this book and I've taken all your suggestions into consideration, but unfortunately I will not be able to grant them all so i'm sorry in advanced if I make anyone upset or annoyed I do try my best and I already have the story line planned out for the story so yeah but anyway I'll try my best to make you guys happy, I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter of crown me.
*Perrie's Pov* [Not edited]
The sun peeked cheerily through the kitchen window. Purple hues painted the sky, casting our quiet neighbourhood in a rosy glow that was unusually vivid for February. But despite the beauty of the peaceful London morning unfolding outside, I only had eyes for the love of my life who was lounging against the counter. Black sweatpants hung low off her hips while only a sports bra covers her chest, displaying her carved abs and her V line that I loved to run my fingers over.
(Her abs and V line would look something like this.)
Her hair was still tangled from this morning's lovemaking session. It hadn't even been an hour since her beautiful eyes had been locked on mine while she coaxed my body to two toe curling orgasms. But as gorgeous as her body was, it had nothing on her heart. My chest tightened as I considered that she was mine. It seemed impossible that this brutally beautiful women belonged to me.
Jade's mouth curved into a knowing smirk as I drank her in. She held out a mug of my favourite tea. "For you, my love."
I took a cautious sip from it and nodded approvingly.
"Am I finally getting the hang of it?" She asked. Last time Jade made me tea she remember everything expect for the water, which I don't understand how and lets just say it didn't taste very good.
"Not bad Jadey, But if you're going to keep me up half the night, I might have to start drinking coffee again," I teased lightly, trying to ignore the way my lower belly tensed at the memories of how she'd kept me up. Being late to work was becoming a bad habit and I didn't need to tempt myself any further.
Jade and I had fallen into a comfortable routine during the last few months despite our ongoing argument regarding tea versus coffee. We'd survived the holiday season and both our families along with it. That was no small feat, given that her mother would prefer I vanished into thin air and that my own parents marriage was hanging by a thread. Still, our relationship was more solid than ever. The lies and secrets that had once created a wall between us had been replaced by trust and understanding. Now it was time to start focusing on the changes this year would bring. It wasn't that I didn't want to marry Jade. I couldn't wait to be her wife. It was that it meant spending time with people I'd rather avoid, as well as facing just how much my life was about to change.
Her hand cupped my chin and drew my attention back to her. Back to this moment and away from the future. "You've got that I'm overthinking things look on your face Pez."
I forced a smile and shook my head. "There's a lot on my plate."
"One less thing on your plate soon." Jade's tone was casual as she spoke but it didn't stop me from sucking in a defensive breath.
Here we go again. This was exactly the conversation I wished to avoid with my overprotective lover.
"I'm going to miss my job. They need me there," I reminded her. I love my job but however, joining the Royal family meant taking on new responsibilities that prohibited me from continuing with my job. It had been a bitter pill to swallow in fact, it still was.
Jade's eyes flamed to life and she crooked a curious eyebrow at me. "I need you and you don't need to work."
"I want to work. Being independently wealthy isn't an excuse to spend all day shopping and going to the spa."
"You're not going to become your mother," Jade assured me, bypassing subtlety in favour of directness. Of course, she knew what this was about. At least I thought so until she added, "And believe me you'll have plenty of responsibilities besides shopping and mud wraps soon."
I set down my mug and faced her, my hand slipping down to finger the drawstring of her pants. "Like?"
Her arm hooked around my waist, pulling me against her violently. "Can we start with spending all day in bed?"
"As much as I love the idea of you naked every waking moment, I meant your other responsibilities. There will be expectations when you become my wife, love." Her tone had softened even if her grip on me was still firm and unrelenting.
"Oh." Of course there would be. I knew that. At least I thought I did. Months ago, I'd given notice to Eliza that I'd be leaving in February, so why couldn't I process that it was actually happening? Probably because it meant turning my back on everything I'd worked to accomplish at university in favour of navigating the choppy waters of the Royals. To most of them I was simply an pretender who had no place marrying the heir to the throne. My education, my upbringing none of that mattered to them, which made giving up my career sting even more.
Jade's lips cruised along my jaw. "It's not a death sentence."
