She stared out the window into the dark night. Flashes of light covered her face as we passed by light poles. Hurt was written all over her face, but I didn’t have time to soothe ruffled feathers. The future of the country lay firmly on my shoulders, and if she wasn’t ready to be queen, I needed to find someone who was. My mind was made up; Scarlett needed to be the next queen. I didn’t really care if she thought someone else was better fitted for the position, but in the same sense, I didn’t want to make her give up her youth for me—for a kingdom that she wasn’t sure she wanted to rule. I was surprised when the car pulled up to Brixton Falls and not a seedy night club, like I’d expected. Apparently, Scarlett wasn’t running away—or, not running the way I thought she would—this time, at least. I’d just assumed we’d pull in somewhere she could score.
I didn’t like being wrong.
As soon as the car stopped, I flung open the door and walked towards the side entrance of the castle. I needed to get away from all these stupid emotions; of being wrong and how I felt about Scarlett. None of this was going the way that I planned.
“Wait, Carrick.” She scrambled out of the car after me.
“Not now, Scarlett,” I said without looking back, as I stormed into the house.
She ran in front of me and placed her hands on my chest, attempting to stop me. “Damn it, I want answers, and you owe me some. What was that thing with your ex-wife tonight?”
I ignored her and continued walking into the foyer.
“Son of a bitch. I’m not marrying someone that’s going to constantly be pushing me away to talk to their ex. Why are we rushing this?” she demanded. “Royal marriages take time; they don’t just happen overnight. Is it because of her?”
I sighed in exasperation and turned back around.
“It’s a long story, but yes and no.”
“Apparently, we have time now, since you decided to follow me home,” she said, throwing her hands up in the air, frustrated. “Start talking, my Lord.”
I ran a hand down my face and tried to decide where to start. “In Warington, a King must have a queen when they take the throne. You obviously know I’m divorced.”
She nodded and put her hands on her hips. “And she’s such a fucking peach, too. I can’t imagine why.”
I fought back my smile. I really shouldn’t encourage her.
“Don’t get me started on Jade. I don’t want to focus on her right now.” I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before I continued. “If my uncle was to die before I married you, Jade would be queen because, in the eyes of the church, she’s still my wife. My uncle found a loophole, but in order for it to work, we need to be married. It’s a very convoluted and outdated system, but I know that I don’t want that woman as queen of anything. She was trying to talk me into waiting to marry you because it was too soon. I told her to go fuck herself.” Scarlett stared at me with wide eyes. “You might hate me now for taking away your freedom, but it’s necessary for my country.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You don’t own me. You might have paid for me, but you sure as hell don’t own me.”
I sighed. “I never said I owned you, and I don’t want to. But you will be the queen of this kingdom and you will start acting like it.”
“What if I don’t want to marry you?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, mirroring her stance. “It doesn’t matter, does it? You know you don’t get a choice, and I’m better than someone else you might end up with. Your father won’t allow you to go back to Carleigh. So, you can quit with the disappearing act and acting out because this is happening, whether you like it or not, Princess.”
She glared at me, but she knew I was right. Her father had accepted the dowry and she was completely screwed. The worst part was, he basically let me pick her up in my own timing instead of telling her himself—an incredibly cowardly thing to do.
“What happened to ‘if you don’t want to marry me, you don’t have to’?”
I shrugged. “I lied.”
She poked her finger into my chest. “I’m only going to be your wife in name. Last night was a one-time thing.”
I fought back a grin. “You do realize I’ve fucked you twice now, right? That first night might be a little foggy, but it happened. And it was amazing. You can fight it all you want, but you know you’ll be begging me to fuck you, again and again, Scarlett.”
She watched as I walked towards the stairs, her mouth open in shock. Her eyes burned into my back, but I couldn’t tell if it was because she was pissed off or turned on. I guess I’d find out soon enough when she came up to bed.
Scarlett stared at me from the doorway as I took my tux off, piece by piece. It had taken her a full ten minutes to come upstairs. During that time, most of my anger had fizzled away, since I wasn’t one to hold grudges. I wanted to offer her help unzipping her dress, but with the frosty reception she gave me when she walked into the bedroom, it was probably a bad idea. Her eyes burned as she gazed at my bare chest, and it was enough of a reaction for me to know she was just as affected by whatever was happening between us as I was, but she definitely had the “fuck off” vibe going too. If she wasn’t attracted to me, then I might be worried, but to know her feelings were mutual made me feel a little better about the fact she was pissed.
“Are you even going to talk to me?” I asked as I unbuttoned my pants.
She narrowed her eyes and turned back to the mirror as she tugged off her jewelry. I guess that was my answer.
Everything in her demeanor let me know exactly how upset she was, but it didn’t stop my eyes from following her every movement. I wanted to give her time to cool down, even though it wasn’t in my nature to be patient for anything. We continued getting ready for bed in silence. She huffed in frustration as she tried unsuccessfully to unzip her dress by herself. I wanted to give her the space she wanted, but I hated watching her struggle. When I walked up behind her, she stiffened.
“Let me help,” I murmured softly.
