The past few days had been exhausting. The five kingdoms festival hadn’t gone nearly as well as they had hoped. Barely any nobles had shown up, and the video that had surfaced in the middle of Riley and Liam’s statement had only frightened the people more.731Please respect copyright.PENANAGn8CwSNQTr
Then, having to sort out Madeleine and her parents’ drama was certainly no picnic. They had accomplished their main objectives. They had convinced Madeleine’s mother, Adelaide, to attend the wedding and had gained Madeleine as a press secretary. It wouldn’t have been as aggravating if it hadn’t been for Lord Neville showing up to insult Riley and Drake. Riley was still fuming over that.731Please respect copyright.PENANAs0sm905Jbc
Drake had left their shared room early. He hadn’t mentioned exactly where he was going or what he was doing. No matter where they went it seemed that they were always assigned separate rooms. It was strange given they were engaged and marrying in less than a month.731Please respect copyright.PENANA6pp0gkm6lW
Since the engagement, Drake had abandoned any assigned room he was given to stay with Riley. It had worked out well so far. Bertrand was far less likely to pop in unannounced if he knew that Drake was sharing her bed. She supposed he didn’t want to stumble upon a scene that could potentially scar him for life. Maxwell had taken to knocking before entering as well.731Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZyAaowe9V
Madeleine was an entirely different story. She had breezed into their room without waiting for them to invite her in. She seemed unbothered by it all. She had made a few snide comments about sharing the same bed before marriage. Riley assumed that separate rooms were for appearances, though who would really know they shared a room aside from the Beaumont brothers, Hana, and Madeleine.731Please respect copyright.PENANAuc9XfIgheM
Riley chuckled softly as she saw a gold, poodle statue, its neck encrusted with a diamond collar right outside of the boutique.731Please respect copyright.PENANA7VLP1BjMYL
“Good morning sleepy head.” Maxwell said with a wide grin.731Please respect copyright.PENANAhXC0V8oI2R
“Morning.” Riley replied. “Back on fashion duty?”731Please respect copyright.PENANASRV5QkZGYD
“You guessed it.” Maxwell said before turning to sift through a rack of dresses behind him.731Please respect copyright.PENANAa56BN4SDV7
“This shirt is sucking my will to live.” A voice carried from one of the dressing rooms before the curtain was pushed aside and Drake stepped out tugging at the collar of his pressed, white, button-up.731Please respect copyright.PENANAfgfaSp8JhP
“Is that my handsome fiancée?” Riley smiled and stepped towards him. It wasn’t often that he dressed up, at least not until recently. She assumed what Lord Neville had said was still stuck in Drake’s mind. All she could piece together was that he was still bitter over Hana rebuffing him. If he thought he was going to find a wife during the Unity Tour he was sadly mistaken. Riley already intended to sabotage any attempt he made at finding a partner. He needed to be knocked down a few pegs and they all needed some fun on the tour.731Please respect copyright.PENANAXq1LCcGPk1
Drake’s expression had changed upon seeing Riley. His features softened, the scowl on his face melting into a soft smile. “Maxwell is trying to kill me.” Drake’s hands found their place on Riley’s hips, squeezing them gently and dipping his head down to press a chaste kiss to her lips.731Please respect copyright.PENANAWfl71RZeDq
“I am not!” Maxwell replied, turning around with a dress hanging off his arm. “Besides, he’s not allowed to die until I win the bet.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAu9ugvYzDhk
Riley glanced between the two with an arched eyebrow. “What bet?”731Please respect copyright.PENANAItjpqb8Ah3
“How many poodle statues there are on the estate.” Drake answered before pulling away from Riley to pick up a suit jacket off a nearby chair. “Maxwell thinks there are more than 50.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAnEIDPbCuEv
“Drake thinks there are 70 or more.” Maxwell said handing the dress to Riley. “The woman loves poodles but I think even that is excessive.”731Please respect copyright.PENANADSrDbPS4zB
“I don’t know, Maxwell. You didn’t spend the whole social season around her. I’m pretty sure I’ve already heard of 50 statues.” Riley held the dress out in front of her to look it over.731Please respect copyright.PENANAKD444lkdTT
Chance dashed into the boutique with Hana on his heels laughing. “Sorry, I tried to keep him occupied but the poodle smell is driving him insane.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAgK5NqvAZg2
The corgi ran past them all making a bee line for Maxwell. “Lord Chance! Did you miss your Uncle Maxwell?” Maxwell cooed as he stooped down to pick him up. Chance licked his face before letting out a happy little bark.731Please respect copyright.PENANAPVPZfGuCeF
“Is that a top hat?” Drake grimaced as he caught sight of the little black hat perched atop the corgi’s head. “Why are you putting hats on my dog?”731Please respect copyright.PENANAktqYcQvZ8o
