The Royal Honor

Chapter: Two

::Up in the Heir::

In the morning, Kate repacks their suitcases while Drake showers. The Royal jet was scheduled to pick them up at 10 am.  Despite being away for a week neither of them had packed much. Kate had brought more beachwear and extra underwear than real clothes.

The exception had been a pair of sundresses to wear to dinner and for the flight home. Drake had packed his favourite jeans and a couple of denim shirts, and at Kate's insistence some shorts and tshirts too. Drake was totally clueless sometimes about packing clothes for travel, that sort of thing really didn't matter much to him.

Kate had discovered his reasoning for wanting to pack so little once they'd arrived at the villa that first day. He'd intended on spending the majority of his time as naked as possible. She had burst out laughing at this at first, reminding him that the island did have a staff of strangers for most of the day. They'd only be free to be outdoors naked at night.

In the end he'd conceded to at least wear shorts or swim trunks during the day, taking every opportunity to go shirtless when they found each other alone. After a couple of days of being under the watchful eyes of the butler and his staff, who graciously catered to their every need, Drake had become impatient at the lack of privacy. It became a game for him to find ways to ditch the staff and sneak private time with Kate during the day.  They'd miraculously appear at scheduled mealtimes, slightly disheveled, but at least appropriately dressed.

Standing at the open window Kate fills her lungs with the fresh ocean breeze. The perfect glittering ocean landscape outside had been the same every day of their trip. It hadn't rained, the daily temperatures had fluctuated  little, and apart from the predictable sunrise and sunset times the only thing that changed was whether they had fluffy clouds that day or clear skies. It had all seemed surreal to Kate, her time in Cordonia and on this tropical island. So different than her life and climate in New York city. As she stood at the window, lost in thought, she wasn't aware that Drake had finished his shower.

Walking into the main room of the villa, drying himself with his bath towel, he sees Kate standing at the window. As he crossed the room to join her, he smiled. She positively glowed. The honey brown sun kissed color of her skin was a stark contrast to the crisp white, and floral print of her sundress. Her hair was swept up in a ponytail accented by a white cotton ribbon. Delicate pearl earrings, a gift he had given her their first night on the island, dripped from her earlobes. The breeze from the window caught the loose tendrils of hair at her nape and where they framed her beautiful face. He wanted to twirl them around his finger, knowing how silky they'd feel, or tuck them behind her ear and steal a caress of the soft skin of her face or neck. To hear her gasp, and see her lips part at his warm touch, and yearn to be kissed.

Kate heard the pad of his bare feet on the floorboards as he approached, and his naked reflection in the window glass made her breath catch. She could see the mischievous gleam in his eye and the smirk on his face. Pretending to be engrossed in the scenery outside, she waited for him with bated breath. As the warmth of his body, and the fresh scent of his clean skin filled her senses she felt her body respond. Her blood sizzled, her nerves on alert for his touch, just his breath on her skin made her nipples harden and sent a warmth spreading through her abdomen that coalesced between her thighs. When he spoke, she stifled the moan that threatened to escape her throat by biting hard on her lip.

“Hello Beautiful,” his voice rumbled as he dipped his head down to kiss her shoulder.

“Hello, my Love,” she whispers, reaching up to grasp the back of his neck.

Drake reaches up to place his hand on her throat, feeling her racing pulse against his palm as she tips her head back. Grasping the strap of her sundress with his teeth, he transfers it to his thumb and slides it off her shoulder. Kate gasps as his hand tightens on her throat and his fingers tickle a trail of goosebumps down her arm.  His hand slides over her hip, reaching for the hem of her dress.