thekriseffect

[thekriseffect]

You ever go back and read something that gives you that goofy, wistful smile? This is that fic for me. Excited to see my dorky king again.

Blissful Silence (Liam x MC)

[Note: I had the day off from work today, so what did I do with my free time? Wrote another TRH fic! It’s a little (a lot) all over the place and it ended up being longer than I originally anticipated (apparently my mind had a lot to say), but overall I’m happy with its outcome… I think. That could change within a few hours.]

[Summary: After the announcement of the heirs gender and with Freya’s due date only days away, everyone is anxious for their arrival. You can read my previous similar fic here if you’d like!]

[Tag List: @romanticaheart-posts, @cora-nova .]

“What about Oliver? It’s cultivated, like Liam, yet also simple, like you.”

I was gritting my teeth so tightly I was sure they would fall out as I stomped to the great hall, Madeleine hot on my heels with pen and paper gripped determinedly between her stupidly perfect manicured nails. I didn’t think it was possible for me to dislike her more than I already did, yet these past eight months had proved me wrong. She’d evolved from an irritating itch to a festering disease, one with seemingly no cure that was driving me more toward insanity with each passing day.

It was late morning and the palace was fairly quiet with most of the staff out doing their duties for the day, so it gave me the illusion that I was alone, which was far from the truth. I was never alone, not anymore. I knew Mara wasn’t far behind, my ever watchful shadow, though she was careful to camouflage her presence like she had been for the past several weeks, which caused the sour bitter-taste of guilt to stick to the back of my throat. I hadn’t meant to snap at her. I was just tired of everyone treating me like I was a piece of fractured glass, ready to shatter into millions of irreparable shards at a moment’s notice. I was pregnant, not dying.

“Lionel would also be an acceptable choice.” I grimaced. “Or Alfred, after Alfred Dumar, the fabled Cordonian dueler. The public would love that, not to mention it would portray stability to name the heir after someone so admired within society.”

“For the last time, Madeleine, I’m not discussing baby names with you.” Liam and I had recently announced the gender of our child, a boy, under the guidance of our press secretary. We had originally planned to keep it a surprise but Cordonia’s citizens were growing restless as were the neighboring royals. They wanted answers and I was failing to provide them. Curse me for taking too long to grow a human being inside my belly.

Keep reading

[thekriseffect]

Love this idea! Thanks for the tag @ladylamrian!

1. Liam (if you couldn’t tell by my fanfics I have a slight obsession with the dreamy prince).

2. Becca. She’s an example of mean-girl-redemption-story gone right, though to be fair she does have more books than Poppy currently so my opinion could change with Queen B Book 2.

3. It Lives In the Woods. I LOVED the second book to the series but the first will always have a special place for me. It’s what started it all….. plus Dan is a sweet cinnamon roll that needs to be protected at all costs.

4. I know I’m in the minority but I clicked with Class Act a little more. It reminded me of how my high school experience went to a degree. But to be honest those aren’t book series that I really revisit. Being 25 I feel like I’m just too old to live vicariously through teenagers anymore.

5. Werewolf. Have you seen Cal? Yummm

6. Endless Summer. My favorite choices books still to this day.

7. Hayden. If it isn’t already noticeable I’ve got an extreme soft spot for the sweet ones.

8. Mother Of The Year. It’s one of those books that I didn’t expect to enjoy but ended up being on the list of my top favorites. It’s sweet yet keeps my interest all the way through. It definitely deserved a book 2 (Damn you pixelberry).

9. Northbridge News. As someone who is currently on the path to earning their English Major I’d be more likely to write content for Northbridge News than ClickIt.

10. Nightbound. I need more Nik content ASAP. (Damn you pixelberry!)

11. Actress in Hollywood only because I can’t stand reality TV 😅

12. Ohhh that’s a hard one. I do love a good Heist story though. Sorry Alana.

13. Okay, again, in the minority here but Sam Dalton for me. He’s just so… pretty 😍

14. This is an impossible question, I swear. I love both series. TCATF is the first story I read when downloading choices years ago though so I have a bit more sentimentality towards it.

15. Nighthunter. Let me live out my Supernatural fantasy.

16. Rheya. I would not mess with her, like ever.

17. Big Sky Country. I grew up on a farm with horses and love more quiet, out of the way places. Plus 🏔 ⛰ 😍

18. Raleigh. No explanation needed.

19. I really wish I could say I’d be able to survive as a doctor in OH but… I can’t. I really can’t. I’d pass out during my first few hours. Anxiety overload. My father was a prosecutor so I’ve been around lawyers my whole life. Gotta go with being a lawyer for this one. Sorry Bryce.