"That would mean more if you didn't act like it was," I shot back, unable to quash my own defensiveness.
"Perrie, you'll work with charities, but when we're married, you'll have all my resources and connections at your disposal. You'll be meeting with world leaders to affect change in the world."
I had a feeling she was making those opportunities sound far more glamorous and empowering than they'd actually prove to be. The trouble was that I knew there was a difference between activism and politics. Jade understood that as well. But regardless of how I felt, I also knew that choosing her meant giving up my previous life and I'd made my choice. I'd expected a bit longer to acclimate myself to the idea. Of course, nothing involving Jade was gradual. Everything between us happened too quickly. Meeting her at my graduation party, falling into bed and unexpectedly falling in love. Our early relationship had been rocky but once we'd recommitted to each other last fall, things had moved swiftly. Now the wedding was less than two months away and I'm happy with Jade, what could go wrong?.
"I'd rather stay in bed with you than sit through meetings with politicians," I admitted with a sigh. At least, if I had to give up my career, I had a lifetime of Jade to soften the blow. No matter how much changed, she was the constant. As long as I had her, I could handle all the chaos.
Jade's hands slid from my hips to cup my ass. "We could stay in bed today."
"No way, Jade." I shoved at her playfully. "I promised Maggie lunch and I swore I wouldn't be late." Jade's face sadden at the mention of Maggie's name, After the night of the party which I wish I could forget I had a feeling that Maggie and Jade knew each other and I found that that Maggie was close to Karl during the last couple of months before his death, apparently Maggie didn't know who he truly was until Karl's picture was posted everywhere about his tragic death.
"Well tell Eliza that there were pressing matters of state." Jade swivelled her hips to show me exactly what pressing matters we were discussing.
I bit back a moan but the momentary loss of concentration was all the time Jade needed to push my pants down. A low growl vibrated through her as she touched my delicate lace panties. A finger pushed aside the scrap of lace, exposing my sex and anticipation rolled through me.
"I can't let you leave without a proper send-off," Jade murmured silkily.
"You gave me two proper send-offs this morning." But it was already a lost cause. My body responded to her gentle strokes with hunger and I rocked my hips against her hand.
"Oh God, I love you," Jade said as my fingers slipped past her waistband and closed greedily over her not so little friend.
Work could definitely wait.
---------------------------------------------------
Half an hour later, I was definitely late to work. Maybe it was a good thing that my last day was near. If this kept up, I was likely to be sacked anyway. Slamming the door of our house shut behind me, I waved to the Rolls-Royce parked at the curb. I couldn't see Lauren, Jade's personal security guard, who was now mine as well but I knew she was there waiting to take me to the office. Me and Lauren have gotten quite close over the last couple of months and I knew my friend Camila fancied Lauren the first she saw her and It took me a while but i eventually found Lauren felt the same so after a little matchmaking they now they have been dating for the last month.
I stepped forward and my heel crushed something soft under foot. Stumbling back, I found a smashed rose which had a small note attached to it. I crouched down and picked it up with trembling fingers.
'I am here waiting. Watching. Keeping to the shadows. But when the time is right I'll step out of the shadows and take back what is MINE.'
Immediately I scanned the small garden that provided privacy to our residence. My stomach plummeted as I dropped the remains of the flowering note.
Someone had been here.
Lauren appeared before me and looked down reading the note that was on the ground, "Perrie go back inside."
"Did you see anyone here?" I asked. It was a silly question. If Lauren had found someone this close to our home, they'd already be on their way to the nearest police station or hospital.
Lauren picked up the flower and note to inspected it. Without thinking, I plucked one of the petals from the flower and mashed it between my fingers. It was cold, nearly frozen. It could have been here all night, which meant that whoever had left it had managed to get in past the security that maintained a constant, if distant, presence outside at all hours.
"Perrie," Lauren said in a softer voice as she guided me back toward the door, "Please wait inside while I speak to Jade."
That wasn't going to work. My life was already upside down and I couldn't let every perceived threat frighten me. Staying behind locked doors wasn't an option. "I'm already late for work."
"It will only take a moment," She reassured me.
