Page 36 of Forty Days and One Knight
Pivoting toward him, she placed her hands on her hips. “Darn it. You weren’t supposed to hear that. How the heck can you talk and listen to a conversation five feet away at the same time?”
“It’s a gift. Want to try for ten? Just roll your eyes like I know you want to, Pet, and it can be arranged.” When she didn’t respond, he smirked and went back to his conversation with Val, Tristan, and Cain—Darius’s teammates who’d helped rescue the women in Argentina.
Tahira’s eyes narrowed when the woman turned back to her. “What do those numbers mean?”
“It means I’m going to have my rear-end spanked because I put myself down.” She sighed. “Actually, I put my nose down, but it doesn’t matter. Dev doesn’t like it when I talk about myself in the negative sense.”
Having read all of Kristen’s books, and those by other BDSM authors, Tahira knew Doms didn’t tolerate their submissives denigrating themselves. And Devon was definitely a dominant, as was his older brother, Ian. Their younger brother, Nick, was all alpha too, except when it came to his husband, Jake Donovan, his brothers’ friend, employee, and teammate. Then Nick’s submissive side came out. If Tahira hadn’t read numerous gay and ménage romance books over the past few years, she probably wouldn’t have noticed the change in the man when his Dom was near or the charm that Nick wore on a chain around his neck. Tahira had been curious about the Triskelion after reading about it in several books. It was similar to a Yin Yang but had three equal parts instead of two and was commonly used in BDSM communities.
While Tahira had gotten to know her Trident bodyguards better over the past two years, especially since she’d grown close to Ian and Angie, she’d learned a lot more about them and their significant others over the past few weeks. With Darius living in Clearwater Beach with her, his co-workers came by often and not always to work. When they were off duty, they let down their hair, so to speak, in a way they usually didn’t do around her. She felt herself being drawn into their extended family and was enjoying it. She loved how, while still respectful of her title and her status as a client, they treated her like she was one of them.
However, this was the first time she’d heard Kristen mention she participated in the lifestyle. Well, it did make sense, since on the other side of the compound there was a sex club that Ian, Devon, and their cousin Mitch had founded. Tahira had only learned about that a little over a year ago, but she’d never been to the compound before, so she’d never seen the inside of the club. She had to admit her curiosity was getting the better of her. Was it similar to the way Kristen described her opulent fictional club, “Leathers”? Or was it more of a dark dungeon like she’d read about in other books?
Someone moved in behind her, and Tahira had an unfamiliar urge to jump away. When Darius’s head peered over her shoulder, her body almost sagged against his in relief. His hands rested on her hips in a way she was beginning to get used to. When others were around, the couple did their best to appear in love and engaged—that meant they needed to show off a certain level of intimacy. While in the public eye, there were rules about displays of affection for members of the royal family, but those rules were tempered while among only family and friends.
Now, she felt the heat of Darius’s body against her back and through her jeans where his palms and fingers made contact. A stirring of want and passion swirled in her lower abdomen. What she wouldn’t give to have this attraction she was imagining between them to be real. She’d never met a man she wanted more than her next breath. Her body responded to Darius in a way she’d never experienced before. It tingled when it felt his gaze upon it. Desire made her panties wet—something she never expected with the aftereffects of her rape. Maybe it was because she couldn’t remember the way she’d been violated. Everything after being thrown onto the bastard’s bed that day was a blur.
But maybe, it was Darius himself, who made her feel safe, who was the reason her body felt like this. The kisses they’d shared over the past few weeks were wonderful, yet she knew he was holding back. While she would not have sex with him until after they were wed, it was getting frustrating that they hadn’t gone any further than making out.
“You look comfortable holding him. You’ll make a great mother someday.”
Tahira smiled at him and then down at the baby again. “I hope so. Despite my royal upbringing, I am very close to my parents and they were good role models for my brother and I throughout our childhood.” While she and Raj had grown up with several nannies and teachers always around, the king and queen had made certain they were an active part of their children’s daily lives. One of Tahira’s favorite memories was being tucked in at night by either her mother or father and having them read a story or two for her. That was probably why she’d developed a deep love of books over the years.
In Tahira’s arms, JD squirmed and grew red-faced.
