“I don’t know if I can be gentle right now, Grace. Tell me to fuck off if you don’t want this. Tell me to get the fuck out of here and I’ll go.”
I fought his grip to face him and gasped when I saw his teeth looked sharper. His eyes glowed a fluorescent violet. “Don’t go. Stay with me. Even if we only have a couple stolen hours, I’ll take it.”
His hands gripped my ass and lifted me off of my feet. I locked my arms around his neck and held on while he spun us around and backed me against the side of the van. He was so tall, he couldn’t stand to his full height and his cock was proportional to the rest of his size—huge—and it pressed against my core, his hips rocking at just the right angle to send delicious shivers through my body.
Pinned there, I tried to calm my fluttering heart. I was so turned on that I felt almost dizzy from the force of the desire pulsing through me. When Kon let go of my ass and grabbed both sides of my shirt, I wasn’t expecting him to rip it off of me. I gaped at him, my shirt hanging in tatters around me.
He growled at the sight of my bra and reached for it, his finger extending into a claw to cleanly slice it in two. As my bare breasts tumbled out, he made a noise, a combination growl and purr and dove in, licking and nibbling my breasts. He sucked my sensitive flesh into his mouth and rolled my nipples in his tongue until my hips bucked against his.
I pulled at his hair, unable to stand much more of his attention, unless he was going to take me soon. “More, Kon. More.”
He spun us around, lowering me onto my little tabletop. The old thing rocked dangerously, the few dishes I’d had on it toppled off and crashed to the floor, but Kon didn’t notice. He pulled my shorts off and then buried his face between my thighs, kissing me through the cotton of my panties. I was ready to scream at him by the time he leaned up and pulled them down my legs, shooting me a dirty grin as he slipped them into his pocket.
He devoured me. I came hard almost instantly, calling out for him. My nails scored his shoulders, but he didn’t stop. Two more orgasms slammed through me before he pulled back and stared down at me with a scorching gaze.
“More?”
I tried to squeeze my thighs together, but he wouldn’t let me. “No more. Too much.”
He dropped his pants revealing his beautiful, and enormous, erection which he stroked while watching me. “Do you want me, Grace?”
I shouldn’t have been able to speak after three earth-shaking orgasms, and honestly it was an effort to get my mind and vocal chords to coordinate. Biting my lip, I nodded and breathed out, “Please.”
His growl was louder and rougher than I’d heard before, his eyes glowing brightly. “I like hearing you beg for me.”
I held his gaze as I spread my legs wider and cupped my breasts, taking my own pleasure. “I need you in me, Konstantin. Please.”
He planted his hands on the table on either side of my hips and lowered his mouth to mine. I raised up to meet him and kissed him with everything I had, needing to show him how much I wanted him. He slowly thrust into me, inch by inch, until he was fully in me and swearing viciously against my mouth.
“Fuck, Grace. You’re squeezing me so perfectly.” He watched my expressions as he pulled out and then thrust back in. “F-f-fuck.”
I’d never felt more perfectly filled. I could feel him in me so deeply that I knew I would never enjoy sex again, unless it was with him. When he thrust harder and faster, I threw my head back and cried out for him, his name like a swear on my lips.
“Come for me, Grace.” He bent and flicked my nipple with his tongue as his powerful thrusts continued. There was no way I could hold off another orgasm if I’d tried.
I screamed his name and shattered into a million pieces as pleasure washed over me like a tsunami. Almost painful in its power, all I could do was hold on to him as I was torn apart and put back together completely new and differently.
Kon followed me, growling my name and sinking his teeth into the flesh of my breast as he thrust into me once more and then stilled as his seed filled me. Another orgasm slammed through me, the bite transporting me to a place of white hot sensations that clouded my vision and threatened to drown me in a sea of pleasure. Growling through his orgasm, he slammed his hand down on the table. The old wood couldn’t handle the added pressure.
The table collapsed under us, sending us both sprawling on the floor. Kon somehow managed to roll us so that he landed under me.
I was too raw, too shocked to laugh. Kon seemed to be in the same place. His body vibrated under me as his growl continued, a long and continuous sound that I wasn’t even sure he knew he was emitting.
My heart hammered away in my chest, but the dizziness began to subside. I felt grounded so firmly to the man under me, that I knew there would never be anyone else. Terrified and unsure of what came next, I didn’t protest when Kon slowly unfolded the bench sofa, converting it into a bed, and scooped me up, placing me on it and crawling in behind me, his huge body curled around mine.
I was floating on a cloud and I knew it would vanish in a poof and I’d come crashing down to earth, but damn if I didn’t want to spend every last second I could with him.
18
Konstantin
I didn’t want to leave Grace’s side, but Serge started shouting in my head about Valentina insulting Hannah and that he didn’t care how high and mighty I thought I was, I needed to get my royal ass over there and straighten her out. And here I was worried he might treat me differently after finding out my royal status.
Grace was passed out and hadn’t stirred. Curled up against me, her arm was stretched across my chest, her small hand over my heart. Her body was slightly bruised and marked from me. Maybe I’d been too rough with her. She didn’t have shifter healing. I rolled away from her and pulled myself to my feet. I didn’t want to wake her. She looked so beautiful.
I leaned down to pull the blanket back over her bare shoulders and paused. I’d left a nasty mark on her perfect breast and I felt immediately guilty. It was deeper than the rest. Just looking at made me want to crawl back into bed next to her and never leave. That mark… I shook my head. No, I would’ve had to bite her on her neck to truly place a claiming mark on her. Still, I felt…different.
I found my clothes where I’d finally kicked them off before crawling into bed and stepped into them before heading out. I wanted to get back to Grace as soon as I could. I didn’t care that it wasn’t the best idea or that my brain was taking a backseat to my heart. All I knew was that when you felt as deeply about a person as I felt about Grace, especially if you knew you’d soon have to leave and never see them again, you wanted to spend every second you could with them.
I walked briskly back to the P.O.L.A.R. house, hoping to clear up whatever storm Valentina was stirring up so I could hurry back.
Valentina was in the kitchen, chin out, nose in the air, haughtily facing off with most of the gang when I came in. Serge was snarling at her, holding Hannah to his side. Hannah looked like she contemplating throwing the tea kettle at Valentina. All heads turned to me and it struck me that there was no way they weren’t going to smell Grace all over me. Not that I was ashamed of Grace, merely protective. I didn’t know how she’d feel about the others knowing.
Alexei, Roman, and Maxim were all seated at the table, without their mates. They gave me pointedly blank looks and went back to eating. Serge scowled at me and held his mate closer.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Valentina screeched and flew at me, her nails coming dangerously close to my eyes before I caught her hands and held her away from me. “You stink of that human bitch!”
I roared so loud the house shook and I think I heard Valentina’s teeth rattle. It certainly shut her up, but not for long enough.
Serge stepped forward. “She has to go. Royalty or not, I’ve reached my limit. She’s worn out her welcome in this house.”
“I was already on my way out, you ass, before your clumsy human spilled her drink on my luggage!” Pulling
her wrists free of me, Valentina hissed at Hannah. “You’ll pay for that.”
My anger at being called away from my time with Grace to deal with Valentina’s spoiled rotten behavior got the better of me. “Get out!”
Everyone went still. Serge froze, his mouth open like he’d been about to say something. Hannah hid a grin behind her hand and ducked behind Serge’s back.
“Get the fuck out. You do not get to come into this house and treat these people as though they’re beneath you. You may have a title that makes you think you fart unicorns out your butt, but I’ve got news for you: I. Outrank. You.”
If looks could kill, Valentina would have incinerated me into a pile of ashes on the floor. She huffed and shoved past me on her way to the door. “I will be at a hotel. Fuck your little human while you can, Your Highness, but you had better be on that flight back home with me—or you’ll be sorry.”
The door slammed and everyone picked up what they’d been doing, avoiding eye contact with me and acting like nothing happened. Except Hannah. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes. I had the feeling she wanted to say something, but I was in no mood. I just shook my head and took the stairs, three at a time, up to my room. I needed to be alone for a few minutes.
It was impossible to have a productive thought when all I kept thinking about was how I couldn’t give up Grace. Just being this far from her was making me cringe. My bear wasn’t the only one who wanted to go back, curl up in her too-small bed with her, and never leave her side. I could easily and happily spend the rest of my life like that—with her arm draped possessively over my chest and me continuing to count the freckles on her shoulders.
I looked around for my phone. My spontaneous, gut reaction was to end this insanity and call my father—appeal to him, make demands or just flat out refuse to return. I’d tell him that my mind was made up. I was staying in Sunkissed Key with Grace, my true mate.
Fuck.
Breaking off the engagement, not following through with my duties to the crown would bring severe repercussions to Serge and the others in P.O.L.A.R. We’re a team, Serge had told me in response to finding out who I really was. Double Fuck. I had no choice. I couldn’t Benedict Arnold the guys.
That anger clawed at me dug into my throat until it was hard to breathe.
I slammed my fist into the wall and when that wasn’t enough, I did it over and over again, until the wall was nothing but dust and pieces of sheetrock flung all around my room.
19
Grace
Kon crawling into bed next to me woke me up. I shifted, reaching for him, while also peeking out the front window, trying to gage what time it was. The sun was still out. I’d been sleeping in the middle of the day. I grinned big. Kon had worn me out.
He kissed my temple gently and tucked my hair out of my face. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”
I stretched and groaned when my body protested. I ached everywhere. “I needed to wake up. I should be doing stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Playing mother hen and clucking over my brother.” I sat up and looked down at Kon. He was fully dressed and freshly showered. “Did you leave?”
He nodded. “You’re worried P.O.L.A.R. isn’t enough to keep Gray safe, aren’t you? Not without you on guard duty.” He was grinning, teasing.
I pursed my lips. “Shut up. I have other stuff to do, too. I should be working. I’m behind and I’m never going to meet my next deadline.”
“What do you do?”
“Strange to hear that question after sleeping with a man.” I gasped when I suddenly found myself under a growling Kon, his glowing eyes intense.
“I don’t want to talk about any other men.”
I scowled up at him. “One of us is engaged. It’s not me.”
With a loud groan, he flopped back on the bed and ran his hands over his face. “Tell me what you do.”
“Tell me why you’re engaged to Valentina and still here with me.”
“Grace…”
“I’m a graphic designer.” I shrugged. “I work remotely.”
He studied me. “What types of things do you design?”
“Mostly book covers, e-book and print.” I nodded to the stack of books on the small shelf on the other side of the camper. “Were you promised to her when you left?”
“Not because I wanted to be.”
“Why can’t you get out of it?” I blushed and tried to backtrack. “I mean… If you don’t want to mate her, don’t.”
“It’s not that simple. There will be severe consequences, not just to me, to people who deserve my loyalty.”
“So, you’re just going to go through with it?”
He looked away and I knew the answer wasn’t one that he liked, either.
Groaning, I got out of bed and searched for my clothes. “This sucks. It’s so unfair. You shouldn’t have to take a mate that you don’t love. You shouldn’t be forced... She’s… No, I’m not going to talk poorly about her. Not when I’m the one sleeping with her almost husband—mate, whatever.”
“You’re not doing anything wrong.”
I finally found a t-shirt and pulled it on. “Pretty sure Valentina wouldn’t feel the same way.”
“Grace.”
I stopped looking for shorts and met Kon’s serious gaze. “This thing between you and me…it’s more than a normal relationship. It’s a melding of souls. You aren’t doing anything wrong.”
Butterflies took flight in my stomach. As corny as it sounded, I knew exactly what he was saying. I felt it too. “When does your official mating take place?”
“I’ll have to leave in a week.”
“You’re sure you can’t get out of it?”
He shook his head.
I blew out a rough breath and squared my shoulders. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
I swallowed past the urge to cry. “I have a week with you. I don’t want to throw that away. Maybe I’m wrong for doing this. I’m not proud of being the other woman, but given the circumstances, I just want to…”
Kon sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes intense as he stared at me. “Walking away will probably kill me.”
I turned away to hide the tears in my eyes. “I don’t want to talk about that. I can’t. If I think about how much that will hurt, I’ll want to run, protect myself. But, if I don’t squeeze out every drop of happiness from whatever time I have left with you, I will regret it forever.”
His arms wrapped around me and he held me. “No thinking about that, then. I need this week with you. I need you.”
“Then, take me.”
That time with Konstantin was softer, gentler. We finished together and he spent the rest of the day talking to me about my work while he stroked my hair. Even when I felt him tangling it, I didn’t stop him.
When darkness settled over the camper and Kon fell asleep next to me, soft snores filling the space, I buried my face in my pillow and cried. I was overcome with emotion, most that I didn’t even understand. How I could feel more for a man I’d barely known than I’d ever felt for anyone else in my life was hard to comprehend. It scared me. In the night, my bold declaration that I was willing to take the week with him instead of missing out seemed nuts. He was going to destroy me.
My heart already ached, knowing the expiration date on whatever we were doing was so soon. I somehow knew that there would never be anyone else. I would spend the rest of my life mourning him. He would spend the rest of his life mated to Valentina.
I wasn’t sure which of us would have it worse.
Then, thoughts of him with Valentina invaded my mind. Would they grow to love each other over time? Have little cubs? Damn, that was probably one of his royal duties. They would share all kinds of firsts. I wanted to peel my face off to distract myself. Anything would be better than that tangent of thought.
I must’ve tossed and turned one time too many times for Kon. He reached over, grabbed me, and hauled me against him. With him arms lockin
g me to him tightly, my panic started to ease. When his soft snores filtered through my hair, I finally fell asleep.
20
Grace
Heidi was behind the bar at Mimi’s the next night when I plopped my ass on a stool. I’d spent the day with Gray while Kon and the guys were working and then, just after he’d gotten to Freebird to see me, he and Alexei got called back out to work a small job near Miami and he’d had to leave. I’d barely gotten to say hello before he was gone again. The worst part was, I could smell Valentina’s strong cabbage-and-cat-urine scented perfume all over him.
He could barely stand to be in the same room as her. So, whatever happened–whether she tried to hug him or leaned against him, or just sprayed the air near him—I knew nothing intimate had gone on between them. I also knew that that perfume was intentional. Valentina was marking her territory, as was her right. Which served to remind me of the awful predicament I was in.
When Heidi texted telling me to stop by Mimi’s Cabana where she worked, a Polynesian themed bar with tiki masks, palm trees and coconuts, I jumped at the chance to hang out with one of my new girlfriends. Heidi and booze sounded like a great plan.
None of the other women knew exactly what was happening with Kon. If Heidi’s questioning looks were any sign, they knew that Kon and Valentia’s mating was still a go. On one hand, I wanted to be calm and rational and explain that sometimes we had to do things we didn’t want to do in life, make sacrifices for the greater good of our country, and Kon was a man of honor and integrity. On the other hand, I wanted to cry in my beer until I was so shit-faced I no longer had emotions.
The bar was busy, but there was another bartender, a thick Samoan woman with a coconut bra, on duty and Heidi happily took a break when I got there. She leaned over the bar to talk to me, ignoring the patrons who tried to get her attention.
“You look upset.”
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