Princess for a Summer: An Amanda Clarke Novel

by Amanda Clarke

  “Yes.” Relief wiggled into my chest, and Erich kissed the crown of my head before continuing. “At least he told you, instead of just not coming back. When are you going to call his mother?”

  “In a couple of minutes.” Reaching up to cup Erich’s sharp jaw, I pulled his lips to mine in a needy kiss that reignited the desire that’d been stamped out by Tyler’s call. Goosebumps washed my arms and across my chest as he tightened his grip on me, and I shivered only for the fire of need to be replaced with freezing cold when he pulled back. “What?”

  “It’s Friday, and we’ve spent the entire week in your apartment. Why don’t we take a break and go on a date?” My brows shot up in surprise even while Erich’s furrowed in seriousness, and I leaned back as heat billowed into my cheeks. “You can get dressed up nice, and we’ll go have some fun- not the sexy kind of fun- real fun.”

  “Uh- okay. Are you getting dressed up or… like- what are you thinking of doing?” The sudden turn of events shouldn’t have been so surprising; Erich had a point, after all. Aside from the dinner two nights ago, we’d pretty much been holed up in my apartment since last Friday. Take out or reheated take out was the norm, and when we weren’t having sex, we just lounged around.

  But that was boring by now, and Erich’s fingertips slithered up my front to hook under the bridge of my bra.

  “Yeah… I’ll get a ride to Jason’s for some new clothes, and we can go to Carnival Station.” Tugging on my bra to bring me flush against him, Erich grinned as excitement burned my cheeks and hijacked the slow beating of my heart. “We can celebrate.”

  “Celebrate what?” Flexing my toes against the cool tiles that blanketed my kitchen floor, I smiled broadly when Erich shrugged. Childish glee raced through my veins, and he reached around with his free hand to knead my ass. It was as if he couldn’t keep himself off me, and I definitely couldn’t keep myself off him. Knowing this opportunity was coming to an end only made our togetherness more urgent.

  These coming weeks, especially without Tyler, was going to be Hell.

  “We don’t need a reason. Call Tyler’s mother, let her know what’s going on- I’ll call my driver. It’s only 3pm, so no rush. When you’re ready, we’ll go to Jason’s and then to the Carnival.” Leaning back on my heels, I nodded at the loose plan that Erich had created, and he radiated achieve-driven happiness. “Great.”

  “I’m sorry- I didn’t consider that you would mind being here all week or how boring it would get.” Ducking his head to kiss me firmly, Erich unhooked his finger from my bra to cup the back of my head in his warm palm. Squeezing my ass reassuringly, he smiled against my lips as his eyes twinkled brightly, askew from how close we were.

  “It’s not like I don’t want to be here. I just think it’ll be a nice change of pace.” Dragging his hand over my shoulder and down to my abdomen, his grin turned mischievous as want tightened my muscles. “You have more noticeable abs than before. Soon, you’ll give me self-esteem issues.”

  A bark a laughter burst from my throat even as my head whipped down, eyes widening as they trained on my abdomen. Erich wasn’t joking, though, and I giggled as he traced the very feint definition of my sharpening abdominal muscles with his fingertip. Glancing the short distance between us, I reached with greedy fingers of my own to rub his abdomen and chest, and my mouth watered in expectation.

  Inching towards Erich’s unfastened, unzipped jeans, my fingertips tingled, and the sensation shot up my arms when he grabbed my wrists to stop me. Glaring unabashed, I frowned as he shook his head silently, forcefully prying my hands from the waistline of his pants.

  “Date.” The one, insistent word caused my heart to stutter, and I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth at the fierceness in Erich’s gaze. “There is always time for sex. Who know when we can go back out again?”

  His smooth German struck a chord in my chest, and I nodded dully before he released my wrists. With my work- with his desire to see as much as he could- the possibility for a date was low. The availability of a quickie, though… that was much more probable.

  “Fine. I’ll go get ready and call Tyler’s mom.” Faux displeasure leaked into my voice, and Erich slapped my ass gently when I shuffled around him. The impact rattled my spine, but I beat back the dense ball of need that lodge itself in my chest. His gaze followed my ass intently as I swayed my hips on my way through the living room, and I smiled secretly once I was in my room.

