May 2, 2023

Queen

His soft lips moved against mine as our tongues clashed, and I lost myself in the kiss. I felt dizzy as I stood on my own, but with him...like this, my mind felt clearer than it had in years.

My grip around his shirt loosened as his hands moved to my hips, and I snaked my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. I cherished the feel of his lips and my heart soared that this part of him didn't change. He still kissed me and reached emotional caves inside of me that no one had ever managed to do.

No one. Not even—

I pulled away from the kiss abruptly at my sudden thoughts and it was like the world around me began spinning. The steadiness I had gotten from him was flipped upside down from the loss of contact. Syn held my waist to steady me and I held on to his strong forearm. "Breathe."

His single word calmed my nerves, but it wasn't enough to replace the solid foundation he had just given me. My eyes fluttered shut and my body became weak as I lost my footing. "I got you, Princess..." Was the last thing I heard before I collapsed into his arms.

꧁꧂

May 3, 2023

I nestled into the large and comfortable sheets as the sunlight beamed onto my face. It was tugging me to consciousness, but I was too cozy to pay it any mind. The opening of a door in the distance was the nail in the coffin of my rest, and I immediately sat up.

My head throbbed and I winced as the sun hit my eyes and I groaned as I held my hands over my face. "You're awake." My eyes snapped to the location of the voice to see Syn sitting at a desk and typing away on a laptop. There was a towel wrapped around his waist and the brightness in the room seemed to make the water droplets look like crystals against his tan skin.

I swallowed a breath and looked around the unfamiliar room before looking back at him. "Do you want breakfast?"

"What?"

"Breakfast. Would you like to go get breakfast with me?"

I nodded slowly and picked at the black blanket. "Sure." I wrapped my arms around myself as I did when I was nervous, and when I felt my bare skin, my eyes snapped back up to him. "Why am I naked?"

"You're not naked." He smirked in the direction of his screen and I rolled my eyes. I was wearing my bra and underwear, but that was close enough to naked. I forgot how much of a smart ass he was.

"You know what I mean," I said lowly in annoyance.

"You threw up on your dress," he said as he swung his head in my direction. "So I threw it away."

"Oh." I cringed in embarrassment as I looked around the large bed and the suitcases standing in the corner of the room. "Is this your room?"

"However did you come to the conclusion?"

"Oh, because of..." I began to answer until the clipped sarcasm in his voice clicked into my mind and my heart sunk. I looked at him to see him looking at me with a small smile and I averted my eyes. That was something I noted about him in my mind that hadn't changed. He was still amazing at making me feel stupid.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No worries. Where—"

"Don't say it's no worries if it's not no worries."

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

"Okay." I nodded. "It's not 'no worries'. You're kind of an asshole. I just woke up and I can't detect sarcasm. You just came back and you're already making me feel slow."

"I won't do it again..." My heart fluttered at his words. "...when you're sleepy since that is when you seem to be deaf." Just like that, the butterflies inside of me were crushed and I shook my head weakly. I shoved the covers away from my body and hopped out of the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving."

"I thought you were getting breakfast with me."

"I changed my mind." I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and took my shoes from the floor beside the bed. He stood up from the seat he was in and strode over to me. He stood in front of me so I couldn't move past him, and I glared up at him. I was excited when I realized he was in New York, but I didn't think he'd be an ass.

At least not yet.

"You're leaving naked?" He questioned in an angry tone.

"I'm not naked, remember?" I threw his words back in his face and the muscle in his jaw clenched as he looked down at me. As I stared back defiantly into his green eyes, I was reminded of how truly menacing he could seem. He towered over me and his body was vibrating with unadulterated yet unnecessary anger.

All I needed was an apology. Then I'd stay.

"Queen..."

"Syn..." I could practically see the flames about to go off in his eyes and I waited for him to say something uncalled for, but instead, he turned on his heel and faced away from me. I frowned when I was faced to face with his back, but I could see his muscles flexing as he took deep breaths. "...w-what are you doing?"

"Give me a minute." I waited silently as he did whatever he did, and my eyes landed on his scarred back. I vaguely knew who was the cause of them all, but Syn never went into detail.

I was disturbed from my haze when he turned back around to look at me, and I tilted my head up to meet his eyes. His eyes studied mine deeply and I raised my brow in question. "What?"

"That didn't work."

"What didn't work?"

