Chapter Text
Then
“Mama, when can I spend the night at Dorma’s house?”
Ramonda pauses her vegetable chopping to look behind her at her only daughter. “Not until you’re old enough to fend for yourself. You don’t know those people.”
“I’ve known Dorma since kindergarten!”
“I said what I said. Now go make sure your room is all clean before she gets here. I do not need her telling her folks that we have a messy home.”
Twelve year old Shuri doesn’t roll her eyes until her back is facing Ramonda. She goes into her room, shoving the mess on the floor underneath her bed and calling it a day. She breaks out into a smile when she hears the doorbell ringing. The sound of it has awakened her father, who jumps in his relaxing chair while Shuri practically slides across the floor to answer.
Her best friend is standing on the porch, a red backpack slung over her shoulder. The girls giggle, and Shuri pulls Dorma inside.
“Hi, Mr. Udaku!”
“Bah…”
They stifle their laughter when the older man falls asleep in his chair again. Ramonda appears in the living room, a hand on her hip, smiling at Dorma.
“Your mother better not have fed you. I expect you to be licking your plate tonight.”
“I came here starving!”
Ramonda winks at her. “That’s what I like to hear.”
Shuri and Dorma go to her room, and Shuri gently closes her door, not wanting her mother to know that it’s shut. They sit on her bed together, holding hands as Shuri’s eyes grow wide with excitement.
“So,” she whispers. “What happened?”
“He kissed me!”
The girls squeal together. The prepubescent Shuri lives vicariously through Dorma, whose body began developing while they were still in elementary school. All the boys have a crush on Dorma, and she has recently caught the attention of a high school freshman.
“How did it feel?”
“Like kissing,” Dorma shrugs. “Our lips touched and I felt all tingly inside.”
“Did he touch your face?” Shuri asks nervously. “Mrs. H told us in that one special class that if a boy touches your face while kissing it might lead to something more.”
“No, but he did touch my boob!”
“Ew!”
The girls laugh so loud that it has Ramonda hollering at them to come help in the kitchen. After they eat dinner and go through their sleepover routine, the two young girls lie in bed together, their faces covered with a mud mask that Ramonda made them.
“Shuri?”
“Yeah?”
“You ever think about your future husband?”
Shuri stares at her ceiling fan going around and around.
“Sometimes. Baba says I can’t date until I’m married, so I dunno how I’ll ever meet him.”
“What do you want him to be like?”
“Mm… I want my husband to love me so much and also be cute.”
“Well I want my husband to be rich like a king and have lots of money to spoil me with!”
Shuri turns her head to the side when something catches her eye. She squeezes Dorma when she spots a shooting star through the window, and the girls quickly kneel, wishing upon that star that they get the husbands of their dreams one day.
Now
“Hola.”
Dorma hands the passports over to the border security guard. From the passenger seat, Shuri sees the man not even checking their identifications. He’s smiling flirtatiously at Dorma, handing the passports back.
“You ladies here for spring break?”
“Isn’t everyone?”
The guard laughs, his eyes scanning Dorma’s breasts before meeting her gaze once more. He taps the truck.
“Enjoy your stay in Puerto Peñasco!”
Dorma winks at him before rolling the window up. As soon as they finally make it through the traffic and onto the trail that will take them to the private condo a friend of theirs gave them a discount for, Dorma holds onto Shuri’s hand. The two women grin excitedly at one another while the truck travels over the sandy road.
“Our last Spring Break as college juniors, girl!”
“And we’re finally old enough to drink!”
Dorma lowers her eyelids. “The legal drinking age in this country is 18. We’ve been old enough. You’re the one who has been wanting to wait for 21.”
“And now I am!”
“Mmhm, and no longer a virgin,” Dorma sings and Shuri feels her face warming up.
Last summer, she lost her virginity to her ex-boyfriend, Eden, before he moved away. The long distance relationship provided too many temptations for Eden and he broke her heart. The sex wasn’t that great, either. It was awkward and it hurt, but at least she finally experienced it.
