I walk into the bathroom and strip off my robe, dumping it on a hook behind the door. I turn on the shower and step under the hot water.

I am rinsing off the chlorine from the pool when I hear her at the door. I glance at her. I realize that perhaps she feels she has to join me because of everything I insist on, and I don’t want her to feel that way.

“Are you joining me because you want to?” I ask quietly.

“I don’t know if I want to,” she says quietly, pushing her pants down slowly.

“You don’t have to,” I say, my dick already hardening as she pulls her shirt off.

“I know you’re not making me.” She blushes. “But I want to feel something other than him on my skin.”

I nod because I understand. She needs to feel my touch. She needs to feel that passion again and wipe away what he tried to do.

She steps into the shower as I step out of the way, and she faces me. I tip her head up, and the water runs through her hair as I nip at the skin of her neck. I leave a trail of little red bite marks that will fade by the time we’re out of the shower.

I raise my hands and fondle her breasts. She quickly lifts her hands and puts them over mine, and I pause. “This okay?”

“The pregnancy makes them sensitive,” she murmurs, closing her eyes.

“Hmmm. Then I should kiss them better.” I lower myself and kiss her nipples softly, one at a time. Then I start to lick around them, and her hands find my hair and run through it.

“You like this,” I say as a matter of fact. “Do you want me to touch you?”

“Yes,” she gasps out, and I slip two fingers between the folds of her vagina. I stroke them up and down through her lips, and she shakes against me.

My dick is straining, but I want to pleasure her first. I nibble her nipple while I slip a finger inside of her. My finger explores inside her as my thumb massages her swollen clit.

She bucks her hips slightly and grips my hair. “Tell me how beautiful I am.”

“You still don’t believe me?” I say. I remove my fingers and stand up. I turn her around and smack her on the ass so I can grab it. “I think you should be punished if you don’t believe it.”

Penny tips her head back against my chest. “Not too hard.”

“Just some nibbles and spanks and a little fucking,” I promise.

I slide my hand down her hips and to the front so I can massage her clit again with my left hand as I smack her ass softly with my right hand. She gives a little soft gasp. Her hands go to her breasts, and she fondles them as I smack her softly again before I squeeze her ass. My other hand is still working her clit.

“Kervyn,” she gasps, moving her hips against my hand.

“I need you,” I whisper in her ear.

I let her go and turn her around. I press her against the wall. I take her hands and put them above her head, holding them with my right hand. My left hand has her throat lightly, then I lower it and pull her leg up so I can position myself. “Keep your leg around me.”

She holds it there, breathing hard. I position my cock and slowly push into her. She tries to tug her hands free, but I keep her hands there, holding her leg up with my left hand.

She whimpers as I hold her throat gently and kiss her hungrily. I want her to know I won’t hurt her. I’ll never go too far. I start to move my hip, still holding her throat and leg and kissing her hungrily.

I roll my tongue over and around hers and groan into her mouth. I’m deliberately moving slowly as I pump my cock in and out of her. I break the kiss, and she looks up at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

“Kervyn. This is s—so good.” She gasps louder and bucks her hips.

I lick my lips. “I will spend a lifetime pleasuring you if you submit to me, Penny.” I lean down and attack her neck. Kissing, sucking, and nipping at her skin. “We could be everything.”

She nods and closes her eyes, breathing heavily. I can feel her leg shaking, so I pull out of her and turn her around, bending her over. I push back into her and move a little faster.

“Oh fuck,” she gasps. “Kervyn. I can’t. I need.”

I smirk and hold her hips, moving my hips fast enough that I’m not giving her a chance to recover from every time I slam into her.

I grunt and push deep inside of her, reaching around to finger her clit as I do so. Penny arches her back and cries out, her legs shaking violently as she chases her orgasm.

Once she’s done, I help her back up and bring her under the hot water. I pick up a sponge and slowly wash her, but she stops me. She takes the sponge from me and starts to scrub my chest. “I don’t know if this is the right thing to do,” she whispers. “I need time.”

“You have a lifetime with me to figure it out,” I murmur. “All I ask is that you give whatever we are a chance.”

She nods and looks up at me. “I can try. I’m still not sure I trust you, but I can try.”

I smile and stroke her face gently. “We can conquer this together.”

I take the sponge and start to wash her off, massaging her muscles as I work the sponge.

She sighs and relaxes, and I know we’ve done the right thing. I will always be the only one she feels on her skin, and I’ll ensure that. I don’t want her to ever feel unsafe in my world. I want her to feel like the Queen she is going to be, and I don’t care if that means I have to slaughter the world to prove it.

Zakhar was the first to try his luck, and he won’t be the last, but I will protect her from everything.

I would sacrifice myself to do it.

Chapter 14 - Penny

The days pass by slowly, and although Kervyn is still cold and calculating in front of the staff and men, there are moments when I catch him alone when I see a different side of him for the briefest of moments. I so desperately want to bring that side out because maybe, if that side does exist, I can come to peace with the path I’m being forced down.

He’s allowing Asher to come over and plan the wedding with me, and Asher’s been given access to an account to plan the gender reveal. This means she has to talk to Kervyn’s family, which is quite funny to hear her comment about them afterward when we text.

Although, she isn’t giving away any of the details of the party because she wants it to be a surprise.

It almost seems normal to have her come over and sit on the terrace with me while we indulge in the luxurious food and discuss the wedding. So far, we’ve been going over what Kervyn’s family wants for the wedding, and Asher has been trying to push me to talk to him about what I want.

It’s the only wedding I’m going to have, according to him, and I do want certain things. We’ve discussed it in private, Asher and I, but I haven’t mentioned it to Kervyn.

Today is no different as Asher spreads preserves over her overly-buttered toast.

“I’m just saying, maybe if you approach him about it and he sees you want to participate, he’ll let you have some things you want for the wedding,” she says before taking a big bite of her crunchy toast.

“Look, he is being very generous with the wedding, but I think his family is very traditional and wants things to be a certain way. I don’t want to upset the apple cart.” I reach for some more grapes. I’ve been trying to avoid junk food while I’m pregnant.

“Yes, but maybe they’re only planning it this way because he still thinks you don’t want it. I mean, from what you’ve told me and the way you gush about him, I’d swear you were falling for him.” She grins.

“Oh, hush,” I say, blushing crimson. “I am not falling for the guy who abducted me. I’m doing what I need to do for my baby and to survive.”