  Flipping my phone around in my palm, I searched for Tyler’s mother’s number on my way to the closet. I had no doubt he’d told her before calling me, but we needed to come up with a plan to get his stuff to California. He didn’t own much more than clothes and a few keepsakes from his now deceased grandfather, and it wasn’t as if we needed to rent a truck. A large box through the post would probably be the best option, but Tyler’s mom would know for sure.

  Searching through all of the nice clothes I owned as I listened to Tyler’s mom babble endlessly about how proud she was about her son, I hummed and nodded absently. Flicking through hanger after hanger, I carefully examined each dress or jean-slash-blouse ensemble from under furrowed brows.

  Carnival Station was a mashup between a circus and a carnival, and it was open all year around since it was an indoor thing. Finding something to wear that was easy to move around in, play games in, but also not too laid back was always difficult. Dresses for weddings took up most of my closet, and I pursed my lips together as I studiously stared at a pair of dark-wash jeans and auburn, silk button down.

  Only paying attention to Tyler’s mother just enough to know her plan to ship Tyler’s things via UPS, I hung up as I draped the outfit over my bed. Tossing my phone onto the corner foot of the mattress, I rolled my head and shoulders on my way back to my closet to find the low heels I knew would fit with my outfit.

  I always took care of my appearance, but this seemed more important than usual.

  “The car will be here in 20 minutes, Ame.” And he’s the reason why. Twisting with my 2-inch heels in hand, I licked my lips heavily as Erich leaned on the door frame. His brilliant, gray-blue gaze raked down my form from top to bottom, and he glanced at the outfit sprawling across my made bed before opening his mouth again. “I’m hoping we don’t run into Jason or Kristy at his house…”

  “You really don’t like her at all, do you?” Shaking his head, Erich frowned deeply as I set my shoes on the floor before heading for my dresser. Digging through my underwear drawer, I pursed my lips together as I contemplated that notion. “Why not? She was actually one of the easier brides I’ve dealt with, honestly.”

  “Yes, well… she’s the most pretentious woman I’ve ever met. Jason is too in love with her to realize how badly she treats him. Even though I do not spend a lot of time there right now, I’ve seen it. All of your hard work will have been for nothing in less than five years, I think.” My frown morphed into a grimace at Erich’s prediction, and I plucked a matching set of undergarments out before shuffling to my bed to undress.

  “I couldn’t really care less if they get divorced. I did my job. Besides, there’s always the potential for more business if they do separate and get remarried. So…”

  Chapter Twenty Erich

  My eyelid twitched in irritation as Kristy eyeballed Amelia with disdain, and I bit back the sour words that threatened to roll off my tongue. I knew this would happen, and the newly married woman crossed her arms over her bust to lean back on her well-pedicured, bare heels.

  “You know, I have a dress that would look much better on you than that. Going on a date- you want to look better than your best.” Against my side, Amelia stiffened, and I cast a sidelong glance at her only to find her lips twitching into a smile- of all things. Frowning under furrowed brows, I pursed my lips together and rubbed my tongue against the roof of my mouth as I turned back to Kristy. She tried to look innocent but failed miserably, and I quietly, hotly, wondered if she realized how bad she was at hiding her true expression.

  Whi
ch was ironic considering the fact that she was an actress.

  “I’m fine, but thank you. I don’t think I could fit in anything of yours because your breasts are much smaller than mine.” I nearly choked on my own saliva at Amelia’s rebuttal, and I cough harshly as her fake gratefulness rang in my ears. My heart hammered in my chest at the nasty expression that overtook Kristy’s face, and I sucked in a sharp breath before Amelia continued. “I appreciate the sentiment, though. I honestly am not a fan of these pants- they’re a little tight around my calves but perfectly fine everywhere else.”

  Twisting and reaching to rub her ass, Amelia gave a little huff when the thin fabric of her jeans ruffled and bunched up. All the while, Kristy stared at her with a none-too-subtle glare about her veiled degradation being turned on her.

