PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance

by Mia Carson

  Quincy lowered her to her feet, and his lips found hers, his tongue sliding against hers and sucking it as his fingers worked at the zipper of her dress. He grunted in frustration when it wouldn’t budge and gently spun her around so he could get it. She didn’t laugh but frowned at the loss of his kiss. When it finally came free, he didn’t waste a second pulling it down her body, tugging it over her hips and lower so she could step out of it.

  When she tried to turn back around, he stopped her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. He let his hand snake down between her legs. His fingers found her soft curls and moved lower until he felt her warmth, wet and ready for him.

  “God,” he muttered against her neck, ready to lose it from that one touch. “Do you want me?”

  “Yes,” she whispered and pressed herself harder against him when he moved his fingers, massaging her most intimate parts. He slipped one finger inside, and her head fell back against his shoulder. “Quincy… God, I want you.”

  His heart pounded in his chest while he kissed her neck and his fingers continued moving. His other hand pressed against her stomach, holding her against him as he ground his erection against her. With her body so close to his, he sensed the tension building within her as he cupped her warmth, rubbing his palm against her bundle of nerves as his fingers continued their onslaught, thrusting in and out of her, a preview of what would come next.

  Olivia gasped, and her back arched while her muscles clenched against his fingers, holding him inside her as the orgasm overtook her. He held her tightly, her moans making him harder than he was until she finally took a deep breath and sagged against him. But he wasn’t finished yet.

  Before she had time to recover, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his bed. After she was laid out, he stripped as quickly as he could and loved the way she watched him, her eyes slightly closed. Her hands moved up and down the length of her body, cupping her breasts and shivering at the sensation.

  Quincy groaned at the sight and climbed into bed with her, pulling himself up over her body. The moment his lips found hers, his tongue darted into her mouth as he moved his hips and thrust himself deep inside of her. She cried out against his mouth and gripped his shoulders tightly, her nails digging into his skin. A groan escaped him as he pulled out then thrust again. Each time he moved, it was like the first time they were together on the beach, and he felt a little bit more of his heart flood with love for this woman.

  How could he let her go?

  This was what he’d been looking for his whole life, to be with someone and feel truly connected to her in every way possible. She moved with him, and when he stared into her eyes, the love he felt for her grew until he thought he would burst with it. She longed for this just as much as he did.

  Quincy moved his hips and each thrust was deeper than the last, hard and strong as she clung to his body. There was no rushing tonight, no hurry to reach the end. This was going to be the last time he would hold her, and he wanted the moment to last as long as possible. When they couldn’t stand it any longer, Quincy kissed her fiercely and moved one last time, driving home and sending them both tumbling into oblivion.

  After it was over, Quincy didn’t let go but held Olivia tightly to him. Deep down, he knew it wasn’t going to work out the way he wanted and that tonight was nothing more than a dream he didn’t want to wake up from.

  “Quincy,” she whispered as she faced him. “I just want you to know… I don’t regret anything.”

  He smiled sadly as he smoothed her hair back from her face. “Neither do I, love.” All he could do was hold her as she snuggled against his chest, warm and safe in his arms. Tomorrow morning was a new day, and he was more determined than ever to find a way to make this work.

  He didn’t think he’d survive if he couldn’t.

  ***

  Olivia opened her eyes and stared at Quincy’s sleeping face. He was so peaceful, lying there with her in his arms, but she couldn’t stay. And at the same time I don’t want to leave. I can’t! God, I’m not going to last without him. The thoughts raced through her mind until she forced herself to take a deep breath and do what she had to. She slipped carefully from his arms, pulled her dress back on as well as she could, and crept out into the corridor. Thankfully, it was empty and she tiptoed to her room.

  Her bags were packed and ready to go. All she had to do was change. The flight home left in three hours, and by that night, she’d be in Nebraska, carrying the memory of the man she loved and their unborn child.

  One day, she hoped, he would understand and forgive her for not telling him.

  ***

  Quincy stretched and yawned, rolling over expecting to find Olivia, but his bed was empty and cold where she’d fallen asleep. Frowning, he sat up and saw her dress was gone, too. His eyes fell to the painting leaning against his wardrobe and stared at the couple making love, just as they had that first night. He hurried to pull on a pair of pants and t-shirt before he left his rooms and knocked on her door.

  “Olivia?” He knocked harder. “Olivia, are you awake?”

  “Prince Quincy,” Allete called from down the hall. “What are you doing, sir?”

  “I need to speak with Princess Olivia. Is she down at breakfast?”

  Allete’s face scrunched up as she shook her head. “She left this morning for home, sir. Didn’t she tell you?”

  Quincy felt the world spin, and he struggled to keep his face from betraying his sudden heartbreak. She’d been saying goodbye last night and he hadn’t even realized it. Why would she leave like that and not tell him? He’d been ready to give everything up, to fight for them, and she made the decision for them both.

  “Sir, are you alright?”

  “Yes,” he said and cleared his throat when the word didn’t come out clear. “Yes, I’m fine. I forgot she told me last night.”

  “Was there something you needed?”