She pulled her hair away from her shoulder and I kissed her there softly before tugging the zipper down slowly. My fingers itched to run over the smooth creamy pale skin of her back as each inch was exposed, but I knew that would just make her even angrier.
“Thank you,” she mumbled.
Scarlett was careful to keep herself covered as she went to the closet to change into her short satin nightgown. There was a whole closet full of clothes that I’d bought before I picked her up from the club, and I was thankful that I’d had the foresight to buy the items for her since we hadn’t been able to pick up her belongings yet. I pulled back the covers and sat down on what we’d deemed my side of the bed last night. My cock throbbed at the sight of her bare legs as she scurried across the room. Scarlett was fucking gorgeous. I must have groaned because she turned her stony gaze in my direction.
“It’s not happening tonight, or ever again. You stay on your side, Lord Carrick.”
I flipped off the light and grinned. The girl had spunk.
“Scarlett, I’ve enjoyed the past two evenings, but I’m done chasing you. If you want to resume any of those activities, you’ll have to be the one to make a move.”
“Hell will freeze over first.”
I laughed at that one. “Whatever you say, Princess.”
She huffed into the dark. “You’re a dick, you know that?”
“So I’ve been told,” I said dryly. “Good night, Scarlett. Try not to get too frustrated over there. I’ll be dreaming of fucking you blind over here. If I go jack off in the middle of the night, know that I’m thinking of you.”
“Son of a bitch.” She threw the covers off her and turned on the lamp. “What the hell? Are you going to do this until I give in?”
“Maybe,” I said, smirking. “Is it bothering you?”
She glared at me over her shoulder. “I’m going to sleep in Ava’s room.”
I sat up. Oh hell no.
“No.”
“What do y
ou mean, no? You can’t just tell me no.”
“You aren’t leaving our bedroom.”
If looks could kill, I would probably be on the floor. “We aren’t married yet. I don’t have to stay in here. You also said I’m a not a prisoner, so I’ll sleep wherever I damn well please.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Lay down, Scarlett. If you get out of this bed, I’m going to spank your ass, but this time, I won’t be fucking you afterwards.”
She gave me defiant stare, but finally turned off the lamp and settled down next to me. She grabbed a pillow from the floor and stuffed it between us, causing me to grin into the dark room.
“Stay on your side. If you touch me, I’m going to scream bloody murder.”
“Yes, Princess.”
Chapter 5
Scarlett
I’d been avoiding Carrick all day. Luckily, he stayed in his office for most of the morning and let me explore the castle without interfering. It wasn’t that I wanted to be mad at Carrick; I just didn’t know how to take everything he’d said last night. He’d offered me an out. Realistically, I knew it wouldn’t happen because he’d paid the dowry, and it would be a huge issue if I backed out. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to back out. All I knew was, if this was going to be my home, I wanted to be comfortable here, and that meant having free rein over the property.
The twisting winding hallways were gorgeously decorated and there were several things that I wanted to ask Carrick about because I wasn’t sure about the history of Warington. As I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, the smell of fresh baked bread and cinnamon hit my senses. The smell reminded me of when I was little, and I would make the gooey rolls with my mom.
I looked around the beautiful, bright kitchen full of white marble and updated appliances. This was the type of kitchen where I would love to spend my time. My fingers brushed along the cool stone countertops, and I saw the plate of cinnamon rolls I had smelled from the hallway.
“Hello, Princess Scarlett.” A kindly older woman, with salt and pepper hair and laugh lines around her eyes smiled at me as she came out of what I assumed was the pantry. She was wiping her hands on a lemon-yellow dishtowel, and something about the bright color made me miss my mother.
I smiled shyly at her as I fought back the pain of longing. “Hi. I didn’t mean to barge in, but the smell coming from here was absolutely amazing.”
She motioned for me to come closer and held out her hand to shake mine. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Royal Highness. My name is Karen Stewart. I’m the chef for Warington Palace.”
I laughed. “Obviously, I’m not much on formalities, barging into your kitchen like this. Please, just call me Scarlett.”
She smiled and motioned for me to sit down across from her at the large island. “It’s nice to have someone else visit me down here, other than Carrick. He’s been so busy lately that we’ve been taking most of his meals to him.”
“Did he come down often before Henry got sick?” I asked, taking the cup of coffee she offered me.
“Cream and sugar?” I nodded, and she busied herself grabbing the items while she spoke. “Carrick and his cousin David practically grew up in my kitchen. It was a joy seeing those two together. When Prince David died, it was hard on all of us, but Carrick especially. He lost his brother and his best friend, all at once.”
I took a sip of my coffee, savoring the sweet and bitter taste. “I didn’t realize they were so close.”
“I don’t imagine you would since you’re so much younger than them.”
I flushed slightly. She laughed and covered her mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. Carrick has had quite the crush on you for the past few years. I wasn’t as surprised as some when he said you would be the next queen of Warington.”
I looked at her in surprise. “He talked to you about that?”
