Prince and the Pauper

Chapter Thirty-Six

Soft caressing of knuckles along my cheekbones had me stirring from my deep sleep. I had no idea how long I had been unconscious, but my eyelids felt heavy, too heavy to lift them. It was as if I was half  way between sleep and consciousness. I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't find the strength to open my dry mouth, and yet I was perfectly aware of the gentle hands stroking my cheeks. The fingers that trailed over my cheeks were clad in rings, the cool metal making the veil of consciousness that much closer. I knew right away who the hands belonged to. Hands that I had grown very accustomed to, and cherished. A soft humming floated through my ears, the sound hypnotizing. I didn't recognize it, but it was soft, gentle, and I wished he would sing rather than hum. I wasn't aware of making any noise, but I must have because suddenly the humming ceased and lips pressed to my forehead.
"Hey baby." He whispered. "You're awake?" His voice pleaded and it made it even more painful to remain motionless.
"C'mon darling." He urged, thumb and index finger gripping my chin, tilting it. Light burned through my eyelids, and a gravelly moan left my papery lips.
"Good girl, now open your eyes for me." He softly instructed. Forcing the image of opening my eyes in my head, and pushing through the foggy veil, my eyes opened. I saw nothing but white light momentarily, and then shapes swam into focus like the world returning to normal after spinning around. Long dishevelled curls, sparkling green eyes, pink lips. Harry.
"Hey princess." Harry cooed, relief swarming in his eyes. I smiled back, but the action felt crooked. I felt strange, like I was waning off of a sedative or drug, and reality and illusions were tangling together.
"Where-?" My voice didn't sound like me at all, and the unknown of what was happening to me, where I was, made my eyes swell with fear.
"Shh," Harry hushed me, snatching my hand up and pressing a soft kiss to my wrist, warm lips lingering.
"Do you recognize where we are?" Harry asked gently. My eyes scanned the room, and I nodded.
"Not hospital." I croaked, and Harry smiled sympathetically.
"It wasn't safe, Angel." Confusion hit me, and Harry released the softest of sighs.
"Dante has been arrested. Along with Sebastian and Chandler. The media is in a frenzy, Devonne. My family is the symbol of Ruddington. Now one of the sons is arrested for kidnapping and other crimes, the other testifying against his brother. Mother is demanding a divorce, and now both Drake and Trace are out for blood." Bitterness ran through my veins, devastation crushed me as I realized I wasn't safe yet. I had escaped Dante, but I hadn't escaped the threat of death.
"So we're hiding in your new house?" I asked hoarsely, and Harry nodded.
"Drake thought his dad lived in New York still, the two were never that close. Granddad bought this house and kept it a secret with my mom and me. They won't know to look here, they don't know here even exists." I let his words sink in, the reality that Harry and I were officially in  hiding made me panic.
"Geordie." I gasped, and Harry brushed my hair from my face.
"Has a guard outside his door twenty-four-seven, thanks to Zaiden." Harry informed me. I relaxed slightly, but anger was brewing deep inside, knowing I couldn't go visit my brother, simply to keep me alive. For the millionth time I asked myself how different my life would be if Geordie and I had gone to a different supermarket that day.Or if I'd had a better job we could have afforded to live in safer town. I knew I wasn't outright guilty for my brothers attack, but a little voice had constantly nagged in the back of my mind, that I could have done better to provide for my little brother. I had  antagonized Dante that day, mocked him and thought his anger would focus on me. It hadn't, and now my  brother was in a coma because of it. Tears prickled in my eyes Harry made a soft sound to hush my cries.
"Hey, don't cry." Harry pleaded delicately, brushing away my tears with his thumb.
"It's my fault." My voice shook. "If I had kept my big mouth shut Dante might not have retaliated and Geordie would be here." I cried, and Harry looked in physical pain to see me so upset.
"Dev, listen to me." He gently ordered. When I couldn't find the strength to look him in the eye, his hand gingerly gripped my chin and tilted it up to meet his unrelenting stare.
"My brother is an evil man. Greedy, selfish, and heartless. I wasn't there that day but I didn't have to be to  know that no matter what you said, or what you did, the outcome would have been the same." His thumb trailed down, and ran across my lips, and I encased his thumb with my lips as I  softly kissed his thumb. Harry smiled softly as he continued to ran his hand down my neck, to clasp the back of my neck, pulling my head closer. When our lips finally brushed a dreamy sigh filled our mouths, from who I wasn't sure. My arms rose up and locked around his neck, pulling him down to meet me. Harry was cautious not to put too much pressure on me, leaning his weight onto his biceps as he hovered over me. I had missed him too much, and he wasn't close enough. No way near it. I needed him on me, connected anywhere and everywhere.
