Page 31

R yker

I had guessed she would run. I’d seen it in her eyes the night before when I told her that she would be coming with me to my home rather than returning to hers.

Her shoulders had pulled back, practically bristling as she bit her tongue and pretended to go along with it.

This morning, she’d thought she had slipped away with me completely unaware, but I’d felt her movement the moment she’d gotten up.

I held her close, tracing my fingers up and down the length of her spine as she sat cuddled up in my lap. Back home, I hadn’t spent much time dating. I’d had a few short-term relationships in the past that had fizzled shortly after they began. I hadn’t felt anything for them like I felt for her.

Naomi was special.

She was the one.

I held her for as long as she needed. She was probably struggling to accept what had just happened and I didn’t want to rush her. She had never experienced anything remotely like that in her life yet still she held onto me like she didn’t want to let go. To be honest, neither did I.

Eventually though, she did begin to stir.

With cheeks still mottled from crying and eyes that were still a little bit glassy, she lifted her head and gazed up at me.

Unable to resist, I leaned down and captured her lips with mine in a gentle kiss.

Tenderly, she kissed me back. Her arms curled a bit tighter around me and when we finally parted, I noticed a sweet, wistful smile on her lips.

I traced my thumb over her mouth, my own heart hammering in my chest.

She didn’t know it yet, but I was going to make her my bride.

Of course she was going to be my wife .

The laws of Pacifica were clear: any newcomer who set foot within its borders without prior approval must be wed to a citizen or face immediate deportation.

It was a tradition born from the city-state’s founding—a safeguard to ensure loyalty and integration in a world fractured by distrust. Outsiders weren’t just visitors in Pacifica; they became part of it, bound by the ties of marriage and family.

For centuries, the policy had protected our people and our culture, solidified alliances and ensured that every new arrival had a stake in our survival.

Naomi didn’t yet know what awaited her when we crossed into my homeland, but I would make sure she understood.

There would be no debate, no hesitation.

I would not allow her to be sent back to New Englandia.

She would belong to me, in every sense of the word.

She was meant to be mine.

I wouldn’t let anyone else have her. The mere idea of another man’s hands on her, another man touching what was mine, made my fists clench and my jaw tighten. The thought of her walking beside anyone but me—answering to anyone but me—was unacceptable.

I imagined her in my home, with my ring on her finger. The thought stirred something fierce in me, something possessive and tender all at once. I wanted to shield her from the world and claim her completely, to ensure that she’d never doubt her place by my side.

As my wife.

And as the mother of my child.

The laws of Pacifica demanded marriage, but the idea of Naomi as my wife went far beyond duty.

She was mine to protect, mine to love, and mine to fill with my children.

I imagined her belly swelling with my seed, carrying the proof of our bond for all the world to see.

The thought sent a possessive heat through my veins.

She’d be stunning, radiant in a way only a mother could be.

And the best part? No one would ever question that she was mine—not when she carried my legacy within her.

Naomi shifted in my arms, breaking into my thoughts. Her smile lingered, soft and sleepy, and it was all I could do not to kiss her again. She’d fallen apart in my arms, shattered and beautiful, and now she was looking at me as if I’d pieced her back together.

She was already mine, whether she realized it or not.

Soon, the world would know it too.

I helped her to stand when she was ready.

Without asking, I dressed her, starting with her panties and then her bra.

I took my time, enjoying the process of dressing her as much I had stripping her.

She was still shaky from her punishment and her subsequent orgasms, so I had her sit back down on the tree trunk.

She did so hesitantly, hissing at the pain of her tender bottom.

Tentatively, she slid her fingers over the blanket.

I imagined she was thinking about how it felt to have my fingers in her bottom and just how shamefully arousing it had been to come so hard that way.

It had been the most incredible thing I’d ever seen. I would treasure the memory of her submission to my harsh discipline forever, both in my head and in my heart.

Knowing she’d be exhausted from her ordeal, I decided to delay our trip back until the next day.

I had her help me build a fire. She yawned several times before I sent her to rest. She protested for a moment, but immediately thought better of it.

Obediently, she lay down and I pulled the covers over her. She was asleep in a matter of minutes.

While she was resting, I prepared a hearty soup. We had plenty of foodstuffs left to make it back to one of the cars, so I loaded it with a bit more ingredients than I would typically. She woke a short while later and ate two full bowls.

I smirked a little, knowing exactly what had sparked her appetite. When she caught me looking, she blushed even more prettily for me.

That night, we came up with a plan. I expected her to put up more of a fight when it came to planning our journey back to Pacifica, but her bottom was sore enough to remind her that it wasn’t exactly up to her anymore.

