The silence is jarring. The A.C. crisp and cold, wafting its fans onto my face, the sweat on my body drying with an itchy feel. I'm delirious. Still reeling down from the high altitude. My black suit ditched to the side, draped over the passenger seat, and the dress suit underneath it rolled up to my elbows, thick veins prominent as I held one hand on the steering wheel and the other idly resting onto the gap compartment. I force my eyes not to look behind me, I have already peeked at least a dozen times since we left the building hoping she was alright.

But I fall for my greed and temptation. Adding another sin to the list.

Steadily I drift my eyes upwards for a peek just as we stopped under a traffic light.

Her hair balancing between ruffles and neat but tousling steadily by the breath of the fans blowing down on us heavily, golden sun kissed skin dazzling and the tip of her nose red, while her glimmering eyes did everything possible to not look at me.

How can she, when she stooped low to commit a treason. Doing what we just did was a line that surely would have had me beheaded and her forced to face severe consequences. It's always that moment when you think of what could have happened, after submerging yourself in intense pleasure.

"Please drive." She says, her tone coming off as a silent cry, still treading her gaze from me with all costs, but felt the heat of mine simmering down her body. Reopening the memories of what she tries to suppress, knowing if she were to even peek up to me, she'd only see sin.

Broken vows, and her so called crown of centuries worth of encrypted stories of strong leaders before her, tarnished by allowing the lips of a commoner and employee to have his way with her in a dark hallway of a building her husband just occupied.

We sail out of the heart of New Orleans. Drifting out with caution to not be noticed, while I think back to what just happened.

Every blink was a memory that made my pulse quicken, and my fingers quiver. This sensation triggering few missed beats of my heart. I nearly forgot I had one. And it all narrows down to the main factor. What could have happened.

I found myself drifting to that question for the remaining car ride. How far could we have gone; we had sunk so deep into the moments erotic passion we barely even heard the jingling tunes of the keys, hooked into the strap of the janitor's pocket. Just when I was about to hook her legs over my shoulders, he made it. Luckily his headphones were on, so he didn't hear her moaning, nor he didn't bother to pay attention to his surroundings, or he could have spotted us just a side of him, if not six feet away.

What could have happened. How far could I have pushed; how far could she have let me continue. But for certain it's proven, how bad she wants me, just as much as I want her.

The remaining car ride continues to proceed in silence, I fight the urge to not pull aside and finish what transpired. The scent of the car looms with heavy estrogen, lust nips at my body like sharp licks of electricity dragging into me, every press of the break inciting a sudden huff of shock from her throat. Serves me right for not paying attention ahead, and almost caused us to crash several times.

A snarl crawls up my throat watching those massive breasts bounce every time I had to force the brakes, propelling her body forwards, before it settles back into the seat behind her. "I-"I'm sorry." I speak, unaware how dark and gravellike it sounded.

A beast in heat indeed.

"Just drive the car please," she ushers, adjusting herself quietly. She is illuminated like a star under the ray of sunlight, and her eyes hinted a glow of a sexual longing.

My hand tightens over the steering wheel, suddenly the collar around my neck tightens on its own, I lowly growled as I aggressively tugged the fabric, loosening the tie.

Bits of self-control waning tremendously, I could feel our desire, I can feel the loud need drumming in the car, the scent we exuded, the thickening steam not even the A.C could settle down our backs, and a growl. Or wait, maybe the growl was me.

My feet push down on the gas pedal, the car accelerated with speed as we make it to a clearer road down the highway, I needed to get back to the castle, I need put more distance between us. By that point the A.C was useless. And as we sped into the empty route, we make it to the street of the Royal grounds, between the line of the commoners and the castle.

We waited as the butlers and maids rush to open the gate, and they bow as I drifted on the rocky pavement, rounding towards the entrance. With haste I grab my suited jacket, swung out of my driver seat while swiftly adjusting the suit over me and headed to her side of the car, not paying any mind to the guards around us that bowed.

