The touch of our palms enflames my skin and flood my mind with thoughts, and I foolishly kept my eyes at our entwined hands, knowing his eyes are always watching me, and he caressed me with the sensual rub of his thumb, running it gently over my knuckles. I'm lifted from the car, the wind is an instant blow to face but did nothing to the liquid that trickled faster down my thighs. Nasir's eyes only slid down for a single glance, focusing it right at my thighs, and when he lifted gaze back up to me, I swore the hues darkened immensely.

"My Queen," came the soft drift of a woman's voice, and I retracted my hand from Nasir's grip.

At my eyes she bows with a gentle smile tilting her lips, "It is an honor to be here your grace." In her hands was a thick file of papers neatly arranged in a manilla folder. "This is your list of destinations and meetings for the next six months." she approached calmly, the wind streaming through her blonde streaks and something nips my heart.

Charlotte.

Behind the rim of her sunglasses her grey eyes took a slight drift towards Nasir, and her cheeks burned pink as she handed me the file.

"Thank you." I smiled, but I am sure she didn't hear that, her sole attention is lewdly raking up the large man aside me.

I attempt to open the file when she pauses me, "It is best to open them once in the plane my queen, those files are confidential and can be lifted by the wind."

I groaned inwardly, duh. Common sense is only an after thought when he is near me.

"Please follow me," she smiles, and guides us through the bowing men. A few looked at me, but their eyes widened to another level of acknowledgement to Nasir.

His wider shadow had dispersed from behind me and made haste to now stand at my side, just slightly a few inches ahead and reached out his palm. I scrunched my dress and took his hand, and followed the woman upwards at the red carpeted steps of the plane. A different type of cooler air fans my face as I entered and greeted the complimentary wine and strawberries.

A bouquet of red pads of lively roses contrasted heavily to the custom-made emerald plane. Two single seats side by side, a green curtain that leads to a queen-sized mattress, a television on the wall and a separate bath.

"King Gunter specifically requested you travel in exquisite luxury to make the flight bearable." The woman said, standing at the center of the aisle. "All of your favorite snacks and beverages are stuffed in our compartment and will be monitored per request."

My fallen jaw picked up at those words, "Monitored."

"Indeed, my queen."

"Why?"

She had removed her sunglasses, displaying her grey eyes, and the expression of crest fall she carried. "King Gunter asks us to keep them hidden and not go over your proper ... Uh... limit."

My brows furrow, the statement strewing in me until each word processed, "Excuse me." is all I could muster, a bitter taste spreading through my tastebuds and I'm hit with nausea.

All sympathetic glares burn holes in me and I was the clown everyone wanted to laugh at and not with. The joke was me. All my years I did my best to maintain suitable weight. Straying from my favorite snacks on my free time, but I was simultaneously blessed and cursed with this voluptuous body. Deep curves, wide hips, and double d's. No matter how hard I try I was never the slender queen.

My lids wanted to water, I felt them brimming and masked my pain with a professional smile, "Than please remove them off the plane at once, and send them back to my husband, for the six months I am gone he will need something to eat and his skills in cooking is questionable."

The woman's solemn glare had thawed to a grin of triumph and bowed, "Yes my Queen." Her grey eyes had drifted to the side of my frame entirely and nodded a simple gesture to a man, who had perched himself at the entrance. He nods in understanding and looked over the men outside and gestured something.

Nasir became a barrier between me and the men entering the plane as the pilots set themselves ready in their seats. My back plants against the cooling wall as Nasir's body heat merges against me, the images of us in this position again deepened my pulse. Men in black each bowing man leaves with an item I wanted off the plane.

One brushed a little to closely onto Nasir, and he was pushed into memory firmly. His hand braced a shelf above my head, while the other plants on the wall aside my waist, and I felt the light bristle of his beard, ticklish my temple.

"I adore every curve of you." he whispers, as if the position couldn't have been worse than it is.

No one paid to close to detail about us, to them it were his job to protect me, using his body as my shield, but it was more in depth than what they were seeing, if only they saw beyond the professionalism and more deeper they could see a flustered woman and the large man that is making delicious comments into her ear, and the failed attempts of her body trying not to succumb.