  “I was actually thinking of wearing a dress, but I wear them all the time for work, so I want to keep them… crisp? They’re pretty expensive, and I make sure to take care of my clothes, so I don’t have to go shopping all that often.” Nodding to herself, Amelia beamed with false sunshine, and I couldn’t help but admire how expertly she kept herself together. Everyone knew the term ‘Bridezilla’, but my appreciation for what she had to deal with grew exponentially. Imagining that Kristy was on the low end of the spectrum, I didn’t dare let my mind travel to that dark place that was the opposite side.

  “I would’ve thought your business would be booming after my wedding.” My desire to get out of the situation was trumped by amusement at the impudent look on Kristy’s face. Squeezing Amelia to my side, I scratched my jaw even as she nodded firmly; no doubt existed in my mind that she was enjoying this as much as I was.

  “It is. I just am careful with my money. You never know when you might need it. I prefer to live below my means so if I have an emergency, I can take care of it- no problem. Plus, people are always going to want to document their happiest day- there’s going to be a time when actors and actresses just fall out of favor with people. Kind of like Adam Sandler, if I had to compare.” I could see Amelia’s shit-eating grin out of the corner of my field of vision, but my eyes stayed firmly glued to my cousin’s new wife. Kristy went red in the face- the color of a healthy, ripe tomato- and stood in stiff dumbness in the moment of silence before Amelia spoke up again. “It was nice to see you again, but we really should get ready to go to the Carnival.”

  Taking my cue to lead Amelia past her adversary and up the staircase, I covered my mouth even as my chest trembled with contained laughter. Only once we were safely in my borrowed room, with the door shut, did my mirth breach my throat. The loud, hearty sound bounced off the walls to mingle with Amelia’s giggling, and I pulled her to my front to wrap my arms around her. Burying my smile in her silky hair, I heaved gasping breaths between bouts of laughter while the scene played behind my shuttered eyelids.

  “You’re amazing, mein schönes Mädchen...“ Rasping slightly from the force of my mirth, I squeezed Amelia tightly before leaning back to cup her flushed cheeks. Her eyes sparkled brightly, a smile fixed firmly on her face, and I couldn’t resist capturing her lips in a quick, hard kiss.

  “I take back what I said before- she’s a bit of a bitch. I can’t believe she said that about my outfit.” Amelia’s smile morphed into a pout, and she stepped out of my embrace to pick at her flowing, pretty shirt. “This is one of my favorite shirts.”

  “Don’t forget that Kristy relies on someone else to make her wardrobe decisions, Ame. I wouldn’t take anything she says seriously.” Inhaling deeply, I raked my fingers through my hair and tore my gaze off Amelia. With my extended stay at her apartment, I hadn’t had a chance to unpack, and most of my clothes were still folded neatly in my suitcase. “I wasn’t expecting you to say what you did. Now, she’s going to hold a grudge for the rest of her life.”

  “So? Once you leave- even before you leave, probably- I’ll never see her again. It’s not going to affect me at all. If she wants to be pissy about something she started, I honestly couldn’t care less.” Humming in acknowledgment at Amelia’s rationalization, I rifled through my available clothes with care. My mind worked, appropriating only minimal attention to what I would wear, as I contemplated her words.

  “You’re not worried she’ll try to slander your business credibility? Kristy could tell her friends and coworkers and others that you’re not an easy person to work with.”

  “I’ll sue her if she does that.” The simple answer surprised me, and I twisted to watch Amelia shrug carelessly. “I have no problem going after anyone that tries to attack my business over something so petty. Actually, I have no problem going after anyone that tries to attack my business over anything.”

  “It must be nice to take so much pride in something. I’m proud of my car, but there’s a point when I can’t do anymore to it. I was thinking of getting another one to restore.” Picking out a random v-neck and pair of jeans, I flipped the top of my suitcase closed as Amelia’s interest roamed my back. “I want to go to a car show before I leave. Maybe find something to bring back with me.”

  “Your uncle would be okay with you doing that?” Pulling off my shirt, I nodded absently at the unbounded curiosity in Amelia’s tone. “He pays for stuff? Or, do you have an allowance or something?”