I sucked in a frustrated breath, squared my shoulders and allowed her to see me back inside. I didn't have much of a choice. As much as I wanted to pretend nothing had happened, Lauren was my ride to work, so I either waited outside alone or I followed suit. But it wasn't fear that made me choose retreat, it was the possibility that I might overhear something important. Security had been tight since I'd been attacked by my crazy ex-boyfriend Zayn on the night of our housewarming party. He was in jail, charged with attempted murder amongst a number of other lesser charges. Jade and Lauren were careful to keep discussions regarding my personal safety to a minimum well at least in front of me. After the proposal, I'd been more than happy to turn a blind eye in favour of romantic bliss. But this changed things. If something more was going on, I needed to know.
Jade appeared in the hallway as soon as the door opened. Her face was unreadable, a skill she'd perfected after years of constant media scrutiny but there was no denying from her rigid stance that she was on alert. I was torn between running to her and staying close to the door, uncertain if my touch would calm her or upset her further. She feared for my life, having already lost both her father and brother and Zayn's attack had only made her anxiety on that front worse. No security measure seemed to soothe her.
Lauren passed the rose and note to her. Neither spoke but the look they shared said enough.
"What's going on?" I demanded.
"Could you wait outside Lauren?" Jade asked her trusted bodyguard.
So much for getting any information.
As soon as Lauren was out the door, I rounded on my fiance. "Tell me this is just the token of a very stealthy admirer."
"Perhaps." It was all she said but the words she didn't say spoke louder.
"Zayn's is in jail awaiting trial right?," I asked her.
"Perrie." Her tone was rich with warning, but I ignored her.
"Don't Perrie me," I sassed her. "You've had this place watched like it's a nuclear test site for months. If something else is going on, I need to know."
We were under twenty four hour surveillance in our own home. Most of the time, I could ignore that. The people Jade had hired to protect me were ex-military and very good at their jobs. They kept out of sight but I still felt their presence at home. At work, I couldn't even go out to lunch without an armed escort parked nearby. It was beyond controlling, especially if the biggest threat to my safety was locked up. Unless...
Realisation crashed through me and my hand shot to the wall to steady myself. "Oh my God."
Jade's arms were around me before I could voice the fear tripping on the end of my tongue. "You're safe Pez."
But I wasn't. Not if...
"How long?" My words were hollow. I wouldn't allow myself to feel the fear building in my belly, which meant I couldn't allow myself to feel anything at all.
"There's no danger. Not with Lauren and the team—"
"How long Jade!?"
"Since Mustique," She said in a quiet voice.
"Mustique?" I squeaked. We'd been there months ago, before Leigh Anne had gone to the press with those accusations and before Jade changed the course of my life with a simple question. "You've known this whole time? You knew when you proposed!"
"Yes," Jade whispered.
I pushed her away, suddenly needing space to catch my breath. The hallway spun and I fought to regain control over the emotions warring inside me. Fear tore down the barriers I'd erected, liberating itself with a surge of panic that flooded through me. I couldn't ignore it anymore.
"I didn't want you to be scared Perrie. If you had known, it wouldn't have changed anything."
"Like hell it wouldn't have!" But it was a lie. Knowing Zayn was back on the streets wouldn't have made me feel safer. In this instance, knowledge wasn't power. The last thing I felt in this moment was empowered. That didn't change the fact that I knew now. "How?"
"An overzealous attorney." Jade's lips twisted into a rueful smile. "By the time I was informed, he was long gone."
"Gone?" I repeated. Disbelief added itself to the chaotic mix of feelings churning in the pit of my stomach. How could he be gone? Even if he'd been released temporarily, I hadn't dropped the charges against him.
"For someone with no military background, he knows how to hide."
This time when Jade reached for me, I let her wrap her arms around me. I melted into the safety of her embrace, willing myself to believe she could protect me. But if Lauren couldn't find Zayn and if all the people Jade employed behind my back hadn't even seen him or whoever left that rose what hope was there? The thought chilled my blood and settled deep in my bones.
I pulled away from her and reached for the door. "I need to go."
