Protected by the HERO (12 page)

“Queen Freya,” a booming voice called.

Freya froze just as she was about to click the pod open. She heard footsteps approaching behind her. With a racing heart, she slowly turned around. Her heart sank at the sight of King Zaino, staring at her suspiciously.

“What are you doing?” he asked, stepping forward.

Her breath seemed to catch in her throat, partly from his effect on her and partly from being caught. “I’m just…checking out these pods…” she answered hesitantly.

His blue-green eyes seemed to swim with doubt, confusion, and curiosity. And did she see a hint of hurt and sadness as well?

“I see,” he said, although he didn’t look like he believed her.

“Um, I didn’t know you were back already,” Freya said feebly. She gave him a weak, guilty smile.

“I just got back,” King Zaino said. “I’m sorry the trip took so long. But I hear you’ve been quite productive while I was gone.”

“Oh,” was all Freya could say. She shouldn’t be surprised that he’d been receiving reports about her yoga classes.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice filled with sincere gratitude. “I really appreciate how you’ve helped the people here…”

She was a bit shocked, hearing his sincerity and feeling his deep appreciation. “Uh, you’re welcome.”

“Should we head back now then?” he said, actually smiling and even putting an arm around her shoulders. He looked so alluringly handsome and remarkably compassionate-sounding that she almost forgot what it was she had intended to do. 

At that moment, she also didn’t have any choice but to abandon her plans just for the time being. She went through the day like a zombie with muddled thoughts and a heart bursting with tangled feelings.

However, when they had lunch together in the huge dining hall of the palace, he was back to normal— treating her like one of his subjects and being aloof and sometimes testy. He hardly conversed with her, which was fine because she was used to it by now anyway.

In the afternoon, she was sent off with Grailey to a 4-hour crash course on how to operate the flying pod. She was definitely shocked, thinking that maybe the king wanted to somehow mock or test her. Or perhaps it was his way of telling her that she could return to Earth if she wanted to? Damn, she was definitely even more confused!

Nevertheless, she managed to convince herself that maybe he just wanted her to learn it because she’d shown curiosity. She made the most of it, listening attentively to the expert navigator who served as her one-on-one instructor.

When the session was finally done, she lumbered wearily toward the east wing and into the king’s bedroom. She immediately threw herself onto to the bed, wanting to take a nap. But to her astonishment, someone else had beat her to it.

Upon noticing that King Zaino was actually lying on the bed beside her, clothed only in a pair of boxer shorts and almost completely hidden underneath the dark, thick sheets, she quickly started to sit up. But before she could completely get up, she felt a strong hand wrapping around her torso and pulling her back. It caught her by surprise, which made her tumble to the sheets before she could fight it.

“Stay here…” a sleepy voice whispered in her ear. When she turned her head, she found her face inches away from Zaino’s. She gasped and began to pull away. But he firmly held her.

“What’s your problem?” she asked in an annoyed voice.

He opened his eyes wide, obviously awake now. “You,” he said with all honesty. Then he grinned foolishly and leaned forward to kiss her.

She pushed him away disbelievingly. Sniffing a trace of alcohol on his breath, she suspected that he’d been drinking while she was in the pod class and had probably fallen asleep earlier.

“Have you been drinking?” she asked with disgust. “Whatever your problem is, don’t take it out on me. And don’t you lay a hand on me again because that’s not part of my job.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “Just when I thought you’d enjoyed that first time with me…” he teased.

She pulled away again and he let her go. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be the last,” she scoffed before sauntering outside toward the al fresco deck. She needed some fresh air so she decided to take a walk around the nearby garden area just to clear her head and make her heart stop beating so fast. Under the moonlight and in the midst of nature’s beauty, she started to feel better. And when she finally went back to the room, she saw that the king was already fast asleep and didn’t look as if he’d bother her anymore.

“Zaino…” she slowly said as she sat beside him on the bed. It felt weird and bothersome to drop the title of ‘king’ in addressing this man whom she was so attracted to and yet who irritated her so much. Sighing, she decided to get dressed for bed.

Grailey called her up to ask if she wanted to eat dinner in the bedroom, but she wasn’t hungry. She wasn’t in the mood to talk to Lia about her concerns either, because she knew that her best friend wouldn’t really understand and would just advise her to stick it out for a year at least. Bonx would also just try to persuade her to give Zaino another chance. And if she contacted her friend Billy, she knew he’d egg her on to escape just because he wanted her for himself. In the end, she spent the time reading an e-book on her tablet, which made her drift off to sleep.

*****

It was barely morning when Freya stepped onto the deck. The sun was not out yet, but the garden lights illuminated the swimming pool just enough for her to see the words spelled out with clusters of white balloons floating on the water. The words “I’m Sorry” stood out in white against the blue surface of the pool water, making Freya gasp in astonishment. She had woken in the dark a few minutes earlier with no one beside her. Perhaps the king had wanted to surprise her with this.

“I’m sorry, Freya,” a voice came from her side. She had not noticed King Zaino approaching from her left, obviously having come from the garden. He was still wearing just a pair of boxers but was also clothed in a royal blue robe with his well-built chest peeking through and befuddling her. Even with his sandy blonde hair in a messy jumble above his head, he looked wide awake and as gorgeous as ever.

“Uh, how long have you been up?” Freya asked, both surprised and pleased by the fact that he had gone to all that trouble just to apologize.

“Not too long,” he answered vaguely, stopping in front of her and gazing seriously into her eyes. “Don’t worry, I did get some help arranging those balloons.”

Freya did not look convinced, but she didn’t say anything.

“Okay, I got a lot of help,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

Despite herself, she broke into a grin at his admission. She was nonetheless flattered by the apology, no matter how much physical effort he had actually put into it.

