"Are you done yet?" River questions from behind the door. I roll my eyes as I fix my bikini, staring at my reflection. Not to sound conceited but damn, I look good.

"No, don't rush me."

He sighs, "My queen, couldn't you hurry up a little?"

"Well, as you always say, I'm a queen. A queen has no time limit to get ready." I smirk.

"What a smart ass queen." River mutters but I manage to catch it.

"Take your time, I hear? Oh, if you insist!" I tease him and he groans.

"Please no. Have mercy, my queen."

I lean on the door, smiling. "Hm, I don't know if I should."

"I beg you!"

The image of River begging pops into my mind and I smirk.

"Ugh, fine." I say with false irritation, which earns a sigh of relief from River. Taking a deep breath, I open the door and lock eyes with him.

His jaw instantly drops at the sight of me.

"Oh." River mumbles, "Oh."

"Is that all you're going to say?" I chuckle and he rubs the back of his neck.

"Uh... You look freaking sexy."

I blush immediately, lowering my head.

"Thanks..." I clear my throat, trying to get rid of the awkward silence. Fortunately, River feels my discomfort and pulls me away to our destination.

"Whoa, slow down." I laugh as he runs, holding my hand firmly.

"Sorry, " River smiles, "I'm just excited. You will be too in a moment."

The suspense is killing me!

I sigh, "River. No girl likes surprises. Why don't you just tell me now?"

"Because I like surprises. I like surprising people." He explains and I groan. As he continues to guide me, I notice the unusual silence in the building.

Where is everyone?

"Hey, River–"

"We're here!" River interrupts, making me look forward again.

My eyebrows furrow. "A door?"

He gives me a flat look. "To open and enter, my queen."

"I know that!" I snap and he chuckles.

"Of course you do." River winks at me, "You're the queen, you know everything."

I grin, "You bet."

"Come on now. We got a beach date." He opens the door for me and I slowly enter.

Did he just say...date? I think he did.

I feel his hand on my back as we walk. "Have you ever had a beach date before?"

"No."

River wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. I suddenly feel really warm and bubbly.

"Well, " He leans in, "this will be your first beach date and our first date."

There it is again. Date... This is a freaking date! Okay. Okay. I might just die. But first, let me get through this so I can die happy.

"Here we are." River smiles and gestures to the picnic on the sand. A smile involuntarily builds up on my face.

"Wow, River." I chuckle. "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

He shrugs, grinning. "I guess you have that effect on me."

We sit beside each other on the picnic blanket. River begins serving me while I watch the waves.

"You really like the ocean, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's so mysterious and mesmerizing... I could stare at it all day." I sigh.

"You know what I could stare at all day?" River gives me a mischievous smile and whispers, "You."

I swallow the heat forming inside me and roll my eyes. "Just give me my food, River."

"Yes, my queen. Whatever you want, my queen." He teases, making me chuckle.

"Did you make this yourself?" I gesture to all of the delicious food.

River scoffs, "No. Well, I watched the chefs and made sure everything was perfect."

"Aw. You're so sweet." I pinch his cheek and he glares at me.

"Yeah, yeah. Eat your hamburger."

I take a bite out of it and pause, staring at River.

His eyes widen, concerned. "What? Is it bad? You don't like it? I'm sorry, I thought everything was perfect."

River groans and hides his face with his hands, clearly frustrated. It only makes my heart melt even more. Ugh, why did he make me feel this way?

"No, River." I say softly, "It's perfect. I love it. It's just how I like it."

He peeks out from his fingers, "Really?"

I smile and nod.

"Oh, thank, God!" River sighs in relief.

"I was wondering how you knew..."

River furrows his eyebrows, "How you like your hamburgers?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Um... I kind of asked your sister, Emily."

Now my eyes widen. "What? You talked to her?"

He bites his lip nervously. "Yes... I said I was your friend from private school."

Well, good thing I didn't call this week. I would've been clueless about this if Emily brought it up.

"Are you mad?"

I look up at him, smiling. I interlock our fingers gently and he takes a sharp intake of breath.

"No. I have no reason to be. You were doing something kind and...romantic." I murmur, leaning close to him.

He leans in too. "Only for you, my queen."

And that's the last thing I hear before I'm enveloped with ecstasy, bliss, and passion.

•••

"So. " River looks at me as I read a book across from him on his bed. "Did you like our first date?"

"Yes." I smile, "It was perfect."

He smirks and sits up, getting closer to me. "You know... That word has been used quite a lot today."

I nod, "That's because everything is abnormally perfect."

"I know something else that would be perfect." River grins, grabbing my book gently and putting it on his bedside table.

A mischievous smile forms on my lips. What is he doing to me?

"Oh, yeah?" I say seductively, "And what's that?"

River whispers, "This."

He grabs me by my waist and pushes me down on his bed. I collide our lips, a fiery feeling filling us.

When I tug on his lip, he groans. When he squeezes me, I moan. Everything between us is synchronized but at the same time, a total mess. A very, very hot mess.

"You." He pants.

I pull on his shirt as I kiss him.

"And I."

He trickles kisses down to my chest.

"Are perfect."

We desperately lock lips again in an amorous frenzy.

"Together." River finishes and I nod, trailing my hands down his chest. I want to continue, to do something more than kissing.

But something stops me.

"I can't." I mumble and he freezes immediately.

His eyes bore into mine. "You can't what?"

"I–I can't go any further."

He stares at me in silence and vice versa.

A solemn look takes over his face. "Okay. Okay. I respect that."

I sigh in relief, "You're not mad?"

"I'm disappointed, of course. But not mad."

"I'm sorry."

River shakes his head at me, "No. Don't be. I'm not going to force you into doing anything like, um, that."

I can't help but smile. "Thank you, River."

He smiles a small smile. "Anytime, my queen."

I look at him for a moment, really look at him. I never admitted it before but...he's not who I thought he was.

River kisses my forehead and helps me up. As I look at him, I smile.

I'm lucky. Really lucky. I could've been given a horrible husband. But I got River, my one of a kind River.

The secret that was bothering me since last week vanishes as if it was never there. And all that is left is River.

River...

My king.

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