“I don’t know if I ever want sex again,” she murmurs. “I don’t understand the hype.”
“That’s because you haven’t experienced sex with a man who knows what he’s doing. I’m helping you bag a real one tonight.”
Shuri can’t be too excited about it. After all, when going out with Dorma, she is the center of attention. Men gravitate towards her, and it’s not difficult to see why. She has killer curves, a nonexistent waist, and a gorgeous face. She is intelligent and a fun time to be around. Her only downfall is that she’s extremely picky. All she desires in life is a rich man, hence why all her boyfriends are much older and why she pays no mind to those who hit on her. They’re often too disappointed by Dorma’s rejection that they pay dust to Shuri.
And Shuri doesn’t mind, really.
She knows her future husband will find her one day, and that is why she never goes out of her way to reel anyone in. She thought she had found him in Eden, but that proved to be a fluke.
While Dorma is hellbent on finding a man this week, Shuri is thankful to be away from the stress of college, and to enjoy the sunshine and the beach and maybe a few drinks before they have to go back to it.
But alas, Shuri can’t allow Dorma to go to this club by herself tonight. That is why they are currently standing in front of the full length mirror, trying on different outfits. Dorma does a spin in her red bathing suit, with her red heels on, and her red hair in big, long curls. It is her signature color, and she looks damn good in it.
“How do I look?”
“Hot. But isn’t it a bit strange going to a club in swimsuits? What if we are mistaken for strippers or something?”
“Shuri, there’s a pool on the outside of the club. Look it up. You’ll see a bunch of girls in bikinis and men in swim trunks or Speedos. It’s the norm.”
Shuri glances at her reflection. She is still wearing the denim shorts and black t-shirt she had on during the road trip.
“I’ll just go in this.”
Dorma gives her a look, then pulls something out of her bag. It’s a skimpy golden bikini. Very stringy. Shuri points at it.
“Your titties and ass are going to be falling out of that.”
“This is yours. Picked it up yesterday. Try it on!”
Shuri waves her hands in front of her. “No way! I can’t be seen in that!”
“Just try it. Bet you’ll love it.”
Sighing, Shuri steps into the bathroom and changes into the bikini. When she sees herself in the mirror, she’s stunned. The gold looks so beautiful on her skin, and she actually feels kinda… sexy?
Dorma enters and gasps. “Oh, you’re getting someone’s dick up tonight.”
“I…” Shuri turns a bit, checking out her perky ass that is on full display thanks to the thong-like bottoms. “I can’t go out in public like this! This is the kind of outfit reserved for the bedroom!”
“It’s a damn swimsuit, Shuri. You look hot. I look hot. We are going to find two men to spoil us all week long. Let’s go.”
Knowing that Dorma is an expert in that department, Shuri musters the courage and confidence to grab her small purse and follow her best friend out the door.
Once they arrive at the club that’s apparently crawling with high rollers, Dorma immediately guides Shuri to the dance floor. The two of them move provocatively together, unable to do such intimate dancing back at home due to their strict religion. Here, they can be themselves, their hips rolling and swaying to the beat as they touch one another.
“Don’t look now,” Dorma whispers in her ear. “But there are two handsome men watching us from up in the VIP section that’s heavily guarded. I guarantee one of those guards will be down here soon to take us up there.”
Shuri doesn’t glance up, knowing that it’s useless. Whoever is watching them, they both want Dorma, that is what she knows for sure. So she smiles and continues dancing, simply happy to be here.
Prince Namor of Talokan stretches his legs out in the backseat of the SUV, glancing at the back of his driver’s head. This driver is the first one he has had who is his age, which is 28.
“Attuma.”
“Yes, Prince Namor?”
“Why don’t you join me inside this club tonight? It is better than going alone.”
Attuma stares at him through the rearview mirror, smiling. “You are never alone, sir. Your guards will be surrounding you.”
“Guards are not friends. They cannot even drink. They are there for my protection.”
