by Vivian Wood
Man, I am starting to have this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Do I have feelings for Nika?
Surely that can't be the case… Right?
But the fact that I’m standing out here, all angsty and brooding, indicates that I do have something to be worried about.
I grind my teeth and take another step into the shallow water that swirls then washes around my feet. I raise my head to the sky and bring my arms out, yelling wordlessly. It's the only way that I can express all the things that I am feeling.
My phone begins to buzz in my pocket. I'm irritated as I pull it out because I have almost everyone on silent. The only person that my phone would even notify me for is Stellan…
I swallow as I realize that that is exactly who is calling. Gritting my teeth, I answer the video call.
"Hello?"
Stellan’s face appears, his dark eyebrows drawn down quite severely. It looks like he's at the palace, though with the low lighting behind him it's hard to be sure. He tilts his head to the side and looks at me quite seriously.
"Hey. I was just calling to check in on you and Nika. I'm wondering if we need to start talking about some kind of alcohol treatment program. Maybe somewhere far away on the beach?"
I sigh. "She's just young. That’s all it is. I don't think that we have anything to worry about in the alcoholism department."
He pins me with his deep blue gaze. "Did something set her off? Because we can't have a reckless princess out there, running around and representing the royal family so poorly. It’s just not something that is going to work."
My neck feels hot all the sudden. I squint off into the distance and try to think of how to explain it without telling Stellan that I definitely banged his sister. I feel a little queasy having to lie to him.
Maybe I should just tell him the truth and get off this babysitting duty. Of course, it would most likely have way more ramifications than that.
How do you tell your best friend that you have developed feelings for his little sister? How do you say that she is acting out because of something that you did?
"Erik. Pay attention."
I look at him, his white button up rumpled, his shirt sleeves rolled up. "Sorry. I just think that Annika needs some time out of the spotlight. From what she's been telling me, it sounds like every time she has to interact with the press, something goes wrong. So, my solution would be just, don't interact with the press."
Stellan looks tired, rubbing his face and sighing. "That isn't a permanent solution. That's temporary at best."
I nod absolutely. "Yeah, I know. It just isn't fair. If she were anyone else on earth, I would tell her to just walk away from the royal family. She would be happier if she did. But I know that that's not an option in real life."
"Nope. It’s not.” He pauses, screwing up his face. “You really don't think that she needs to be in rehab?"
My lips lift a little at the corners. "No, I don't think so. I just think we're going to have to find a way to distract her. Maybe there's some kind of retirement from public life or something…” I pause, though occurring to me. “You know who would know?"
He perks a brow. "Momse?”
"That's the one. She has knowledge of what the royal family has done in the past. I mean, there has to have been someone somewhere that opted out of the spotlight."
A thoughtful look appears on Stellan's handsome face. He runs a hand through his short, dark hair and exhales. "I'm sure that Momse does have some opinions about Annika. But honestly, I don't even want to give my grandmother that kind of power. I just finished setting some boundaries with her over the whole Margot debacle. I hate to take steps backward at this point."
I scrunched up my face. "Very true. Right now, it is a bit of a strange time for Momse. She is going through something, not being allowed to pull all the strings anymore. It's got to be an adjustment for her."
The corners of Stellan's lips quirk a little. "I'm sure. But I think that my parents let her run the kingdom of Denmark, essentially. And the fact that I'm taking control back is a rather prickly subject for her. I might be her favorite grandchild but I'm still her competition, in a sense. She’s held the strings too tightly for too long."
I bite my lip. Somehow, we've drifted onto Stellan's favorite topic again. He loves to think about how the power dynamics are shifting in Denmark with his succession to the throne. But that's not why he called.
Did he just forget about Nika entirely? I press my lips together and sigh. He gives me a sharp look. "Am I boring you, Erik?"
I roll my eyes and give him a light smile. "Not at all. I was just wondering how we ventured on to this topic. I remember you calling about your little sister. That's all."
