Broken Princess: Ruthless Rulers Book 3

by Hart, Stella

  I ripped the rest of Willow’s dress off and squeezed her tits, admiring the little golden piercings in her nipples. “I can’t believe you still have these.”

  She lifted her brows. “Of course I do. I love them.” She looked into my eyes as she slowly slid one hand down the front of her panties. “I love this one more, though,” she said, rolling her fingertips over her clit piercing.

  “Take those off. Right the fuck now,” I growled, giving her another slap on the ass.

  She lay down and rolled onto her back before lifting her hips so she could pull off the panties. I stared at her nakedness with a hungry, heavy-lidded gaze and reached down to part her folds, pressing my thumb against her clit. She let out a soft mewl in response.

  I kept devouring her body with my eyes as my thumb rubbed her in little circles. The wetter she was, the better it would be. Her cheeks flushed as I sped up my movements, and she bit her bottom lip to muffle a moan when I moved my free hand to her breasts and twirled her nipples between my fingers.

  I slid one finger inside her, and she gasped and arched up slightly, lust flaring in her gaze. “More. Please….”

  I didn’t give her what she wanted. Instead I slowly removed my finger, leaving her empty and gasping desperately. “Logan, please!”

  “Turn over,” I commanded.

  She did as I said, arching her back so her ass was high in the air. I moved behind her and ran one hand over her taut cheeks, admiring the handprint-shaped bruises I left there two days ago upon her insistence. She’d always loved it rough.

  I lined my cock up at her entrance and pushed inside her, making her whimper as her tight walls stretched around me.

  “Fuck, you feel amazing,” I grunted as I began to thrust, hard and fast.

  The sounds spilling from my lips turned primal and raw as I drove into her in choppy strokes, urgent and animalistic, and my face contorted with the pleasure and effort. I wanted to fuck her for as long as possible, but at the same time I wanted to come instantly whenever I was inside her. She’d always had that effect on me. She just felt so fucking good. So warm, so wet.

  She turned her head over her shoulder to look at me as I fucked her. There was something mesmerizing about the fire in her eyes, and I stared right into them with a clenched jaw, pumping even harder. “Come, princess.”

  Her body was shaking now, and her eyes were starting to glaze over. She let out a breathy moan as her pussy began to contract around me, gripping me in pulsing waves of pleasure. She was utterly soaked, saturating me with her desire, leaving me open to slam into her with the most intense thrusts yet. “Fuck… yes!” she hissed through her teeth as she fell apart at the seams. “Keep going. Please… oh, fuck…”

  “Come again,” I gritted out, leaning down so my face was only inches from hers.

  She turned her head back to the front and buried her face in the pillow to smother her screams as her pussy clenched around me again and again. I was conscious of a raw, guttural sound leaving my mouth too, but I barely heard it. All I could think about was the blazing pleasure of release as I came deep inside her, gripping her hips tightly enough to leave marks all over her soft skin.

  I collapsed on my back a moment later, drained and satisfied. My heart was swollen with the love I possessed for Willow, almost ready to explode.

  “I know we need to get dressed for Rowan and Chloe’s wedding, but I really want to stay in bed with you,” I said with a grin, reaching out to stroke her hair. “Is that terrible?”

  Her eyes crinkled around the sides. “No. I know exactly how that feels. During yesterday’s Order meeting, all I could think about was sliding onto your lap and grinding all over you.”

  “As much as I’d love that, you probably shouldn’t try it,” I said, letting out a low chuckle. “They might change their minds about letting us lead the society.”

  She raised her brows. “Or maybe they’d like us even more for giving them all a free show.”

  My grin widened. “Good point.”

  It wasn’t easy for us to take control of the Order six years ago, considering the gravity of leading six hundred of the country’s most influential people, but Willow and I made it work in the end.

  We had a large advisory council to help us, and we’d done away with a lot of the old bullshit in order to streamline things. We kept some of the cabalistic rituals for the new recruits, though, along with the parties and the annual Bacchanalia on Fire Island. We figured the members deserved a bit of fun and excitement every so often in return for their hard work.

  I reached over and kissed Willow, squeezing her breasts with one hand. She giggled and broke away from my lips. “Stop. We really need to get dressed.”

  “Five more minutes,” I said, sliding my hand down to her stomach.

  She shook her head, sat up, and gathered the sheets around her waist. “You know you’ll end up wanting more than that, and then we’ll actually miss the wedding.”

  “True. But you can’t blame me for wanting you all the time. Not when you make me so fucking happy.”

  “How about I make you happy in another way?” she said, arching an eyebrow. “Do you think that might be enough to keep you at bay for a few hours?”

  I pretended to think about it. “Hmm… a way to make me happy that doesn’t involve me fucking your brains out. Does that even exist?” I joked.

  She nodded, eyes glimmering with a devious light. “Uh-huh,” she said, grabbing my left hand and moving it to her breasts again.

  “I thought you said it doesn’t involve me fucking you,” I growled, pinching and rolling her nipples between my fingers. I was starting to get hard again.

