“How would an open marriage work?”
Liam’s gaze slid to Drake, who was leaning on the bed poster nearest me.
“Drake, can you give my wife and I privacy?”
Drake straightened and nodded. “Of course, Your Majesties. Please come find me when you’d like to continue our … discussion.” His eyes burned into mine before he turned to leave the room, reigniting the flame in my belly from earlier. The memory of his kisses and caresses couldn’t be forgotten, even as I stood on the precipice of a life-altering decision regarding my marriage. As the door closed softly behind him, Liam sat next to me on the bed and grasped my hand.
“Charlotte, before we discuss the specifics of an … arrangement … such as this, you need to be certain this is what you want.”
His blue eyes held my gaze and he rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of my hand. I stared back, letting the events of the last couple of hours wash over me: dancing with Liam, feeling the heat of Drake’s desire from across the room; standing on the balcony, as my husband voiced desires I couldn’t find the words for; Drake’s lips on mine, his hands on my face and my body; and, now, realizing everything I wanted was within my grasp. I took a deep breath and let my insecurities fall away.
“I want this, Liam. More than you realize.”
At my words, Liam bent and kissed me deeply, his tongue finding mine without preamble. His hands came up to wrap in my hair, pulling on the strands just the way I liked, and I moaned in appreciation. Lips traveling down to my neck, Liam nipped and sucked, careful not to leave a sign of our love on my skin.
“My love, you deserve everything, everyone, you desire,” he said, breaking away to meet my eyes again. “But there are rules we both must follow.”
I nodded eagerly, waiting for him to go on.
“First of all,” he began, “everything begins with trust and open communication. At all times, we must tell each other how we feel about our arrangement. No matter who you decide to play with–”
“Play?”
A slow smile slid across Liam’s face. “Yes, play. When we enjoy the pleasure of another’s company, we call it ‘playing.’” He brushed a thumb across my lower lip. “Do you understand?”
I slipped my tongue out to taste his skin, enjoying the way his eyes darkened as he watched me. This entire conversation had my body nearly trembling in anticipation, and I was eager to explore our new dynamic, starting with my husband, who clearly had some experience in this arena. Luckily, I knew exactly what he liked.
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
Groaning, Liam stood and moved a few paces away. “God, you don’t know what you do to me, Charlotte.” He paused to regain his composure, then turned to face me.
“As I was saying, no matter who you decide to play with, I would like us to discuss the situation to ensure there are no surprises, no hurt feelings. Every person in this arrangement must know exactly what the rules are.”
A realization struck me. “You’ll be … playing, too?”
His sky-blue eyes met mine.
“Yes.”
Instead of the flare of jealousy I expected to feel, I was strangely … aroused. The thought of Liam’s hands all over a woman, watching him work her the way he did me, was thrilling. I had never been with a woman, but I certainly appreciated the female body, and to say that I was curious would be an understatement. I stood and walked to an armchair in our sitting area and gestured for my husband to sit opposite me.
“Honestly, Liam, that doesn’t bother me. I thought it would, but it actually turns me on.”
“You say that now, Charlotte, but in practice, you may feel differently.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “So, if I do, then what happens?”
Liam stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles and leaning back in the chair. “If you decide, at any point in time, that you are no longer comfortable with an open relationship,” he shrugged, “it ceases.”
My eyebrows raised. “Just like that?”
He nodded. “Just like that. You are my wife, Charlotte, and I love you. Your comfort and safety is paramount, and I will do everything to ensure that.” His words brought a smile to my lips; I would never know what god I’d pleased to find such a wonderful man. “I love you too, Liam,” I replied.
“So,” I continued, “I can play, and you can play, as long as we’re both open and talk to each other about what we want.” I paused, biting my lip, suddenly bashful about my next question. “Can we … play … together?”
Liam chuckled and slid off the chair to kneel in front of me, his big hands cupping my knees. The heat from his palms warmed my skin and he grinned.
“Are you asking if we can play with the same person, at the same time?”
I knew a blush stained my cheeks as I looked him in the eyes and nodded. Liam’s pupils blew to a deep black at the thought of what I suggested; I knew mine reflected the same. He cleared his throat.
“Then, as long as everyone involved is comfortable with it, yes.”
I let out a breath, feeling any residual shame fading away. This was truly what I wanted, what we wanted, and I had a feeling it would make our marriage even stronger. However, I watched Liam’s expression grow serious and felt my stomach drop; had something upset him?
“There is one additional rule, Charlotte, one we must be very careful not to break.” The somber tone of his voice reinforced his words; whatever he was going to say was non-negotiable. I fixed my eyes on his as he continued.
“I am King, and you my Queen, Charlotte. We must present ourselves to the public as a unified couple, with a strong marriage and Cordonia’s best interests at heart. We can never forget who we are. We may have a much more flexible notion of marriage and monogamy than other countries, but our subjects would not approve of a monarch in an overtly open sexual relationship, particularly as it would cause concern for the legitimacy of an heir. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I nodded. “This has to be our secret.” Liam squeezed my knee in acknowledgement and nodded. “Even more than that, Charlotte, we must be careful to limit our arrangement to those we can trust.”
My brows furrowed. This court was rife with intrigue; how could we know that anyone, aside from Drake, could be trusted with something this important?
“Liam, who would that even be? Everyone here is ruthless.” I thought back on my years in Cordonia, of all the plots and lies I’d been subjected to. I didn’t trust the majority of these people at all. Liam stood up and walked to the bar cart, pouring himself a glass of scotch. He turned to me and stared at me thoughtfully while he took a sip.
“I have a small circle of confidantes, Charlotte. People who I trust, who I care about, who I have known many years. In the past, I have shared relationships similar to this with some of them, although marriage wasn’t involved, of course.” He brought his glass up to take another sip of the amber liquid and smiled to himself. “One summer, Drake, Maxwell, and I shared the affections of a young countess from France.”
The thought of rotating through three men, especially those three men, sent a rush of fire through my core. I had never entertained the thought of Maxwell as a sexual partner, despite his obvious attractiveness, but now … well, things had changed. I smirked at my husband from my perch. “What a lucky woman.”
Liam grinned wolfishly and took another swig of his drink. “It was a memorable summer, yes.” He crossed back and stood before me, offering me his hand, and I rose, our bodies now so close I could feel the heat between us. This conversation, the possibilities … my body thrummed in anticipation. His eyes focused on me intently. “Is there anything else in regard to our new arrangement that you would like to discuss?”
Reviewing our discussion in my head, I could think of no other questions, at least not at the moment. I was excited, nervous, and extremely turned on. Lifting up on my toes I gently kissed Liam, sucking his lower lip in between mine and causing a groan to escape him. I pulled away and smiled, running my hand through his dark blonde hair before responding.
“I think I’m good, Liam. If anything comes up, I swear I’ll talk to you about it. You’re obviously more experienced here than I am, and I honestly trust you completely. I love you, so much, and I think this will be good for us.”
His eyes twinkled as he looked down at me. “I love you too, Charlotte. More than you could ever know.” He then grabbed me, roughly pulling me against him and taking my mouth in a dominant kiss, hands wandering down to grip my ass and press me against his already-hard cock. I gasped in delight as I felt his excitement, and he moved his mouth to my neck, teeth nipping at my pulse point. Lips traveling up to my ear, his tongue poked out to lick the soft shell, and I felt his warm breath against me as he whispered.
“When would you like to start?”