“I have noticed that you did not invite your usual friends. Is this a solo vacation?”
“Those boys are too pretentious to be around for long. I came to this place to find something.”
“And what is that?”
“I will tell you later. That is, if you are joining me.”
They exchange grins.
“It would be an honor to hang out with the Prince.”
Namor leans forward, squeezing Attuma’s shoulder as a thank you before he finally pulls out the phone that has been vibrating inside his pocket for far too long. As soon as he breathes, his mother is going off.
“When I call, you are expected to answer! I was about to contact Interpol believing you were kidnapped by drug lords!”
“Naa, this place is swarming with college students and other tourists. But when I see a drug lord, you’ll be the first to know.”
“I am serious, Ch’ah. I have no idea why you took this vacation in the first place. You have plenty of eligible bachelorettes to choose from in Talokan as your princess. And do not tell me that you did not go there to find a woman. I know you too well. There is nothing in Puerto Peñasco this time of year except for wild girls in skimpy swimsuits.”
“I did not come here for that,” Namor somewhat lies. “I came here for the seafood.”
“Talokan has the best seafood in the world.”
“It’s flavored a bit different here. I’ll send you pictures.”
Fen sighs heavily on the other end. “When you do return here, you need to start courting one of your options. Your father and I are not getting any younger, and you are our only child. The Almehen family must expand.”
“You will get your grandchildren eventually, Naa. Let me enjoy this week, and I’ll tend to my usual duties.”
“Behave yourself,” the queen tells her son, and Namor is grateful she can’t see his face through the phone. “I do not want to see any reports while you’re on vacation.
“Yes, Naa. Talk to you soon. Bye.”
Once Attuma parks the car, which soon becomes surrounded by an entourage of other vehicles, Namor gets out and begins stripping out of his suit, leaving his driver confused.
“What are you—“
“This club is known for a beachwear dress code.”
“Oh… I do not have my trunks, sir.”
“Don’t call me sir, call me Namor. I have a pair of blue ones in the back. Wasn’t sure what color I wanted to go with.” Namor lowers his pants, revealing his green swim shorts. The length is a bit above his knee, showing off his muscular thighs. “Green is my color, no?”
The prince looks back at Attuma, who now has the blue shorts on. He taps the driver’s arm, and the two of them are guided into the club by a host who brings them through a private entrance that leads to the VIP section.
There are many gorgeous and young women in here tonight, with outfits that reveal their physiques. Namor, and he also notices Attuma as well, receives plenty of flirtatious smiles and sultry eyes.
The men are brought to their section, where their drink orders are taken by a sexy brunette in small purple shorts and a white top. The service is top notch, which Attuma comments on.
“Damn. I don’t think I’ve ever been delivered a drink this fast before.”
“The perks of being royalty and rich sometimes outweighs the negative.”
“That reminds me… Are you going to tell me why you came to this place by yourself?”
“I am looking for love, Attuma,” the prince tells his friend over the sound of the club’s music. “A woman who truly wants me for the man that I am, and not for my status and wealth. I have learned my lesson one too many times.”
“I see. But don’t you have a variety of women waiting for you to select as the next princess?”
“Gold diggers or dowry. I do not want some money hungry or robotic-like wife. I want a genuine connection.”
“This country might be the place to find her. All of Talokan knows who you are. We are too small of a nation to be recognized elsewhere.”
“That’s the plan,” Namor murmurs before taking a drink. He slowly lowers the cup when he sees two women on the dance floor.
One is a red head, with an even redder swimsuit that shows off her curves. The other one wears a golden bikini, pulling her braids back as her body glistens from all the dancing they’re doing.
“You see them, too?”
“Have one of the guards get them to this section,” Prince Namor instructs without taking his eyes off of the young women. “I need you to go along with some lies once they’re here with us.”
Attuma squints at him. “Lies?”
The redhead continuously glances up at them while the golden girl pays the men no mind. Is his princess one of them?
“Let’s do a little roleplay, yes? You’re a rich prince and I am your driver.”