  “It doesn’t. Not right now, anyway.”

  I frowned. “I’m confused.”

  She put one of her hands over mine on her chest. “Remember how I said I’ve always loved these piercings?” she said.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, as much as I love them, I might have to take them out.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t think you can breastfeed very well with bars through your nipples,” she replied.

  My eyes widened. “You’re….”

  She cut me off with a tinkling laugh. “I’m not pregnant, no. But I know how much you’ve always wanted to have kids with me, and I think I’m finally ready.”

  “You want to start trying?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Let’s have a baby. Or three. Fill up that nursery,” she said, jerking a thumb toward the other side of the room.

  A grin broke out on my face, so wide that my jaw started to ache within seconds. “Yes,” I said, wrapping my arms around her in a bear-hug. “Fucking yes.”

  “I knew you’d be happy with that,” she said. Her voice came out in a squeak from how tightly I was squeezing her.

  “I’d be even happier if we could start right now,” I replied, hands roaming over her curves again.

  She laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

  I pulled back and winked. “Like I said before, you can’t blame me. It’s your fault for being so fucking irresistible.”

  “Well, I suppose we could always sneak into a broom closet during the reception later,” she said, quirking an eyebrow.

  “I’ll hold you to that. Maybe I’ll even manage to put a baby in you tonight.” I leaned down and captured her mouth in a fierce kiss, joy blooming in my chest.

  I loved Willow with all my heart, and I couldn’t wait to love the mother she would become. Couldn’t wait to hold our child in my arms and do everything within my power to give him or her the happiest childhood I could.

  When I was a child myself, I thought power and happiness stemmed from vast amounts of wealth and the ability to make others fear me and do whatever I wanted. I believed in that idea because everything was always served up to me on a golden platter, which didn’t happen for most people, and that made me feel strong, entitled, and powerful. Like royalty amongst peasants.

  Now I knew better.

 
Money, influence, and control would never make me powerful or happy. Not in the right way. It only ever led to temporary contentment, and it made me feel hollow and alone at the end of the day.

  What I should’ve been searching for all along was love. Real, earth-shattering, all-consuming love. When I finally found it with Willow, it made me come alive, giving me the strength, courage, motivation and vision I needed to create a better future for us.

  That was true power, and no amount of money could ever buy it.

  I broke the kiss and moved my mouth close to Willow’s ear. “I love you, princess,” I murmured reverentially.

  “I love you too.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly before adding two more whispered words. “My prince.”

  THE END

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  ‘There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.’

  Mark Twain

  Chapter 1 - Tatum

  December 2nd, 2017

  Eight months, fourteen days, nineteen hours, and twenty-two minutes.

  That was precisely how long it had been since The Incident, as I had quietly come to refer to the events of March this year. Not that I was supposed to refer to it as anything at all—I had been instructed by everyone I knew to move on and forget it as much as possible.

  Unfortunately, The Incident had occurred in a place not too dissimilar to the enormous stone Georgian mansion I was currently standing outside with my best friend Katie, and I wasn’t sure if I could go in without choking.

  I felt fine at Katie’s house earlier when we were getting ready, but as we drove into Greenwich twenty minutes ago, a pit formed in my stomach, and the foreboding feeling only grew stronger as we drew closer to our destination.

  Each house in this area seemed larger than the last, like every extra wing and terrace was added to reflect the owners’ swollen egos. They were all set far back from the road, surrounded by wide swathes of white snow which covered what was undoubtedly perfectly-manicured green grass in the spring and summer. Even the richest people on the planet couldn’t control the winter, as much as they might like to.

  The closer we got to the place we’d been invited to tonight, the more my throat seemed to close up. Now that we were actually here, it took every ounce of willpower I had to make myself breathe.

  “Tatum? You okay?” Katie took her black and silver Venetian mask off and looked back at me, a pucker between her thick brows. Her camel wrap coat hung open loosely, displaying the black satin dress beneath. It clung to her curves in gorgeous lines and her glossy auburn hair hung in artfully-tousled waves, making her look every inch the dazzling socialite she was pretending to be tonight. She truly looked like she belonged here amongst all the glitz and glamor.

  Me? Not so much. No matter how much primping I did, I would always feel out of place around people and houses like this. It was a feeling deep in my bones, a creeping sentient vine that wound its way through every inch of my mind, constantly letting me know one thing and one thing only: You don’t belong.

  I avoided Katie’s inquisitive gaze for as long as I could and stared at the mansion before us, forcing myself to take a deep breath. It was nearly dark outside now, the sun dipping far below the horizon, but all the lights were on, glittering in the gloom and letting every detail stand out.

  Thick ivy had crept up the stone walls of the place over the years, lending it a mysterious, old-world air despite the fact it was only built around a decade ago when dot-com billionaire Chuck Van der Veer bought the expansive spot of land and bulldozed whatever used to be here. I knew all about it because of my dad, who owned a struggling land surveying business here in Connecticut. This particular property had practically been the only thing he talked about for months when I was about eight or nine, as a business rival of his had managed to snatch the Van der Veer contract from under him at the last minute.

