Undressed by the King

LUCIEN

I grunted, tucking my still-hard shaft into the waistband of my trousers.

Another woman had tried and failed to bring me to orgasm. Of course. And now there wasn’t time to pleasure myself. Though I knew exactly who I would imagine.

That delicious, mysterious, red-haired woman. Her petite frame, slender curves, and breasts made for the size of my hands. I couldn’t get her out of my head.

But I had to try. I had business to attend to.

After kicking the concubine out, I walked into the small room adjoining my bedroom—a private space constructed for me by the leading sorcerer in my kingdom.

The room would have been pitch black if not for the small pool of silvery water located right in the center. It shimmered like a glowing mirror.

I dove in headfirst.

***

“Mr. Ozric, welcome back. How was your trip to the Bahamas? It’s gorgeous there, right?” my ever-dependable assistant, Mrs. Agatha, said as I exited my private elevator.

I was wearing a two-piece navy-blue suit; Zaxonian clothes were too flashy for this world. And I adjusted my cuffs as I walked toward her, noticing that she was dressed in her usual granny clothes with her reading glasses hanging around her neck.

Gorgeous, my ass. If she knew how beautiful my world was, she’d never think the Bahamas were gorgeous.

“Good,” was my brusque reply. “Humid,” I added for a touch of realism.

I crossed the reception area and walked straight into my office, her little feet scurrying to keep pace.

“Do you want to rest first, or should I tell you the updates since you left?” she chirped from behind me.

“Tell me everything I missed, Mrs. Agatha.” I sat in my leather chair and swiveled to face her. “I am riveted.”

“Hedonia Apartments and Suites has finally signed the transfer of ownership. You are now its new owner.”

“Wonderful,” I said with a smirk.

“Also, you were invited to a charity ball yesterday, but I declined it for you since you were still on vacation. There was another invitation for a ribbon cutting in one of your hotels, but I declined that for you too.”

“Just as instructed, Mrs. Agatha.” I gave her a quick nod, pleased.

I never liked to join large gatherings, even if they were just for show. And it wasn’t about the ogling and worshipping that came with being so fucking handsome and rich. It was just better to keep a low profile.

“Also, you received this letter from Costard University. From a professor, Dr. Danes. He said to give it to you ASAP.” She extended the letter toward me and I took it.

“Letter given, Mrs. Agatha. Anything else?” I said, sounding just like a well-bred billionaire of this world.

“One last thing, sir. Silvia has been calling for you. She said…she misses you, sir.”

I cringed at the mention of her name and didn’t fail to catch the disdain in Mrs. Agatha’s voice. I knew she hated the brassy, long-legged woman who had often strolled in here like she owned the place.

But beautiful women tended to do that, especially ones who were models for a famous lingerie brand. The instant she saw me, she was struck with the psychotic will to make me hers. Despite her several attempts at seduction, I had never been interested.

Besides, I didn’t come to New York City to fuck the women of this world. I came here to consult with Dr. Danes, whose letter I was holding between my fingers. I needed Mrs. Agatha to leave so I could open it.

“Tell Sylvia that I died.”

“Really, sir?”

“Just get her to stop calling—I do not care what you say. Do your job, Mrs. Agatha.” I turned over the envelope and waved her away. “You can go now.”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded and left.

I tore open the letter from the professor. The paper inside had no words, just a string of numbers. Nine digits that I needed to dial for a secure connection. This had been our routine since I first came into this world.

“It’s me,” I said after he picked it up on the first ring.

“Your Highness! I didn’t expect you to return until Monday,” the doctor said. “Who runs your kingdom while you’re away?” he added with a chuckle.

“I have a very trustworthy servant who takes care of everything.”

“Right. Like Mrs. Agatha in this world.”

“Some people are indispensable.” Enough with the small talk. I cut straight to the point. “Do you have any updates on the poison?”

I commissioned Dr. Danes to investigate the source of a poison that had killed two people very close to me. I was desperate to know its origins. And more desperate for revenge.

“It’s as you suspected. The poison did not come from your world. I traced its source to an exceedingly rare plant in Siberia.”

“So that means—”

“Yes, your enemy has access to Earth, or someone here has access to Zaxonia.”

My mind instantly flashed to the woman who was not of my world. “How can this be? I alone have the resources needed to create such a bridge.” I balled my hand into a fist and clenched my jaw.

“I’m sorry to say it, sir, but that must not be true.”

I swallowed hard, trying to accept the fact that I knew less than I would like to admit. “Thank you, Doctor. I am in your debt.”

“If that’s so,” he said tentatively, “then I’d like to invite you to the university museum’s opening tonight.”

Not this again. I sighed. “You know I have no time for that, Doctor.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn’t want to have this argument.

“Just stay for an hour. After all, your money is the reason why the school was able to open a museum. Please, Your Highness.”

“Fine,” I said, pressing my eyes shut. “One hour. When does it start?”

“Six o’clock. And don’t dress too flashy—you’ll give my students a heart attack.” He chuckled.

I grinned as I caught my reflection in the mirrored clock on my desk. “Not much I can do about that. I cannot change how I look.”

Well, I technically could, but I only changed the length of my hair when I came here. Short, so I could fit in with all the other billionaires.

“See you tonight, Doctor.” I hung up the phone, then stood up, turned around, and looked out my floor-to-ceiling windows at the sprawling view of New York City.

It was so different from Zaxonia. So much concrete and so little green. Just a hyped-up world of technology addicts.

Then I thought about what the professor had said and what I thought I knew. I thought I was the only one who could create a portal, but I knew she was from Earth. So how did she have one? Did she make it or find it?

I grew excited as I remembered just how electrifying it felt when I grabbed her hair and turned her face toward mine. When our eyes met.

Where the hell are you, woman?

***

“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Mr. Darien Ozric, the most generous donor to our museum,” Dr. Danes announced as we approached the table.

Everyone quickly stood up, beaming at me, but I was only interested in the mysterious woman. She stared at me with shock in her eyes.

Dr. Danes started introducing me to the elderly benefactors and colleagues. I gave them my reserved, practiced smile and a firm handshake as we exchanged pleasantries until I finally came to her. Her.

“And this is Ms. Nicolette Holland, one of the major contributors of the artifacts you’ll be seeing later,” the doctor said.

His voice faded away. My total focus was on her. The woman who had somehow found herself in my realm. The woman who looks so familiar.

She is the spitting image of… No. It cannot be.

She stood and I studied every inch of her, looking for hints as to who this woman really was.

She wore minimal makeup: lipstick the color of pink carnations, light, shimmering powder on her face, and brown smoky shadow around her eyes. The simplicity of it just added to her beauty.

She wore a red dress that perfectly flaunted her curves. Curves that I felt I had seen before, that I had traced, explored. And wanted to do again. After all, that was one way to find out who a person truly was.

Just the thought of that exploration caused tightness in my pants.

Dr. Danes cleared his throat loudly. “Ms. Holland?” He shook her shoulder a little.

She snapped out of her daze, her eyes widened, and she looked at Dr. Danes, then back at me. Her cheeks flushed red.

“You look like you saw a ghost,” I said playfully.

She glanced at the floor and then back to me. “Um, hi. It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Ozric.”

“An honor to meet you too, Ms. Holland.”

As if that was his cue, Dr. Danes stepped into our little bubble, pointing to a seat across the table. “I reserved this seat for you, Mr. Ozric, next to the university president. Would you like to take a seat?”

“I think I will sit next to this lovely woman.”

Her eyes narrowed as I sat down.

But I didn’t care who was supposed to be sitting there. I needed to be next to her, no matter what.