Summary: Bastien and Riley spend another night together.
Author’s note: This takes place after An Unexpected Encounter.
Although things had gone fairly well when Bastien had come to her hotel room and spoken with her and Liam, Riley felt compelled to go talk to him again. The whole time the three of them were together, she was very aware of the secret that she and Bastien shared, and she suspected that he was as well. So that night she knocked on the door to his room.
When Bastien opened the door, he was dressed in his suit and seemed to be his usual composed self, unlike last time, when she had found him in his pajama bottoms, drinking alone. Perhaps he was feeling better.
“Lady Riley, this is a surprise.”
“May I come in?” she asked Bastien.
“Of course.” He stepped aside to let her in. She looked around the room, then to the bed. Should she sit there? Why not, she thought. After all, they had done a whole lot more than sit on his bed in the train car. She walked over to the bed and sat down, and he did the same.
She looked over at Bastien. “I just wanted to thank you again for giving me the information about Tariq.”
Bastien smiled at her. “You’re very welcome. It’s the least that I can do. I know it doesn’t make up for what I did to you…”
“Bastien, it’s OK. I know how sorry you are. I saw how upset you were, remember?”
“How could I forget? It wasn’t my finest moment. I hope you understand why I couldn’t tell you that Constantine was the one that gave me the orders. He was my king, and I couldn’t betray him by revealing the truth without his permission. It may not seem like it, considering what happened, but I really do value loyalty. And if word of this got out to the public, there’s no telling how our enemies might respond.”
Riley touched him gently on the arm. “I know you’re loyal. Yes, I would have liked it if you had told me the truth sooner, but I suppose if you had, I wouldn’t be so sure that you could keep secrets.”
“True. Although your secrets are my secrets too.” He looked at her knowingly. “Liam is already angry enough at me. So is Drake. I don’t know if they’ll ever forgive me as it is. If they knew what happened between us, they would be even angrier.”
“Why would they ever suspect? And maybe they’ll come around in time. If I can forgive you, maybe they can too. At least Liam hasn’t fired you. I know you were worried about that. And he was willing to hear you out this morning. It’s a step in the right direction.” She took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes, and once again found herself being drawn to him. She remembered how good it had felt when he had kissed and touched her, and gotten even closer.
Bastien returned her gaze, then withdrew his hand and pulled back. “We probably shouldn’t. Liam loves you. I don’t want to betray him. I suppose I already have, but things are different now that I’m in a position to try to make things right.”
Riley knew that he had a point. However, nothing was settled yet. “Liam is still engaged to Madeleine, though, and it’s possible that he may go through with the marriage, even though it’s not what he wants.”
“What do you want? Do you want to be with Liam? And what about Drake? I know he cares about you too.”
Riley sighed. “It’s complicated. Before Liam chose Madeleine, I was sure that I wanted a future with him. Since then, Drake and I have grown closer. I care about both of them. But if I married Liam, I wonder if I would ever feel safe. It’s scary to think that someone might try to assassinate him, or me. I don’t want to end up like Liam’s mother.”
“If you were to become queen, I would do everything I could to protect you. I’d guard you with my life.”
Riley thought about Drake’s father, and how he had died protecting the royal family. It suddenly hit her that Bastien could suffer the same fate. “I know you would, but please, take care of yourself too. I’d hate it if something happened to you.” She felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“You really care about me, don’t you?” Bastien asked softly. She nodded, and he continued, “It’s been so long since anyone felt that way about me. I know I don’t deserve it after what I did. You’re a very special person.” He pulled her close and gently kissed her. She returned his kiss with greater passion and began tugging at his jacket. She moved her hands up to his neck and loosened his tie.
Bastien moved his hands up her body, stopping at her breasts and squeezing them lightly. “You look beautiful in that dress.”
Riley smiled. “Thank you. Hana made it for me.”
“She’s very talented. And she knows what looks good on you.” He moved his hands to her back and turned her around, then began unzipping her dress. As he lowered the zipper, he kissed her neck, then whispered in her ear, “It will look good off you, too.”
She slipped out of her dress once it had been unzipped, and kicked off her shoes. She started to unbutton his shirt, and once it had been removed, she pushed him back on the bed and straddled him. She placed her hands on his chest and caressed him, moving lower, then began to unbuckle his belt. She slid his pants down, along with his underwear, and tugged off his shoes. He moaned softly as she grasped his hardness. She leaned forward and kissed him, and he unhooked her bra, then tossed it aside and began fondling her bare breasts. Her heart began racing as he lowered his hands to her waist, sliding off her stockings and panties, then slipping a hand between her legs.
“God, you’re sexy,” he murmured as he inserted a finger inside her and rubbed her clit. His touch made her feel so good. She turned around and pushed her bottom back, then lowered her head and took him into her mouth. As she sucked him, she felt his tongue on her clit, her folds, and darting in and out of her. As her arousal grew, she sucked him harder, and she could feel him becoming even stiffer.
Riley raised her head, turned her body around, and looked Bastien in the eye. “I need you now.” She lowered herself onto him, and once he was inside her, he began thrusting, moving his hips with hers and finding a rhythm. Her breathing grew heavier as she rode the waves of desire. Their hips moved faster, more urgently, and she felt the waves cresting. As she cried out, it sent him over the edge as well, and they collapsed in each other’s arms.
Bastien placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and they lay in bed quietly, holding each other. After a while, Bastien looked to her and said, “I really like you, but if you commit to Liam, we can’t do this any more.”
Riley nodded. “I understand. That wouldn’t be right. I don’t know what I want right now, though. Is that OK?”
“Of course. I don’t know what I want either. I mean, I like you, but it would cause such a scandal if anyone found out.”
“Yes, it would,” she sighed. “I should probably get back to my own room. We wouldn’t want anyone to know I was here.”
“It will be our secret,” he promised. He got out of bed and walked over to the dresser, then took out his pajamas and put them on. Riley gathered up her clothes and put them back on.
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him once more. “Good night.” She slipped out the door and walked back to her room, then changed into her nightclothes and got into bed. Soon she was fast asleep.