Meeting of the Six Kings Ch. 04

"I like this shirt on you." He said more playfully as he revealed a brilliant smile.

She couldn't help but smile back as she returned her eyes to him.

"I do too." She said as she blushed.

They stood together, holding hands and smiling at each other, enjoying the lighthearted simplicity of the moment.

He cocked his head as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Are you hungry?" he questioned.

"Yes. Very." She answered without hesitation. Smiling wider, the ease of their interactions and his clear concern for her making her more comfortable.

Squeezing her hands, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on her cheek before he continued, "Well, let's see if we can remedy that immediately."

He picked up the phone to reach the butler. She remained in place, still feeling little pings of energy everywhere he had touched her.

He walked briefly into his room, returning to Catrine a moment later carrying two pain killers and a cool glass of water. He lead her to the couch and she settled herself into the corner, tucking her legs beneath her. She took the medicine obligingly and smiled warmly again as Ryan doubled back to grab her cup of tea and the little box of biscuits.

He stopped just in front of her.

"I was really worried about you this morning..." He trailed off.

"Last night..." he continued, trying a different approach.

He stopped again, glancing behind her to the city view beyond the windows; the landscape he had studied so closely as he awaited her return.

He didn't know exactly how to express himself. His words were thick with the anxiety and distress that had overtaken him the previous night. He passed her the cup and sat so he could face her on the sofa.

"Are you feeling okay now?" he tried, wanting to touch her again, but not sure if his contact would help or hinder their conversation.

It seemed a simple enough query. But Catrine struggled to answer it. It had been a terrible night. It had been a terrible two years. Of equal importance, she couldn't remember the last time anyone had asked after her with such sincerity.

And yet, the sensation of him so close to her seemed to bring her back to life. She yearned for him to reach out; to feel his fingers gently grazing her skin again. When he was with her, she felt a flicker of life sparking deep inside of her. She wanted to nurture it and tend to it and let it grow.

"I'm glad I'm here with you." She said. Her answer filled with truth and simplicity as she turned again to face him.

He exhaled as the weight of her words hit him. He reached out and pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms. She rested her face against his shoulder, nestling herself against him.

They sat together for several minutes in silence. She felt the soft rise and fall of his chest and listened to the slow, steady beat of his heart. He pressed his lips against her hair and felt her gradually relaxing completely into his embrace. It was their first unhurried moment since they'd come together nearly three days earlier making it somehow okay to say nothing at all.

Catrine rose to answer the knock at the door, indicating lunch had arrived. Ryan directed the butler to place it on the coffee table rather than in the dining room as he got up to get them each a drink.

Returning to the couch, he gestured for Catrine to join him there and felt relieved when she settled in closely beside him again. Having spent the last few minutes holding her close, he didn't want the formality of a hulking dining table between them now.

He opened the tray revealing two steaming bowls of pasta lightly dressed with tomatoes, basil and cheese. It smelled incredible and Catrine licked her lips as she looked eagerly towards it. He passed one to Catrine and then grabbed his own before turning sideways on the sofa to regard her.

"Dig in." He said.

As she took her first bite, she realized just how overcome she was with hunger. She was starving. She ate with gusto, stuffing huge bites into her mouth and chewing it as quickly as she could.

She had been so subdued just moments ago, but the lunch gave her a a sudden burst of energy. The simple pleasure of it making her giddy. He had never seen her so animated. Until that moment, her every move had been deliberate, her every word controlled. Here, suddenly, was another tiny fragment of her unguarded self; a vivid, alluring, dazzling young woman.

When she realized that he was watching her, she peeked over in his direction and noticed that he hadn't taken a single bite. Instead he simply looked at her with a perplexed expression.

Barely managing to swallow her bite, she couldn't help but give him a questioning glance. "You aren't eating? She asked, confused. "This might be the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

Her glance gave way to a smile as she turned her attention back to the bowl. Knowing he was still watching her, she exaggerated each bite, making 'oohs' and 'aahs' to emphasize her happiness.

