I didn’t like that statement. I didn’t like anyone having to depend on me, which was one of the reasons I’d stayed well away from the politics of the royal family. Even though Frederick was gone, I was still virtually safe from making any executive decisions with my father still alive. I thought I was safe anyway until Sophie's declaration. She depended on me. Bloody hell.
“I’m sorry you have to depend on someone like me,” I forced out, looking at her.
Her eyes widened and she reached across the table, grabbing my hand in hers. I ignored the fact that her touch went straight to my cock, my hands desperate to tear across the table just to touch her more.
“See that’s just the thing,” she said. “I believe I’m a hell of a lot safer in your hands than anyone else’s. I know you aren’t oblivious to this stuff, as much as you’d like to convince yourself of that. You are acutely aware that my livelihood depends on you, whereas others wouldn’t even give it a second thought. That puts you ahead of the game, William. I know you care. And that’s probably what’s scaring the shit out of you, isn’t it?”
Thinking, I turned my palm over and gripped her hand in mine, my thumb rubbing the top of her hand idly. She was so soft, smooth. Irresistible. I could feel the slight tremble in her touch and wondered was she feeling the same? Was she as nervous as I was? Was this sexual tension something that we should explore? And yet with a simple touch she was keeping me grounded, if that was even possible with me. I could try anyone’s patience.
The curtain pulled back and Sophie jumped, tearing her hand out from mine. I felt the disconnect immediately; the need to touch her again was overwhelming. I didn’t understand it nor did I try to. Some things were too damn complicated.
The waiter sat plates of piping hot beef Wellington on the table and another pitcher of ale before disappearing again, dropping the curtain to give us our privacy. I stole a look at Sophie, seeing the dull flush on her face as she looked down at the food, eager to avoid eye contact. I’d embarrassed her but I didn’t care, not this time. I wasn’t going to apologise for touching her hand when I knew it’d felt right.
“Dig in,” I said instead, hoping that she’d relax before the evening was out. I would have to patient, yet there was a real possibility that I would go fucking insane with need if I wasn’t careful.
Fourteen
Sophie
I swallowed the anxiety in my throat as I climbed out of the town car, William following right behind me like a gentleman. The remainder of the meal had kept on getting better and better. Will seemed to come out of his shell as the hours dwindled away and the more we talked the more I felt at ease with him. He was so easy to talk to and the time had slipped by without either of us noticing.
Before the night was through, William had taken my hand again, thanked me a second time for persisting with him. But he’d kept a hold a little longer than was needed, then caressed my hand unexpectedly, again. I trembled like I was experiencing an earthquake and hoped to God he didn’t notice.
I was liking spending time with William far too much, and therein lied the rub. My whole job was spending time with him and being around him. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about him, yet I was torn between kissing the man and running far away from him and my feelings.
Inserting a key into the lock, I pushed the door open and turned to face him. “Well, this is me. I guess this is good night. Thank you again for a dinning experience and a day to remember.”
He gave me a grin that I felt transmit a glow all the way to my toes. “No, thank you for joining me.”
“It was my pleasure,” I said honestly, fiddling with the metal S on my keychain, hoping my formal reply would quell the fierce look he had in his eyes.
No such luck.
He took a step closer. I gasped, unable to move. When he reached out to touch my cheek I didn’t stop him even though warning lights were going off in my head. This was bad, very bad, but I didn’t want him to stop. For the first time in a long while, I wanted a man in my life. It just happened to be William, a royal and my employer. The double whammy. The wrong man of epic proportions.
“I really enjoyed myself, but I think I should go inside…”
“I’m glad,” he said, his thumb still caressing my skin, his fingertips skirting around to tenderly stroke the outline of my ear. “I’m dying to kiss you, Sophie.”
His words melted any resistance that was remaining and I gave him a small anxious smile. “What’s stopping you?”
He groaned and leaned down, brushing his lips over mine so tenderly that I thought I was going to disappear, evaporate into a billion particles and float away on the night’s breeze.
When his tongue ran over the seam of my mouth, I shuddered and he swept in, tasting like ale and smelling of a scent that was intoxicatingly him. My hand crept up his shoulder and delved into his hair, pulling him closer when instead I should’ve been pushing him away.
Ensnared by his arms and up against his hard strong body I closed my eyes as something broke inside me; I couldn’t get enough of him. He pulled me against the length of him, his cock pressing into my stomach, and my knees weakened. He wanted me. Could I do this? Could I have sex with Prince William, give him my everything, and forget that it ever happened in the same breath?
When he started to walk us backward into my hallway, I broke the kiss, putting a hand on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart under my fingers.
“We shouldn’t.”
“Why not?” he asked harshly, his arm still around my waist. “Tell me exactly why we shouldn’t. Tell me exactly why you don’t want me to kiss you, to spread your legs and worship your body with my tongue. Go on, Sophie. Tell me.”
I wanted to take it back, I wanted to drag him into my house, my forlorn bedroom, and have what would no doubt be the best night of my entire life with him. But there was too much at stake to be doing anything like that.