“I shouldn’t have come on to you last night and said what I said,” he said earnestly. “I am really sorry. I know it’s not part of your job and we’re just only pretending to be husband and wife. I’m sorry if you felt disrespected.”

Freya could see and feel his sincerity, so she gave him a weak smile. “It’s okay,” she replied, lightly touching him on the arm. As their skin made contact, though, she felt a tingling current shoot up her hand, causing heat to spread out across her body. Her eyes widened and she immediately stepped back.

If he had noticed her reaction, he did not show it. He simply smiled. “I do appreciate what you’re doing for me and for the kingdom,” he said.

“Oh, don’t say thank you,” Freya immediately uttered. “You’re paying me for this, anyway.”

“But I know that the effort and sacrifice are a lot, especially since you have to live in a strange planet, put up with a strange king, and deal with various strange people…”

Freya just smiled, although her heart was still hammering madly against her ribs. She could not think straight at that moment and knew that she needed to get away from this man at once. But before she could make up an excuse, he asked her to take a walk with him around the garden. She found herself nodding without thinking.

They walked silently beside each other in the darkness, the looming trees almost obscuring any light from the sky. She only paused when they reached the small clearing with the stone fountain in the center.

He regarded the abundant water fountain spraying upward in a beautiful cascade and then flowing back into the pool at the bottom. “They say that flowing water attracts wealth and healing,” he began, moving closer. “I already have plenty of wealth. As for healing, I have yet to find it in my heart.”

Freya was surprised at how he seemed to be opening up to her. He had always been so reserved with personal things, probably masking his real self with formality, arrogance, and austerity. Grailey had once told her about his family background, how he’d been hurt by his parents’ endless fighting and eventual separation. Everybody suspected it was the reason he had never gotten married earlier.

“Only love can heal even the deepest wounds,” Freya whispered, striding forward to join him in front of the fountain. Her words were almost drowned by the sound of rushing water. But his face showed that he’d definitely heard her.

“You seem like a good person, Freya,” he said. “I want to get to know you better.”

Freya’s heart pounded excitedly. And as he leaned forward to kiss her, all logic flew out of her mind. Her body took over, burning with warm, delicious desire for the intriguing man in front of her who seemed to be just as attracted to her. The confusion within her heart took a backseat, replaced with escalating emotions of affection and fascination.

He took his time feeling her lips with his and letting his tongue gently glide across her lips and later slow-dance with her tongue. Through the flimsy material of her pajamas, she felt the warmth from his hands seeping into her skin as he rubbed her shoulders. Leisurely he slid his hands down to her arms and then to her hands. He squeezed her hands and interlaced his fingers with hers.

She could feel their hearts communicating and their bodies longing for one another as he guided her hands toward his bare chest. She felt his quick heartbeat, rhythmically moving with her own heartbeat. Spreading her fingers apart, she started to caress his body, feeling the little hairs on his chest, lingering on his nipples, and then touching his well-defined abs.

Their kiss intensified. She felt his hands fumbling with the buttons of her top and finally opening the front and freeing her heaving breasts. He caressed them gently with his fingers before leaning down to devour them with his lips. A soft groan escaped her mouth as her desire mounted. It made her want to be touched.

She felt herself moistening. One hand crept into her underwear and she began to fondle herself with her middle finger. As she did, he moved further down, took off her pajamas along with her panties, and thrusted his tongue into the folds of her wetness, joining her finger in that sweet spot that made her shudder with intense heat and carnal pleasure.

He licked the outer lips and plunged his tongue repeatedly inside, reaching deep within and making her wild with desire and passion. She felt herself letting go, allowing the burning heat to envelop her entire being and bring her to a height of erotic gratification. The heat pooled, the wetness grew. She winced and quivered, moaning over and over, biting her lip and almost screaming. Higher she went, the pleasure quickly mounting to unexpected altitudes. His tongue pushed further while his hands cupped her buttocks and pulled her nearer. She moaned again, louder this time. She groaned and shuddered repeatedly as the pleasure multiplied even more. Finally she felt herself coming, the orgasm strong and forceful, lasting several seconds and making her tremble with delight.

As she shook from the orgasm, he stood up and sat down on the ledge surrounding  the fountain. She followed him with her eyes still filled with desire. She pulled down his boxers, panting with renewed yearning when she saw his huge stiffness spring out. She let him guide her into climbing on top of his lap with her legs spread apart. Slowly he pushed her down. She closed her eyes as the tip of his manhood tickled her still sensitive area. He pushed her further, sliding inside her deliciously.

He kissed her neck and her breasts wildly as she rode him, their bodies merging again in a sensual movement. He felt himself growing even bigger and longer inside of her, making her scream softly. He groaned with decadence and lifted his butt to meet her every shove. The penetration was intense, making him heady with bliss.

A few seconds passed. He placed his hands on either side of her waist and lifted her from him. She breathed hard as his solid impact left her longing for more. They shifted positions, with him on top of her now on the grassy ground. Their sighs and whimpers and moans blended with the sound of the gushing fountain as he thrusted deep within her again and again. She arched her back, savoring the pleasurable sexual intercourse.

He shoved faster and harder, his eyes rolling upward and his mouth opening in apparent pleasure. She watched him, enthralled and all the more aroused. Soon they reached their peak together, their bodies flaming hot with carnal fulfillment.

That day, King Zaino cancelled all of his appointments while Freya called off her yoga classes. They spent the rest of the day cooped up in the privacy of the bedroom which extended toward the secluded pool and garden. With the place all to themselves, the time was consumed with personal conversations intermingled with hot kisses and wild sex.