Staffan froze over her, his head lifting up, breaking the kiss.
The memories – those hurtful, deceitful, misunderstood memories were returning to Staffan and she saw how the betrayal and fury made his hazel eyes burn. It hurt her, only because she knew how much Staffan was hurting. He loved her – Staffan had loved her with all his heart, and the world made it seem as if she didn't love him back.
She cupped his face. "I love you, Staffan." Her voice was fierce. "You're the only man I've ever loved and will ever love---"
"Liar," he gritted out.
He started to pull away, but she was prepared for it. Her arms went around him, holding him to her tightly.
"Let go," Staffan snarled under his breath, the feel of Saffi's soft naked body tempting him to forget. But he was fucking done forgetting. He had played the role of a happy lover and it just fucking hurt to remember that it wasn't true.
Saffi was clinging to him like he was a raft and she was drowning. He couldn't use brute force, unwilling to risk hurting her or the baby she carried. "Goddammit it, Saffi, let go---"
"Never!" Tightening her arms around him, she rose up and aggressively covered his lips with hers. She kissed him deeply, lovingly, seducing him without words. Staffan's lips were tightly shut, but she didn't let it discourage her, licking and nibbling his lips as she pressed her breasts against his chest. She twisted her legs around his waist as she rubbed her hot sex against his already pulsing dick.
Saffi's breathy moans and calculated moves were fast eroding his defenses. Staffan did his best to put distance between them but Saffi followed him wherever he rolled and twisted on the bed, her lips never leaving his, her hot little pussy drenching his dick with so much wetness it nearly drove him out of his mind.
"Saffi, fuck!" Staffan rolled to his back as he did his best to disentangle her hold around his neck. But this position was his Waterloo – only he would not know until it was too late. Saffi did let go, only to slither down to take his dick into her mouth, sucking him – all of him.
"Fuck!" He jerked on the bed, nearly sitting up but unable to because his hips were imprisoned under Saffi's naked body, his dick still caged in the beautifully moist warmth of her mouth. She had one hand on his balls, playing with them as her other hand stroked his dick while keeping him in her mouth. The sucking noises Saffi was making filled Staffan's mind and he fell back against the bed.
Slowly, his fingers tightened on her hair, and then he was fucking her mouth. He closed his eyes, closed his mind to the reality of Saffi's betrayal and just lost himself in the pleasure of her touch. He fucked her mouth hard, his hands not letting go of her head as he lifted his hips and began thrusting into her forcefully.
But Saffi didn't seem to care, her hands tightening their hold around his dick as her strokes became faster and wilder. His breath hitched and he knew he was close.
Did she do this for the prince, too?
The thought came out of nowhere and Staffan reacted instinctively even as his arousal reached its peak. Staffan wrenched himself out of her mouth and she let go with a cry, taken by surprise at the roughness of his move. He rose to his knees without a word, jerking himself off as their gazes locked with each other.
And then he was coming with a guttural groan.
"Why?" Saffi whispered the question when she could see that he was completely spent, his dick lying against his belly in a semi-erect state.
His eyes blazed at her. "You have to fucking ask?" Staffan snarled.
She swallowed. "Staffan---"
"I don't know what fucking game you're playing, wanting me to have sex with you. But I have never had a taste for another man's leftovers and you're no fucking exception."
Bile rose at her throat at Staffan's obvious contempt, humiliation at his rejection making Saffi want to cover her nakedness. But when he turned to leave, she couldn't help cry out his name.
Staffan stilled but did not turn to face her.
"We had an agreement, Staffan." Her voice was uneven but determined. "I want you in my bed every night and that still … stands. Even if we don't … do anything." She gripped the bed sheets, twisting them into knots, using it a way to release her tension. "And since you think I'm such a deceitful bitch, then you won't risk backing out of our agreement. Because your siblings are lovely---"
"Leave them out of this!"
She closed her eyes. I'm sorry, Saffi silently apologized to Edana and Cairo even though she hoped they would never know she was using them as bargaining chips. Turning her back to Staffan, she said quietly, "Then stay with me every night. That's all I want."
Staffan didn't answer. But as she curled herself into a ball under the covers, she heard him moving behind her. He took the top layer off, the one that was now wet with his come, and she dimly heard him throw them on the floor. The bed dipped under his weight and then he was lying next to her, the space between them like a cliff that she couldn't ever cross.
She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears fell.
He lay there, staring at the ceiling, hating everything about his fucking life. And just when he thought she was finally sleeping, he heard her say his name in a tear-choked whisper.
"Staffan?"
Saffi knew he was awake, but Staffan didn't answer. The tears fell faster because somehow, his silence was like being rejected all over again.
Chapter Six
Chloe Gustav: Spotted in Orlando!
Twitter: Aehrenthal_Fanatics
"Where are you going?" Saffi winced at the sharpness of her voice. She hadn't meant to sound like that, but fear and worry made it so. She had been painfully relieved when upon their arrival back in the States, Bob had driven both of them back to Orlando. A part of her dreaded finding out that she would have to stay in her dorm room alone for the rest of the semester, but Silver had apparently arranged for both of them to live off campus.
The two-room apartment had just the right amount of space for a couple, with a minimalist feel to it. The maroon accents were a nice contrast and gave the place some color. The sight of her – their – new home had given Saffi hope. She thought it could be a fresh start for them - until she saw Staffan preparing to leave.
Staffan was dressed to kill. Scarf, sweater, striped shirt, faded jeans and boots – it was rock star casual, the kind that only someone as unfailingly fashionable as Staffan could carry out. Normally, she would be glad to see him wearing that, but it was different now. Staffan was still furious with her, and she couldn't forget the fact that the man before her did still happen to be Sweden's #1 Sex God.
Staffan's tone was chilly when he asked, "Do I fucking ask you where you are going?"
"No, but---"
"Then don't fucking do it to me because what I do on my own time is none of your fucking business."
His gaze was contemptuous and it hurt Saffi to realize that such a look was slowly losing its sting. She was getting used to it, this hatred from Staffan, and she wondered hysterically if that was a good or bad thing.
"This marriage is a farce so don't start acting like you're a fucking housewife and I'm going to cherish you like a besotted groom. I married you because your family blackmailed me into it, but they can't force me to pretend that I'm goddamn happy with this shit."
"But you can be." She couldn't keep silent, couldn't help appealing to Staffan one more time. And Saffi knew she would probably do it again and again even if it killed her. Because she loved him and because she knew he had loved her – still loved her.
"If you just listened to me," she said brokenly. "If you just let me explain---"
"YOU ALWAYS GODDAMN LIE!"
Saffi whitened.
"Don't you fucking understand? I can't fucking trust you because there was never a day that you didn't lie and I'm beginning to think I fell in love with a fucking psycho who can't stop lying!"
She started to cry, and she couldn't stop crying when Staffan cursed.
"I can't deal with this right now." The door slammed shut behind Staffan, and somehow it felt like he was effectively shutting her out of his life as well.
****
"Don't mind them." Mary couldn't figure out if she was warning or pleading with her mentor as the interest in Saffi just kept growing, and not in a good way. The stares and whispers were something she had a feeling Saffi was already used to. But the snide comments were so much worse and even Mary was feeling weak at just how spiteful everyone was being.
If only this line would just move faster, Mary despaired silently. Normally, queues for the Registrar's Office were nonexistent. It was just their luck to line up at the same time the freshmen had been asked to update their records. Now, Mary and Saffi had been forced to listen to everyone bitch about Saffi's love life – they had been listening to it for only fifteen minutes, but in Mary's mind it felt like forever.