“Oh, so it is your dog now? Interesting…” Maxwell smirked at Drake.731Please respect copyright.PENANAMcSCzOd4Ty
“Riley’s dog… I don’t think she appreciates hats on her dog.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAc6sMeEQ01c
Riley laughed shaking her head at Drake. “I think he looks handsome in his little hat. Besides, I’m sure Penelope made it just for him with love.”731Please respect copyright.PENANArTcIf3wL0h
“She did.” Hana agreed with a nod. “She has been looking for you. You should finish getting ready. I’m sure she is dying to show you everything poodle here.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAS3e9QtdX78
“Then I better get a move on.” Riley replied before disappearing behind the curtain of a dressing room.731Please respect copyright.PENANANg7mqxx5ve
“I’ll catch up with you guys.” Drake added as he fastened the buttons at his wrists. Maxwell put Chance down. The corgi darted from the room and Maxwell started off after him.731Please respect copyright.PENANAVy5fli7xeR
Hana turned to follow them. “Try not to take too long.” She called over her shoulder before making a quick exit out of the boutique.731Please respect copyright.PENANAJAsgOJX2nX
Riley slipped on the dress and reached behind her to zip up the back of it. It was simple. The fabric was comfortable though the plunge neckline gave her some concerns. She supposed she should be used to fashion outside of her comfort zone, which consisted mainly of jeans and tee shirts. The zipper caught on the fabric halfway up and she sighed.731Please respect copyright.PENANATrbE7HL1Te
“Everything okay in there?” Drake asked as he approached the curtain.731Please respect copyright.PENANAk4Eofcy9Xu
“The stupid zipper is stuck. I could use a hand.”731Please respect copyright.PENANA0jA3NjGisA
Drake moved the curtain just enough to peek inside the room and froze. Riley could feel his eyes moving over her languidly. They briefly slid down the deep neckline of the dress before moving back to her face. “Maxwell really is trying to kill me.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAaFmayq8dU8
Riley felt a blush creep up her neck. Her body began to feel warm as he stepped into the room, his eyes fixing her in a heated stare. “Quite possibly.” She replied.731Please respect copyright.PENANAwWxC6s0Yea
He sucked in a deep breath. His hands ghosted down her exposed back, gingerly taking the zipper and wiggling it enough to release the fabric. His eyes glanced over to their reflection in the full length mirror in front of them. Drake’s eyes locked onto hers and he slowly zipped the dress up before allowing his warm, calloused hands, to drift back down her body. They settled on her hips.731Please respect copyright.PENANALQqzo1JHKn
“You okay?” She teased with a smirk.731Please respect copyright.PENANASF21V4dSXl
“I really hope you don’t like this dress. I don’t think it is going to make it to tomorrow.” He rumbled before placing a kiss to the side of her neck.731Please respect copyright.PENANAF52TBAKOdr
Riley’s breath quickened as she felt his strong hands grip her hips a bit rougher, bringing them back just enough to press against him. She knew they needed to leave the boutique before someone came looking for them, but it was difficult to have any logical thoughts when she felt him against her.731Please respect copyright.PENANAUrw4gnlrb7
“It needs to at least survive today.” Riley breathed. “Besides, wasn’t this morning enough?”731Please respect copyright.PENANA6TfuSM5zvs
Drake smirked against her skin, his hands moving to the front of her thighs, deliciously close to the apex between them. “I could never get enough. We wasted an awfully long amount of time. We need to do some catching up.” He paused just as one of his hands glided over her and up to her stomach. “We could always wait until later… if that is what you really want.” He whispered before nipping gently at the skin just below her ear. His breath was warm against her ear causing her skin to prickle and her body to ache.731Please respect copyright.PENANAmQmJO675sf
“You know that’s not what I really want, but we are a little short on time.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAM6TkSN6Esh
His hand at her hip slowly slid down the outside of her thigh before moving back up, bunching up the fabric of the dress as he went. “Then I guess I should make this quick.” He murmured, sliding his hand beneath her dress and between her legs.731Please respect copyright.PENANAnVFL9jvoc8
Riley wasn’t sure she would ever tire of this. They had spent too much time avoiding intimacy that every moment was just as passionate as the last. She wasn’t a romantic, but she couldn’t recall ever feeling as deeply with anyone else as she did with Drake.731Please respect copyright.PENANAcejJxHHgJK
She squirmed against him as he continued to tease her through the fabric of her underwear. His touch was light, barely giving her enough pressure to find some satisfaction. “I thought you were making this quick.” She breathed as her hips tilted forward in an attempt to feel more of his touch.731Please respect copyright.PENANA4m6wEOQgKR