“Uh—“
Namor removes his gold chain and puts it around Attuma’s neck. He’s pleasantly surprised to find their wrists are the same size when he places his nearly million dollar watch on it.
“It is temporary. They’re going to be curious as to why we have a guarded section. No ordinary person can be up here. One of us needs to be the prince. If I tell them the truth, all they’ll see are dollar signs when they look at me. I’ll know which one to pursue further when she selects the driver over the Prince.”
Attuma blinks. He’s beginning to sweat underneath the strobe lights.
“Sir— Namor, I’m broke as shit and I’ve never been inside your castle. I don’t know the policies. I can’t answer anything they might ask me!”
“That is why it is a lie, my dear friend. We won’t tell them where we’re from, we’ll say it’s classified for privacy reasons. You can make anything up. It’s not like you’ll be with the woman for long. If I fall for the one who chooses me, I will tell her the truth eventually. If she turns out airheaded and superficial, at least I can say I had fun with a beautiful girl for a week. No harm done. Come on…” Namor gestures to the dancing women. “Look at the potential.”
Dorma can’t believe they’re even hotter up close.
Both men.
The shorter one, although still towering above herself and Shuri, catches her eye first. He has a beautiful bearded face, eyes so dark they’re borderline gray in this light, a muscularly thick body, and a fat bulge that can be seen through his swim shorts. His much taller friend is just as thick, with long hair, well-defined jaw, and a package just as big. She takes note of his jewelry, briefly, but decides that the shorter one is more her type physically.
For now.
“Ladies,” he says. “Will you please sit with us?”
“Sit by the taller one,” Dorma whispers to Shuri, who takes her rightful spot. Dorma sits as close as she can to the shorter man without seeming desperate, their thighs nearly touching. “Hi, there. Thank you for inviting us. I’m Dorma, this is Shuri.”
Her best friend awkwardly waves at the men, earning a quiet chuckle from the one beside Dorma.
“Pleasure to meet you two. I’m Namor, this is Attuma.”
The greetings go around. Dorma is a woman who does not enjoy wasting her time, nor is she going to allow Shuri to waste her time with a dud. She’s ready to get down to business.
“Personal guards in a VIP section, hm? I’ve never seen that before. What do you two handsome fellas do?”
Namor touches his chest. “Well, I’m a driver to his highness.”
“His highness?” Both girls say in unison, gaping at Attuma. The tall man laughs.
“Uh, yeah. I’m a prince.”
“A prince!?” Shuri asks excitedly. “Of what country!?”
“It’s classified information at the moment for privacy reasons. I’ll just say that it’s rather small.”
Dorma eyes the gold chain around Attuma’s neck. It appears to be solid. Her heart beat quickens when she notices the watch on his wrist. Whether he is fucking around about being a prince or not, that watch is nearly a million dollars.
He’s rich rich.
“How about you, Dorma?” Namor asks, and she’s snapping back to reality. Fine as fuck or not, she’s not going to get herself involved with some broke ass driver when a rich prince is sitting across from her. She ignores him, addressing Attuma instead.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“Oh! Sure. Yeah.” Attuma grins wide, causing Dorma to do the same. “I’d love to dance with you.”
“Perfect!”
She gets up quickly, locking her arms with the prince and gazing up at him with adoration. She quickly breaks her eye contact to glance at Shuri, who is wordlessly pleading for help, never doing well when she’s alone with an extremely attractive man. She winks at her, letting her know she’s hot shit and that she’s got this. Leaving her behind, Dorma heads down to the dance floor with Attuma.
She presses her backside against his front, giggling as soon as she realizes that he’s hard for her already. His large hands are wrapped around her waist, and she guides them to her chest, tilting her head back to smile at him.
“It’s okay. You can touch me there.” They begin grinding together, and although they’re surrounded by plenty other people, it’s like they’re the only ones here. “You’re really not going to tell me what country you’re the prince of?”
“I can’t. Not yet.”
