by Susan Stoker
“Relax. Feel. Enjoy. You’ll be sore tomorrow if I press my cock into you again.”
It seemed inconceivable that he intended to massage her body until he owned her soul but didn’t intend to have sex with her. Not this time? “Cain…”
“Shh. Baby, feel. Close your eyes and imagine me inside you while I make you come.”
As aroused as she was, how could she not come again? She should be passed out from exhaustion. It had to be close to five in the morning. She never stayed up all night.
His fingers. Oh, God, his fingers. No matter what resolve she had in her head or how she thought she could control her reaction to him, she was wrong. He pressed his thumbs along the outside of her lower lips, squeezing them together. The mere act of specifically not entering her made her hot.
But when he slid the pads of his thumbs up higher to press against the sides of her clit, she shot off.
No sound came out of her mouth. It seemed to be squelched by the intensity of the orgasm, as if she simply didn’t have the available brain cells to tell her throat to cry out.
“That’s it, baby. God, you’re gorgeous. I’ll never tire of watching you come.”
She panted, her eyelids blinking unseeingly as she floated back from her high. She could fall asleep. She wanted to. Exhaustion dragged her under.
But apparently Cain had other ideas. He leaned over her, kissed her lips gently, and spoke. “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”
If she could have laughed at the absurdity of thinking she had the bone density to move, she would have. Instead she gave him a wry smile and tracked his movement across the room to the master bath with nothing but her eyes. She heard the water turn on. Sink? Shower? If he thought she could possibly stand in the shower, he was crazy.
And then he was back. He scooped her off the bed into his embrace, cradling her against his chest without a word. She settled her head against his shoulder as he carried her to the bathroom, too tired to speak, let alone argue about whatever his plan was.
When she saw the gigantic tub filling with water, she sighed. It looked like heaven. There were jets all around the oval sides. A whirlpool. Even better. Though there was no way she could stand to shower, she thought she could keep from drowning submerged in hot water. Especially if the soothing jets were turned on.
Cain lowered her into the tub and gently leaned her head back, sticking a folded towel behind her neck for padding. He even pulled her hair up and set it over the towel first to keep it out of the water.
Oh, yeah. He was a keeper. What man was so freakishly attentive he thought of everything?
When he picked up a bar of soap and started working it up her arm, she was certain she’d died and gone to heaven. Maybe the entire night had been a dream. Maybe she hadn’t been attacked in that alley by four big thugs and had really gone home and straight to bed, where she was currently acting out the best fantasy of her life in her sleep.
Shayla closed her eyes to keep the precarious nature of dreams balanced, not willing to wake up while the fourth prince of Sistonia washed her body as if he were a maidservant and she was the queen.
For once, to her slight disappointment, he didn’t touch her sexually. He simply washed the slippery oil from her skin and continued to work her muscles. Every few minutes he added more hot water. The temperature was perfect. Warm enough to keep her half asleep, but not so hot she was sweating.
“Relax. I’ll be right back.”
She heard him leave the room when he was finished, but she didn’t watch his retreat. If she spent any more time staring at the man’s erection, she would have to assume she was some sort of sex addict.
Cain was gone several minutes, and when he returned, she was barely hanging on to lucidity by a thread. He lifted her out of the tub as though she were nothing but a doll, wrapped her in a towel in his arms, and carried her to the bedroom.
He settled her on the bed, continued to pat her body dry, and then tossed the towel aside. When he climbed over her, pulling the covers up from the foot of the bed, he hauled her back against his chest and kissed her shoulder. “I changed the sheets. They were covered in oil.”
“Mmm.” They also smelled like fresh linen. She needed to say something before she slipped out of consciousness. What was it? Flickering images of how wonderful her prince was raced through her mind.
She should definitely stay asleep and continue dreaming about him. But first she needed to tell him how she felt. After all, it was a dream. Who cared if she professed her undying love for the imaginary prince of deep sleep?
“Marry me,” she mumbled. That was the last thought she had before sleep dragged her under.
Chapter Seven
For a long time, Cain stared down at the object of his good fortune. What were the chances the woman he’d been half in love with without meeting would turn out to be better in person than in his imagination?