His sinful words rain over me, "I would have you naked all day and every day, every second we are together."

My mouth moistens, and with the haze of my eyes I look out to the men minding their own business, and the stomps of their massive feet.

"All those curves are mine to grip, I want to watch you hide my hickey's when your around your husband, and other royals."

None of this helps my racing thoughts Inside or out, but as he continues on, somewhere along his seduction, my palpitating heart steadies when his words shifted.

"You're the most divine woman, before, now and always."

"My Queen -" The woman called my name, cutting the starlit gaze Nasir's words sent me into, and I jerked, and whipped my eyes to her, as he slowly moved from me.

Though narrow, the aisle had become more spacious than earlier, she had only given me a simple genuine glance and turned her starry gaze back to the, an beside me who repositions himself, as if he didn't just elevate my blood pressure. I had frozen in place for a moment, but the desire swimming in her eyes luckily only focused on Nasir, alone, and not our position and proximity. Or at least not that I think.

"Well," she clears her throat. "I hope you have a very safe flight, my queen. Everything has been removed per your request, by the time you have landed, there will be guards awaiting, along with King Adonai."

"Thank you." I bowed.

"Also, your sleeping arrangements have been set, and there will be a Mardi-Gra in your honor by the end of that week."

My brows had pinched in question, and glared at her. Than remembered I will be leaving the country to an entirely different region, and relaxed my expression. "Oh, that's right," I huffed. Hoping that would sell, and my confusion wasn't too obvious.

It had been a while since i ventured out of state, it had been a while since I met with the other Royals, without my father or Patrick. I'm alone.

"You are one of my inspirations, my queen. I know you will lead us right." She says to me. I must have worn my uncertainty and slumped my shoulders, showcasing a weak queen.

But I wouldn't lie to myself and say it was not something I didn't want to hear. My smile lifts, but my eyes remain dull, feeling as though I didn't deserve such grace, especially when my husband saw no value in my physical experience.

My plastic joy was running out and I dismissed her, not minding at how she gave Nasir another mischievous gleam before making her exit. Or the fact that Nasir glared back and excused himself aside me.

Jealousy threatens to gash my heart open, but what would be the used to be upset over the only man I want, and the only man I can never have, of all people I at least wanted him beside me more than ever, so when I nodded to his request and watched him scurry down to the woman with the burning pink cheeks, it scarred me deep and I force my eyes to not dwell on their distant conversation or the way her eyes dazzle to the sight of him and the body language.

Instead my growling stomach pinched me deep and I headed over to my seat, the air conditioning coolly tousling in my curls as I stride over to my bedroom behind the curtain, anything to keep my eyes from peeking over to Nasir out the window, and the woman.

My fridge now only pertaining bottles of water and fruits, a redolent aroma swaying in the air around me and my mouth watered to the taste of cake and bakery, but instead took a bottle of water and strawberries for the next eleven hour flight to Stanbury.

"My queen," the pilots voice over the head speakers shook me, "We are ready to depart whenever you are ready."

I exhaled, and peeked my eyes out of the window, and just as I did, my blood shrivels watching the woman's fingers run down Nasir's bicep, firmly gripping at those sturdy muscles as she is lost in a daze. Small bubbles of anger begun to awaken, glaring at the two with bitter gaze, but when their hold on each other breaks and Nasir pivots towards the entrance, and I lunge myself towards my seat, adjusting myself appropriately as the plane shook with his heavy steps.

He smelt different, expensive fragrance now synchronizes with faint hints of warm ginger. I slid my eye to him discreetly as he sat down on the other side, adjusting his cuffs.

Just how far have the two gotten, while I wasn't looking. Typical womanizer. First he wins at wooing me, and now even other women are entrapped in his veined clutches.

The pilot voice come through the speakers again, and this time Nasir gave a simple knock to the window, and somehow it was a cue. The door came to a steady close, and the motion begun.

"Were going to be here for a while." Nasir says, resting his elbows over his strong thighs. "You should start relaxing."