"It's something I learned," he said lowly. "Apparently I'm supposed to step away, assess the situation...and then address it."

"Uh-huh..."

"It didn't work. I have no idea why you're mad," he said. "All I know is that you look sexy as fuck when you're pissed at me."

A smiled I didn't want to emerge began spreading across my face and I shook my head. "You're a fucking mess." I moved around him to walk to the door, but before I could completely open it, he pushed it closed with the palm of his hand.

"I may be a mess, but I'm not crazy enough to let you leave with no clothes on." His warm breath glazed the back of my shoulder and shivers ran down my spine. "I'm sorry, okay? For whatever it is that I did. Stay."

"And if I don't want to?"

"We both know I'd let you go if you truly wanted." My chest pained at the reminder of what he did in the past and I turned around. He slightly moved back and his breath caught as my attention focused on him and I held back another smile. I was usually more in control of my expressions, but I always seemed to smile like a goofball around him.

"Are you sure if I walk out right now you won't just stalk me again?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"How did you know?"

"Just a gut feeling." I shrugged and moved under his arm to walk back into the room. He turned back to face me with one hand holding the towel around his waist. His eyes lingered on my almost naked body and a low groan emerged from him making me wonder just how much the towel was hiding. "I need to umm...may I use your shower?"

"Go ahead." He pointed behind me and I turned to walk towards it. "There's a spare toothbrush in the left cabinet and I'll bring you clothes. Just leave the door unlocked."

"Why?"

"So I can bring you the clothes."

"You can't just leave it on the floor outside of the door?"

"I don't want you getting my floor wet."

"Your floor will get wet regardless," I pointed out.

"Fine," he gave in as he rolled his eyes. "I'll put everything outside. Sounds good?"

"Sounds great." He gave me a look that made me laugh before turning to walk away and I admired him intently. I mean it's been years, anyone would start if they had a sexy god— I mean devil...half-naked in front of them. "If you want me I'm yours, Queen."

I jumped, being caught ogling him and I scurried into the restroom and quickly shut the door behind me. His laugh boomed throughout the room from the other side of the door and I slapped my forehead. Get it together!

"Queen," I whispered to myself lowly, walking towards the mirror. "You are single. You are happy. You don't want a relationship, and Syn motherfucking SinClaire is not an exception."

꧁꧂

30 Minutes Later

I stepped out of the shower and hugged my body as the sudden coolness gave me goosebumps. I shuffled to the door where and opened it, expecting to see a towel and clothes as Syn promised, but there was nothing. I peeked my head more into the open door and scoffed when I saw him sitting on the side of the bed reading a book.

He wore a simple black long sleeve shirt and matching jeans, yet he looked delectable as always. His eye caught mine and he gave me a lopsided smile. "Hey, beautiful."

"Umm yeah, hi. Where are the clothes...and towel?"

He laughed slightly before pointing to the spot beside him on the bed. I glanced at it to see neatly folded items and I smiled that he didn't forget like I thought he did. "Pass it to me?"

"Come get it," he muttered lowly as he lifted the book again. I watched him flip through the pages and not move to pass me anything and I snapped my fingers.

"Hello? Syn?"

"Yes?"

"If you throw them they'll make it to me."

"I'm busy. You got it, Queen."

"You're not even doing anything!"

He held the book over his face, ignoring me, and I rolled my eyes. I opened the bathroom door fully and stepped out in all my naked glory. I walked by his side where everything was and instead of picking it up and walking away, I picked up the towel and began drying my hair.

Right in front of him.

In my peripheral, I could see his eyes peek over the top of the book, and I smirked to myself. When I turned to look at him, he lifted the book higher once again. I took the book from his hands and tossed it to the floor, leaving his eyes no coverage, and raised a brow at him. "What? This is what you wanted to see with your little stunt, isn't it?"

"Stop fucking with me, Queen," he said lowly.

"How am I fucking with you?"

"I know you. You'll do this all in front of me, but you won't let me touch you."

"You can touch me." He reached out his hand to do just that without any more exchanged words between us, and I stepped away from him. "Just not there." He tilted his head and looked at me adoringly, and I wanted to crawl back in my shell. I cleared my throat and pulled the shirt he had given me over my head. "Why are you in New York, Syn?"

"Truthfully?"

"Always."

"Because you're everything to me."

꧁꧂

Author's Note

Lmk your thoughts ✨