20. I’m all for the rags to riches trope. Plus it’s more fulfilling when you earn your title rather than being born with it. Hard work and guts 💪🏼

21. Desire and Decorum. I’ve been reading Jane Austin books since I was a teen with Pride and Prejudice being an all-time favorite. It’s a close call since I love the time periods for both stories but Desire and Decorum for nostalgia’s sake.

22. Spaceship. Give me alllll the spaceships. I’m a space nerd. I want my own ship (and a good sci-fi choices book. Across the Void did not do it for me pixelberry).

23. Courtesan in Rome. Rome is my absolute FAVORITE place. Traveling there once wasn’t enough. I would live there if I could. It’s just so purdy.

24. Most Wanted only because I watch crime shows for fun in my free time. Both are amazing books but I’m a crime ho.

25. I live for the angst so romantic drama. Give me all the drama. I can take it.

@playchoices This or that:

Leo Rys or Liam Rys?

Becca Davenport or Poppy Sinclair?

It lives in the Woods or It lives Beneath?

High School Story or High School Story ClassAct?

Vampire or Werewolf?

Endless Summer or Hero?

Hayden Young or Harley Doyle as your Perfect Match?

Mother of the Year or Baby Bump?

Working for #ClickIt or working for Northbridge News?

Nightbound or Wolf Bride?

Actor/Actress in Hollywood or Reality TV-Star in Miami?

Help the Heist of Manaco to escape or support Interpol Agent Alana Kusuma from Perfect Match to catch them?

CEO Adrian Raines or CEO Sam Dalton?

The Crown and The Flame or Blades of Light and Shadow?

Becoming a Nighthunter or Fae duke/duchess in Nightbound?

Rheya Apolostus or Gaius Augustine?

Spending Summer in Turtle Bay (Sunkissed) or in a farm in rural Montana (Big Sky Country)?

Avery Wilshere or Releigh Carrera?

Becoming a doctor in Open Heart or becoming a lawyer in Laws of Attraction?

Marrying into a royal/noble family (TRR or AVSP) or having royal blood since birth (NB)?

Desire and Decorum or The Unexpected Heiress?

Fly as Spaceship in or fly with a cape like a superhero?

Make your debut as a courtesan in ancient Rome or time travel to become a pirate?

Most Wanted or Veil of Secrets?

Romantic Comedy or Romantic Drama?

Write your answers in the comments or reblog!

Yours, @ladylamrian

[thekriseffect]

I wonder what they’re talking about...

[thekriseffect]

[thekriseffect]

Currently doing Lucas’s route on litg season 2!

Which way is better when romancing him; keeping him in the villa and having Henrik get kicked or having Lucas get kicked and coming back later on? I’m leaning more toward the second option just because I’ve never seen it done before 🤔

[thekriseffect]

Twilight fans can keep Edward Cullen, I’ve found myself a new sparkly boyfriend and his name is Nav Hexan

[thekriseffect]

Just me?

[thekriseffect]

Don’t get me wrong, I love TRR/TRH to pieces.

But how many fricken tours do we need to go on?

[thekriseffect]

I’m Yours (Liam x MC)

[Note: So I did a thing... because I’m super excited for book 2 of TRH to come out... and inspiration hit hard after the cover for it was released (it’s just super cute, okay?!) I’m deciding to post it now so I stop fidgeting with it and driving myself crazy. Is it any good? Who knows. I’ll probably revamp it in the morning either way!]

[Summary: Freya gives birth to her and Liam’s son.]

[Tag List: @lodberg, @blades-of-light-and-shadow, @romanticatheart-posts, @texaskitten30, @bbrandy2002.]

[Song Inspiration: This Is on Me- Ben Abraham, Sara Bareilles]

The last few hours didn’t feel real, like I was living in a daze instead of reality. Like it was something I might wake up from. Time moved too quickly to keep pace. I was stumbling, I could tell. Trapped in a cycling stampede determined to beat me down and just when it felt like I was finally regaining my footing, another setback brought me right back down my knees. For the first time in my life I felt powerless, and there was nothing I could do to fix it. It was all happening too fast.

The sights; Freya laid out across our bed in the palace chambers, pain pinching her beautiful face and sweat causing the short hairs to stick to her brow. I had the faintest memory, a moment sketched into my brain of me pushing the strands back to kiss her forehead, but I couldn’t be sure of when exactly I did it. Before? After? Everything blurred together.