"Harry." I whined when he refused to lower himself onto me.
"Princess." Harry whispered, as if pained by the distance. His eyes roamed my body greedily, but he didn't make an effort to touch me, and it was killing me.
"Why won't you touch me?" I whimpered, and he kissed my temple sweetly. Our noses brushed, and he grinned as he pecked me on my nose.
"I want to, Angel. I want you so badly I can scarcely breathe." My eyes closed at his words, and a frenzy stormed inside me as I felt his hand press to my stomach under the fabric of my shirt. I wanted his hand higher, and lower, and everywhere in between, but he kept it on my stomach, his thumb rubbing circles just above my belly-button, making me groan in frustration.
"Please." I begged, and Harry took his lower lip between his teeth.
"You're healing, I cant put to much pressure on you." He said delicately, but I shook my head.
"You're just the thing to make me better then." I whispered, and I watched him carefully as his pupils dilated. I could see him contemplating if he could do it. Please, let him choose yes. Harry and I had been apart for too long, and the fear that I might have lost him made me even hungrier for his touch. I nearly screamed when he lowered himself onto me, and my hands instantly gripped at his biceps.
"I want you to remain still, okay?" He tried being authorative, and I grinned, nodding my head enthusiastically. He smirked at my keen response, pressing his lips to mine again. We let our lips continuously brush until we were out of breath, and then he dragged his swollen lips down my chin, down my throat at an agonizing slow pace. I couldn't help but wriggle below him, and I heard him chuckle as he shook his head.
"Ah-ah." He tutted. "What did I say about being still?" He remarked with a cheeky smile, and I forced back a laugh as I bit my cheek.
"Sorry." I whispered, and Harry slowly licked his lips. |
"Are you going to behave this time?" He asked deeply, and I nodded my head twice.
"Yes, Harry."
"Good girl." He cooed, lowering his head back down, his warm lips kissing their way down my torso, over my stomach, stopping at a dangerous line.
"Harry." I groaned, and I heard him laugh, hands gripping at either side of my hips, keeping my motionless. His teeth sunk into my hip bone, and I cried out in pleasure and frustration. I didn't know I hadn't been wearing pants, but I smiled as my panties were dragged down by his teeth, slowly and teasingly revealing more skin.
"Oh baby." Harry whispered, and my head rose from the pillow, only to flop back down when his lips pressed just above where I was aching.
"Still." Harry repeated, and I moaned in response as my legs were grabbed and lifted over his shoulders. His dark curls tickled the skin on my thighs, and I whimpered as he lips trailed from the side of my thigh, upwards, heat spreading throughout my entirety.
"Harry." I repeated his name, and his lips still in the formation of a smirk, pressed to me, and a deep moan filled the room. I could feel my cheeks flush at the proximity, and I made a strangled noise as his tongue slicked upwards, drawing a line with his tongue around every critical part. I groaned and the sheets to the bed bunched in my fingers when he kissed me there.
"Please." I whispered weakly as he sucked, and I let my head roll into my shoulder, Harry making deep sounds of satisfaction making me grow faint. I felt my hips buck and teeth gently nipped down making me whimper as my hips were gripped tightly, keeping me still as I recovered from my high. I giggled as he let his lips wander back up my legs, over my torso, my neck, and finally to my lips as he gently laid himself down beside me.
"I missed you." Harry whispered gently, and I let our fingers lock together.
"I missed you too." I said.
"When you were gone-when I was forced to watch my brother drag you out-the fear in your eyes..." Harry trailed off and his jaw clenched.
"I wanted to kill him, Dev. I still do. Your pain is my pain, and what he did to you-I ached every second you were gone." His eyes bored into mine, and I ran my thumb along his hand.
"I am not going to let that happen again. We'll figure something out, get my father and Trace locked up somehow. Then we will be safe." Harry explained, and I released a shaky sigh.
"How are we going to do that?" I asked softly, and Harry turned to look at me. In the morning light his sharp cheekbones and jawline looked even more prominent, adding to the intensity of his eyes.
"I don't know. But I won't rest until they were gone. For good."