– S C O R P I O N –

I woke with a start.

It was a familiar nightmare. The one that never seemed to fade away. But instead of finding myself sprawled out in a tangle of sheets and pillows I found a body in my arms and blonde hair shimmering across the pillows. I hadn't planned to fall asleep in this room. In fact this was the first time I had ever allowed myself to fall asleep next to another person. There were too few I trusted.

So that part wasn't a dream.

It had felt like it. I had offered her my life... told her my name and...

She shifted in my arms briefly until she let out a sigh that let me know she wasn't fully awake yet. I wasn't ready to let her go anyway. I simply watched the rise and fall of her easy breathing and stared at the rising sun bouncing off her hair.

After a few more minutes I began tracing faint lines from the top of her shoulder down her arm. I was hypnotised by this woman and couldn't even stop myself. She then started mumbling something in her sleep. I paused briefly, curious to know what filled her dreams. When I heard nothing more I continued drawing down her arm.

She made another unintelligible sound that almost sounded like a hum of...

I smirked at her back with a devilish thought forming in my head. Testing my theory, I let my fingers trace casually over her hip where her top had risen up. The noise came again and she shifted a leg in reflex. I bit my lip to avoid the laugh that threatened to come out.

I continued to trace over her skin tauntingly slow before moving over to her stomach. It was more an exhale of pleasure this time and I was sure that whatever dream she was having just got better. I was about to stop my game and wake her but she mumbled my name into the pillow and my heartbeat spiked.

I thought she'd be fantasising about one of those wealthy, pompous ballroom snobs not me. She didn't even know what she was saying last night–caught in the moment... You couldn't feel anything for someone like–

Her hips moved back into me then, pressing right against me. Heat flashed through my body along with a racing desire. Enough. Take your hands off her and stop this. I tried to command myself but she shifted her hips again as if asking me to continue.

I clenched my teeth as my heartbeat increased. My hands flexed as I tried to hold onto my sanity. When she rubbed against me again, my hands moved with a mind of their own completely. She was soon sighing again into the pillow and pressing closer.

My breathing increased along with hers. I had to wonder how much of this was her fantasy and how awake she really was now...

But she didn't stop. She was grinding into me deliberately, asking for me to make a move that was so far from where we were before. As if we were trapped in a finite moment that she knew was limited–one she took advantage of.

My hands explored her stomach freely and continued to get dangerously low. I knew that it would soon be too much for her to–

"Alex." She murmured, as if in the simplest question.

She didn't have to ask.

My hand slipped below her waist and traveled in between her legs. Her breathing was ragged now and I could feel her need. I pressed my fingers against her most sensitive part and she gasped out. She was definitely past any dream now. Her hips moved against my hand as I rubbed her centre. She dragged in ragged breaths as I continued my assault.

"Please..." She breathed.

I moved my other hand over to her breast and caused a fresh shiver to travel down her. Her body only made mine race hotter. She groaned loudly when I began moving both hands in unison. They moved in time with her hips against me and sent her further towards the edge.

Then I finally sank my fingers into her. She gasped out and sent her hand out to grip my leg. Pressing us even closer together, I used my leg to separate hers further apart.

She rocked against me and I quickened the pace. She was reaching her end and I knew it. Her breathing dragged in air and her legs tightened around me as I moved inside her mercilessly. All of me was burning and electrified in response to her and I had the urge to tear away the clothes that separated us.

Finally she came undone and buried her cry into the pillow as she reached the peak of her bliss. I watched her as she continued to breath heavily and then turned to face me. At first she was speechless but then she breathlessly laughed.

"There are worse ways to wake up." She stated with crimson coating her cheeks.

I laughed loudly and shook my head in disbelief.

Her smirk soon darkened and I knew her thoughts did too. In a quick move she was on top of me and pinned both of my arms above my head. I grinned up at her.

Just as she lowered herself to me the door thumped loudly.

I froze, instantly crashing back into reality. Makayla was in a similar state of shock and dishevelment. I didn't miss the blush still burning on her cheeks.

"What?" I barked at the door. I didn't take my eyes off the stunning woman on top of me.

"It's the Silver Sun, my commander." A male voice said from the other side of the door. "It's not good." He finished in a low voice.

My thoughts instantly flashed towards the safety of my people. The city was on the verge of a war and I was filling my head with nothing but the emperor's daughter. I mentally slapped myself.

"Give me five minutes!" I called towards the door.

"Yes Scorpion." He responded, before his footsteps faded away.

Makayla's hair was in chaos and her eyes looked mockingly down at me. I shook my own head and picked her off me easily. She protested loudly and I grinned in response. I flicked my feet onto the ground and headed towards the chair with my cloak.

"It's barely been a morning and you're already needy." I mocked.

She threw a pillow at the back of my head.

"I never knew you had a tattoo." She said from behind me.

I glanced at the intricate network of ink running down my right arm as I secured my cloak back into position.

"It doesn't have some great meaning if that's what you're thinking." I said flatly. Then I turned to her and shrugged. "I just–like it."

She smirked back at me. "Of course."

That was it. Nothing more, no penetrating questions about my past or reasons for it... It was sort of a relief to be around someone that didn't try to pry open my life. So I winked at her before pointing to a door on the other side of the room.

"Shower is in there. Make yourself at home, your Imperial Majesty." I drawled dropping into a dramatic bow.

She practically rolled her eyes to the moon. I did love it when she did that.

"You know where to find me after you've finished causing more trouble for my father."

I barked a laugh at her total indifference and turned on my heel to make for the door.

Interesting morning indeed.