The tastes; my mouth was dry, too dry, with hints of copper and sour bitterness against my tongue. I must have bitten the inside of my cheek hard enough to break skin. At one point I remembered a glass being pressed into my empty hand, the coolness prickling against the pads of my fingers, but the nerves had prevented me from being able to keep anything down.

The sounds; a deafening roar that pounded against my ears like a drum and beyond that affirming words uttered from countless of faceless people assisting with the birth. The love of my life screaming out in raging agony, the shattering of my heart breaking into millions of pieces as I was helpless to help her. I would’ve done anything to help her.

The touches; a hand squeezing my shoulder when the world started to spiral around me, gentle and reassuring. Drake. The wood smooth and grained against one hand as I gripped the beds frame while Freya clutched the other, nails biting into my flesh painfully that I barely noticed. I looked down at the weeping red crescents that now marked my palm.

The smells; too much perfume, too much cologne, too many people. It was suffocating. The air scorching and musky with uncertainty as it stuck unpleasantly to the back of my throat. When it all became too much to bear I pressed my mouth to the ridges of her knuckles, to the cool band of her wedding ring, and instantly was gifted with the familiar scent of plum blossoms. The air unraveled around me and the squeezing of my chest lessened.

It lasted too long yet seemed to come and go like the fleeting flash of a lens. The adrenaline that tainted my blood like a drug had made it difficult to focus on anything, causing my hands to shake and my thoughts to scramble.

How far along were we? Where do I need to be? Should I take a step back to make some more room?

“Don’t leave my side.” Freya’s desperate voice pushed through the fog, and I answered without even having to think about it.

“Never.”

That was when the actuality of the situation set in. I was about to be a father, and despite the joy and yearning that thought brought me, I also felt lost. From birth I was groomed to overcome all obstacles that were thrown in my path. As a Prince, and then later a King, it was expected of me. But this was different. This was more. I wanted to be a good father to my son, but how could I be when the one example I had was all but nonexistent in my own childhood? When a kingdom and a crown triumphed over all in the end for him?

My heart rate skyrocketed. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn't know the first thing about raising a child let alone the sole heir to my kingdom. I’m not sure I could ever properly prepare myself for something that momentous, something that delicate. What if I made the same mistakes as my father? What if—

...Then I heard it.

A cry.

My son’s first breath.