  I need her, and I let her walk away, he thought and suddenly felt sick. “No… no, nothing. I’ll be in my room for most of the day if anyone needs me,” he said and quickly went back, locking the door behind him. She left him. Olivia was gone. Why hadn’t she just told him she was leaving?

  Because you were holding on too tight and she was trying to do the right thing, unlike you.

  He didn’t want to admit it, but through all of this, Olivia had put him and his duty above their love. She knew what this meant for him and had made sure he had a bright future here on the isle. Quincy’s face burned red with a newfound anger. How could she leave him like that? Damn his kingdom and his crown. That wasn’t for her to decide, it was for him.

  And as the day passed, he used that anger as a shield against the pain he knew would shatter his heart if he let it fall.

  Chapter 18

  The past month had gone in a blur, and now it was the day of Quincy’s wedding. It had all been planned by Gigi and her mother. Quincy had faked as much enthusiasm as he could, but several people saw through it. Mostly Pascal, but Lamont had pulled him aside several times to ask him what his problem was. This was the woman he’d picked, and he either needed to accept his decision or call off the wedding and pick another. Either way, he was out of time, and the only woman he wanted was in Nebraska.

  His anger towards Olivia had faded, but it flared up any time his eyes caught sight of the painting in his room. He kept it out of sight and only pulled it out when his longing for her caused him to dream of her in his arms, whispering his name, moaning as they made love.

  “Sir? I’ve brought your clothes. Are you ready to get dressed?” Pascal asked as he entered.

  “Yes, I think I’m ready,” he said. He’d been on the balcony before the sun rose, remembering the nights he had climbed across to Olivia’s. The times she’d laugh and pull him straight into her arms before he even had a chance to greet her. They’d tumble into bed and spend all night talking and exploring each other’s bodies.

  “Sir? Have you eaten anything today?
You look a bit pale.”

  Quincy wasn’t sure what made him decide, but he saw the painting he’d forgotten to tuck away last night. His eyes stared at the couple on the beach, the image of him and Olivia, so deeply in love, captured in that moment in time.

  “No, I haven’t. I think I’ll head to the kitchens and get something. How many hours until the ceremony?”

  Pascal hung his clothes up on the door of the wardrobe and turned to face Quincy with a suspicious glint in his eyes. “Sunset. Are you planning on eating a feast before then?”

  Quincy laughed as he grabbed jeans and a t-shirt from his dresser and changed quickly out of his sweats. “No, course not. Just need to take care of something, that’s all.”

  “As long as you’re not late. Your father will kill you.”

  “Don’t worry, Pascal, I know exactly what I’m doing,” he said as his mind hurried through his new plan. Get to the Jeep, book it to the airport, and get the hell off the isle. He couldn’t get married, not yet. Not until he knew why she’d left like that. Why she couldn’t say goodbye.

  And why she left him behind instead of letting him fight for them… for her. No one made decisions for Prince Quincy.

  ***

  Olivia got out of the car, noting the size of her stomach. She was about three months, according to her doctor, and everything looked good as far as they could tell. The baby was healthy, she was healthy, and the only person who knew she cried herself to sleep most nights was Helen. She’d moved into the house with Olivia when they returned to Nebraska, and Olivia knew one of these days, she’d have to do something really nice for her friend.

  Leaving Quincy behind had been the hardest decision of her life, but her mom had reported during their last phone call that his wedding was today. Everything worked out the way it should, and he would be a great king for his people. She tried not to think about him being in Gigi’s arms that night and focused on moving forward. It was all she could do.

  That, and she was starving. The baby had certainly doubled her appetite these past few weeks.

  “Helen,” she said after she unlocked the front door. “What do you want for dinner tonight? I’m craving Chinese right now. Helen?”

  Olivia felt the floor rush up to meet her. Strong arms caught her before she hit, cursing about her fainting. He hoisted her up into his arms and laid her gently down on the couch.

  “That’s not the reaction I was hoping for,” Quincy murmured as he kissed her forehead. He stared down at her, a smile warring on his face with worry and anger. “Olivia? Can you hear me?” She vaguely noticed him glance down the length of her and frown when he saw her stomach. Suddenly, his face went blank, and he sucked in a breath.

  “Quincy? Why are you here?” she asked as her heart hammered in her chest, but he didn’t seem to hear. “Quincy?”

  Very softly, he laid his hands on her stomach that was clearly a pregnant belly. A smile twitched at his lips, showing his left dimple as his gaze met hers. “You’re pregnant… Why…why didn’t you tell me?”

  She saw the sheen of tears in his eyes, and she couldn’t hold hers back. Her hands covered his, and they held her belly together. “I couldn’t,” she whispered. “You had to get married, and I had to leave. It would ruin you… It still will. Quincy, what are you doing here?” God, how she just wanted to kiss him and make love again. His touch set her on fire, and it took everything she had not to pull him down to her and have her way with him.

  He helped her sit up and sat on the edge of the couch beside her. “I couldn’t do it.”

  “Get married? Oh God, you didn’t just leave, did you?”

  “I did, actually,” he said with a laugh. “I couldn’t do it. Every night, I missed you, and I was mad at you for leaving me, but… God, Olivia, I can’t do this, especially not now. You’re pregnant with our child.”