  Because of my father’s line of work, I also had a vague idea of how much this sort of real estate cost. Boasting three stories with wide balconies and ornately carved stone details everywhere—along with a prime location on Connecticut’s Gold Coast—I would be genuinely shocked if this house was built for under forty million.

  It was the sort of place where members of America’s elite could thrive on their power and success, living and playing well away from the general rabble of society. Just like in medieval times in Europe, when royalty sequestered themselves from the unwashed masses in their enormous palaces. Anything could happen beyond those seemingly impenetrable walls; all sorts of astonishing, mysterious things, well beyond the wildest dreams of common folk.

  “Tatum?” Katie repeated. There was a brief flash of concern in her eyes.

  “Sorry,” I muttered. “This house just reminds me a bit of… you know….” I let my sentence trail off, and understanding finally dawned on my friend’s sweet face.

  She sighed and touched her hand to my right arm, gently patting me. “The counselor you spoke with said not to think about that party anymore, remember? You have no reason to feel guilty.”

  Didn’t I?

  I swallowed thickly, nervously.

  “….and that’s all it does to you when you think about it,” Katie went on. “You’ve gotta put it out of your mind and put yourself back into the world. It’ll help.”

  I looked down at my cheap black pumps and wrapped my thick wool coat tighter around myself. Dread and uncertainty were still gnawing at my insides, but deep down, I knew Katie was right. It was a good idea to put myself out and about in the world again, especially as we’d been so kindly invited to this gala despite our decidedly non-elite status in society.

  Katie’s mother had worked for the Van der Veers for years, and during that time, Katie had struck up a friendship with their daughter, a pretty blonde named Willa. Despite coming from astounding wealth and therefore given every opportunity to be a vicious elitist snob, Willa was fairly down to earth and a genuinely nice person. She’d always invited Katie to her parties, and occasionally, other one-percenter’s parties as well. By proxy, that meant I was invited to quite a few of them as well, but I hadn’t been to one in a long time.

  Eight months, fifteen days, nineteen hours, and twenty-three minutes.

  Katie held up a hand. “We can leave. Honestly, if that’s what you—”

  Guilt sliced right through me as she spoke, and I cut her off abruptly. “No, you’re right. It’ll be good for me. Let’s go in.” I forced a brave smile. I couldn’t ruin her night. She’d been looking forward to this party for weeks.

  She beamed. “Awesome!” She hooked her arm in mine and led me toward the enormous front doors. Loud music spilled out into the night as two other guests entered a moment before us.

  My heart beat even faster as we finally stepped inside. The interior of the mansion practically screamed ‘money’. We were in a two story entry hall with a soaring ceiling, intricate crown moldings, and marble mosaic-tiled floors leading to a grand double staircase with curved banisters.

  The walls were lined with priceless artwork, and I had a feeling that I might be indebted to the Van der Veers for life if I so much as accidentally bumped into something. There was no way I could afford even the smallest thing in this house… and yet, somehow, the last time I stepped into a party at a mansion just like this one, I’d well and truly paid for it anyway.

  “Katie! You came!” Willa’s smooth voice sounded fro
m our right. We turned to smile at her as she headed toward us, champagne glass in her left hand. She waved at a dark-haired woman in a maid’s uniform, gesturing for her to take our coats.

  She was wearing a clingy cobalt blue dress with a sweetheart neckline, and a matching mask dangled from her right wrist. She looked gorgeous, as always, and her tastefully-applied makeup, sparkling diamond jewelry, and statuesque body made her look a lot older than her true age of eighteen. She looked more like a twenty-five year old supermodel, not a high school student. As lovely as she was, I’d always been intimidated by her flawlessness and sophisticated nature.

  Her perfectly-arched brows rose slightly as she looked at me. “Tatum, wow... I wasn’t sure you’d come. But I’m so glad you did. It’s been so long!” She leaned down and hugged me, her cloying perfume lingering in the air around us. “Will you be okay?” she added softly.

  I smiled tightly as she drew back. “I hope so.”

  She waved her hand in the general direction of a room beyond the stairs, through a double door with a carved wooden arch above it. The loud music from earlier seemed to be coming from there. “Don’t worry, seriously. Everyone is on your side, and besides, it’s all old news by now. There’s a new scandal every five minutes in this world.”

  Katie poked me. “See? I told you.”

  “Thanks, Willa,” I said, my smile more relaxed now. Katie was right earlier; this party could be good for me, even though I was so nervous right now.

  Willa slipped her mask off her wrist and put it back on. “What do you think?” she asked, flicking her free hand outward in a ‘ta-da!’ motion.

  “It looks amazing,” Katie gushed, putting her own mask back on. I did the same with mine: a black domino mask with lacy details. It made my forehead a bit itchy, but it felt like the right thing to do. After all, it was meant to be a masquerade party. I also liked the idea of being fairly anonymous with the mask on. It was a good way to mingle and get used to being at social events again without feeling as if I’d been dropped directly in the deep end.