And bonus, the one thing he’d wanted before sunrise had come true. Granted, there was every chance she wouldn’t remember agreeing to marry him before she fell into this sleep coma of hers, but he’d be quick to remind her. A deal was a deal.
He smiled, toying with a lock of her hair. He too was tired, but a part of him feared if he fell asleep, he might wake up and find out it had all been a figment of his imagination.
It seemed so real. Surely Shayla Peters was indeed in his bed, her soft body breathing his air, her softer hair tickling his chest. Finally, when the sun was peeking over the horizon and he couldn’t stay awake another moment, he lowered his head to the pillow and closed his eyes.
It seemed like only minutes had passed when something tickled Cain’s nose and forced him to open his eyes.
Shayla was staring down at him, smiling.
He smiled back, hauling her body closer, absorbing her warmth. It had been ages since he’d slept with a woman in his bed. And even though he was pretty sure they’d only been asleep a few hours, he felt more rested than he had in years.
He kissed her forehead, threading his fingers into her silky hair. “Why are you awake? I thought you’d be out until at least noon.”
“I heard a noise. I think the front door opened. Actually, I think it opened several times. The third time it slammed hard. I should go see if Katelin left.”
He frowned. No way would Cale let his woman walk away. He’d been as intent on keeping her as Cain had on keeping Shayla. Then he remembered Cale had an appointment that morning. “I bet it was Cale. He had a meeting this morning. Probably went to the office.”
“Three times?” she asked.
Good point. He squeezed her neck and then kissed her lips briefly. She was worried. The least he could do would be to go check on her friend. “Stay here. I’ll go see what’s up.” Was it possible Katelin had left after Cale went to the office? She’d be crazy to do so, and no way would Cale have given her the impression she should.
Cain understood the implications of claiming a woman as much as Cale. Their lives would be forever altered. Their safety would become a number one priority. Wandering out the front door was no longer an option.
Had Cale made that clear?
“Thanks.” The way Shayla’s body relaxed in his arms told him everything. She trusted him to go check on her friend. She also didn’t fully grasp yet how serious it would be for either of them to leave the building on their own.
Cain slid from the bed, grabbed a loose pair of sweatpants from his dresser, and eased from the room, shutting the door with a soft snick.
As soon as he entered the great room, he heard raised voices coming from Cale’s wing. He considered his options and decided not to bother his brother. The second voice was definitely Katelin’s.
As if on cue, the phone on the kitchen counter rang.
Cain swiped it up, saw that it was the concierge from the lobby downstairs, and connected. “Stuart?”
“Oh hello, Mr. Alexander. Cain. I was expecting Cale.” How the hell the man could always manage to tell them apart b
y voice was a mystery, but Cain shook his head as he glanced at the hallway leading toward the voices of his brother and Katelin.
“He’s busy. Can I help you?”
“I wanted to let him know the police apprehended the three men out front and left a card with me so he and Ms. Kriss could go down to the station later and make a statement.”
Cain flinched. “What three men?”
“Oh. Sorry. I figured—”
“Yeah. Don’t worry. I didn’t realize anyone had gone out yet this morning. I was still asleep. But Cale is here. I’ll give him the message.”
“And his fiancée? Is she okay?”
A slow smile spread across Cain’s face. Fiancée? Why was he not surprised?
Stuart continued. “She was pretty shaken up when he carried her back into the building.”
“I’m sure she was.” He chuckled, trying to imagine under what circumstances Katelin had been outside in the first place, and then picturing Cale with her undoubtedly slung over his shoulder. “I’ll pass the info on to them. Thank you, Stuart.”
“Anytime, sir.” He disconnected, leaving Cain wondering what the hell was going on. The voices had lowered, however, and there was no way Cain was going to interrupt his brother. If Cale had needed him, he would’ve let him know.
Instead of approaching Cale’s wing of the house, Cain returned to his own.
Shayla sat up as he entered, her hair a mess of waves falling around her face and down her back. His cock jumped to attention when he saw her, forcing him to hesitate long enough to take in the scene. Damn, she was perfect. Even frazzled, messy, and half asleep, she made his heart skip a beat.
