Chapter 225
Chapter 225
:
54
55 vouchers
Amelia stared at the ceiling of her new bedroom suite, the moonlight casting soft patterns across the dark room. The royal residence wing was eerily quiet at this hour, so different from the constant bustle of the day. She’d spent the last hour carefully unpacking a few personal items like photographs, favorite books, small treasures from her life before becoming Princess Amelia of Wystovia. Weird, she knew, to be doing this on her wedding night.
But the wedding reception had ended hours ago. After a final round of goodbyes, Niko had escorted her through a maze of corridors to their private wing of the palace. He’d shown her to her bedroom, explaining which doors led where, how to call for assistance if needed.
“This will be your space,” he’d said, standing awkwardly in the doorway. “My room is through there.” He’d gestured to an adjoining door between their suites. “If you need anything at all…”
Separate rooms? Oh my god, now she felt like she was playing a role in some Victorian novel.
Then he’d leaned in, kissed her cheek softly, and wished her goodnight before disappearing through the connecting door to his own chambers.
Amelia hadn’t known what to expect of her wedding night, but somehow, this wasn’t it. That brief, chaste kiss and the sound of his door closing had left her feeling strangely adrift. Was this disappointment? Relief? She
wasn’t sure.
So, after unpacking some of her stuff, she had showered and changed for bed. But she couldn’t fall asleep.
Rising from the bed, she crossed to the window. The palace gardens stretched out below, bathed in moonlight. Somewhere in the distance, a clock chimed two in the morning.
Was Niko awake? She found herself drawn to the connecting door between their rooms. She stared at it, her hand hovering over the ornate brass handle. Should she knock? Just walk in? What if he was already asleep? What if he expected her to come to him but didn’t want to pressure her?
What if he didn’t want her to come at all?
Amelia’s fingers brushed the cool metal, then withdrew. She paced back across the room, frustrated with her own indecision. This was ridiculous. They were married now. There shouldn’t be this uncertainty between them.
The warmth in his eyes during their first dance, the sincerity in his voice when he’d whispered “I’m glad it’s you” those moments had felt real. There had been genuine connection in that kiss at the altar, brief though it was. And yet here she stood, separated from her new husband by a closed door and a lifetime of formal training that had taught her to wait for direction rather than act on instinct.
“Enough,” she muttered, squaring her shoulders. She would just knock, see if he was still awake. They could talk, at least. Begin to navigate this new reality together.
Amelia returned to the connecting door with renewed determination. Her knuckles had barely grazed the polished wood when she heard movement from the other side,
The door opened before she could knock properly, revealing Niko in dark blue silk pajama bottoms and
18:00 Wed, Sep 24
Chapter 225
54
55 vouchers
nothing else. His hair was slightly tousled, his expression a mixture of surprise and something else she couldn’t quite read.
“Amelia,” he said, his voice low. “I was just…” He glanced back at his room, then to her. “I couldn’t sleep.” His eyes lowered.
She became acutely aware of her own thin nightgown, the way the moonlight from her window must be illuminating her silhouette.
“Neither could I,” she admitted. “It’s been… quite a day.”
A half–smile touched his lips. “That’s an understatement.”
They stood in awkward silence for a moment, neither quite knowing how to proceed. Amelia noticed his eyes flicker briefly down her body before returning resolutely to her face.
“Would you like to come in?” he asked finally. “Or I could join you here. We could talk.”
“Talk,” she repeated, relief and something like disappointment mingling in her chest. “Yes, that would be nice.”
He hesitated, then stepped aside. “My sitting room might be more comfortable. Unless you’d prefer to stay here?”
“Your sitting room is fine,” she said, following him through the doorway. His suite mirrored hers in layout but felt distinctly different… darker woods, richer colors, the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air.
The sitting area held a comfortable–looking sofa and two armchairs arranged around a low table. A half- empty glass of what looked like whiskey sat beside an open book.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he offered. “Water? Tea? Something stronger?”
“Water would be perfect, thank you.”
As he moved to a small sideboard to pour her drink, Amelia took the opportunity to study him unobserved. His back was a landscape of lean muscle, his shoulders broader than they appeared when hidden beneath formal attire. A thin scar traced across his left shoulder blade, another story she didn’t yet know.
He turned, catching her gaze, and something electric passed between them. He handed her the water glass, their fingers brushing briefly.
“Thank you,” she murmured, taking a small sip to steady herself.
Niko gestured to the sofa. “Please, sit.”
She settled on one end while he took the other, leaving a careful distance between them. The silence stretched, both of them searching for the right words.
“I-”
“This-”
18:00 Wed, Sep 24
Chapter 225
18:00 Wed, Sep 24
When they finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Niko rested his forehead against hers.
“I’ve wanted to do that properly since I saw you walking down the aisle,” he confessed.
“Why didn’t you?” she asked, her hands still resting on his shoulders.
His smile was rueful. “Too many eyes. There are expectations for public displays.”
“We’re not in public now,” she pointed out, surprising herself with her boldness.
“No,” he agreed, his voice deepening. “We’re not.”
54
E55 vouchers
This time when he kissed her, there was no hesitation. His arms encircled her waist, drawing her against him as his mouth claimed hers with newfound urgency. Amelia melted into him, her body responding to his touch with an intensity that shocked her.
When his lips left hers to trail down her neck, she let her head fall back, reveling in the sensation. His hands roamed her back, tracing the curve of her spine through the thin silk of her nightgown.
“Amelia,” he murmured against her skin. “We should stop. If this is too fast—”
“It’s not,” she interrupted, surprised by her own certainty. “I want this. I want you.”
He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching hers again. “Are you sure? Because we have time. I can wait.”
In answer, she reached for the delicate strap of her nightgown, sliding it off one shoulder. Niko’s breath caught, his gaze following the movement with undisguised hunger.
“I’m sure,” she whispered.
Something shifted in his expression; she watched as restraint that gave way to raw desire. He stood, pulling her up with him, then swept her into his arms in one smooth motion. Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her through the sitting room to his bedroom.
The massive four–poster bed dominated the space, its dark wood gleaming in the low light. Niko set her down gently beside it, his hands coming to rest on her waist.
“You’re beautiful,” he said simply.
“So are you,” she replied, allowing her eyes to travel openly over his chest and arms.
He smiled, “Men are not beautiful.”
“Hot then or sexy…” she said, stepping closer to lay her palm against his chest, feeling his heart race beneath
her touch.
Niko caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm before guiding it back to his chest. “Touch me,” he encouraged softly. “However, you want.”


Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: In Bed With Her Shithead Boss (By Ellie Wynters)