214

Breakfast was awkward as hell as Milo kept staring at Luciana and she blushed so much that I thought the red in her cheeks might stay there forever. She finally had enough of him and looked him squarely in the eye.

“What Milo?” I grinned as I leaned back in my seat and watched the exchange between them.

“I can’t believe you just kept going.” Milo continued to eat and he probably should’ve known she’d have a smart-assed reply.

“Jealous you weren’t in on the action?”

Milo choked as I laughed and Luciana lowered her head again and started on her own breakfast. Milo raised his eyes towards mine and nodded proudly.

“She’ll fit right in.”

Eleven or so weeks sped by in a blur with Luciana sleeping in my bed every single night. She told me about her childhood and I told her about mine. It felt like I could tell her anything and she spent a lot of time with us in the office.

She surprised the hell out of us all when she took the file Ivan was busy with and grabbed a pen. We all studied her for about fifteen minutes as she made notes on the printed pages. “Make these changes and you’ll save about ten leu on the re-opening.”

I took the file from her and read over her notes. “How do you know this?”

“I have a brain, Wynter.” Milo started laughing as he put his arm around her shoulder and even Ivan looked confused for a moment.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“If you use local produce you save, if you rent the chairs instead of buying them you also save money. Gather up the teens from the high school to play waiter and chip in when it’s time for school festivals and such. Use the local school choir to sing the introductory song instead of someone famous.”

“Do it.” Ivan looked at me and then nodded his head as he took the file from me. She was right, it was a banquet to celebrate the Elders’ contributions to Mintia and what better way than to be proudly Mintian.

Ivan and Milo knew the extent of my relationship with Luciana and for all intents and purposes it looked to the public eye like Luciana was with Milo. We kept it that way because Luciana wasn’t officially a mistress and I shared much more with her than anybody ever would with a mistress.

She was so much more and I wished things were different because I’d bond with her in a second. Her bonded half had died, she’d felt it when she turned seventeen and I could see the emotions and feelings she had for me. It wasn’t because I was a Duke, she loved me for me, even if she hadn’t said it yet.

 I felt guilty when I talked to Abby later that night because I hadn’t been back to Sinaia for almost four months but she sounded well over the phone but the formal invite to the Winter Palace was one I couldn’t ignore. We’d be leaving for Sinaia early the next morning.

Luciana lay with her head on my chest, both of us catching our breaths. Her heart thudded into my ribs and my fingers twirled in her hair. We were comfortable in silence with each other and I knew she was the one for me, the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

My eyes flashed yellow as I thought about leaving her in Mintia for the entire weekend and having to sleep in the same bed as Maya. As her pregnancy progressed the ruder she became and her morning sickness was so violent that she’d been placed on bed rest.

I checked up on her every night before I escaped her ridicule to be with Luciana instead. We hardly talked and I saw her once a day where she studiously ignored me and had her lady’s maid tell me of any new developments.

She had moved to the opposite wing of the castle, claiming that Milo’s sexcapades kept her up at night. He’d smiled broadly at that and helped her to move. It was the best thing for all of us, I didn’t hate her but I also didn’t like her when she got so mean.

“I’ll miss you this weekend.” I turned my head at the sound of her voice and kissed her temple.

“I wish I didn’t have to go but I need to check up on my sister.”

“I’ll be sleeping in my bed down the hall, thinking of ways to show you exactly how much I missed you.” She had a sly smile on her face and I rolled over and pinned her down beneath me.

“Hmm, you can show me how much you’re going to miss me right now.”

“I could … but just think how happy you’ll be Monday night when you come back.”

My fingers traced over her nipples and her sharp intake of breath told me she wouldn’t be waiting until Monday night. She opened her legs from under me and wrapped them around me tightly as I kissed her. One round was never enough for me and soon the sounds of skin slapping against skin filled the room.

On Friday morning Maya wasn’t in her bed when I pushed the door open. I heard her in the bathroom and found her kneeling next to the toilet. I held her hair back as she threw up. When she finally sat back on her heels I saw just how pale and fragile she really looked.

She always had her back turned to me when I checked up on her at night so that I hadn’t noticed how bad it had gotten. Her hands shook slightly and I knelt down next to her. “Why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?”

“Don’t pretend to care, Wynter.”

“I do care, Maya, just because we don’t love each other doesn’t mean I don’t care about your wellbeing.”

“Can you help me stand please?”

I scooped her up into my arms and carried her back to her bed, gently putting her down and she leaned back against the pillows with relief in her eyes. “What do you need?”

“Why are you in here? You usually come at night.”

“Your father sent a formal invite. I wanted to tell you that we’re leaving for Sinaia in an hour but now I don’t think it’s a good idea to go.” I pushed a stray strand of hair from her face and I got a small smile in reward.

“I want to go. Please.”

I ran her a bath and for once she didn’t fight me when I started to undress her. I helped her into the tub and by that time her lady’s maid Genevieve had entered her bedroom with her morning ginger tea. She was surprised to see me in the bathroom with a naked Maya sitting in the tub with her eyes closed.

“Genevieve?”

“Yes, my lady.” Genevieve bowed her head at me as I sat on the toilet and watched Maya.

“We’re leaving for Sinaia in an hour. Please pack for the weekend.”

“Of course, my lady.”

“Why are you still here, Wynter?” She looked up towards me and I saw the sadness in her eyes. I was the cause of that sadness, no matter what had led to it happening.

“I’m sorry for ignoring you.”

She smiled sadly and lowered her gaze. “I ignored you first.”

“I want to know if you’re not okay and I want you to know that I’ll be here to help you no matter what’s going on with us.”

“Thank you, Wynter, I really needed to hear that from you.”

“I’ll make an effort to be more at your side, go to appointments with you and listen when you need to talk to me.”

She smiled then, that genuine smile I hadn’t seen in weeks and the one that had made me like her the first time we’d talked. Something shifted between us, right at that moment as her eyes found mine and I smiled back at her.

“Can you ask Genevieve to help me wash my hair?”

“Lie back, I’ll do it.”

She looked shocked for the briefest of moments before she laid back and I wet her hair before washing it for her. It was an intimate thing to do and something I’d never done for someone before but she was my wife and she was the mother of my child and I had to respect her for that.

I left Maya in her cloth robe on the sofa with Genevieve and retreated back to my own room to pack my clothes for the weekend. Milo had opted to stay behind but when I told him that Abby had asked after him he rushed off to pack.

Luciana watched me as I packed and hugged me tightly after we’d kissed. It was a kiss filled with passion and lust and longing. I looked back once as I headed to Maya’s room to help her down the stairs and into the car.

Milo brought our luggage as I carried Maya down the stairs, scared that she’d tire out and slip. Luciana watched from my bedroom window as I put Maya in the car and buckled her in. Milo slipped into the back seat and I looked up once. Our eyes found each other and I winked at her before driving off.

We were about an hour into our trip when Maya started shifting in her seat. “Pull over up there.” Milo’s face was right next to my ear and I’d been lost in thought and I hated that he got the jump on me. He knew he did because he chuckled low in his throat.

Milo’s door opened the moment I parked the SUV and he opened Maya’s door. She looked questioningly at him as he undid the safety belt and scooped her up in his arms. He kicked the door closed and climbed into the back seat with her and nodded at me.

“What are you doing?” Maya’s question seemed almost fearful as I started driving again and Milo smoothed hair away from her face.

“Why do you hate so me much, Maya?” Milo’s voice was soft and soothing.

“I hate that you’ve seen me naked.”

“You’ve seen me naked too.” I smiled as Milo moved her to the other side and placed her legs on his lap and pulled her shoes off.

“I hate that your dick was in my mouth.” Her cheeks reddened as she said that.

“I think you hate that you liked it so much more than you hate me.” Milo was right of course.

Maya didn’t answer him and neither did she look at him. He was spot on and she didn’t want to admit that she liked it, not even to herself. “You don’t have to hate me, Maya, because I don’t hate you.”

Milo started rubbing her feet and she closed her eyes as she relaxed against the door. She was wearing a sundress that fell to her knees and the next time I looked into the rearview mirror Milo’s hands had crept up her legs, all the while rubbing soothing circles into her muscles.

“Let me help you feel better, Maya,” Milo whispered and I saw his hand disappear under the hem of her dress.

Maya didn’t say anything and I knew she was lost in the sensation of Milo touching her. She had needs too and pregnant women wanted sex more than other people. I wasn’t jealous as I watched Milo pull her underwear down her legs and Maya lifted her hips to help him.

She knew exactly what she was doing and she wanted him to touch her, no matter what her mind said, her body told the truth and I could see how aroused she was. Milo smiled as his hands went up her thighs again and when he spread her legs she didn’t hesitate.

He lifted her dress and lowered his head between her thighs and I averted my gaze as Maya’s breaths grew ragged. It was hard to concentrate on the road because Maya was getting louder and louder. Milo didn’t stop though and when she screamed her release out Milo withdrew his head with a big grin on his face.

“That … was … amazing.”

“I aim to please, Princess.”

Maya blushed slightly and I caught her looking at me in the rearview mirror. I smiled at her and she smiled back. She remained in the back with Milo and a few minutes later her head was on his lap as she slept.

“Thank you.”

“Her hormones were driving my senses crazy. I could smell how aroused she was hence the shifting. I couldn’t in good faith let her suffer like that. I, more than you, understand the craze of being horny.”

I laughed at him then as he leaned back and stroked her hair. Something had shifted between them as well and I was sure that things would be different once we were back home. Maya slept until we passed through the gates of the Palace.

Milo woke her gently as I drove down the long driveway leading to the front doors where footmen waited to take our luggage. She smiled and stretched her arms and then her hand touched Milo’s face and for a brief second he closed his eyes.

“I don’t hate you, Milo.”

She sat upright just before I turned in the bend of the road and the Palace came into view. A minute later the doors were opened and we climbed out of the SUV. Maya had a glow to her cheeks and she looked better than she had that morning.

“You okay to walk in?” She smiled at my question as the footmen took our luggage inside.

“Yes, I feel better.”

Milo opened his mouth and I slapped him behind his head. “Don’t even say what I think you’re going to say.” Maya laughed as she hooked her one arm into mine and the other one into Milo’s arm and we walked up the few steps and inside the Palace.

“Wynter!” Abigail flew down the stairs as she ran towards me and I let go of Maya to hug her.

“I didn’t realize just how much I missed you.” I kissed the top of her head as she smiled up at me.

“And I’m chopped liver once again.” Milo pretended to pout as Abby turned towards him and smiled.

“I missed you just as much, Milo.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek as he looked her over.

“You look good Abby.”