"Perrie, if I—"
"I don't want to hear it Jade," I stopped her. I'd spent the last few months believing Jade was too overprotective because I'd thought the source of her paranoia was behind bars."I don't know what's worse that Zayn was released or finding out you've been hiding it from me. You lied to me again! When is it going to stop?."
"Perrie." Jade's voice broke but I ignored her.
"I thought we were past this fucking shit. Later, Jade." I left before she could offer me more excuses. She'd been protecting me, I knew that but it didn't make it any easier to swallow the betrayal or the fact that my fragile happiness had been shattered. Right now all I wanted was space to consider what I'd just learned.
No one could protect me.
---------------------------------------------
A familiar person popped into view at the entrance to my office. Maggie shot me a tired grin and I waved her inside. Plopping into my spare chair, she rubbed her head and sighed heavily. The weight of it mirrored my own current frustration. Apparently Monday wasn't going smoothly for anyone. I could only hope that whatever was on her mind had nothing to do with crazy stalkers or possessive lovers.
"That bad?" I asked sympathetically. Leaning back in my chair, I folded my arms and waited patiently. I couldn't help but notice that she looked absolutely exhausted.
"We are mean't to have two new signings to the label this month but they pulled out and it was my job to make sure they didn't. I'm so stressed and tired. I don't know what to do."
"Have you talked to Eliza?," I said.
"I think she's more tired than I am. With the new baby and Alycia working so much." Her gaze traveled down. "I wish I had a love as strong as Eliza and Alycia and you and Jade."
"Not everything is as perfect as it seems but you will find someone who will love you unconditionally," I said, tapping my fingers on the arms of my chair. Maggie looked down sadly but smiled and happily sighed "You know these chairs are so comfortable."
"Take it, I don't really need it anymore."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up for a second but then her face immediately fell, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I keep forgetting this is your last week."
"Going to miss me are you?," I teased. "Look on the bright side, you get my chair."
She managed a tight smile. "Is it okay if I cancel our lunch date. Can we reschedule?"
"Absolutely." I hoped my response didn't seem too forced. I was more than a little sad to miss out on one of my last lunch dates with her.
Gathering my notebook and a pencil, I braced myself and headed to my Eliza's office, knowing our morning strategy sessions were numbered. I paused at the door as Eliza finished a phone call, but she beckoned for me to come in.
"Understood." Eliza swivelled to face her office window. After a few minute she finished her phone call and turned to me.
"What am I going to do without you?" She asked.
I wagged a finger at her. "Don't start!"
"I'm really going to miss you you know that right?" Eliza said.
"I'm going to miss you too," I said while starting to cry, Eliza was by my side in a instant pulling me into a hug. "You're going to be okay, Jade will look after you."
"I hope -"
"Perrie your phone is ringing." Maggie interrupted, I nodded and looked up at Eliza she smiled and patted my back. I excused myself back to my office to see my sisters name on the screen of my phone.
"Hey Caitlin," I greeted her breathlessly.
"Were you running?" she asked. The hint of confusion colouring her tone quickly shifted to annoyance. "And why are you whispering?"
"I'm at work," I reminded her, keeping my voice soft. I loved my sister but her unapologetic bluntness meant she wasn't always terribly perceptive.
"I thought you worked at a music label, not a library."
"I figured it would be nice to keep a little of my personal life private." My eyes rolled involuntarily, glad that she couldn't see me through the phone. "I'd like to keep our family issues out of the tabloids."
I had no reason to suspect Eliza or anyone here had sold me out but the paparazzi's interest in me had grown into a frenzy since my engagement to Jade. The press had run stories on everything from analysing my apparent preference for free-range eggs to interviews with people who'd attended classes with me at university.
"Mum loves being in tabloids," Caitlin said.
Normally I'd say she had a point, but my mother's stubborn refusal to admit Dad was cheating suggested this was a line in the sand. A juicy story like my father's affair would be worth a pretty penny and it might destroy my mother. Of course, Caitlin didn't admit that she was enjoying the cover time she'd been receiving herself. Our shared genetics meant that she looked like a younger version of me that dressed better. Much better. As such, she'd quickly become a fashion trendsetter, even starting a craze for handbag designer Kate Spade. The gossip rags had begun a Caitlin watch, breaking down her wardrobe choices and linking her to a dozen of the world's most eligible bachelors. As far as I was concerned, it was too much but I'd rather she distract them from what was happening behind closed doors. Plus, Caitlin didn't seem to mind.