Drake’s eyes met hers in the mirror. The corner of his lips quirked up in a smirk. He held her gaze as he languidly moved his hand beneath her underwear. Her knees felt weak as his fingers slipped inside of her and his thumb lightly circled her sensitive flesh. His eyes never left hers as he watched her teeth graze her bottom lip. He had never thought this would come to fruition. He had spent months merely fantasizing about what it would be like to touch her like this, to please her, to feel her wanting him.731Please respect copyright.PENANAQaNgKA85zJ
Her left hand was now settled atop his on her stomach as she attempting to turn her head enough to capture his lips with hers. His fingers became more insistent, pushing into her more deeply. “I want you.” She moaned against his lips.731Please respect copyright.PENANAl29IELwkWO
“Good.” He rumbled, moving his hand from her stomach to his belt buckle. His hand between her thighs continued its sensual assault. He roughly rucked up the back of her dress. The soft sound of ripping fabric filled the room as his hand hastily tore her underwear in an attempt to move them aside. His breathing was already ragged.731Please respect copyright.PENANAjvUADnYTrD
He abruptly removed his fingers from her before replacing them with a quick snap of his hips. A soft cry escaped Riley as he filled her. He stilled, his eyes sliding shut for a brief moment before slowly opening them and finding her gaze in the mirror once more. His eyes had darkened making her pulse quicken and the aching at her center to become unbearable.731Please respect copyright.PENANAd9xu9r1ihe
In one swift movement, his left hand came up to cup her breast while the other continued to tease between her thighs. His hips began to move against hers. One hand went to his over her breast while the other gripped his forearm. The muscles pulsed beneath her fingers as his hand worked roughly against her. Her eyes remained on their reflection. She drank in the sight of him possessing her body in ways only he could. It was a heady feeling to see just how much control he lost with her. She did this to him. It was her that drove him wild with need. That alone, was enough to push her close to her undoing.731Please respect copyright.PENANAcK96WvquzP
The only sounds filling the room were soft moans and heavy breathing. Drake’s movements were becoming more frantic, coming harder and faster. Riley’s body began to tremble, knees going weak as she found her release. His name fell from her lips as her body tensed. With one last, forceful thrust, Drake stilled behind her. A light sheen of sweat covered his forehand.731Please respect copyright.PENANACfbzpRSXkW
They stood in place for a moment catching their breath. Drake grinned at her in the mirror before placing one last gentle kiss against her neck “I love you.” He whispered against her skin before pulling out of her.731Please respect copyright.PENANA0Cq1xgzBza
"I love you too." Riley replied breathlessly as she began to smooth down her dress. As her hands moved over her backside she recalled the ripping of fabric only moments before. “Did you destroy my underwear?”731Please respect copyright.PENANAI7zCmiaukg
“It was either that or the dress, and you said I wasn’t allowed to destroy the dress.” Drake shot her a cocky smile as he righted his clothes and moved to kiss her.731Please respect copyright.PENANAcxfiAqogob
She returned his kiss before stepping back and narrowing her eyes at him. "Now I need to stop by our room to get new ones.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAgQnOhUgFcH
“Want me to come with you?” He asked with a gently tilt of his head.731Please respect copyright.PENANAiQwt4NSy2y
“No, go find Maxwell and Hana before someone comes looking for us.” Riley said with a roll of her eyes though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.731Please respect copyright.PENANA7fPROR1nAn
Drake wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled down at her. “You really want me to go off on my own with nobles?” He paused to kiss her softy. “You are lucky I love you.”731Please respect copyright.PENANAaMQ5ayS1GM
“I am.” She smiled. “I’ll be quick.”731Please respect copyright.PENANA5334bOygIl
With that, she pulled away from him and quickly left the boutique. She was sure he would be fine without her for a few minutes, at least, she hoped so.
Author's Note: Hey babes! Here is the second chapter! I had started this on Thursday, but apparently PB and I share the same ideas and one of the scenes in it was practically a rewrite of what they released. I figured I should really put out ‘in between’ chapters before PB releases their content to avoid getting in trouble with copyright. I hope you enjoy this and the lemon! I might try to put out another chapter before Friday featuring Penelope and her poodlicious self. Let me know if that is something you would like to see! As always, thank you so much for your love and support! I’m so lucky to have such amazing readers and friends!
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