I couldn’t allow her to go back to New Englandia, not when the council had sent a team with us whose primary mission was to make sure we didn’t make it back alive.

There was no way they’d allow her to live if she came back. In all likelihood, she would disappear just like the rest, never to be seen or spoken of again.

By the fire that night, I told her more about my fears.

I described the meeting with my own government officials when I’d learned how profound the dangers were for the people of New Englandia from her city state council.

She listened intently and when I was finished, she sighed softly and added another log to the fire.

“There were rumors of people disappearing, but I’d always thought they were exactly that: rumors. The council did a good job of keeping it that way too.”

“You’ll be safe with me, both in my home and in my city state,” I assured her, and she lifted her gaze to mine. She smiled and my heart warmed.

“I’m looking forward to seeing both,” she offered.

“I can’t wait to show you,” I answered.

The journey through the forest back to the two remaining vehicles went smoothly.

We crossed the metal bridge together with her leading the way now that we knew it was strong enough to hold both of us at once.

Naomi was mostly obedient for the trek, only needing her bottom warmed twice along the way.

The first time, I had warned her not to move forward until I was sure that the coast was clear after seeing traces of a snake.

The second was simply because she needed her ass reddened and an orgasm under my tongue.

She hadn’t told me she’d wanted either one. I decided that for her.

That made her even wetter.

When we’d gotten to the vehicles, I’d used the satellite radio to contact my superiors.

They assured me that they would send an emergency extraction team for us.

With Naomi’s help, I gave them the coordinates of an airstrip that could handle smaller planes.

It was also closer to our location than the much bigger one we’d flown into to get here.

By the time we made it to the airstrip, our transportation was already waiting on the tarmac. The two of us climbed aboard and we were airborne no more than fifteen minutes later.

Once we were at cruising altitude, a stewardess served us a small dinner and I requested a glass of wine for Naomi. She smiled in appreciation. Several hours later, we landed in Pacifica, and I led her off the plane, deliriously happy that we’d both made it back safe and sound.

The president was waiting for us. As always, she was impeccably dressed, so much so that she was almost regal.

Her blonde hair was wound up into a tight chignon at the back of her head. Not a single strand was out of place. She was wearing a black suit that was perfectly tailored to her body. Underneath, she was wearing a purple button-up shirt with only the top button undone.

She smiled when she saw me, and it only seemed to grow wider once she saw Naomi by my side. There was a curious edge to her expression regarding my companion, but she didn’t say anything just yet.

“Ryker Gates,” she greeted.

“Madam President,” I bowed my head respectfully in return.

When she lifted an eyebrow in expectation, I guided Naomi a bit closer so that I could introduce her.

“This is Dr. Naomi Vaughn. She’s the reason Pacifica has secured a fusion reactor for the first time in more than five hundred years,” I grinned.

“I’m delighted to meet you, Naomi,” the President said, offering her hand.

“I’m honored to meet you, Madam President,” Naomi replied, shaking the President’s hand and looking a bit awestruck.

“I’ve been briefed on the circumstances of your expedition. You will go home tonight and rest and we will speak further later. Thank you for everything you’ve done to secure this technology for Pacifica,” the president said.

“Understood, Madam President. It was a privilege to undertake the journey,” I answered.

A blacked-out SUV drove up beside us and a man in a suit opened the back door for us. Gently, I pressed my hand against Naomi’s lower back and helped her inside. She was quiet, the expression on her face contemplative.

As the car drove away from the airport, I held her hand and watched her face. Her gaze was glued out the window, studying her surroundings. Pacifica was quite different from New Englandia. I didn’t say anything, but I stroked her thumb with mine. She turned to face me, and I pulled her into my lap.

She looked shocked and squeaked fearfully, pushing against my shoulders, but I reassured her that we didn’t have to hide here. Her expression relaxed and she settled comfortably into my arms and resumed her sightseeing, asking many questions as we rode.

It was dark by the time we pulled up in front of my home. I didn’t give her much time to look around because I wanted her to see it for the first time in the daylight. Instead, I rushed her inside, much to her chagrin.

“Wait till morning. I promise you it will be worth it,” I vowed.

“Fine,” she huffed, but there was a bit of a sassy pout on her face.

“Can you resist?” I teased.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” she sassed, her smile only growing wider.

I grasped the back of her neck gently before I led her over to the couch. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as I bent her over it.

“Perhaps a red bottom will remind you to be obedient,” I countered.

By the time I pulled her panties down, she was already wet. I made her come for me three times before I put her to bed that night.