Chapter 13
13
H ollyn nearly doubled over with the anxiety that swirled in her abdomen once the words were out of her mouth. She wanted Kai, and when he’d said she was strong woman and that he wanted her by his side, her heart had soared. She’d been so happy to hear those words until she remembered she still had unfinished business with her father. She needed to settle her affairs before she would be able to do anything like marry someone. Not to mention, she wasn’t sure becoming a queen was a part of her long-term life plan. As much as she didn’t want to and as much as it broke her heart, it was just best for everyone if she bowed out now.
Yet, Uma gave a sniff and said, “As much as it pains me to admit it, you would have made a wonderful queen, Hollyn, but I can’t force you to compete if you don’t want to.”
Hollyn got the feeling Uma wasn’t about to let that be the last word on the subject.
And sure enough, she pointed above Hollyn’s head, drawing her attention to a glass case. Hollyn focused her attention on the case at the top of the arena in an area that appeared to be a section Hollyn hadn’t noticed before. It was a separate room with glass doors that could be unfolded in invitation or closed off from the public. Right now, it was open and inside were displayed two, golden crowns.
“Those are the ceremonial crowns. The one on the left will be Kai’s when he is coronated. And the one on the right, with the ruby red fragmented jewel, will belong to the Queen, whomever she might be.”
Hollyn couldn’t believe her eyes…or her luck. The ruby fragment was the final piece of the amulet. No doubt about it, Hollyn needed to get her hands on that crown.
She would have to compete. And she would have to win.
“Okay. You’ve convinced me. What do I have to do?”
* * *
There was one task standing between Hollyn and the last piece of the amulet. All she had to do was get Kai a gift. A simple but effective way to prove you would be the best companion for the King. Yet, Hollyn was at a complete loss at the moment. What gift would be the most impressive?
Obviously, she could give him the mundane and expected types of gifts—tickets to sporting events. She could bake him something, but the goal was to impress him. That wasn’t happening with her cooking skills. She’d love to bring Otis, his adorable puppy, to him here, but getting the dog to Hanupali City would take more ability to plan and more time than she had. The only other thing that Kai had cherished was his plane, and she couldn’t imagine how she’d manage to purchase that from the Pacific Ocean depths.
The only thing left that Kai would likely want was impossible. How would she ever find the god of the oceans when she continued to get lost in the palace every single day of the three days they’d been here. Even now, she was turned around about which direction was the throne room through which she’d find the dining room. It was damn confusing.
She turned down yet another dark hallway and wondered to herself why a building needed so many hallways. And why was it always so dark in here? It was unnerving. As she stepped around the next corner, though, she gave a squeak as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her midsection and pull her into a hard chest.
“I can’t believe you didn’t see me pass you back there.” Kai’s sexy whisper against her ear sent tingles down her spine and her body relaxed into his. He kissed down her neck, and she tilted her head to give him better access.
“I was so focused on trying to figure out where I was, but how fortunate for me that I took that last turn.”
He chuckled against her skin, and fiery sparks swirled in her midsection. “How fortunate for both of us.”
With a quick motion, he turned her in his arms until they were facing each other, and he had her back against the wall, his arms bent at the elbow and braced on each side of her head.
They were in a recess created by a jutting column that hid them from the view of anyone who happened to walk by, but Hollyn was still nervous about what might happen if they got caught.
“Do you really think this is a good idea?”
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve had in a long time.” He smiled down at her, making her heart pound. This was such a bad idea, but she couldn’t seem to care.
She lifted her hands to the hem his shirt and ran them under until she felt the bare skin of his abdomen. He sucked in a quick breath at her touch. Slowly, she ran her hands up his chest and stopped once she’d reached his pecs where she hovered and ran her fingers lightly across the smooth skin there, testing the sensitivity of his nipples.
“Let me know if I’m crossing a line.”
He groaned. “Damn! I hope you sprint across them all. I’ve missed you.”
The words made her still for a moment, wondering if they meant as much to him as they did to her. Did he miss her ? Or did he miss what they’d started but hadn’t finished?
“What about me have you missed?”
“I missed my friend.”
His words cooled her down a little. Was she misreading what they were to each other? “Your friend? Is that what we are? Friends?”
“Oh, we’re so much more. Let me tell you what else I’ve missed about you.” His grin widened as he lowered his lips until they were barely touching hers and he said, “I’ve missed your smile.”
The kiss began slowly, but it quickly deepened, and he closed the distance between their bodies, pushing her into the wall with his. Their tongues met, and a needy sound escaped her mouth as the kiss grew more passionate. She felt his hardened length between them, and electric pulses danced through her body, concentrating in a wave at her core. He dropped his arms to wrap them around her and pull her away from the wall and against him tighter than she’d ever been to another human being before. She was so hot for him.
He broke the kiss long enough to say, “I’ve missed your face.” He released her so that he could run a hand along her jaw line and down her neck, his lips still hovering over her mouth. “And I’ve missed your body.”
He ran both hands along the sides of her torso, lifting her shirt enough to reach them inside. She moaned at the touch of his calloused fingertips. He slowly circled until he was at the underside of her breasts where he traced back and forth over the sensitive skin.
As he lifted her bra and found her aching nipples, pinching them lightly before smoothing his thumb back and forth over them, he said, “But mostly, I’ve missed hearing your moans as you come for me.”
His mouth was on hers once more, and she gave herself over with abandon. This was what she wanted. He was what she wanted. Nothing else mattered in that moment.
She cried out with the loss of his lips as he pulled back and rested his forehead to hers. His breathing as ragged as hers, he said, “Tell me this is what you want. Tell me you want me.”