I hear a woman in the background, asking Stellan a question. He looks away from the phone. When he looks back, his expression seems distracted. "I have to go. Margot needs my attention. Are you guys going to be okay out there for now?"
I nod. The sun is all but set and I start walking back toward the house. "Yeah. We're fine. As long as I keep Annika away from the press, I think she will be content."
I hear Margot’s voice again, clearly calling for Stellan. He rolls his eyes and says goodbye. “I have to go. If you need to get a hold of me, you can always call my new secretary. I’ll talk to you later."
I think about how I should answer that. But Stellan has already hung up the phone. A blinking red icon on my screen indicates that the line has been disconnected.
I glare at the screen and shake my head, shoving my phone in my pocket. I’m not even mad or that surprised at his behavior. That's what you get when your best friend is the King of Denmark, apparently.
As I walked back to the house, that little quip about how I should get in touch with him through his new secretary rings in my head. I think he was joking… But in all seriousness, if I'm going to leave the service entirely, this could be my future. I could be facing a lifetime of missed calls whenever I try to actually talk to Stellan.
That fact has not escaped my worried thoughts. All the way back to the house, I walk over the sandy beach and feel the weight of that knowledge in the pit of my stomach. It is heavy and bitter, and it leaves me feeling more uncertain than usual.
I walk up to the house, heading through the French doors that I left open. To my surprise, I find Nika right where I left her. Although she has a bowl of cereal in front of her now. I glance at her and she takes a bite of her cereal, shrugging a shoulder. Through a mouthful of cereal, she apologizes, which takes me back.
"You were right," she says. She chews the bite of cereal and then swallows. "I shouldn't have said that I hate you. That was unfair. I'm sorry."
Exhaling loudly, I meander into the kitchen, stopping when I am opposite where she sits on the counter. Leaning back against the counter behind me, I fold my arms across my chest and look at her somberly. "Thanks for that."
She wrinkles her nose and pushes her bowl away, stretching her arms over her head. I can't help the fact that her movement draws my eye down to her breasts. They look particularly amazing under that loose white button-up shirt she is wearing. If I stare hard enough, I'm pretty sure that I can even make out her nipples. I lick my lips and yank my gaze back up to her face.
I find her giving me a flat stare. "Do I need to go put on real clothes? Because that kind of staring is not allowed. If we are just friends or I am just a babysitting assignment for you, that's fine. But don't stare at me like I am the juiciest steak and you haven't eaten in a year. It's not fair."
I feel my neck get hot. Tucking my head, I shrug a shoulder. "I'm trying. But we both know that the other is attractive. There's no denying that. It's just a matter of doing what is right as opposed to what I might want at this moment."
She pushes her cheek out with her tongue and looks annoyed. Nika stands up, grabbing her cereal bowl and stalking to the sink that is right behind me. I slide over a little to make room, looking down as she puts her bowl in the sink. When she's done, s
he looks up at me, her pale eyes narrowing.
"I don't understand how you think that the two of us can just coexist like this." She pulls her arms over her chest, framing and emphasizing her breasts. That isn't helping anything at all as far as I'm concerned.
I shouldn't lean closer. I shouldn't use my intimidating height as a weapon. I shouldn't play with fire by using the electric current that runs between us like this.
And yet, I do exactly that. I step closer to her until we are toe to toe, gazing down at her with a stormy expression.
“We only have to stay in the same place and stare at each other for three more weeks. Then it will be Stellan's wedding. And then you and I can quit this little babysitting routine. As far as I'm concerned, I'm only accountable for you until then. After that, you can do whatever you like."
Nika's head falls back and she looks up at me defiantly. "Oh yes. I haven't forgotten that you accepted the bribe that my grandmother offered."
I smile at her evenly, showing all my teeth. "If you weren't such a problem child, she wouldn't have offered anything at all. So, I guess I can thank you for my title-to-be. Without you, I would be a commoner for the rest of my life. Luckily, you’re such a pain in the ass that no one wants to deal with it…"
She laughs coolly. "Gold digger."