“Mm, fine. What can you tell me about yourself, aside from how gorgeous and fine you are?”
Attuma dips his head, finding her ear. Dorma’s eyelids flutter shut at the sensation of his warmth breath, sensing a heartbeat in her pussy because of it. His hands feel so good on her, too.
“I really have a thing for redheads.”
Shuri is burning up on the spot as Namor stares her down. Never in her life has she seen a man so beautiful, so… sexy. It’s making her ache terribly and all he is doing is looking at her.
Freaking Dorma.
Despite what her best friend thinks, Shuri is not good with the opposite sex. She’s painfully awkward around people she doesn’t know, and it’s even worse considering how damn fine Namor is.
“What has brought you to Puerto Peñasco, Shuri?”
She plays with her thumbs underneath the table. “I’m on spring break. College, not high school. I’m—I’m a junior. How long have you been a driver?”
Namor drinks from his glass, his eyes soft as he keeps them on her. “A few months. I was a fry cook many years before then.”
“Oh! I worked at a fast food restaurant my first year of college but now I have a paid internship twice a week that also counts for some course credits and—“ Shuri stops herself when she realizes she’s rambling. All Namor is doing is smiling at her. He’s probably bored out of his mind, as most men are when she’s left to deal with the ones Dorma didn’t want. “I’m so sorry. I’m talking too much about nothing.”
“On the contrary, I don’t think you’re talking enough. Are you nervous?”
“Um, yes, a little.”
“Why is that? You’re doing wonderful.”
Because you’re so damn beautiful, she thinks, then clears her throat. “I just find myself to be incredibly boring. We don’t have to continue this if you don’t want to. I don’t blame you.”
“Is that what you’re picking up from me, Shuri? Because it couldn’t be further from the truth. You’re charming me.”
She sits upright. “Really!?”
“Yes,” he laughs, and when he reaches his hand across the table, she hesitantly holds it. She just about dies on the spot when he kisses her all over, his facial hair adding a slight but soothing tickle. He remains holding it when he’s done and she’s stunned. “Please. Continue. I’d love to hear everything about you. What are you going to school for?”
She speaks once she’s able to. “Nuclear physics. I can tell you everything about atomic nuclei.”
Namor’s eyebrows raise, impressed. “Such as Ernest Rutherford discovering it in 1911?”
Her jaw falls open while he takes another drink, clearly proud of himself for knowing that random piece of trivia. “What else do you know!?”
The two of them go back and forth for a while, spitting out facts about something nobody in this club could possibly be talking about. Shuri’s throat is raw, having spoken more than she ever has with anyone other than Dorma. Their conversation doesn’t end until she has no choice but to drink water to replenish herself.
“Hey,” Namor then says. “Take a walk with me down to the beach. I also enjoy astronomy.”
Shuri glances at the dance floor, where Dorma has Attuma’s tongue inside her mouth, their bodies having no space between them. She looks at Namor, who is awaiting her answer.
“While I am certain you are a good man, I still do not know you well enough to be alone with you. I don’t want to go missing this close to graduating.”
“I love that you’re cautious, and although you have no reason to be, I will have one of the prince’s guards follow us. A woman, if that will provide you with some comfort.”
Oh.
Oh, what a sweetheart.
So rare when a man is that good-looking.
“That would be lovely. Thank you.”
To be completely honest, Namor knows not a single thing about the stars other than the Northern one. He only wanted to go somewhere private and quiet with sweet Shuri, and thankfully, she does not ask many questions about the night sky.
He looks down at her as they walk hand in hand down the shoreline. How precious she is, and he’s quickly finding out that the inside is even more beautiful.
But he needs to be sure.
“May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“You were originally sitting by Prince Attuma. Why didn’t you pursue him further? Was it because of your friend’s sudden interest?”
“That’s only part of it. Dorma has always been interested in successful and well-off men, though Attuma is much younger than her previous flings. That’s not what I’m after.”
