Page 85 of Queen Rose

Aria

“Aria, baby, what’s wrong? What did I do?”

I hear Nate quietly questioning what’s happening, but I can’t speak, even though his voice sounds panicked. All the built-up tension and stress and sadness of the last week slams into me like a cannonball to the stomach. The brute force of it makes me sob like a baby. It’s nothing Nate did at all. Like I told him earlier, he heals me. Nate never hurts me.

He hovers over me, his voice low and gritty. “Princess, talk to me.”

I reach out and place my hand on his chest and feel his heart wildly pounding behind his pec. Notice the smooth warmth of his skin. Sense the anguish and fear build in his eyes with every second I don’t answer.

I draw in a steadying breath. “I-I’m sorry. It’s not you, I swear. I’m really emotional and—”

He wipes the tears from my cheeks. “You’re sure you’re okay? I didn’t do something wrong?”

My eyes widen as I stare into his worried eyes. “No. Not at all. I was just overwhelmed by everything I was thinking. We can talk later.” I’m in love with Nate. But I’m such a fucking mess, he doesn’t need to hear that right now.

He tilts his head to the side, studying me. “Later?”

“After.” I give him a tremulous smile and wipe the tears from my face. “Suit up.”

He kneels on the bed, his chest heaving, moisture from my orgasm still coating his lips and chin. “Really?”

“Really.” I point at him. “You’re sexy like that, you know.”

“Like what?”

“You. With me all over your face.”

He swipes the back of his forearm over his mouth. “Fuck. You scared me. You’re really okay? You’re not just saying that because you think I need to hear it? Or you think we have to have sex to…”

“To what?”

“To prove to me you’re not broken.” He raises a hand and scrubs it over his head as he gazes at me.

I sigh. “When I said that earlier, I thought you were scared to be with me. Or something. Because he’d touched me.” I wince a little. “What he did was disgusting.”

Nate growls. “Fuck no, I’m not scared. None of what happened was ever your fault. What he did was gross. You are not. I was worried about you.”

I bite my lip. Thank God. “Well, I need you right now, so quit worrying and grab a condom.”

“This is what I’m in for with you, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“All this sass. Fuck, I’ve always loved your wicked-smart mouth.” He smirks as he gets off the bed and tears out of his joggers.

I wink at him. “Yeah. Welcome to my queendom, Nate King.”

He huffs out a laugh, rolling on a condom. I can’t keep my eyes off his hand and the way he leisurely strokes himself.

“I like the way you’re handling my cock, but I’d like it more if it were inside me.”

“You’re fucking asking for it.” He grabs hold of my ankle and drags me closer. “Now watch as I fuck my girlfriend.” He climbs between my legs like a predator on the prowl.

Catching the corner of my lip, I grin, beckoning him forward. “I like the sound of that.”

He skims his lips up the inside of one of my thighs, then drags the flat of his tongue over my swollen flesh, making my hips buck. “What? Being my girlfriend?”

I nod. “I told you, I’ve never been anyone’s girlfriend before. I never wanted to be. Not until you.”

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