The breeze is gentle on my back, but it fails to nibble away the anxiety hung around my neck, and as I clicked the door open, and extended my hand down to her It felt as though the world tuned in on the moment to capture the scene. As if eyes were studying our every move, and with her hesitating demeanor and fidgeting hand, she was only garnering more attention.

The maids steadily walking closer, and as she stepped out onto the pavement, her balance is thrown off and would have nearly buckled to the floor hadn't I caught her in time. Her heart drumming wildly and her skin burns at our proximity, I grit my teeth and steadied her back onto her feet before she is flocked with maids.

We enter the castle, as she is being tended to, with me following closely behind. A tendril of a familiar fragrance drifts across my nose, and I scan around for the face as they stopped at the center of the Royal hall.

"Bring me water to my room, I am turning in for the day." She beckoned to a maid. The lines of her hips forcing a shy smile. Her command doesn't linger for a second as they all scatter from her like ants, striding towards the kitchen. Leaving the two of us at the center.

My eyes on her, waiting for her next move or command while hers is narrowed elsewhere, and turns to meet my eyes. I couldn't deny the way my chest stilled by our abrupt glance, our first glance since what happened.

Her gaze deep and fierce and I watch her gather her composure. I waited patiently for her to say anything, even if it's just to scream at me, I waited just to hear her words, her voice, and just the fact that she can look at me in a new light. The first time I felt so alive in this cold shell of a body, all I just wanted to hear was her say she felt the same. But she couldn't so I watched her eyes, buy they are hard, before she blinks from our gaze and turns away.

A sudden rage bites at me, and I followed swiftly behind her, careful not to say her name until we are away from sight. She heads towards her room down the empty cold hall, listening as my larger footsteps follow closely behind.

"Tiana." I said, calling out her name lowly. "Dammit Tiana please wait." My longer legs catching up to her, and I reach out towards to gently grip her bicep, whirling her until were face to face. "Talk to me."

As If I were a ghost, she only throws her gaze left to right, peeking down the hall for anyone that might see us. "Let go of me this instant."

"Look at me." I commanded; my tone harsher than it should have been. "Please."

At my plead she drifted her eyes upwards from my chest until she reached my eyes. I watch the wet lining brimming at the bottom lids. "Whatever just happened, it didn't." she was quick to say. "We are not meant to be together, and I don't ever want to think about it."

I scoffed, "Can you even hear yourself right now Tiana? can you hear your own lies."

Her jaw ticks, and I unconsciously tighten my grip around her eyes feeling her pulling away.

"Nasir." she croaks darkly, "Let me go this instant." Her voice laden with a darkness. And I let go. She twirls around and I follow, stepping in front of her. She sighs, "What do you need hm? what else could you possibly need?"

"For you to look me in the eyes and tell me what happened felt nothing."

I watched her eyes soften to the question, the line of her brows mellowing out as the words floated around her, whatever was caged within, she fought to suppress, cleared her throat and faintly sniffled, "You're delusional to think that there could ever be anything between us. You're lucky I don't tell my husband -"

"So, tell him." I cut in stepping closer into her. "Tell him what we did, tell him about us, tell him about the way we almost had sex in the building he was in, or the fact that we drove a car here with heavy tension, tell him about our attraction towards one another, but mostly ... tell him about the way I feel about you, and the way you feel about me."

"Feel? I don't feel for you Nasir. Ok, we were childhood friends, and our friendship was deep, and we really enjoyed each other's company, but we are adults now, I have new responsibilities rather than hang out with old foes. For crise sake I am married to your broth-"

"He is not my brother." My voice dark, sotto and thicker than most days. "Call me anything vile in the book, create your own if you must, but my queen, never compare me to that subspecies of human. Not in this life or the next."

She swallows thickly, trembling under the ink of my glare, until the moment faded. "Nothing, and I mean nothing happened and will never happen between us. Forget that kiss forget any moment we spent together Nasir, I will never forgive you for killing Patrick, I no longer see you as a friend, your just my bodyguard, protect me, that is all."