She just tosses that accusation out like it’s nothing. Like her words don’t mean anything at all. It makes me angry. But the curl of her lip also turns me the fuck on.
I lean in very close to her, so that there are only a few inches between our lips. "Troublemaker."
"Opportunist."
One corner of my mouth hitches up in a smile. "Spoiled little rich girl."
Her nostrils flare and her eyes widen. I can smell her excitement perfuming the air. "How dare you.”
I can't seem to stop myself from kissing those gorgeous, pouty, mouthy lips. I pull her against my body and stop her talking with my mouth, making a soft noise at the taste of her as it bursts across my tongue.
God, I can never get enough of her.
Her hands clutch my shirt, balling into fists and then relaxing just for a second. Then she suddenly shoves me away, taking a shaky step back and drawing in a breath.
Her eyes shine with lust, but she looks so distraught and angry. "Erik, we know where this leads. And I for one have had enough rejection in the last few days. So, if you don't mind, fuck off and leave me alone."
With that she spins on her heel and heads toward the staircase, trotting up towards her bedroom. And I just stand here, feeling the heat from her body and her mouth, knowing that she is right but wishing that she was dead wrong.
22
Erik
It’s been a week since I took Annika from Copenhagen to hide out from the press. A very long week full of heated glances and angsty looks. The only bright side is that I completely forgot about the trip to Santorini until literally hours before we were supposed to leave.
It’s Lars’s birthday and I dropped a ton of money almost a year ago to get just the right spot to celebrate.
And the private plane ride to the Greek Isles is as awkward as can be. Silent. Angry. Full of her annoyed sighs.
But now… we’re here. And we’re not alone. Lars, Finn, Kalindi, and Pippa now stand between me and Nika, thankfully letting some of the tension out of the situation.
“Oh…” Lars says as he climbs the ramp and steps onto the gleaming white deck of the palatial estate I’ve rented in the Greek isles for the weekend.
Our mansion is made of perfectly sun-bleached white stone and topped with a brilliant copper dome. Heat snakes up from the perfect sapphire and cerulean water as it glistens all around us. A servant appears, taking our small party’s bags into the house.
“Man, this is seriously swanky,” Lars says, looking out at the small village of sun-bleached white buildings and rounded copper roofs.
He looks back at me, his grin bright. “You organized this for my birthday?”
I can’t scowl, which is the only thing I feel like doing. So I keep my expression neutral. “I did.”
I planned this almost a year ago, back when I was still Stellan’s private secretary. Back before I realized that dragging a very uncomfortable Annika on this overnight trip would be so… tense.
To put it mildly.
I slide my gaze over to Annika now. She catches my gaze and whirls away, her cheeks turning a dusky rose color.
The color looks good on her. But it’s also been her only reaction to me for days and I’m really starting to wonder just how far over the line I took things the other day.
I could’ve easily taken it so much further… just thinking about it makes my body harden.
Pippa tosses her red hair, looking stately. “Annika, Kalindi, do you want to go sun ourselves on the front deck?” She points to where she means, but Annika already has an answer.
“Yes!” Annika says. She glances at me, flushing prettily, and then hurries away.
Kalindi casts a dour look at me and follows her friend. Pippa looks around at Lars, Finn, and I. She shrugs and then moves off after them.
Oblivious to the tension simmering between Annika and me, Lars claps me on the back and points to the house. “I think I see a bar set up just inside the window there. Let’s go check it out.”
He takes off. Finn follows, always the darkest, quietest one of the Løve siblings. I don’t think of Finn very often or really ask him to things. I’m not even sure who invited to this trip, but I’m glad he’s here. One more person between me and Annika can’t hurt anything.
Then again, you could put a whole country between us, and somehow things would still be stifling. With a sigh on my lips, I start heading after them.