“But you could be a princess. You could be rich. A driver cannot give you that kind of expensive and spoiled life that most young women dream of.”
Shuri sucks in air through her teeth and tilts her head to the sides. “Ehh. Again, that’s more of a Dorma thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. You know…” She laughs suddenly, a faraway look in her eyes as though she’s traveled to a different place in her mind. “When we were twelve or so, we wished upon a shooting star for our future husbands. Dorma wished for a wealthy man. I wished for someone that loves me. I’m talking about head over heels, earth-shattering, soulmate kind of love. Silly, isn’t it?”
Namor cannot stop the words from coming out of his mouth after hearing that confession.
“I want to kiss you.”
They pause. Shuri turns to face him, her doe eyes so large and round and beautiful and captivating. She closes her eyes and he leans in, pressing their warm lips together, just touching for a moment.
Then he moves.
His lower lip slots in between hers, then he drags it ever so slowly up, catching it on her upper lip, his mouth painting a hint of wetness on the bow of it. He groans, white hot electricity shooting through him and then southern.
Their lips fit together again, a slow, almost chaste dance. Shuri tentatively parts her lips ever so slightly, tilts her head just a little, and Namor darts just the tip of his tongue across her top lip, earning a whimper from her that he eagerly swallows.
Then, their tongues are teasing each other, slow, shallow licks, until as if by unspoken agreement, they both open wider, tilting in opposite directions to deepen the kiss, lips dragging and brushing wetly together, her hands threading through his hair, and his fingers glide underneath the string thong bikini, exploring her smooth, warm skin.
Their tongues make deep, slow sweeps into one another's mouths, tangling together eagerly. They part briefly, panting against one another's lips, eyes opening only enough to look at each other in awe. A bead of sweat trails down Shuri’s neck, and Namor traces it with his tongue. Shuri throws her head back with a whimper, and Namor growls against her throat before sucking at her pulse.
“Oh, Bast,” she breathes out heavily, nails lightly clawing at his muscular back. “Oh…”
She feels too amazing against him. If he does not stop now, he is going to fuck her on this shoreline.
But she is a woman worthy of courting first.
So he pulls away suddenly, his chest heaving, staring into her dilated pupils and knowing he has the same disheveled, hot and bothered appearance.
“I must see you again,” he breathes out, and she holds her hands against her heart.
“The café across the street sometime in the morning would be wonderful.”
Namor nods, his dark eyes searching her deeply, wondering if somehow, someway, he has found the one. Never has a kiss done this to him before. Shuri notices him staring too long in silence and whispers,
“What?”
“I apologize. Just thinking about how gorgeous you’ll be in the sunshine when you look this perfect in the moonlight.”
“Shut up!”
Shuri kicks her legs wildly and screams along with Dorma as the two of them lie on the king-sized bed together. There’s so much space, but they choose to be shoulder to shoulder, gushing about the prince and the driver.
“On my mama, that’s what he said! I’m so perfect in the moonlight that I must be more gorgeous in the sunshine!”
“Oh, Shuri. He’s smitten by you, the dear. So sexy, too.” Dorma’s head falls onto the pillow as she sighs dreamily. “Prince Attuma is everything I’ve ever wanted. If I can work my magic this week, I’ll be on a flight to his country by the summer and his spoiled, rich princess wife by the time senior year is supposed to start.”
“Did you ever find out what country that is, by the way?”
“No, the tease. I’ll get it out of him soon.” Dorma turns her body and so does Shuri, the two of them now facing one another. “The two of you only kissed tonight, right?”
“Right.”
“Good. Don’t give it up too quickly. Men love a chase. The sex is better after you drive them crazy, too.”
Shuri blinks. Namor soaked her bikini bottoms tonight with that kiss. She fears she won’t be able to hold back much longer if it happens again.
“How long should the wait be?”
“Hmmm…” Dorma taps her chin, then shows Shuri her teeth. “Maybe until tomorrow.”
The girls laugh hysterically, then end the perfect first day of their vacation snuggled up together.