  “I don’t spend a lot of money- like you, I like to keep it for things I really want or an emergency. My uncle is surprisingly good with the country’s finances. He’s been trying in recent years to get more people into Kastav permanently. One incentive he’s planning is to provide a yearly stipend. Part of it is to grow on the world stage, but also because he wants to start a shipping company instead of relying on the one we buy from the countries we ship to.”

  “Kastav doesn’t have access to the oceans, though, I thought.” Amelia had made a concerted effort to learn about the place I came from, and I smiled at her as I rolled my v-neck down my chest.

  “No, but renting a port from Germany or France would still be cheaper than what we’re doing at the moment.” The conversation whittled down as I changed into my new pair of jeans, and I fastened the button and zipper before continuing. “To answer your question, though- no. My uncle usually pays for stuff because I rarely ask for anything. Living in a castle, pretty much everything I need is provided. My cars are the only thing I spend money on.”

  “He seems like a really complicated person… I kind of want to meet him. Maybe you can get him to hire me if your cousin gets married.” Snorting roughly, I shook my head as Amelia’s little laugh floated into my ears, and she grinned at me from a few feet away. “It might happen. You never know. And if he does get married, maybe you can come back.”

  “Maybe. That would be nice.” For just a moment, I let that thought take over my mind. If my cousin did get married to a woman that’d straighten him out, I’d be free; it’d take some time and lots of work, but there would be a light at the end of this tunnel, no matter how dim. My uncle was getting on in years, and he couldn’t rule for much longer without succumbing to the stress of his particular style.

  Patience was something I happened to have in abundance, though. I could wait it out.

  Shaking my head of the thoughts, I focused on the present as I fished my wallet out of my discarded pants. There was no reason to think so far in the future- decades from now. Right now, I was going on a date with a woman whose beauty, inside and out, was incomparable.

  Chapter Twenty-One Amelia

  “Yeah- yeah, like that.” Smiling broadly as Erich cast me an uncertain glance, I nodded furiously while he adjusted his grip on the little, pellet-shooting rifle against his shoulder. “Go ahead. Shoot it.”

  His nervousness over shooting a gun, even a toy gun, was adorable, and he pursed his lips tightly. The smell of carnival food, heavy and greasy and delicious, masked the immense plume of body odor that clung onto everything. Excited, happy conversation droned at the edges of my scope of comprehension, and I held my breath as Erich inhaled deeply.

  Tensing when he pulled the tr
igger, Erich closed his eyes even as the sharp dink of metal striking metal rang from the inside of the game booth. The operator behind the counter rang a bell, and I bounced in elation as I hit Erich’s arm firmly a few times.

  “You hit it! You hit it!” Carefully cracking open one eye, his entire expression broke out into a prideful grin, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Stiffly setting down the rifle, he clapped his hands together to rub his palms against each other harshly. “See- I told you. It’s not that hard.”

  “I still didn’t expect to hit it…” Glancing over the prizes, Erich spoke as he pointed to a small, blazing red bear. His arm slithered around my waist, and he took the toy from the operator to turn it over in his hand. “Here.”

  Blushing fiercely as he handed me the bear, I gingerly took hold of the soft plush to stroke my thumbs over its tummy and arms. The toy was cute, with a baked in smile and stuck in a sitting position, and my heated cheeks grew hotter when Erich pushed my hair over my shoulder to whisper in my ear.

  “Now we both have one.” Goosebumps washed down my arms and across my chest, and I shivered as memories bombarded my mind’s eye. “I wouldn’t want to leave you with nothing to remind you of me.”

  “I do have a pretty bad memory…” Murmuring softly, my heart fluttered at the small, intimate smile Erich showed me. Even among a suffocating amount of people, it was just us. Holding the toy tightly to my chest, I held my breath as he brushed in intimate kiss just under my ear.

  “What do you say we get some fried dough?” Leading me away from the game booth without waiting for an answer, Erich hugged me to his side with a firm hand. Weaving through the throng of people, we followed the strong scent of carnival food until he leaned down to murmur in my ear. “Why are there no rides? I have only seen games and food.”