Summary: Riley and Bastien leave the Costume Gala for a little while, and things heat up between them.
At the Costume Gala, Bastien kept glancing over at Riley. He couldn’t get his mind off what he had seen earlier, when he watched her through her window. She must still feel something for him. She had clearly enjoyed the display she put on for him.
The mental image of Riley exposing her most intimate parts caused his body to ache with need. He wished he could push her up against the wall, lift her dress, and take her right there. Without the audience, of course.
Control yourself, he thought. She’s with Drake now. It shouldn’t be so hard for him to get his mind off sex. He had gone without it for long periods of time. His last serious relationship had ended right before he started working for King Constantine. After he made the decision to join the King’s Guard, Juliette had broken up with him. She had felt that the job was too dangerous, and that he wouldn’t have enough time for her. He was heartbroken, and channeled his energies into his career. Since then, the closest he had come to anything remotely resembling a relationship was with Helena, the sister of one of the other guards. She lived in Portavira, but would visit occasionally, and they would usually hook up, unless she was involved with someone else at the time. But she never wanted anything serious with him. Eventually, she married someone else. He had had one-night stands, but they had become less frequent over the years. Until he had slept with Riley, the last time he had been intimate with anyone was when he had followed Leo to Athens and they had spent the night with two girls they met at a club there. So he should be able to make do with his right hand.
As he looked at Riley again, their eyes met. He smiled at her, then turned away. He had to stay in control. He glanced around the room, surveying the crowd. Before he knew it, Riley was standing in front of him.
“Good evening, Your Grace.” He had to keep things professional, especially in front of so many people.
“Good evening, Bastien. I need to get something from upstairs. Could you come with me? You know, for safety.”
“I’m sure Mara could accompany you.” After all, Mara was Riley’s assigned guard.
“Come on, you’re right here. Please?” she implored.
“All right.” How could he say no to her?
He followed her out, trying to keep his mind solely on his job. When they reached the door to her room, he hesitated. “I’ll wait out here for you.”
“Actually, I have a confession to make. I don’t need to get anything out of my room. I just wanted a chance to talk to you in private.” Riley opened the door, then reached for his hand and led him inside.
Bastien took a deep breath. He was sorely tempted to have his way with her right then and there, but he knew he shouldn’t. “What did you want to talk about?”
“I can’t stop thinking about earlier, when you were watching me. Did you like that?” She moved closer to him and looked him in the eye.
“Yes,” he said quietly. He could feel his resolve weakening. “What made you do it?”
“It was just an impulse. When I saw you there, I got the urge to pull down the top of my dress and give you a quick look. But when I did it, I got turned on, and I kept going.” She pulled him to her. “You wanted to touch me, didn’t you?”
He nodded. She reached for his hand and placed it on her breast. He knew he should pull away, but he couldn’t find the willpower to do so. When she leaned in and kissed him, he kissed her back passionately.
Riley loosened his tie and pulled it off, then began unbuttoning his shirt. “We’ll have to make this quick.”
Bastien understood. They could only be gone for so long before their absence would arouse suspicion. Once Riley had removed his shirt and jacket, he unzipped her dress and slid it off.
Once all their clothes were off, Riley lay down on the bed. As Bastien moved toward her, she grasped his length. He felt himself growing harder. He kissed her lips, then her neck. He eagerly moved his hands over her body, working his way downward.
He spread her legs apart and lowered his head. His tongue moved over her clit, then darted inside her. She was already quite wet. Since they were in a hurry, he pulled back and positioned himself over her, then entered her.
It felt so good to be inside her. It felt like it had been forever since they had been intimate. He eagerly began thrusting, and she moved her hips in time with him. God, he had missed this. He had missed her.
“Oh, Bastien!” she cried out as she squeezed his butt and pulled him deeper inside. His pace quickened, and he could tell that he was getting close. He looked into her eyes, then kissed her deeply as he came inside her.
He rolled off her, then took her into his arms and held her close. He wished he could lie in bed and cuddle with her all night, but he knew that wasn’t possible. Soon they would need to head back downstairs. Drake would be wondering where she was.
Drake. Oh shit. He had told himself that he would never betray Drake, but he had done just that. And so had Riley.
“Is everything all right between you and Drake?” he asked her. If she were really happy with Drake, would she have done this?
Riley frowned. “I don’t know. I mean, we’re not fighting or anything. But I can tell that he doesn’t want to be a duke. If Liam hadn’t made me a duchess, everything would probably be fine. But he’s not comfortable with the nobility. It makes me wonder if he’ll really be happy with me.”
“You should talk to him.”
“I know.” She stood up and began to get dressed.
Bastien got out of bed and put his clothes back on. A few minutes later, they made their way downstairs.
Once they rejoined the Gala, Riley led Drake onto the dance floor. As Bastien looked at them, he was plagued by guilt. He should have been stronger. He never should have let things get that far. Riley was engaged. How could he have slept with her? How could he have been so weak?
And then the answer came to him. He had probably known for some time, but had never admitted it to himself until now.
Because he loved her.