And the world came to a stop.

~~~

The events that followed happened in a crawl. The baby being dried off and placed upon my wife’s chest as he screamed and screamed. Hana draping a cool cloth across Freya’s forehead gently while people rushed in and out of the room in a frantic haste. Celebratory words offered and exchanged that I couldn’t fully recollect nor place faces to. And then, as quickly as it started, the chaos ceased and it was just the three of us left alone in the room.

I was facing the window, gazing out at the calming sunset. Watching the sun sink below Cordonia’s hills as rose and golden hues colored the evening sky, giving the landscape an otherworldly glow. After everything that had happened recently I basked in the quiet that enveloped us, welcomed it like an old friend with open arms. I felt like I could think clearly for the first time in days, breathe freely since the Last Apple Ball, feel anything other than unease since Freya first went into labor.

“Liam,” a hushed voice interrupted and I turned to glimpse over my shoulder at her.

The sight before me had my heart skipping a beat. Freya was propped up against our headboard, beaming. Her face flushed with effort, short hair sticking out wildly in each direction, eyes drooping slightly from exhaustion. And I remember thinking in that moment that I had never seen her look more breathtaking.

Cradled close to her chest and nestled silently in a gold embroidered blanket was the baby. Our baby. I edged closer and she placed him in the cradle of my arms. A shock of black hair greeted me as I gazed down in awe.

He was so tiny, small enough to hold with just one of my hands. Long lashes brushing under his closed eyes, face rounded, relaxed, skin flawlessly smooth and tinted pink. I softly ran the back of my finger against his cheek and one of his hands came up to grasp it, squeezing firmly. Tears obscured my vision and painted hot trials down my cheeks as I grinned. “He’s beautiful,” I said while glancing up at her. “You’re beautiful.”

She leaned forward to skim her mouth along my jaw and I turned my head to capture her lips with my own. The kiss was desperate and charged with so much emotion. I clung to her for as long as I could and she made a noise in the back of her throat as she cupped my face in her palms.

“I love you,” I whispered while pulling back before looking down at our son. “And I love you—.”

“Oliver,” Freya stated.

“Prince Oliver,” I repeated with a smile, letting the name roll off of my tongue. Tasting it, testing it. “It’s perfect.”

“Just don’t let Madeleine know we went with her suggestion or I’ll never hear the end of it.” She smoothed down the wispy dark hair at the top of his head. “If she asks we named him Cletus.”

I laughed. “Oliver, Cletus; it makes no difference to me. He’s perfect no matter what we call him.” I brought my lips down to brush against the soft spot at his crown and promised to him, “I’m yours, Oliver. Completely and utterly. From this day until my very last, I’m yours.”

[thekriseffect]

This book cover is so stunning I think I might cry 😭

The clock is ticking… Head back to Cordonia tomorrow for The Royal Heir, Book 2! 👑💕

PSA 📣 Our team is working to resolve the freezing issue some Android players are experiencing, and hope to release the fix ASAP. Until then, please do not try reinstalling Choices, as this can erase your progress. For more info, email our Support Team at support@pixelberrystudios.com — thanks!

[thekriseffect]

I’m glad you like it! Thanks for the awesome feedback!!

Alone Part 2 (Liam x MC)

[Note: Finally! The second part is freshly finished and can go from being stuck in the dusty abyss that are my drafts to actually being posted for the world to see. I’ve been missing the TRR/TRH crew a lot lately (January can’t come soon enough) and am actually pretty satisfied with how this turned out. The first draft was absolute garbage and needed a major makeover. I’d also like to note that this is a NSFW little short. If I tagged you and that isn’t your thing I’m sorry! You’re welcome to read part one as a stand-alone instead.]

[Summary: Freya, newly crowned queen with some unexpected news weighing down on her shoulders, struggles with the reality of their situation as her and Liam begin their honeymoon. Set in the first chapter of The Royal Heir. Part 1 can be found here.]

[Tag List: @lodberg, @cora-nova, @romanticatheart-posts, @texaskitten30, @bbrandy2002.]

[Song Inspiration: Paralyzed- KWAYE.]

Icy droplets dripped down my back as I trudged deeper and deeper into the shallows, Liam a breath behind me. The ocean was pitch black by now and despite the perfect summer day the water was cold as it clung to our clothes, causing the material to stick awkwardly to my torso and calves. Liam reached a hand out to grab at me while I splashed him back playfully. His arms glided against my rib cage as he held me tightly against his slick, broad chest and kissed the side of my neck.

“Caught you.”

I relaxed into his hold as the water lapped softly around us and placed my hands atop his, ghosting them over my sides and tilting my chin up to smirk at him. “Now what do you plan on doing with me?” I asked slyly while his breath danced erratically against my cheek.

“Many, many things.” Another kiss below my ear.

His voice was deep, quiet, and fused with scalding heat. So much promise piled into only a few short words. My cheeks flushed, muscles shivering in anticipation, heart skipping a beat. When his mouth closed around my pulse point it was like a dam had been breached and I spun around in his arms to crush my lips against his.

The world dissolved around us. Nothing mattered anymore. Not the brisk night air nor the clothes that felt like wet cement against our backs. All that mattered was him and how much I wanted him. Could you die from wanting something so badly? Because there was a very high chance that I would.