“Yes! I want you, Kai! I want to be with you!”
In an instant, he had her shirt and bra on the floor, along with his own. Despite the fact that they anyone could walk down the hallway at any minute, they kicked off their shoes and shucked their pants and underwear. For just this moment, Hollyn was glad the hallways were so dark.
Once again, Kai took charge, pushing her hands up above her head with one of his as he lowered his tongue to one of her nipples. He sucked the bud into his mouth as his other hand ran over her hip and across her thigh to cup her sex. Her head fell back on her shoulders, but encountered the wall. She felt possessed and abandoned herself to the feeling.
As he moved to the other nipple, he shifted until he could slip a finger inside her. She gave a needy cry, wanting more instantly.
He sucked her nipple into his mouth hard and pulled off with a popping sound before he met her gaze and said, “You’re already so wet for me, Hollyn. You’re such a good girl.”
Fuck me! She thought the words not just as an expletive but as a command also. She wanted him inside her. She needed him inside her. He straightened until their mouths were even once more and took her lips just as he inserted another finger inside her, curving the two until he was hitting just the right spot. She could already feel the tension of her orgasm beginning to build.
She reached a hand between them to grip his cock, but he pulled his hand free and pushed her hand away gently. “I’m already too close just looking at you and listening to your moans. Let me get you there first.”
She gave a frustrated sigh. He laughed lightly at her reaction, but then, he lowered himself to his knees.
“Brace your back against the wall and hold on tight, Hollyn.”
With his hands on her ass, he lifted her and nudged her to put each of her legs over his shoulders. She did as he indicated, and he stared for a moment before he said, “Damn, you’re beautiful.”
She didn’t have time to react before he leaned in and gave one, long lick that had her knees shaking the minute he swirled around her clit and repeated the process.
She cried out, “Kai! More, please.”
And she felt his chuckle against her pussy as he began to fuck her with his tongue. She felt every motion of his mouth like a straight shot to her pleasure zone. She was so close and couldn’t hold back the throaty moans or his name as he gave her the most pleasure she’d ever felt before. With one final lick he wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked gently, sending her over the edge. Without thought of anything else but chasing her orgasm, she squeezed her thighs around his head and bucked her hips into his mouth as he made her come so incredibly hard.
As she lowered her legs and set her feet on the floor, her knees nearly buckled. “That felt so good, Kai.”
He rummaged around in the pile of clothes on the floor and stood up in front of her. “We’re not finished yet.”
To her great relief, he slipped a condom over his cock and took a step toward her, reaching to grip her under her ass once more before he lifted her easily and placed his hardened dick at her entrance. She wrapped her hands around his neck, and bucked her hips once, feeling him slipping through her folds. He sucked in a sharp breath before leaning in and nipping the skin at her neck.
“Dammit, woman! I’m trying to hang on here.” They were both breathing heavily at this point, but Hollyn felt like her heart was going to pound out of her chest. She could feel the thrill of another building orgasm already, and he wasn’t even inside her yet.
“Are you ready, Hollyn? Because I can’t wait any longer.”
She nodded quickly a few times and met his gaze. He gritted his teeth as he pushed into her until she felt just the tip inside. He pulled back and sawed back in, opening her up slowly to him.
“Stop torturing us both, Kai, and fuck me.”
Like he’d been waiting for those exact words, he drove deep inside her. She cried out with the amazing feeling of being full. But he didn’t let her savor the sensation as he began to pump in and out of her. His guttural sounds combined with the motion of his cock hitting that spot deep inside sent her soaring over the edge once more. She felt him swelling inside her, and she squeezed her arms tighter around his neck as he threw his head back and roared, coming hard and long with sexy grunts. He continued to pump his hips a few more times before pulling free of her and allowing her to drop to her feet once more.
He pulled her to him and hugged her face against his chest until she could hear his heart beating wildly there.
After a few more minutes, they quickly dressed and Kai found a nearby trash bin to dispose of the condom.
Hollyn felt awkward suddenly, and she knew they had to go their separate ways before someone saw them together. She cleared her throat and said, “Well, thanks! That was nice. I hope we bump into each other in some dark hallway again sometime soon.”
She turned to go, but stopped when, in a low voice, Kai said, “Hollyn, wait.”
She turned back around to face him, his chin dipped down, gaze on her, and a smile on his lips. “I’m not done spending time with you yet. I have something for you.”
Hollyn tilted her head in confusion. “I’m supposed to get you a gift.”
“Well, it’s only fair I give you one also.” He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small box. At first, Hollyn was concerned he’d bought her something ridiculous like an engagement ring, but as she opened the box, she gasped at the ornate design of the golden compass. It had etched filigree circling the glass of the mechanism. It shone like circular perfection.
“You got me a compass?”
“You’re a treasure hunter, and this isn’t just any ordinary compass. It doesn’t exactly point to North. This one is specifically tuned to face toward whatever you are seeking.”
She gasped at what he’d given her. These were invaluable. Only a few existed in the world. She knew of an infamous pirate captain who had managed to obtain one, but she couldn’t believe Kai had managed to find one to give to her.
“Where did you get this?”
“Now that I’m the King, I have access to all the royal treasures. This was just in the vault gathering dust. I thought you could get more use out of it.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly to her. She really was falling for the man, and he wasn’t making it easy to resist.
Whatever it took, she was going to win this man for her own, not because she wanted to be a queen, but because she wanted Kai.
For now, all she could do was show her gratitude as she said, “Thank you.”