"Regardless," she continued, "she's asked me to go dress and hat shopping for a certain blessed event. Please tell me your last day at that job is coming up. She's insisting we go together."
"No date yet. Soon," I lied. "Take her to buy a hat for the engagement party. That's next weekend."
"She's had that hat picked out for months," Caitlin said emphatically. "Word to the wise, she's going to ask you at our family meeting next week."
"Of course, she is." I sighed and checked the clock. "I better run."
"You probably should run if you keep Mum waiting any longer," Caitlin warned and quickly hung up.
I pushed thoughts of dates and hat shopping into the back of my mind. Yet another reason I would miss my job was that it provided distraction from the topic of my wedding. With everything so complicated at the moment, the last thing I needed to add to my plate was more wedding preparation. Not while Jade was still keeping secrets from me. Not while her mother refused to give her blessing. And certainly not with Zayn out there. A thick lump formed in my throat and I swallowed against the sudden swell of fear. Right now burying myself in my work meant not having to face that fact. My phone buzzed insistently and I grabbed it to silence my reminder-to-eat alarm, surprised to discover it was actually a call from Luke.
"Perrie Edwards's desk how can I help you?," I said with mock formality.
"Is the bitch in today?" Luke asked in a voice dripping with British dryness.
My mouth twisted into a smile. "I'm afraid she's busy."
"Too bad. I was calling to inform her that her presence is demanded at a mandatory girl's night this weekend."
I couldn't stop myself from snorting at this. Since he'd officially come out of the closet, he'd fully embraced his sexuality. It only made me love him more. "Girl's night, huh?"
"Don't bother telling me I don't have the necessary equipment, I have the necessary attitude," Luke said while in the background I heard him do the z snap. "and the emergency to boot."
"Please tell me there's not trouble in paradise for you, too."
"Absolutely not. I've been reformed," he assured me cheekily. "I just want some time with my favourite bride-to-be. Jesy's already in and if Jade cannot bear to be parted from you or your vagina for the evening, we can do it at your place."
"You're shameless."
"You love me."
I couldn't disagree with him there. "I'll have to..."
The words fell off my tongue as Jade seized the chair next to mine. She lounged back, smirking wickedly, as I struggled to regain my composure.
"Sorry...I'm distracted. I'll have to call you back," I finally managed.
"Tell Jade I said hello," Luke said knowingly.
I took a steadying breath as I hung up and put the phone down.
"What? You couldn't just send a note?" I bit out, allowing the turmoil I'd felt all morning to spill over.
"We need to talk." Her voice was low, but firm. Domineering. Powerful. A dizzying sensation washed over me as I fought against the effect she had on me.
I knew that domineering tone. I was being commanded and while I couldn't deny I'd come to crave that in her bed, I wasn't about to put up with it now. "Now you want to talk? Did something happen that you couldn't coordinate behind my back?"
"Perrie."
"I need to get to lunch."
And I needed to avoid a screaming match in the here at work.
"That's why I'm here." Jade moved closer, brushing a finger along my arm. My reaction was instantaneous. A ripple of longing shivered from the point of contact and up my neck. My body curved, lured toward her with the same instinctual magnetism that had drawn us together since the moment we'd first met.
But I refused to roll over that easily. "I have a lunch date with Maggie, remember?"
"And it was cancelled," She said, shrugging her shoulders in a far too innocent gesture.
"Un-fucking believable." Snatching my purse up, I beelined for the lift but before I could reach it, Jade was at my side. "Hi" She smirked, really your trying to be playful right now Jade?
"Do you have this whole place bugged?" I hissed, unable to contain myself and hoping none of my co-workers would hear.
When the lift doors slid open, Jade gestured for me to enter. My simmering annoyance had reached full-blown fuming as she calmly pressed the down button. "I am made aware if your schedule changes."