"I never needed to be your bodyguard to keep you safe, that is something I'll die doing."

Drawing in her shoulders she curls her lips, "Than that is your story, your business, mine is different and I won't let a simple kiss ruin centuries worth of greatness."

At the mention of her crown I drift my eyes up to it, gritting my teeth, while she spoke. "You never wanted to become queen, remember? we planned to run away from this."

"When we were young, Nasir. Leave it all in the past. I am married, I am the queen, and I will no longer stoop low." Her voice softening at the word.

I stifle a snicker, observing the way her town lowers and arched a brow. "Say it. A commoner. Just say it."

Her eyes avoiding mine at all costs.

"It's ok. I am a commoner, that's all I ever was. And all I'll ever be. But I won't give up, I will never give up on winning you, whether you like it or not, I refuse to believe you don't feel something for me."

A tear slipped her eye, the bubbling anger finally releasing. "Why don't you just quit already. Why can't you get it through your skull, why do you say these things when you know for a fact nothing can and will pursue between us."

I stilled by the question, this time it is me drifting my eyes away.

"Answer me!" she blurted. "Why are you saying this?"

The words are jammed into my throat, all trying to pour out at once. I fumble like an idiot who's been affected by the side effect of some type of drug.

Silence immerses itself between us, as she studies me and shook her head, "Quiet now?"

Nothing could solidify, nothing could fathom into words, even when I thought I had them, they foam at the tip of my tongue. My Tiana, why is it I want to be near you so much, why is it being next to you is like a caress of an Angel, why is it when I look into your eyes I see the finish line to happiness.

Worth more than words could ever describe.

My trophy.

My friend.

And second Heartbeat.

And in that moment I heard those drums and remembered why they were resounding, because they started when you wiped the dirt off my cheeks.

She turns away from my frame, brushing past me, the fruity fragrance wafting my face and I unconsciously reached out to her bicep once again, she doesn't pull away this time, her eyes streaming tears as she watched my lips move.

"Because I ... I ... Lo-"

A plate crashes to the ground with a resounding shattering echo, my instincts kick in and I shield her from threat, my hand latched around the handle of my gun as I watch the maids scramble to clean up the shards of glass.

No threat detected, and I loosen my grip around the handle of the gun, but felt a draft behind me and it follows by the sound of creak of a door.

Halfway inside her room, she looks at me sorrowfully one last time, her hand on the wood. "Goodbye Nasir, there will never be anything between us." And at that moment I watched the opportunity slip from my grasp as the door comes to a click. Greed pulls me forward when I reached to the handle of the door, just to finish what I was saying, but my common sense kicked in, in the nick of time. The moment tarnished.

Maybe it's for the best, for now at least. Moments stretched of me just standing in front of her door, hoping she'd open it again and let me finish, but she never did. I slip my hands into my pockets and my head down in thought as I headed back to the main hall of the Royal castle, accompanied by my shadows until I stand at the center. Hit with a rush of ecstasy when I inhaled a savory scent.

I gaze my eyes upwards and smiled, watching her rosy red lips curve into the most genuine smile I have yet to have seen since I was released from the underground prison, her ivory skin blemish free, icy blue eyes shimmering, and her beauty was just as immaculate than I remembered last. Dressed in her usual assassins attire, black leather accentuating her deep curves as she dragged a leg behind her, and the rest of the men follow her moves, bowing before me as she said.

"Welcome home sir."

And together the men follow her words, their voices resonant like soft rumble of thunder that rolled down the polished walls. "Nasir sir, welcome home."

I soak it in, my authority reestablishing as I stare at only the golden strands of her hair. "Rise." I commanded.

My eyes on her every move as she gushed red. And she watched me as I stepped in closer to her frame and uttered her name, "Charlotte."

Ivory teeth flashed me as she spoke my name, "Nasir."

Our unspoken words were loud for only us to know what the other was thinking. But when I trail my eyes aside of her, I knew at the moment something was a miss.

Ray.