“You’re the prince, my boss,” I finally settled on, my voice barely above a whisper.
He dropped his head and chuckled, holding me in place. So I couldn’t run, so I could feel his need.
“Sophie, can’t you just forget who I am for one second? Look beyond the title. I know you want this as much as I do. I can see it in your eyes. Let me show you what you’re missing. I will take you to the moon and have you cum so hard you’ll believe you’re actually there, blinded by the stars.”
As tempting as that sounded, I eased myself out of his embrace, clawing back my resolve. Even though every fibre of my being wanted to jump right back into those strong arms of his and never look back, my sensible side won over. I had to keep my head.
“You don’t know what I want.”
His eyes glittered with need, rejection and frustration and I wanted to tell him differently. I wanted him to kiss me again. To tell me I was being stupid, that I could have my cake and eat it too. I wanted to see and touch those stars…
“So this is how it’s going to be? All business?”
“I’m sorry, it has to be,” I forced out, feeling dejected and lonely. “I can’t do this.”
He finally pushed away from my doorway and walked away without a word, leaving me standing there, watching his retreating back. I had made the right decision. Right?
Five Days Later
“Sophie, darling. I am so glad you rang.”
I’d rested my vibrating phone on the counter as I threw a load of clothes in the washer and set the timer quickly before answering. “Hi Mum, how are you feeling?”
“Right as rain,” she said cheerily. “How are you? Are you coping alright? Nasty business, losing Frederick like that. He was such a dear boy.”
“Yes he was,” I said, twirling a piece of hair around my finger.
“And how are you getting on with Prince William? Good I hope?”
I paused to reflect on the week that had just gone by. The week of never-ending torture. Or at least that’s how it felt. After the dinner with Will, rejecting him, sa
ying no to him, he’d been like a different person at work. Not mean, just cold and cordial. Professional. How I’d originally wanted it to be. But now I wanted nothing more than to take it all back.
He didn’t bring up the kiss and I sure as hell didn’t. I wanted to forget it ever happened. Too embarrassed really. But the more silent and distant he became the more I thought I’d really screwed up.
“Sophie?”
“Oh, it’s going as well as expected.”
“They must be keeping you busy, you sound distracted.”
Understatement of the year, I thought. “Yeah, Mum, super busy. You know what it’s like.”
Saturday was my only day off this week. I had to go in on Sunday again to prepare for a big diplomatic ball that was on the schedule later on that week. Make sure I had up to date and accurate information on those that would be attending, as I would have to prepare William for the meet and greets on Monday. All in good time in case he had trouble remembering all the faces. I also had to find a dress—for some reason I’d received an invite by His Majesty—but when I would have time for that I didn’t know.
William had already dressed me down, no pun intended, about my work clothes, so showing up in something equally disappointing wouldn’t be good. I supposed I could bring out my good old trusty black dress. Yet a self-conscious and very silly thought entered my head; Will had already seen me in it. And a part of me wanted to stand out somehow… even if we weren’t truly on the best of terms right now. Mind, the thought of Prince William decked out in his elegant formal wear was going to almost be too much to bear. Maybe I shouldn’t attend. I’d had to figure out a way to get out of it.
Yes, it was probably for the best. I wasn’t Cinderella.
And pretending otherwise, indulging a stupid fantasy, was unproductive.
My dreams were bad enough; full of images of him and what we would have done had I let him do all the things he said he wanted to do to me. I had woken hot and frustrated. It wasn’t healthy. But clearly my body had thought I had made a mistake by letting William walk away.
“Mum, can I ask you a question?”
“Certainly,” she responded.
I swallowed. “Was there ever a time you regretted working for the royal family?”
“Oh, darling,” she sighed into the phone. “Of course. There were many times I regretted my position, especially when you were a child. But not because of the obvious. I was privy to so much information that honestly I would have rather not known, been ignorant to what was going on. It’s not a job for the faint of heart, dear.”
“Do those reasons have something to do with your award?”
“Now you know better than to ask me about that. But why are you asking about regrets? Is Prince William giving you a hard time? I’ve heard he can be quite a handful and I saw on the news about his car accident.”
“William is not… well, he’s vastly different than Frederick. But not in a bad way,” I said, thinking of the brooding heir who was slowly stealing my heart. “I suppose I didn’t expect to like him so much and well—”
“Sophie…” she said cutting me off with a warning tone. “Be careful. Just because you work for them doesn’t mean they will ever see you as their equal. Remember that. Keep a professional distance, don’t get involved. It’ll only give you grief, trust me on that. Do what you are employed to do, what’s expected of you, and no more.”
I sighed. My mum never missed a beat. “I know. Thanks for the chat, Mum. I’ll come see you on my next weekend off.”
“I’ll look forward to it, dear. We can visit that new little tea room down the road and properly catch up,” she said before hanging up. I tucked my mobile in my pocket as Mum’s warning replayed in my head.
She was right. I had to keep my distance. Lock my emotions away and get on with my job like a professional.