"Do you even hear how crazy that sounds!?" I exploded.
"It's a safety precaution. Your life might be in danger." The evenness of her voice only made me angrier.
"Might! It might be! You also might be driving me crazy!" I'd gone along with the initial security precautions following Zayn's attack, Maybe I was approaching this the wrong way though. Jade could be reasonable. I just needed to be logical.
"You weren't honest with me. I accepted the security so that you would feel better. I thought we'd both be able to relax soon but instead I find out that there's actually been a real threat the whole time. How would you feel if every moment of your life was watched, recorded and reported on without you even knowing why?"
But She only cocked an eyebrow. "Every moment of my life has been exactly that."
"Right." I sank against the cool metal wall of the lift for support. Of course it had been. It still was. This was entirely normal to her, which meant the expectation was that it would be normal for me as well. I didn't move when we reached the ground floor.
"I should have been more honest with you," She admitted. "We can discuss that over lunch, but right now I need to see you eat something."
I pointing to a bistro a few buildings down. I'd been there before and knew it was frequented by businessmen too preoccupied with their own deals and conversations to care about us. Jade caught my hand as we crossed the street, purposefully placing herself on the side of oncoming traffic. But the street was relatively quiet and a few moments later, she held open the brass door to the restaurant. The low hum of a dozen conversations filled the room accompanied by soft music. The bistro itself sat in the shadow of several of the larger buildings, dimming the room considerably for the lunch hour.
"Table for two please," Jade informed the hostess, who was in the process of stacking menus. She glanced up and her mouth fell open.
"Of course your highness," she chirped, her fingers trembling as she checked the seating chart.
Jade dipped down until she was eye level with her. "Somewhere...private."
Hardly anyone noticed as we followed the girl toward the back of the restaurant to a fairly private table tucked into a recessed nook, but awareness prickled through me. Were we being watched right now? Followed by a special security team? Were any of our private moments private at all?
"Will this do?" The young hostess wrung her hands nervously as Jade pulled out a chair for me.
"This will be fine," She said in a gracious tone, tilting her head slightly. The girl eyes darted from me to Jade and then she did a small curtsy and scampered away.
Possessiveness flared inside of me, I hadn't mistaken the lust in her eyes. I couldn't exactly blame her for that. Not only was Jade royalty but she exuded a raw sensuality that most women couldn't ignore. But the reaction had been uncontrollable and unexpected. Jealousy wasn't really my thing, except when it came to the toxic Leigh Anne Pinnock. Gripping the sides of my chair, I willed my pulse to calm. I was being paranoid. Jade had been lying to me again and my body had responded possessively to a perceived threat. That was all.
But that didn't make it okay.
"You're quiet." There was no accusation in her voice but there was an undercurrent of something else hidden amongst her words. Pain.
I lifted my gaze slowly to meet her's, preparing myself for the momentary electricity I always felt when I saw her. It rocked through me but this time I focused that scorching desire into fuel for my anger. Betrayal and desire were a volatile combination and it took what little self control I had to keep my voice low enough that only she could hear me. "I feel like I've been living a lie."
"I should have told you about Zayn," She repeated. "But there was never a good time. I expected to have a lead on him much more quickly."
"That's no reason to keep the truth from me!"
"I assumed it would be resolved weeks ago. Months ago. The longer it took, the harder it became to bring up."
I shook my head, dismissing the lame excuse. "That probably should have been a clue that what you were doing was wrong."
"Baby." Jade brought my hand to her lips and kissed each knuckle, stopping at my ring finger as though to gently remind me that I'd promised myself to her.
"Don't think that if you are all sexy and sweet, I'll forget what you did."
"You think I'm sexy?" The cocky grin that suited her so well twisted over her lips, making it impossible not to want to kiss her.
"Once again, you're missing the point, Jade."
"We came here to talk and we will but I also came to tell you I have to go out of town." Her eyes stayed trained on me as she dropped the bit of news.
I swallowed and nodded. "For how long?"
"My mother has asked me to attend a jubilee dinner. I'd like you to come with me."
"I can't." The refusal was out of my mouth before I could think about it. A time was coming when my presence would be expected but for now, I wanted to relish the last bit of freedom I had left.