Liam lifted me into his arms and I wrapped my legs around his hips as he walked us back up the beach, my heels digging into the base of his spine. His wandering mouth and hands never left me until we reached the cabana where he set me down on wobbly legs to close the door behind us.

I was breathless and panting by now. My impatience making my hands tremble and my shoulders shake with each breath sucked in. Liam, on the other hand, was all stiff muscles and rugged unruliness and flickering irises. I made grabby hands at him as he went to shut the second door and he chuckled as he minimized the too wide space that separated us with long, purposeful strides. Taking my face between his large hands, he tilted my head back to give me a fierce kiss that had my toes curling against the wood of the floor. I matched his hunger, his desperation, with my own while fiddling with the edges of his soft button down.

Off. Need off.

His mouth traveled down my neck slowly, each press lingering and full of meaning. Over the roaring of my heart I could hear the pitter-patters of water dripping onto the floor at our feet and the distant sound of waves crashing against land outside. Liam toyed with my soaked tank top until I lifted my arms above my head so he could peel it off. His eyes traveled down the length of my body, goosebumps decorating my bare skin under his stare.

I leaned closer to kiss him gently and he held me to him like he needed me to breathe, to live. Skimming my fingertips along his chest, I let my mouth wander to his chin, his neck, his collarbone, gently grazing his scorching skin with my teeth as my nails touched the smooth metal of his belt buckle. But just as I made contact, he stepped away, out of my reach. I growled in frustration.

“Liam…” I started until he dropped to his knees in front of me. He looked up, blue eyes intense, so intense, before he rocked forward to press his lips against one hipbone, sliding across my skin, bathing it in warmth, as he traveled to the other. He took my calf in his hand and lifted as his mouth moved against the tensed muscles of my leg until he reached my ankle, brushing a barely-there kiss against it. His eyes were closed as if he was lost in the moment of simply touching me and I watched, transfixed. My fingers tangled in the damp hair at the top of his head and tugged gently. His eyes shot open. “Beautiful,” I breathed and his cheeks tinted pink as he gave me a shy smile.

Liam hooked his fingers into the waistband of my shorts and tugged down, taking that little scrap of black lace with it. He took a moment to look me before placing his lips against the flatness of my stomach and for an absurd second I was sure he could tell. Traveling up my torso, warming the cool skin with his mouth and teeth and tongue, tracing each individual rib and lavishing attention on my chest before returning to my lips to gift me with a searing, drawn-out kiss.

He lifted me onto his hips and took us deeper into the blackened hut. How he could tell where he was going was beyond me but at this point I didn’t care. The need was so great that I was shaking from head to toes. When we neared the foot of the bed he set me down to fist his shirt over his head, presenting me with the world’s best chest up close and personal. Golden, tight, and all mine. I helped him out of his pants with fumbling fingers and gasped at the feel of him fully against me. Finally.

We shuffled back until my calves hit the edge of the mattress and then fell onto it, a mess of tangled limbs and bare skin. He braced himself above me with an elbow propped up next to my head as he stroked the long, wet hairs away from my face. His other hand held my hips down as he toyed with the spot just behind my ear, the spot that drove me crazy.

I loved the feeling of him surrounding me, enclosing me with his muscular frame and trapping me down, though I’d never admit it. Every direction I turned was filled with Liam, with the man I loved. With my husband. The thought brought a wide smile to my face.

He dragged his tongue down the line of my throat, stopping at my shoulder. “I love you,” he murmured against me. Peppered kisses along my collarbone to the base of my neck. “I love you.” Stole the air from my lungs as he pressed his lips over where my heart thud, thud, thudded erratically inside my chest. “I love you.”

He touched his forehead against mine, bringing one hand up to brush my cheek while the other traveled lower. His mouth hovered over mine. “I love you,” Liam said against my lips before entering me slowly, perfectly, and the world took a step back. It was only me and him. Together, like it was supposed to be. I cried out and clung to his back, nails biting into his flesh as he moved above me in a steady yet slow rhythm. He lifted one of my legs over his hip and I shifted upwards underneath him, causing a delicious groan to escape him. Excitement spread through my veins like wildfire. I kissed, licked, stroked, anything I could think of to earn another sound like that.

All too soon the pressure in my lower spine began to build until it became almost painful, like air feeding into an inferno. And then he rocked against me forcefully one more time and the world exploded, the heat blossoming inside me and drowning me in wave after wave of pleasure. I tensed underneath him, convulsing and swearing, and he shuddered above me before relaxing into my hold.

Liam buried his face into the crook of my neck as the aftershocks subsided and for a few silent minutes we stayed there like that, wrapped up in each other. Enjoying the heat and feel of being close together. I slid my hands down his sweat slicked back and across his shoulders as something worked its way up from my lower belly. Traveling from deep in my chest to my throat before a laugh squeezed past my lips. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I wanted to, I was just so happy.