The second we step into what appears to be a rather extravagant library, a servant hurries to pour us each a glass of bourbon.
“Thank you,” I murmur. The servant bows his head. I turn to Lars, toasting. “To Lars, the reason for this little getaway.”
Finn merely cocks his dark head and raises his glass. “Hear, hear.”
We all sip what I am sure is remarkably fine bourbon, wandering back out onto the broad terrace. I look down at the private dock, which is only probably a hundred feet down from where I’m standing.
It’s beautiful outside today with azure waves and little white peaks as far as the eye can see. There isn’t a cloud in the sky either.
If I wanted to be here, it would be perfect weather for sailing. I look at the all-white power boats bobbing at their docks, calling to me.
Lars looks at the boats too, turning toward me. “We’re going to race those, right?”
I wiggle my eyebrows. “I was only waiting for you to suggest it.”
Finn chuckles and Lars grins, sipping his whiskey.
I love boat racing. Actually, I love any kind of adrenaline-pumping, action-packed sport. The idea of taking one of those boats out and pushing it full throttle excites me beyond reason.
Finn finishes his tumbler of bourbon first. “I’m ready. I should get the girls, ja?”
Lars laughs. “Definitely at least offer to take one of them in the boat with me. I don’t know if any of you have seen Pippa or Kalindi in a bikini, but the idea of having one of them clinging to my arm while I win the race— “
I snort. “Dream on, Lars. You’ll still have to race against me… and I don’t usually lose.”
Lars rolls his eyes. “Get ready to eat your words, Erik.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “We’ll see about that. I do like a challenge.”
We head down to the docks, Finn lagging behind to get the girls on board. Each of the boats already has the keys in the ignition. I’m standing behind the steering wheel and gunning the engine when I realize that Annika is standing on the dock, glaring at me. She looks particularly fierce just now, with her long wavy hair falling to her waist and her very skimpy black bikini. She wears a white sarong around her waist, but almost every other inch of sun-kissed skin is on full display
.
A shudder runs down my spine just looking at her. I raise my brows, turning to check on the other guys. Both of them are helping a girl onto their boat… leaving me with their little sister.
“Shit,” I mutter. Looking back to Annika, I step to the side and offer her a hand up. “Come on.”
Her mouth twists a little, but she accepts my help, her warm palms slipping beneath mine. She weighs virtually nothing as I help her aboard; when she makes the jump onto the deck, I steady her with a hand on her waist.
There is a split second where I hold her, staring down into those guileless eyes.
For just a second, I see something in her eyes… some kind of carnal interest that makes my hands tighten on her waist.
But then in the next second she brushes off my touch and tosses her hair. “Can I drive?”
My eyes narrow on her as she turns and walks over to the steering wheel. She walks right up to the wheel and turns around, a pout already on her lips.
“I don’t think so,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Hey!” Lars calls. “Are you guys ready? The last boat to reach… twenty miles? The loser makes drinks tonight, ja?”
I jog a few paces until I stand right behind Annika. “Ja!”
Annika turns around, pinning me with her fiery gaze. Her full lips smirk. “Don’t just say no. I need you to teach me how, Erik.”
My heart stutters. My mind goes blank, short-circuiting. I can tell that she’s teasing me. She definitely intended to get exactly this reaction from me.
As soon as I regain some amount of control over myself, I scowl. The other boats pull out, so there really isn’t time to argue.
Stepping up to the helm, I just shake my head. “Fine. You steer, okay?”
Annika shoots me the most mischievous look ever over her shoulder. Putting the boat into gear, I move my hand under her arm to the throttle, which is to the left side of the steering wheel.
As the boat shoots forward out of its slip, Annika’s lithe body pushes back against mine. I’m already hard for her and I grind against her ass. She freezes up for a second and her muscles lock up… but after a second she relaxes, leaning her head back against my chest. She grins as we take off and gives an excited whoop.