“Uh-oh,” Kristen said as she reached for him. “That’s his I’m-going-to-scream-because-my-tummy-is-empty face.” Sure enough, the little boy opened his mouth and let out a wail for everyone to hear. “If you’ll excuse me.”
She stepped over to one of the many sitting areas of the grass-covered backyard, set between two of the four warehouse buildings that made up a large portion of the compound’s structures, and sat down. Ian’s lab/pit mix followed and laid down beside them. Within seconds, JD was suckling on his mother’s breast. Nursing was something Tahira had never seen in person before—in her country, that took place behind closed doors—but, of course, she’d seen it on the internet and in movies. Kristen and her child looked so connected and peaceful that it almost took Tahira’s breath away.
A giggle from Angie had Tahira turning to look at the other woman, who was due with her own child in about six weeks. “What?”
“I can hear your biological clock ticking from here,” she said with a grin, rubbing her swollen belly. She glanced back and forth between Tahira and Darius, who was now standing close to her side. “You know, I was worried about the two of you—I thought maybe you were rushing into this marriage thing in the heat of ... whatever heat you were in. But as I watch you two, you look good together, and you definitely can’t keep your eyes off each other. Tahira, you just about melt when Darius looks at you. And Darius, you have that possessive Dom stare down pat, even though that’s not your thing.”
Choking on the beer he’d been drinking, Darius coughed harshly, before blushing. Tahira felt her own cheeks warm. After wiping his mouth, Darius shook his head at Angie. “Seriously? I mean, I doubt Tahira even knows what that means.”
Tahira crossed her arms, cocked her hip to her side, and lifted her chin. How dare he make her seem immature. “What doyoumean, Darius? Of course, I know what she meant when she called you a Dom. I may be a princess, but I am not that naïve. I have read all of Kristen’s books and many more like them. I know what Doms and submissives are. I also know there is a sex club on the other side of the parking lot.”
His jaw dropped as Angie snickered at him. “Hey, Ian. I think Batman needs some Dom lessons—fast!”
* * *
Darius didn’t knowif he was shocked, mad, aroused, or just plain going insane. One thing he did know, he was proud of Tahira. She’d stood up for herself. He’d been stupid to assume she was so innocent she didn’t know what the lifestyle was about. Hell, it sounded like she knew more about it than he did, and he was surrounded by people who lived it. He stared at Tahira, seeing her with a new set of eyes, like he’d done several times since he’d found her in Diaz’s prison. She continued to amaze him and that made his attraction to her grow even more.
“Damn it, Batman. Stop digging a fucking hole and apologize for whatever you just said to piss off your fiancée,” Ian chastised from his grill station, where he was cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, and shish-kabobs.
Ignoring his boss, Darius nodded. “You’re right, sweetheart. It was wrong of me to make that assumption. I’m sorry.”
Her expression softened. “Apology accepted. Thank you.” She pivoted back to Angie. “Now, what are the chances of me seeing the club? I want to know if it is similar to my expectations after reading Kristen’s books.”
The pregnant woman’s eyes widened. “Um ... that you’re going to have to ask my husband. I have no say in the matter when it comes to non-members seeing it. Ian!”
“What, Angel?”
“Tahira wants to see the club.”
Ian glanced over his shoulder and stared at them a moment. “Sure. But ask someone else to take them over there. I don’t want you walking more than necessary.”
From the looks of things, Darius didn’t know who was more surprised at Boss-man’s response—him, Angie, or anyone else attending the impromptu party, who all seemed to have stopped talking at the same time. In fact, the only ones who didn’t appear shocked were JD, Marco and Harper’s toddler, Mara, and Tahira. It wasn’t often anyone who wasn’t a member was allowed in the club. But, then again, Darius knew what Ian was thinking—the same thing he’d suggested to him a few weeks ago. Tahira might benefit from them both learning about the lifestyle. Darius didn’t miss how the man had said, “takethemover there.” Clearly, Darius was supposed to go with Tahira to see the place. It wasn’t that he’d never been in there—as an employee of Trident, he’d needed to sign the club’s non-disclosure agreement like all its members. He’d been in there several times, both while it was closed and open, though he usually stayed at the bar during the latter.