She smiled. “He talks with me about a lot of things. I’ve been the closest thing he’s had to a mother in almost fifteen years, since his aunt died.” I stirred my coffee slowly, debating if I wanted to ask the question on the tip of my tongue. She raised an eyebrow expectantly. “It’s better to just get it out in the open. Don’t you think, my dear?”
I laughed. “You really are like a mother. My mom used to do the same thing to me before she passed away. It hardly seems like she’s been gone for eight years now.”
She patted my hand gently. “We were very sorry to hear about her passing, but we were thankful that the good Lord saw fit to let you live.”
“Some days I’m not so sure about that,” I muttered.
Karen pursed her lips. “I know you’ve had a rough few years, but it can’t be fun living with that much guilt. Sometimes it’s easier to just accept responsibility for things that we can’t change. Most of the time, the things that we let control us are the things we should’ve let go in the past, though. You can’t control what another driver does when they get behind the wheel, any more than I can control the fact that my husband had a heart attack so young.”
“I’m so sorry.”
She nodded and took a sip of her own coffee. We were quiet for a few minutes. I hadn’t expected to come into the kitchen and get a life lesson, but I could see why Carrick would spend his time down here with the older woman. She was insightful and pleasant. I hadn’t been optimistic in a long time, and honestly, I didn’t know if I remembered how.
“Thank you.”
She stopped wiping down the counter in front of me. “For what, my dear?”
The twinkle in her eye told me that she understood.
“I think I’m really going to like Warington,” I said softly. I slid off the barstool and went to wash my coffee cup out in the sink. “Thank you, Mrs. Stewart.”
As I turned to leave, I paused. “Besides the kitchen, what is your favorite place in the palace?”
“The back gardens. They’re beautiful this time of year. You should go and check them out.”
I smiled at her. “I think I might.”
I found William walking down one of the long hallways leading to Carrick’s office. When I reached him, I placed my hand on his arm to get his attention. He jumped when I said his name, his mind obviously on other things. His gray eyes bore into mine and I felt exposed. William was a very observant man, I hoped that he wouldn’t dig too much into my explanation. I told him that I was leaving the castle and would take my guard, but I didn’t want to bother Carrick.
He nodded and said that he would take care of it. I wanted to press him for more and ask him what my fiancé was up to today, but I didn’t want to push my luck. Plus, I wasn’t so sure I actually wanted to know. William always seemed so quiet and reserved. I didn’t know if it was just his personality, or because he was very cautious of his position in the palace. When I was younger, I remembered seeing him come to events with Carrick, but he’d always had the same reserved air about him. One day, I would figure him out, but it obviously wasn’t going to be today.
I felt his eyes on me as I walked away. It didn’t make me uncomfortable, but I definitely wondered how much he knew about me. If Carrick had been following me before he paid the dowry, I assume he probably knew more about my activities than anyone. Not that I felt like he was judging me. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was almost as if he understood the type of person I was without saying anything. We were kindred spirits, of sorts.
I shook my head to clear the thoughts, and considered asking Ava if she wanted to come with me to explore the town, but I thought this might be a task better suited for me alone. She was a little high-strung to go out; not like I wanted to anyway. When I went out back home, the people knew what to expect from me. I didn’t typically travel with a large entourage and I tried to stick to low-key places. In some ways, I wanted that to stay the same. As the queen of Warington, I understood that couldn’t happen, but for now, I was in the clear. I didn’t want to be labeled as an unattainable person who sat at home on her throne, so maybe if I spent the time
to get to know the people now, they would understand.
It wasn’t that I’d given my future much thought before now. All that I knew was that I didn’t want to be anything like my father. His people weren’t fond of him, they doubted his politics and, whenever possible, they called for the end of the monarchy. I didn’t want that to be the case wherever I went. It honestly didn’t take much to listen to his subjects and maybe pay attention to what the hell they were trying to say.
I dressed in torn jeans, a gray t-shirt, and red converse. On my way out the door, I grabbed a baseball cap to hide my blonde tresses. My outfit was as nondescript as it could be. Roger, my favorite security guard, followed me into the dark pub and sat at one of the back tables, away from where I sat at the bar top. I didn’t plan on drinking to excess, but I wanted to get out of the castle and meet some of Carrick’s people. This was a thriving metropolis and I wanted to hear their opinions on their king and country, and how they would change things if they had the power to.
It wasn’t long before I had a group of four people around me. And, to my surprise, they were talking about how wonderful Carrick was and how excited they were for his reign as king because he’d already changed things for the better. The people loved King Henry, but they were ready for change. He’d been sick for so long that things had grown stagnant in Warington, which was frustrating for everyone. They also mentioned that they were excited for Carrick’s impending marriage and they talked about how it made me more real to them since I was flawed. It took a lot not to give myself away as I sat there listening to their stories. A few times, they brought tears to my eyes as I listened to them describe how they thought I would be as queen.
I sat with those amazing, hard-working people for a few hours, asking questions and listening thoroughly to their answers. There were a few ideas that I wanted to take back to Carrick and bring up when we were on better footing. If he expected me to just be a pretty arm ornament, he was incredibly mistaken. I might annoy the hell out of him, but I would be a voice in his ear for his people.
Taming the Princess Page 4