I can’t remember ever feeling like this before.

Liam lifted his head to grin down at me. “What?”

Smoothing the sweat slicked strands away from his eyes, I took his face gently in my hands and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “I love you too,” I beamed up at him.

[thekriseffect]

Alone Part 2 (Liam x MC)

[Note: Finally! The second part is freshly finished and can go from being stuck in the dusty abyss that are my drafts to actually being posted for the world to see. I’ve been missing the TRR/TRH crew a lot lately (January can’t come soon enough) and am actually pretty satisfied with how this turned out. The first draft was absolute garbage and needed a major makeover. I’d also like to note that this is a NSFW little short. If I tagged you and that isn’t your thing I’m sorry! You’re welcome to read part one as a stand-alone instead.]

[Summary: Freya, newly crowned queen with some unexpected news weighing down on her shoulders, struggles with the reality of their situation as her and Liam begin their honeymoon. Set in the first chapter of The Royal Heir. Part 1 can be found here.]

[Tag List: @lodberg, @cora-nova, @romanticatheart-posts, @texaskitten30, @bbrandy2002.]

[Song Inspiration: Paralyzed- KWAYE.]

Icy droplets dripped down my back as I trudged deeper and deeper into the shallows, Liam a breath behind me. The ocean was pitch black by now and despite the perfect summer day the water was cold as it clung to our clothes, causing the material to stick awkwardly to my torso and calves. Liam reached a hand out to grab at me while I splashed him back playfully. His arms glided against my rib cage as he held me tightly against his slick, broad chest and kissed the side of my neck.

“Caught you.”

I relaxed into his hold as the water lapped softly around us and placed my hands atop his, ghosting them over my sides and tilting my chin up to smirk at him. “Now what do you plan on doing with me?” I asked slyly while his breath danced erratically against my cheek.

“Many, many things.” Another kiss below my ear.

His voice was deep, quiet, and fused with scalding heat. So much promise piled into only a few short words. My cheeks flushed, muscles shivering in anticipation, heart skipping a beat. When his mouth closed around my pulse point it was like a dam had been breached and I spun around in his arms to crush my lips against his.

The world dissolved around us. Nothing mattered anymore. Not the brisk night air nor the clothes that felt like wet cement against our backs. All that mattered was him and how much I wanted him. Could you die from wanting something so badly? Because there was a very high chance that I would.

Liam lifted me into his arms and I wrapped my legs around his hips as he walked us back up the beach, my heels digging into the base of his spine. His wandering mouth and hands never left me until we reached the cabana where he set me down on wobbly legs to close the door behind us.

I was breathless and panting by now. My impatience making my hands tremble and my shoulders shake with each breath sucked in. Liam, on the other hand, was all stiff muscles and rugged unruliness and flickering irises. I made grabby hands at him as he went to shut the second door and he chuckled as he minimized the too wide space that separated us with long, purposeful strides. Taking my face between his large hands, he tilted my head back to give me a fierce kiss that had my toes curling against the wood of the floor. I matched his hunger, his desperation, with my own while fiddling with the edges of his soft button down.

Off. Need off.

His mouth traveled down my neck slowly, each press lingering and full of meaning. Over the roaring of my heart I could hear the pitter-patters of water dripping onto the floor at our feet and the distant sound of waves crashing against land outside. Liam toyed with my soaked tank top until I lifted my arms above my head so he could peel it off. His eyes traveled down the length of my body, goosebumps decorating my bare skin under his stare.

I leaned closer to kiss him gently and he held me to him like he needed me to breathe, to live. Skimming my fingertips along his chest, I let my mouth wander to his chin, his neck, his collarbone, gently grazing his scorching skin with my teeth as my nails touched the smooth metal of his belt buckle. But just as I made contact, he stepped away, out of my reach. I growled in frustration.

“Liam…” I started until he dropped to his knees in front of me. He looked up, blue eyes intense, so intense, before he rocked forward to press his lips against one hipbone, sliding across my skin, bathing it in warmth, as he traveled to the other. He took my calf in his hand and lifted as his mouth moved against the tensed muscles of my leg until he reached my ankle, brushing a barely-there kiss against it. His eyes were closed as if he was lost in the moment of simply touching me and I watched, transfixed. My fingers tangled in the damp hair at the top of his head and tugged gently. His eyes shot open. “Beautiful,” I breathed and his cheeks tinted pink as he gave me a shy smile.

Liam hooked his fingers into the waistband of my shorts and tugged down, taking that little scrap of black lace with it. He took a moment to look me before placing his lips against the flatness of my stomach and for an absurd second I was sure he could tell. Traveling up my torso, warming the cool skin with his mouth and teeth and tongue, tracing each individual rib and lavishing attention on my chest before returning to my lips to gift me with a searing, drawn-out kiss.