  He got up and paced around her living room and looked for all the world like a normal guy in jeans and a t-shirt. Olivia watched him run a hand through his hair and laugh nervously. She knew exactly how he felt. Her heart hadn’t stopped fluttering since she saw him, and she hadn’t even kissed the damn man yet.

  Olivia got to her feet and grabbed his arm. He started to say something, but she stood on her toes and pulled his mouth down to hers. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she shouldn’t, but seeing him, having him hold her, was too much. She needed to feel his arms around her again, her and their baby. Her prince had come back for her, and even if they couldn’t find a way to be together, she was not going to waste this stolen moment.

  Her hands tangled in his hair, and she sighed at the feel of his body pressed against hers. It was a dream, it had to be a dream, but he stood before her, solid and still madly in love with her.

  “Quincy,” she whispered against his lips, “how did you leave? Do they know where you are?”

  “I ran away,” he told her. “I got up this morning and knew I was going to be married to Gigi before the day was over, so I just… I couldn’t do it until I knew why you left. I thought for a minute that maybe you stopped loving me.” He stared at her and his eyes moved lower to her belly. “But I can see now that isn’t the case. I love you, Olivia, and our child, and I don’t give a damn what happens. I’m not leaving you again.”

  She backed away and shook her head, trying to clear it. “You can’t just up and leave your kingdom! I can’t have that hanging over my head.”

  “You won’t,” he said. “I’m going to turn it all down.”

  “No,” she said, “no, you can’t do that! Your father will hate you for it.”

  “Maybe, maybe not, but Olivia, I tried to be without you and I barely lasted a month,” he said and took her hands in his. “You can’t tell me it wasn’t just as hard for you.”

  She squeezed his hands and quickly pulled away. “That’s not the point!”

  “Yes, it is! It’s why I’m here, damn it. I’m either going back with you or not going back at all.”

  She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want him to do that for her, but there wasn’t a chance she was going to let him depart her life again, especially now that he knew about the baby. Her hands held her belly, and she caught him staring, his eyes wide with excitement and love, and she tugged on his hand to bring him closer. He immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her to him, and she felt lighter than she had in the whole month away. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she knew no matter what happened, she couldn’t live without him.

  “We’re step-siblings,” she whispered against his chest. “It’ll be a scandal.”

  “I don’t care,” he replied. “The worst he can do is turn me away, and then we can just live here.”

  “You’d have to get a job,” she said and glanced at him with a crooked smile.

  “You make it sound as if that would be hard. I will do whatever I have to for you both, Olivia.”

  “I can tell, since you walked out on your own wedding and flew here without telling anyone.” Her smile fell as she realized how panicked everyone must be on the isle. “You have to call them, let them know you’re alright! What if they think you were kidnapped?”

  The glint of mischief in his eyes told her that wouldn’t be a problem. “Theo and I had a wee bit of a… goodbye before I hopped on the plane.”

  “You outran your bodyguards?”

  “As if I hadn’t been doing that all my life. So, you said Chinese food for dinner. I’m in.”

  How could she turn down her prince? She walked to the kitchen, stopped, and whipped around. “Were you mad at me?”

  “What?”

  “I caught the look on your face before I fainted. You were mad at me. Did you really come all this way to yell at me before you realized I was pregnant?”

  He rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks flushed red. “I was angry with you, I’ll admit it.”

  “For doing the right thing?”

  Quincy straightened and she saw the prince standing before he
r. “For making my decision for me. Don’t let this face fool you, I’m still mad at you for not telling me goodbye, or about the baby, for that matter. What did you think I’d do? Toss you out?”

  “I knew you’d never let me leave,” she said. Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry for food anymore. Her latest appointment had been two weeks ago, and the doctor had said she was fine to have sex if she wanted to. Helen wasn’t home yet and was probably running late.

  “What? Are you alright?” Quincy asked as she stared at him. “Olivia?”

  She didn’t answer but grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the stairs. The second she reached her room, she shoved him through the doorway and kicked it closed behind her, latching her arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely. He returned the favor as his arms wrapped around her before pulling her shirt up over her head. His hands smoothed down her stomach but paused at her belly and pulled back.

  “Wait… Is this safe? The baby?”

  “Will be just fine, doctor says so,” she said and pulled him back, hungry for his touch. “Unless, of course, you don’t want me.”

  “Oh no,” he said. “I’ve wanted nothing but you since I saw you step off that damn plane.”

  His lips slanted over hers, and she worked at yanking off his t-shirt while he slipped out of his shoes. They undressed each other quickly, and she pushed him back onto her bed, straddling him. His hands marveled at her body, holding the baby bump as his eyes widened, still in surprise.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  She leaned down to kiss him, sucking his tongue into her mouth as her hair hung around them. His erection grew beneath her, and she groaned when he lifted his hips, pressing against her soft folds. She’d dreamt about this every night since returning home and never thought it would happen again, but here he was, splayed out beneath her in her bed. He lifted his head so his mouth could find a nipple and suck on it hard as he lifted his hips again and started to slide inside.