I bit my tongue still brewing in my jealousy, his flirting and what we did last night. No words could fathom, I was too afraid of my tongue twisting.

He cocked his head lightly. "You ok?"

The plane begins to drift rounding towards the lines for takeoff. My attention focuses ahead, but watched in my peripherals, clutching the cold bottle of water like it was my life source. And I will need it for this long plane ride, alone with this man, until I land.

"What's wrong Tiana?" He continues, but I cleared my throat, his eyes locked in me, observing my silent mood and sighed. "Rest up, I'm here whenever you need me."

Exactly. He is right here when I need him, the major reason to my temptation.

***

Night traded the sun, and we soar in the air, so close to the stars I could touch them, while looking down to the starlight cities of whatever state we were floating above. Silent and peaceful, my body elevated and cushioned into my soft seat looking down. Nasir had not talk to me once in those hours, giving me the tranquility I so desperately needed before standing on the front lines of a scary battle, one of which I knew would be coming, but with better circumstances.

Reluctant, I twisted my head back in the dark pitch of the plane, to where he laid on the other side from me. All six foot plus of him stretched out, his blazer ditched and his arms crossed over his chest. Lazily sprawled and relaxed with his curls blowing by the A.C that heavily fan down his face.

He looks so chill, approachable. And cold.

My fingers felt up a button on the side of me, even in the midst of my own chills I feel around and pushed a button that tremendously lowered his side of the air. His roughly blowing curls subsided gently and only now I noticed how cold he truly was when he mellowed into his seat.

But I love the cold. at least I love it when I have a comfy blanket over me, but I'll sacrifice it so he doesn't get too much of it.

The hours only stretching seemingly longer and the destination didn't seem to be coming any time soon until morning, but now we have left the states and entered a completely different time zone, setting us back another few hours. The sedative scene of floating and comfort sets my mind at ease and my body demanded of a slumber. Of course right when I get comfortable, that's when I want to get up. In the pitch darkness of the plane, I measure the distance of here to the mattress.

Not far, but ugh, I have to get up and walk. I am tired, but also insanely lazy in the moment, and matters worse my stomach grumbles loudly and the nerves in me pinch. I wrap my arms around myself in hopes the noise wouldn't be here when he shifted, but then he cleared his throat and returned to sleep.

Fuck, that was loud, and unnecessary, I don't feel like I am starving, but all I did have was strawberries in this whole entire flight. No, I need meat, a meal even or better yet, a buffet. My mouth moistens to all my favorite snacks and food served on dish, but than again, it was because my physical appearance wasn't acceptable in the first place, is why they are not on the plane with me now.

Now my depression will work the graveyard for the remainder of this plane ride. I turn back into my seat and peered out the window until it all falls black. Moments drift until I lost count for how long I was asleep but I knew I drifted for a good while, when I startled myself awake.

The pink hue of dawn has already awakened over the clouds. This window is different, wider. This seat is -- not my seat, but the mattress, my naked feet feel the soft cushions and furry duvets, and my plush pillows and my hair braided in two. I adjust my frame and shook to a crinkling sound aside me.

Blueberry muffins, cranberry juice and mozzarella cheese -- all things I wanted off the plane yesterday. And just aside of those a brand new dress, not a nuisance of a long formal gown, but just a simple green sundress.

Butterflies soar in my stomach but they awaken that deep hunger I slept with last. And when I was ready to skip the muffin and reach for the cheese stick instead, my hand hovers just above a note that crinkled when I lifted it.

'Good morning, my queen. Knowing you, you went to bed hungry, and uncomfortable, do that again, and I'll spank you. Now, wake up gather yourself and slip into that dress, I asked the pilot not to speak over the mic so it didn't wake you, but we are just an hour from landing.'

One minute I held the paper in my palm, and the next it all blurs in my eyes, hot tears line the lids as I brought the paper right over to where it sung in my chest. Holding it like it was a miracle sent, so close and so tightly. He wrote this, any and everything he does for me is and will always be my favorite special thing. I just hate I hate that I can never admit that to him or admit to him the way he makes me feel, or how much I think about him, and that alone is what draws in the silent tears more to the point I sob only claws out my throat.