He lifted me onto his hips and took us deeper into the blackened hut. How he could tell where he was going was beyond me but at this point I didn’t care. The need was so great that I was shaking from head to toes. When we neared the foot of the bed he set me down to fist his shirt over his head, presenting me with the world’s best chest up close and personal. Golden, tight, and all mine. I helped him out of his pants with fumbling fingers and gasped at the feel of him fully against me. Finally.

We shuffled back until my calves hit the edge of the mattress and then fell onto it, a mess of tangled limbs and bare skin. He braced himself above me with an elbow propped up next to my head as he stroked the long, wet hairs away from my face. His other hand held my hips down as he toyed with the spot just behind my ear, the spot that drove me crazy.

I loved the feeling of him surrounding me, enclosing me with his muscular frame and trapping me down, though I’d never admit it. Every direction I turned was filled with Liam, with the man I loved. With my husband. The thought brought a wide smile to my face.

He dragged his tongue down the line of my throat, stopping at my shoulder. “I love you,” he murmured against me. Peppered kisses along my collarbone to the base of my neck. “I love you.” Stole the air from my lungs as he pressed his lips over where my heart thud, thud, thudded erratically inside my chest. “I love you.”

He touched his forehead against mine, bringing one hand up to brush my cheek while the other traveled lower. His mouth hovered over mine. “I love you,” Liam said against my lips before entering me slowly, perfectly, and the world took a step back. It was only me and him. Together, like it was supposed to be. I cried out and clung to his back, nails biting into his flesh as he moved above me in a steady yet slow rhythm. He lifted one of my legs over his hip and I shifted upwards underneath him, causing a delicious groan to escape him. Excitement spread through my veins like wildfire. I kissed, licked, stroked, anything I could think of to earn another sound like that.

All too soon the pressure in my lower spine began to build until it became almost painful, like air feeding into an inferno. And then he rocked against me forcefully one more time and the world exploded, the heat blossoming inside me and drowning me in wave after wave of pleasure. I tensed underneath him, convulsing and swearing, and he shuddered above me before relaxing into my hold.

Liam buried his face into the crook of my neck as the aftershocks subsided and for a few silent minutes we stayed there like that, wrapped up in each other. Enjoying the heat and feel of being close together. I slid my hands down his sweat slicked back and across his shoulders as something worked its way up from my lower belly. Traveling from deep in my chest to my throat before a laugh squeezed past my lips. I couldn’t have stopped it even if I wanted to, I was just so happy.

I can’t remember ever feeling like this before.

Liam lifted his head to grin down at me. “What?”

Smoothing the messy strands away from his eyes, I took his face gently in my hands and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. “I love you too,” I beamed up at him.

[thekriseffect]

Alone Part 1 (Liam x MC)

[Note: It’s been way too long since I posted anything (inspiration wasn’t flowing for me at all). I know this doesn’t really fit in with The Royal Heir’s timeline very well but I always imagined Freya’s pregnancy to be a surprise rather than something that was planned (I’m also not a huge fan of the demanded pregnant angle in general. Plus angst is just too much fun to write… which sounds kinda sinister when I put it out there like that...) Anyways! I hope you enjoy it! TRH continues to be my writing muse at the moment so expect more of these two from me.]

[Summary: Freya, newly crowned queen with some unexpected news weighing down on her shoulders, struggles with the reality of their situation as her and Liam begin their honeymoon. Set in the first chapter of The Royal Heir.]

[Tag List: @lodberg, @cora-nova, @romanticatheart-posts]

It was a strange feeling, sitting across from Liam, eating our meal together in a comfortable silence with the sound of waves and the scent of salt, life, and wet sand surrounding us like everything was right in the world. So strange that I had no idea how to act, let alone what to say. You know your life defies normality when you aren’t sure how to act like an ordinary human being anymore.

What should I do with my eyes? Do I look at him while we eat or would that be weird? Do I look behind him or does that make it seem like I’m not paying enough attention? Maybe I should just look at the food? I think I’ll just look at the food…

It was the first evening of our honeymoon and I found myself more keyed up now than I did before our wedding. Shyly glancing down whenever our eyes would meet and exchanging uncertain, careful touches reserved for people who were still in stage one of their relationships. It was ridiculous, yet every time I looked at Liam I couldn’t hold back the wave of guilt that threatened to drown me. Because he still didn’t know.

It had been almost two weeks since I’d taken the test in that grungy, outdated bathroom with shaking fingers, one week since the attack at our wedding which threatened to take everything away from me, and eleven restless nights of seeing those two hair-raising pink lines every time I closed my eyes. And still I hadn’t told Liam that I was pregnant.

I’d exhausted every excuse imaginable for my reasoning's. The timing wasn’t right with the wedding coming up. Anton needed to be our main priority, not what was cooking in my stomach. Bertrand would go into mother hen mode which was exhausting to just think about. I didn’t want to stress Liam out more than he already was. Though the reality was much simpler; I was still floating blissfully in my own pool of denial and telling Liam would make it real, which was something that I wasn’t even close to being ready for. Call me selfish.