Jade stiffened, surprised by my refusal.
"I have plans," I continued in a rush. "And this is my last week at work."
"So this has nothing to do with our fight earlier?"
"No." I paused. "And yes. Maybe some time apart will give us some perspective."
"I don't like time apart," She growled.
"I can't," I repeated but this time the refusal came out weakly.
"Fine but I want to make one thing perfectly clear." Jade grabbed the arm of my chair and jerked it closer to her. The scrape of its feet on the wooden floor vibrated through my body, dialling up my shredded nerves and making me all the more aware of her. Heat radiated from her, drawing me in even as I tried to stay away. Jade might have lied to me but the safety I always found in her arms was a surer truth than any I'd ever known. It was her own screwed up way of loving me. That made it even harder to maintain the space between us, especially when it was her solace I longed for.
Jade's shoulders slanted and she inclined her head until the warmth of her breath skimmed across my neck. I breathed in her scent, my eyes shutting as her hand snaked under the band of my pants. Her fingers drifted teasingly as she traced a path across the sensitive flesh.
"What I do is for your protection, my love. Not only from anyone who might wish to harm you but also from yourself." With her free hand, she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then tipped my chin up. My eyelids fluttered open expectantly, knowing exactly what she wanted from me, what she demanded. Our faces were a fraction of an inch apart, close enough to kiss. "Fear is your enemy. It controls you when you let it and then you try too hard to take control back."
So she controlled fear for me. Jade protected me from myself. Or, at least, she controlled what I knew. Sometimes I suspected she still wanted me to fear her. She'd tried hard to sabotage our relationship early on. I swallowed and held her gaze unwavering even as the tips of her fingers brushed across the lace of my panties. I was soaked through, wildly turned on despite my confusion and her eyelids hooded as she felt my wetness.
"Are you ready to order?"
My own dreamy eyes popped open when I realised we'd been joined by the waiter but Jade's face remained impassive as she looked over the menu, her hand staying, decidedly, in place between my legs.
"I'd like the lamb shank and the fennel salad," Jade answered smoothly as she pushed the lace to the side and thrust a finger past my folds. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to keep a moan of pleasure from spilling out as she continued with her order. No one would guess from her casual demeanour that she was expertly fucking me with her hand under the table.
"And for you?" The waiter shifted his attention to me.
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. I didn't dare look up. I didn't dare move. If I opened my mouth now, I wouldn't be able to keep up the pretence of normalcy. I clung to my last thread of self-restraint, hanging in an ecstatic limbo. The thought of being caught the mere idea that the stranger in front of me might suspect what was happening held me in check while heightening every brush. Every caress.
"She'll have the same," Jade said, coming to my rescue, her thumb massaging a teasing circle over my aching bud. Jade held out the menu, and as the waiter accepted, she slipped two fingers inside me. I forced a polite, if strained, smile onto my face as the waiter took his leave. As soon as he was gone, I pressed my face into Jade's shoulder, biting into the bone and muscle in an attempt to control my pleasure.
"This is how it will be with us," She spoke huskily, her voice rich with restrained lust. "Whatever I ask of you, whatever I assume is best for you, you will comply. I live for two things, Perrie, to give you pleasure and to protect you. I won't restrain myself in either regard. Do you understand that? Nod, love."
Her fingers curled inside me, massaging my g-spot. It was impossible to find my voice, but I could nod.
And I did.
My body belonged to her.
I belonged to her.
"And now you will come for me," She commanded in a whisper. "I want to feel your teeth in my skin as you try not to scream. Leave your mark on me as I claim you right here in front of all of these people."
My mouth clamped down to stifle the rapturous sob her dominance provoked within me. I couldn't deny Jade's hold over me any more than I could deny myself air. She infuriated me but that anger only stirred my desire for her more. She knew that. She knew that she owned me.
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Hey guys
So here is the new book, I tried to not make the first chapter slow or boring and I hope I succeed. I hope you liked it and let me know what you think I love to hear your feedback. I'll try to get the next chapter up as quickly as I can if not I'm sorry for the wait, thank you for reading.
See you next update!