Ryan watched her avidly until finally his grin gave way to laughter. At first it was just a giggle, but when that only seemed to encourage her antics further, it soon gave way to a fully formed roar from deep in his belly. The laughing complete with a small snort when he tried to catch his breath.

"Master Ryan, did you just snort?" She asked wide-eyed as she too succumbed to her own fit of laughter.

That did them both in; the two of them together, flopped against the couch, heads thrown back with abandon, laughing until they ached.

When they were finally spent, several minutes later, they were laying closely together against the deep pillows of the couch, each sighing happily. Ryan turned onto one elbow so that his face was just a few inches from Catrine.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked her softly, desperately wanting her to say yes, but knowing he'd relent if she chose.

"Of course." She said quickly and he sensed her sudden withdrawal from him.

"No, no, no." He interjected. "I meant, is it okay with you if I kiss you? Can I have your permission to kiss you?"

Her eyes opened in alarm as she considered his question.

"I've never actually been asked that before." She trailed off, her expression more serious by the moment.

Thinking that was her answer, he shifted back to a sitting position on the couch, taking a sip of his drink and increasing the distance between them. He needed the space to help him cool down a little bit; his desire for her was stronger than anything he had felt before.

There was still so much for Catrine to consider. The complexity of her past, her developing affection for him, her worries about where this would lead her. She watched him moving away, realizing the moment was passing her by and she hadn't intended that to be the answer to his question. Her mind shouted back, "Yes!" She wanted his kiss. She wanted it desperately, with every fiber of her being.

She moved suddenly, dropping her dish against the coffee table with a loud clank. In one motion, she practically jumped into his arms, her hands grabbing his shoulders and her lips pressing forcefully against his, almost knocking him backwards.

She had taken him completely by surprise, his mind momentarily frozen by the sensation of her pressed against him. When his brain finally caught up, he groaned against her lips, relishing the feel of her uninhibited kiss.

He wound himself tightly against her, wrapping his hands in her hair and grasping her around her neck.He leaned back into the couch and pulled her along, shifting her across his lap. She relaxed fully into his embrace as he kissed gently against her temple, around her bruise, and down her jaw line before returning to her lips.

She smiled against his mouth as he coaxed her to open herself more fully to their kiss. She complied and felt his tongue licking gently along her top lip before he caught the bottom one gently between his teeth, biting down. He pulled at it and sucked it softly into his mouth.

She gasped as the sensations he coaxed from her fluttered through her body; tiny little ripples rolling pleasantly down to her toes. It awakened her senses. She mimicked his actions. Making an unhurried pass with her own tongue over his lips and before grabbing one and teasing it softly with her mouth, eliciting a groan from Ryan.

"Hey, that's my trick!" he tried to say, the words coming out slurred as she refused to release his lips to let him speak.

She pulled herself back a few inches, smiling as she rested her hands on his shoulders, taking him in. He watched her expression turn pensive as she raised one hand and lightly traced the outline of his lips where her own had just been. She placed both hands on his cheeks, holding him there and looking deeply into his eyes.

There was such intensity to her touch, it made him breathless. The seconds stretched on as they just stared at one another. Though they were motionless, the connection intensified, evidenced by their racing hearts and quick breaths.

She broke their silence, but her body remained transfixed. She took his hand and pressed it against her chest. There was a trace of hesitation in her voice as she spoke.

"Here." she said, covering his hand with her own.

"Can you feel it?" She said, a hint of wonder in her voice as he looked back at her.

"I come alive when I'm with you."

A sound escaped his lips as the meaning of her words washed over him. He reached out to grasp her and pulled her tightly against him, pouring himself into their embrace. He rocked them back and forth gently as he pressed his lips against her hair, just above her ear.

He breathed deeply before whispering to her, "Oh sweet girl. Can't you see it? I'm the one who is alive with you."

He kissed her again, deeper and more urgently. His tongue pressing against hers, urging her to respond with her own. They tangled themselves up, giving an invitation to delve, caress and explore. Their bodies pressed together tightly.

Ryan began a trail of tiny kisses down her neck, as he murmured against her skin, "Make love to me, Catrine."

He felt her stiffen again, but this time he was more prepared for her response.

"It's not a command." He whispered to her. "It's a request."

"Make love to me, please my sweet girl." He repeated, his hand brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, continuing to stroke it softly watching her carefully for her response.

She felt light headed and tried to take a deep breath. She closed her eyes as her world blurred in and out of focus. She felt the presence of his steadying hands against her waist as she teetered slightly. She found his touch reassuring as she weighed the implications.

She was terrified. But she was also electrified.

"Ryan," she began, searching for the compassion she knew she'd find in his eyes. "You need to understand. I was nine when the war started, fourteen when I lost my parents. I was nineteen when they took me." She trailed off.

"This has never been optional for me. This has never been offered to me by request. I don't know if I can..." A sort of desperation was evident in her voice.

"Catrine, I know..." He began, releasing his hands from her waist, concerned that his touch was too overbearing.

She grasped his hands and pressed them back against her body as though it was her life preserver. She held them tightly as a tear fell from her eye.

"I have never known love, Ryan. I have only known rape."

He felt his heart fracture into a million pieces as he stared into her eyes. It was such a terrible injustice and he ached with the knowledge that it had been perpetrated by his own people. They had taken so much from her. Even here, despite his best intentions, he had failed to protect her from their crimes.

She ran one finger along the collar clasped securely around her neck and completed her thought with sad acceptance.

"This is all that I am."

The statement snapped him out of his melancholy thoughts. He raised both hands to her face, wiping the tear from her cheek with his thumb. He began shaking his head back and forth keeping her in his gaze as he held on to her tightly. She saw his jaw clench, suddenly filled with determination.

"Catrine." He began, speaking so quietly yet so firmly she couldn't help but give him her full attention.

"You are courage when I shrink with fear. You are luminous when I fade into shadow. You are kindness when I am thoughtless. You are soulful and beautiful and miraculous. I could think of 1000 more words and none of them would begin to define all that you are." He said the last four words slowly to give them more emphasis.

She wanted to believe him. He was so filled with conviction. He paused for a moment as she took in his words, having none of her own to respond. She knew in her heart that they had never managed to steal or beat or take all of her. She felt immense relief to know that someone else saw it too; and that the someone was this beautiful man in front of her.

She watched him with confusion as he unexpectedly let go of her to reach carefully into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a small envelope, unfolding it gently. As he spilled its contents into his palm, he revealed a tiny microchip on a slim red cord.

Catrine gasped. She stared at him dumbfounded.

"Where did you get that?" Her barely audible voice was filled with disbelief.

He could see her whole body trembling again, her eyes still glued to the chip.

"When he took you away last night...My God, Catrine. I have never felt so powerless. I couldn't do anything for you. I was so afraid for you." He began.

"And I sat there, so full of anger. Willing myself to do something useful. Anything."

"And, then I remembered that we manufacture these. That literally, I could get your key."

"It's a master copy." He continued, concerned that perhaps she wasn't even hearing his words. She hadn't so much as blinked since he revealed the contents of the envelope.

"It's the key type from which all the other keys are made."

"My old university roommate is the Director of our technology lab." He added, by way of explanation, hoping his voice would provide the needed momentum for her to breathe again.

"So, I was able to reach him and I asked if I could borrow it. Fortunately, he didn't ask me why I was in need of it..."

"This is only on loan, unfortunately. I'll need to return it tomorrow."

"But I thought maybe, for just one night, you could be...free."

Looking at her eyes again he could see that she was still in shock. He worried again that perhaps he had gone too far. Still, he was desperate to remove this barrier for her; to eliminate a physical reminder of her bondage, if only for a few hours.

He leaned towards her and gently pulled her hair over one shoulder. Then, reaching carefully behind her neck, he pressed the chip firmly against the back of her collar. They heard a quiet beep and then a soft click as the latch released and the collar slipped free of Catrine's neck and sank into her lap.

He softly ran his fingers along where the collar had restrained her just moments before. He could feel her quaking under his touch. He placed his palms against her shoulders as if to steady her, but pressed his warm thumbs where the cold metal had been.

"Catrine. You are so much. You are everything."

She raised her eyes to meet his. Her expression filled with astonishment.

"Everything."

He said it again and again. Straight to her. Like a shot directly to her heart.

Suddenly, she collapsed against him, air rushing into her lungs as she inhaled deeply. Her heart pounded in her chest.

"Do you want some time alone?" He asked her. "Do you need to rest?"

She stilled against him for a few seconds. Nestled there, she felt snug and secure. Her body hummed with the feel of him all around her.

"No." She said staring up at him, her expression a dazzling combination of bewilderment and desire. Her voice quiet, but filled with empowerment.

"I want you to make love to me."

He took her hand in his, opening her palm and planting a kiss gently in the center of it. The gesture echoing her actions just the day before.

—-

"Come over here." He said to her after they had stepped into the bedroom.

He pulled her in front of him, standing together in front of a full length mirror. Wearing his t-shirt and without her collar, she had no signifiers of her slave identity. They were just two people bathed in the rich late afternoon light that streamed through the windows, painting them in shades of gold. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned back to press herself against him. She stared at her own image, standing still for a long time.

He tipped her chin upwards, her eyes sweeping up to meet his brilliant blue gaze, before he coaxed her into a deep kiss. She sighed, turning her attention fully from the mirror, eager to return his kiss. Their tongues danced, entwined in their own passionate embrace.

He was caught up in the feel of her against him. Finally, away from the prying eyes and malicious intentions of the Kings, he could begin to express what she meant to him.

He watched her experiment and take charge of her own actions. He felt a powerful surge as he realized that she was meeting him openly in this place of their budding passion. It was such a gift to experience her this way.

She carried her kisses across his jaw and into the crook of his neck. She brought her hands up to stroke his chest, trailing her fingers across his broad shoulders and back to his collar bone.

Resting against him, she touched the lapel of his jacket and toyed with the buttons of his shirt, pausing there.

"I'm so nervous." She said with a hint of a smile. "I've done this a million times, but I've never done it like this before."

She looked up at him as he smiled, almost reverently, back down at her before kissing the tip of her nose. Emboldened, she turned her attention back to his chest and gently pulled his jacket over his shoulders letting it fall to the ground. He watched her intently as she worked her way down his dress shirt, opening each button and sliding her finger along the newly exposed skin of his chest. She pealed the shirt off his shoulders letting it join his jacket on the floor. Then, she leaned forward and planted a small kiss on his bare chest, just above his heart.

He inhaled sharply at the intimacy of her touch. He needed to be slow for her, to let her pace guide them. But his heart pounded with anticipation and he was finding it nearly impossible to concentrate. It took all of his power to resist crushing her against him and tossing them both onto the bed.

"Oh, sweet girl." He groaned against her hair, "You are just so amazing."

She raised her lashes to glance at him as he delivered a searing kiss to her lips, pushing his tongue deep into her mouth and stroking her tongue with his own. She met his lips with her own passionate force, her whole body quivering with sensation. She made quiet noises as his lips brushed past hers and down the soft skin of her neck, pausing where the collar had been before.

She shivered against his fingertips as he ran his hands down her body and under the hem of her shirt, his fingers skittering across her bare back and around her soft belly. He continued along the bones of her hips and across the soft swell of her behind, taking the time to feel her fully in his grip, squeezing her gently. She moaned softly, the added sensations from his touch intensifying their kiss, making her tingle everywhere.

He grabbed at the bottom hem of his t-shirt that covered her, pausing to look to her for consent. With her small nod, he carefully tugged it upwards, releasing his kiss just long enough to pull it over her head. Her hair cascaded back down across her shoulders and her back, framing her beautiful face once more. He grasped the shirt for only a moment more before he added it to the pile of clothes at their feet.