I studied him as he stared off into the horizon, the last of the day’s rays highlighting his cheeks and bronzing his hair before he turned to give me his private smile. The one that was so relaxed and so content that it made my ears burn like I was a bashful schoolgirl. The one that was reserved for me alone. I looked away.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Hey.” The concern laced in his voice had me glancing up from my nearly full plate. “Everything alright?”

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. “I still can’t believe that we’re actually here,” I dodged as I artistically rearranged the food with my fork for the hundredth time. “It doesn’t feel real.” It wasn’t a lie, not really.

“I know what you mean. I half expect the kingdom to be in chaos when we get back.”

“Their king is away on a remote island for a whole week, chaos is inevitable,” I teased.

“And their queen,” he corrected.

I blinked slowly as my mind came to a screeching halt at that reality. Oh, right. “It’ll never not be weird hearing that, will it?”

“You were always going to be my queen, Freya. From the moment you decided I was worth it.” He said it so nonchalantly, like he was making a simple comment about the weather, that I had to hide my smirk behind my hand. A silly grin lit up his face. “What?”

“You don’t even have to try, do you? You’re like a walking hallmark card.”

“I’m not sure what that means but it sounded like an insult,” Liam said while amusement made his eyes crinkle in the corners enduringly.

“Of the highest regard,” I shot back.

___

Time passed in a blur. We ate, laughed, and chatted about nothing in particular while the sun set behind us before seeing the staff off for the night, leaving us and the island to ourselves. Stars dotted the night sky as Liam and I walked the beach, my arm swinging his loosely with the rough grains of sand sticking to our bare feet. It felt so easy being here with him, just the two of us. I couldn’t remember the last time we were truly alone. I frowned. Have we ever been alone like this before?

His long fingers played with mine as we wandered. Brushing against the palm, tracing abstract patterns against its skin, tightly interlacing with my own. I loved Liam’s hands. Contrary to popular belief, they were hardened due to calluses with little perfect imperfections spotting his knuckles and thumbs. He had the hands of a man that worked hard which had come as a shock to me at first. You would think that a prince wouldn’t need to lift a finger for anything. Yet after getting to know him I decided it was perfectly in character for him, to be involved in the labor instead of watching from the sidelines. It was one of those characteristics that made Liam, Liam.

He was going to be a great dad.

The spontaneous thought had me stopping dead in my tracks with eyes the size of chargers. I tugged at his hand until he was standing at my side.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Everything’s going to change now.” It wasn’t a question.

He studied me for a moment before answering with a simple yet meaningful, “Yes.”

“What if I’m not ready? What if I ruin everything?”

“You won’t.”

It was meant to be comforting though instead it had anxiety creeping up my throat in the form of tiny little spiders. I broke away from him and squeezed the heel of my hand against my forehead so forcefully that I was sure it would leave a bruise. Maybe if I squeezed hard enough my problems would go away. “You can’t know that.”

I could feel when he stepped forward. He didn’t say anything, didn’t move to touch me, though he didn’t need to for me to know that he was there. I was constantly so aware of him that it sometimes drove me slightly insane. The commanding presence that followed him like a second skin wherever he went, the sound of his sleekly virile voice, that distinctive scent; fresh linens, mint, and something sharp that I couldn’t place. All attributes that I associated home with.

“Frey, I love you, but I also love my country.” Liam slid his palms down my shoulders to turn me around to face him. “If I didn’t think you could handle it we wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“No, instead it would be Madeleine you’d be whispering sweet nothings to,” I murmured and his lips took a turn south. I sighed and pinched my eyes shut. What was I doing? This was supposed to be our honeymoon. It wasn’t his fault that I had the communication skills of a potato.

Drawing him closer, I circled my arms around his neck so our chests pressed together. My fingers twisted in the short hairs on his nape. “I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to take in at once.”

“Don’t apologize,” he told me. “Just tell me how I can help.”

You can’t help, not with this. Not right now. But I wasn’t going to tell him that, so instead I settled for something that I knew would defuse the attention from the topic. “Well… a kiss wouldn’t be unwelcomed.”

Liam smirked. “As you wish, my queen.” He leaned forward to bridge the space between our lips, his breath mingling deliciously with my own as he grew closer, and closer, and closer…

And just as his lips brushed mine, the anticipation so rich and solid that I could practically taste it, I pulled back smugly to meet his gaze. “That is if you can catch me first,” I said against his mouth before sprinting away with a giggle. He let out a shaky laugh before following me beyond the sands of the shore and into the cool, black water ahead.

[thekriseffect]

my biggest concern on edge of extinction wasn’t even about survival

[thekriseffect]

Have I mentioned that I love @playstoryscape? Because I do. I really do.

[thekriseffect]

Just finished Life 2.0 and I can officially say that I will be romancing the heck out of Etan in season 2. Sorry Jaime...

[thekriseffect]

That moment when Storyscape actually answers back

Hey storyscape

In what world is this:

nicer than this: