“Do what?”
“Put your fingers inside me.”
“Because you’re wet, Your Highness?”
“Oh my…God!” She screamed when I put my fingers inside her and used my thumb on her clit. She was so fucking sensitive, this woman. It was the ultimate turn on. It was everything I knew she’d be. But fuck, the reality was so much hotter. She let her head fall back, leaving her neck exposed. I licked her there while my fingers worked her. She was close. I knew she was. She panted my name.
“Ben. I’m going to…” she said. “I really want you to fuck me. Please. We’re both clean.”
It was a hard no, me fucking anyone without a condom. I trusted her. I believed her when she said that she was on the pill and clean, but I couldn’t do it. No matter how much I wanted to. I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t. She was gasping for air, begging for my cock as she found release. I waited for her to come down from the orgasm before stepping away fully and looking at her. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I kissed the tip of her nose.
“I’ll be back later. With condoms,” I promised.
“I can’t wait.” She smiled. A real one. A shy expression.
The best kind in the world.
With that, I turned and left. I walked to my villa, phone in one hand, dirty clothes in the other when I looked up and spotted David with his arms crossed.
“You fucked her, didn’t you?”
“I used her shower is all.”
“What’s wrong with yours?” He followed behind me as I walked into the villa, tossing the dirty clothes by the laundry room as I passed.
“I’m not sure. Haven’t used it today.”
“You wanker. I told you not to fuck her. I told you not to—”
“I know what you said.” I put up a hand. “Pilar is a grown woman. She makes her own choices, and she happened to approach me about this.”
“Did she? So you have an arrangement now? You signed a non-disclosure agreement with the Crown?”
“No.” I frowned. “They don’t make you sign an NDA.”
“This is a mistake, Ben.”
“So you’ve said.” I took off the robe and started to get dressed for my interview. “I’m telling you, it’s fine.”
“Okay. If this blows up in your face, I’m not going to help do damage control.”
“Yes, you are.” I winked at him. “I pay you too much for you not to do damage control.”
“Wanker.” He walked out of the room, shaking his head. A second later, he called out, “Ring your mother. She’s been calling.”
I sighed heavily. I loved my mom to pieces, but she was the last person I wanted to call after having mind-blowing oral sex, and David knew that. Asshole.
Chapter Ten
Pilar
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, but it was the best sex—albeit oral and with hands—of my entire life,” I said.
“And it was with Benjamin Drake.” My sister-in-law Adeline was quieter than usual, and I couldn’t tell if it was because she was in front of people, jealous, or shocked. She was married to my brother, newly married at that, and completely in love, so I put a strike through jealous immediately.
“You’re too quiet,” I said finally.
“I’m trying to process this,” she said. “I thought you told me you’d only had sex with one guy. And this wasn’t even full-on sex.”
“That’s hardly the point.”
“It’s just…Ben has a reputation. Not that I have to tell you that, but it’s something to keep in mind.”
“I know.”
“He’s not exactly a relationship kind of guy. And I mean, what do we really know about him? Aside from him being hot and an amazing football player?”
“Not much.” I bit my lip, wishing the concern in her voice wasn’t turning into worry in my head. “My mother does background checks on everyone who goes to Sunday dinner. She has dossiers and stuff, but only you guys have access to that.”
“You want me to break into the files and see what I can find on him?” Addie asked, sounding as if it were the last thing in the world she wanted to do.
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ll have to give me a few days,” she said after a long pause. “Eli is really stressed right now, and I don’t want him mad at me over this.”
“I don’t want Eli involved at all. But I guess if you must tell him, it’s fine. I don’t want you fighting over me.”
“In that case, I’ll get back to you by tomorrow.” I could hear the smile in her voice, and it made me smile.
“Thank you, Addie. You’re the best of the best.”
“Hey, the way I see it, if this all works out, there’s a chance Benjamin Drake may be my future brother-in-law. I consider this a win for all.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You said it yourself, he doesn’t seem like the relationship type.” I laughed weakly. “Besides, I can’t be the girl who gets attached to the first rebound she has mind-blowing almost-sex with.”
“I don’t think sex and love work that way,” Adeline said softly. “Love you. Have fun, and I’ll get back to you with any important information I find on him.”
“Thanks again, Addie.”
“Talk to you soon.”
I tossed the phone onto my bed and lay back with a heavy sigh. Joslyn would definitely find dirt on Ben fast if I asked her to, but she was so busy right now. I wasn’t sure I wanted to bring it up to her until later. Besides, she wasn’t here, which meant I didn’t have to tell her every single thing that was happening in my life right now. I grabbed my bag and decided to head to the market. Maybe I’d get a few items for tonight. Like wine and cheese and stuff that I probably already had in the kitchen but wanted to buy again anyway because I was bored and needed a distraction.
I was always flanked by security. It was something I never really even thought about until I was out in public, and my guards garnered attention. When people stopped and stared or snapped pictures on their phones as we walked by, that was when I remembered that my security was there to do just that—secure and protect. It had never come to that. Not with me anyway. People saw me, snapped their photos. When I was in France, they occasionally shouted something nice to make me smile. When I was out of the country, people rarely knew who I was right off the bat. Most of them had to use the photo they took to later investigate. I had never been interested in celebrity status. Like everything else, it came with the territory. And like most things, I’d give a lot to live life without it for a day.
“Are you planning on grabbing lunch while we’re here?” The question came from Amir, my right-hand guard. I smiled.
“You only ask me that when you’re hungry.”
“I’m always hungry.” His lips moved just a touch, enough for me to know he was smiling without breaking his scary bodyguard persona.
“Let’s stop then. I assume you already looked up all of the restaurants in the area and know their ratings.” It was something Amir did that we all poked fun of him for. God forbid we eat a meal somewhere rated under four stars.
“There’s an Indian restaurant up ahead that’s good.” He nodded toward a building in the corner. “We could eat Spanish food if you prefer, but that’s all you’ve been eating since we got here, and I’m a little tired of it.”
“Indian is fine.” I smiled.
We headed in that direction. As we reached the door, a woman came up to us. I smiled, my usual friendly expression in place as she approached. It faltered when I saw the anger in her eyes. I stopped to fully assess her. Amir took up a stance that made it clear I was not to be touched. The woman, who was probably only a little older than I was, looked at him for a second before training her eyes on me.
“You should walk away from Ben before you get hurt.”
“Wh…what?” I felt myself frown momentarily until it occurred to me that she was probably a fan and had seen photos of him and me together. I offered her another small smile. “Oh
. He’s just a friend.”
“Ben doesn’t keep women friends.”
“We’re going to have to ask you to step away from the princess.” Amir lifted an arm across my chest.
“It’s okay, Amir.” I looked back at the woman.
“Just be warned. You’ll never be the most important woman in his life. I should know. I was there before you, and I’ll be there after you.” This time, she smiled at me. “I’m the only one he travels with. Which means, I’m always there for him. Waiting. And even I’m not enough for him. Just remember that the next time he leaves your villa.”
She gave a little wave, and the phone in her hand lit up long enough for me to see that her lock screen was set on a picture of her and Ben. I watched as she walked away, my heart in my throat, wondering if the things she’d said were real. It wasn’t as if I knew all of the women Ben had dated, but I’d stalked him on social media and followed the gossip columns he’d been featured in long enough to recognize most of the women he’d been out with. If she was one of them, I’d remember.
She was beautiful, in a 1960s Italian actress way, with full hips, plump lips and big, brown eyes that glimmered when she smiled. I couldn’t help picturing her with Ben. They matched the way couples who have been together for decades did. I imagined his dark complexion against hers, fantasized what their kids would look like if they had any—adorable little curly-haired, plump-lipped babies. I shook the thought away and made myself stop obsessing about it. I hated that my brain conjured images in the blink of an eye. Still, now I couldn’t un-see any of it, and I wasn’t sure what to think about what had happened between Ben and me. Had he done those things to me and then gone to her to finish the deed? The thought made me feel inadequate.
“Do you want us to follow her?” Amir asked.
“No.” I swallowed and turned back to the door. “We don’t follow people anymore.”
There was no use mentioning that I already had Adeline looking into Ben’s file. Those were matters best left within the family, and even though I cared about Amir as if he were part of my family, at the end of the day, this was a job for him. I didn’t want more drama for my brother, not when he was doing everything in his power to start a clean reign, where people trusted him to make decisions that were best for them. I sat down with Amir at a table by the window, wishing that Joss were here for me to talk this through with. She was a woman and had more experience than I did with matters like these. Instead, I was stuck with my bodyguard, who, despite his fitness regimen and style, could be my father.
“I have a question,” I said after the longest silence ever.
“About the woman?”
“No.” I shot him a look. “I already told you to leave that alone.”
“What’s your question?” He ripped off a piece of paratha and dipped it into the chickpeas, scooping it up swiftly. He watched me as he chewed. I tried to think of a way to ask my question that didn’t seem lame, but Amir knew me, so it really wouldn’t matter.
“Let’s say you really like a person who’s famous—” I started.
“Like you.” He waved another piece of paratha at me.
“No. Not like me. I mean really famous.”
“You’re pretty famous.”
“No, I’m not. My brothers are. I’m just the princess who lives in their shadows.”
“That’s not true.” He frowned. His thick, dark eyebrows made him look menacing to others when he did this, but it always made me smile because Amir was the biggest sweetheart. “What’s your question?”
“My question.” I took a deep breath. “So, let’s say you really like a professional athlete, a really famous one, and he or she finally asked you out—”
“She,” he said.
“For the love of God, Amir, stop getting tripped up on the details.”
“Okay.” He chuckled. “Continue.”
“So, she or he asks you out, and you have the best time. Then, you see each other again, and have an even better time. Only this person just so happens to be friends with your brothers—”
“Let’s pause there,” Amir said. “I feel like this is an important detail since your brothers will likely kill him when they find out.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing they’re not going to find out. And it’s another good thing they don’t have a reason to kill him.” I flashed my please-shut-up-now smile at him, and he continued eating. “So, you really like this person, but you’re fully aware that you don’t know much about them. Do you continue seeing them and start asking real questions to get to know them, or do you just enjoy your time and have fun and take it for what it is?”
“What is it?”
“What is what?”
“You said take it for what it is. What is it?”
“Oh.” I frowned. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should find out before you decide whether or not to ask more questions or lay off.”
“I guess.”
“Benjamin Drake seems like a good guy, despite all of the tabloid rumors about him being a playboy.”
“Oh my God, Amir. This is all hypothetical!”
“Sure. Maybe it can be hypothetical with someone who’s not with you twenty-four-seven.” He smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
I groaned and shook my head. Amir had been sworn to secrecy, but so had all of the other guards and house workers, and they loved to gossip more than the rags. I could already hear the whispers, and they hadn’t even started. Part of me was amused by it. The other part wished I could call a house meeting and get all of their takes on the matter. Because I honestly had no idea what I was doing. Men were kind of a mystery to me, but Ben Drake was completely uncharted waters.
Chapter Eleven
Pilar
I looked at the tabloid headline again.
“Princess Pilar Following in Brothers’ Footsteps.”
It was accompanied by a photograph of me in my bikini and barely there coverup on my balcony. It must have been taken right after Ben had left because it was clear as day that I’d just gotten screwed. Literally and figuratively, apparently.
“I thought paparazzi weren’t allowed on this part of the island.” I looked up at Amir.
“Which means, it wasn’t a paparazzo who took this.”
“This is so embarrassing.” I covered my face. “What will Eli say?”
“I spoke to him. He doesn’t want you to worry.”
“I look…” I dropped my hand from my face and peered at the grainy photograph of myself. At least it was grainy. Still, you could make out my expression. “I look like a porn star.”
Amir flinched. “Please don’t say that.”
“I’m just saying what everyone else is probably thinking.” I set the magazine down with a sigh. “I know Aramis won’t yell at me for this because that would be hypocritical, but Eli? I don’t even want to face him.”
“I already told you, I spoke to him. He doesn’t seem upset. He wants you to have fun, you know?”
“Having fun is one thing, but at what cost to the Crown?”
“You having fun or doing things like this is perfectly normal, Pilar. You’re twenty-four not eighty-five. And quite frankly, you’ve never stepped out of line. This hardly constitutes something you should be ashamed of. It’s not like you’re spitting in babies’ faces.”
I felt myself laugh. “Well, you’re the most by-the-book person I know, so I guess if you’re not judging me, I should calm down.”
“Exactly.”
“I just don’t understand. Who would take this photo and sell it?”
“Who knows.” He shrugged. “We’re going to make sure it doesn’t happen again though.”
Amir walked away like a man on a mission, and I was sure he’d make good on that promise. My mind went back to the woman I’d met outside of the Indian restaurant. Could it have been her? I shook my head. No. I doubted it. People who took photographs like these and sold them were usually in t
he gossip mill industry. I decided to let it go. It was the only thing I could do right now. I stood, tossed the tabloid into the trash, and went to my room to call Joss. She was my personal secretary and in charge of keeping gossip at a minimum. If anyone would know what to do right now, it was her.
* * * *
I stared at the vase of red carnations.
“These were sent to me?” I asked for the second time.
Nobody had sent me flowers before. I hadn’t even read the note yet, but I knew who they were from. I just couldn’t process how I felt about it.
“Yes, Miss Pilar,” said Sylvia, our cleaning lady. I’d told the staff not to address me formally, but they couldn’t seem to stop doing it, so I accepted the Miss. Sylvia cleared her throat. “Red carnations mean longing. Did you know that?”
“I didn’t.” My heart pounded as I walked up to the vase and picked up the envelope, opening it and taking out the little card.
We didn’t exchange phone numbers. Can we see each other again? Tonight? – Ben
He’d included his number on the bottom of the card. I felt myself smile as I read it over and bit my lip as I took out my phone to type in his number. I didn’t mean to call, but I pressed the button instead of saving the digits. He answered quickly, sounding a little out of breath. My breath caught at the sound of his pants. I instantly thought about the woman I’d met on the street and wished that wasn’t my first thought when it came to his heavy breathing.
“Pilar?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“You got the flowers.” I could hear the smile in his voice.
“I did. I guess the note answers the first question that came to mind when I saw them.”
“What question was that?”
“I don’t know. I just… I guess I didn’t expect flowers.” I bit my lip. “But you didn’t really have my number to text me.”
“Text you?” he said. “You think I sent flowers in lieu of a text because I didn’t have your number?”
“Well, didn’t you?”
“No, Pilar.” He was quiet for a second. “Boys send texts. Men send flowers.”
The Naughty Princess: A Sexy Royals Novella Page 5