If I made the mistake and slept with William to satisfy both of our desires, that wouldn’t solve the issue down the line of having to watch him move on, eventually getting paired up… because he would eventually. And I would only ever be a notch on his throne. Nothing more than a secretary. Though, I thought with a bitter laugh, it would make my memoirs saucy and sought after.
No I couldn’t do that either. I wouldn’t kiss and tell.
Ugh. I shouldn’t have let him kiss me. And I definitely should not have kissed him back or enjoyed the effects his dirty words had on me.
My cheeks heated as I thought about the kiss again, the way he’d held me against him as if he was starving for my body. I shook the thoughts away; I was the one that needed to move on. Eventually it would get easier… but something had to change. So far my life had revolved around my work, my goals made so long ago. My position hadn’t allowed for much of a personal life in the past, but maybe it was time for me to change that.
Maybe I should carve out time for me. Jump into the dating pool and see if I could find a Mr Right who wasn’t also a prince. Then I could get over this infatuation with my handsome royal. I needed to let this go before I got hurt… but something inside told me I was already at that point. Will had wormed his way into my heart, the sly bastard. With a smile and a vulnerable moment, he had sucked me in and I was drowning in my own need to have him.
I frowned and grabbed my washing basket roughly and stomped up the stairs to my bedroom to put the dry clothes away.
You can’t have him! No amount of stomping around or throwing a tantrum would change that.
So why did it feel as if my heart was going to break in two at the thought? The hardest part was having to be around him all the time, including the ball next week. I couldn’t do this but I also couldn’t just up and resign my position. I didn’t want this to affect William’s progress, or let the king and queen down. I deposited the basket on the floor and picked up the embossed invitation for the ball, then threw it in the bin.
Fifteen
William
My father’s office was becoming my second home what with the amount of times I’d found myself summoned there. This time, however, I found my mum seated in the nineteenth-century French handmade armchair in front of his desk. She had a cautious smile that let me know all I needed to know. Something was up with this meeting. Something that I probably was not going to enjoy.
“Mum,” I said, kissing her cheek. “You are looking lovely today. How are you?”
The vestiges of grief were still evident on her face and in her eyes, but she was looking a bit more like herself. A little more colour in her cheeks and she’d finally started eating again, thank God. Frederick’s death had taken a toll on all of us, but a mother losing a child had to be the absolute worst.
“I’m well, William, thank you for asking,” she said, clasping her hands in her lap, her ever present handkerchief twisting in the folds of her skirt. “Have you just come from a business meeting? You look very handsome in your suit. Did you have a productive week?”
I thought of the week I’d had, Sophie at the forefront of my mind and our temporary cooling off period. She needed time, which I’d found best to give her but I hadn’t given up. Instead of broaching the subject of our unforgettable kiss I’d decided to play it her way for a little while. Do everything she asked of me, attend every sodding meeting and tour. Eventually she would cave; she wouldn’t be able to resist.
Though to her credit it seemed like she’d eased up a bit, and had even thrown in a few interesting appointments that I found myself enjoying. Including finding me a place on a committee that headed up, funded, and organised charitable outings for disadvantaged kids who wouldn’t normally have access to obscure activities and sports. Rock-climbing and abseiling were the main highlights, but of course I’d introduced the idea of skydiving and base-jumping. Though I did also suggest skiing and snowboarding on the local dry slopes, just so they didn’t think I was totally off my rocker or irresponsible.
Looking back I truly had enjoyed those meetings and began to understand what Frederick had meant when he’d said h
e would’ve been lost without her. If she continued and managed to keep my appearances and duties as pleasurable as those ones had been, then maybe I could make this work.
“I did. Everything is going well,” I said, answering my mum. But before I could elaborate further my father marched into the office, trailing a commanding presence behind him. He shut the door and made his way around his desk but choose to remain standing.
“Good morning, William.”
“Morning,” I answered, and sat forward. “Why I have been summoned again? This wasn’t on my schedule.”
“There’s a diplomatic ball on Friday,” my father said, wasting no time to get to the point. “We anticipate your presence.”
“If it’s on my calendar, I’ll be there,” I answered, shrugging.
“Oh it is. Sophie has been made aware,” my mum replied, then her gaze flickered to my father.
“Was that it?” I asked, impatient to get to my feet and leave.
Mum glanced at my father again then at me. Seemingly she was to take lead on whatever they wanted to discuss. “We have invited Prince Lucien of Monaco.”
I nodded, not sure where this was heading. “Do you want me to entertain the Prince? I’m sure I could think of something—”
“Well, no. Not quite. His daughter, Princess Annabelle will be joining him. We believe there’s a great opportunity here. The potential for a grand union between our two families. So, we want you to befriend her and see if the sparks fly.”
I laughed, mainly because I didn’t know what else to do. “You’ve chosen a wife for me?”
“Not quite,” my father said. “Of course we would rather you pick out your own bride, William. But Annabelle would be a fine choice. Our number one choice, in fact. Your mother and I both agree. And Lucien has also given his approval.”
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