He wanted to climb back into bed and crawl over her warm body, as if doing so would protect her from anything life threw at them. But he needed to touch base with his brother first.
Heading down to his room to speak to him in person had seemed like a bad idea that might cause Cain to end up with an eyeful of who-knew-what, but he could send him a text.
“Did you figure out what all the commotion was?” Shayla asked.
Cain found his jeans from the night before and grabbed his phone from the pocket. As soon as he palmed it, he climbed back into bed, leaned against the headboard, and hauled Shayla into his arms.
She snuggled against his side, pressing her cheek to his chest.
He kissed the top of her head. “Not sure what happened. I didn’t speak to my brother or Katelin. But I did talk to the concierge. I do know they’ve both been outside and there was some sort of disturbance, because he said the police had apprehended three men and left a card for Katelin and Cale to come down and make a statement.”
Shayla lifted her chin to look at him, her eyes wide. “Shit.”
Cale shot her a reassuring smile. “From the sound of things on the other end of the house, I’m gonna say they’re both okay. I’ll just shoot my brother a text.”
“Okay.” She resumed her spot snuggled against him, making his heart beat faster as she wrapped her small arm across his waist and held on tight.
Cain opened the phone and winced. There were multiple messages from his father. And they were all in Shayla’s line of sight. Not that he intended to hide anything from her, but he hated her witnessing his bizarre relationship with his father first thing this morning.
He quickly read through the messages. They had been sent in rapid succession during the night.
Father: What the hell are you doing?
Father: Your mother and I had to wake up to find your face plastered all over the local paper this morning.
Father: Who is that woman?
Father: You’re embarrassing yourself.
Father: You and your brother need to stop screwing around and settle down with acceptable life partners.
Shayla winced. “Are those from your dad?”
“Yeah.” Cain sighed. “Sorry.”
“How old are you?” she teased.
At least she wasn’t pissed or worried. That warmed him.
“Thirty-five. You’d think he’d stop treating us like kids, but it’ll never happen apparently.”
“Acceptable life partner?” She cringed further. “Who exactly qualifies as an acceptable life partner?”
“Oh, trust me. My mother has a list.”
“I doubt I’m on it,” Shayla half joked.
“I’m certain I don’t care.” He held her tighter.
“You gonna text him back?”
“Nope. I’m going to let him stew.”
She lifted her face, a silly grin spreading. “You planning to go back to Sistonia?”
“Not in this lifetime. This is my home. And now you’re in my life. Trust me, like I said last night, you do not want to move to Sistonia.”
Her brows lifted. “You’re right about that. I haven’t even agreed to a second date yet. It’s a little soon to discuss moving to another country.” She laughed, but it was forced.
He needed to shoot his brother a text, so he didn’t respond to her yet.
Stuart called. He has a number for the police for you downstairs. I assume you have everything under control or you would have let me know otherwise.
“You think I should go talk to Katelin?” Shayla asked.
“No. I think this can wait a few hours.” After hearing Stuart refer to Katelin as Cale’s fiancée, there was no way Cain was willing to interrupt them.
Shayla looked concerned.
“I’m sure if there was a real emergency they would’ve come and gotten us,” he added.
“True.”
He searched Shayla’s face as it relaxed. “Now about that second date…”
She rolled her eyes. “We haven’t been up fifteen minutes yet and already you want to discuss the future again?”
“No need,” he returned, scooting them down under the covers as he tossed his phone to the nightstand.
She looked hesitant when she eyed him again. “Dare I ask why?”
“Because I won.”
She lifted a brow. “How do you figure?”
He fought the urge to smirk. “Because you asked me to marry you right before you went to sleep.”
She swatted at his chest with her small hand. “I did not.”
“Oh, you totally did. You were so completely sated from my awesome massage and a dozen orgasms that you finally saw the light.”
She giggled. “Stop it. I did not. That’s crazy.”
His turn to lift a brow, forcing her to recall the scene.
Slowly her mouth fell from laughter to seriousness. “Oh crap. Did I?”
“Yep. And you can’t take it back.” He gripped her chin with his fingers. “You’re mine now. You didn’t stay awake to hear my answer, but it’s yes. I’ll marry you. How about tomorrow?”
She didn’t appear humored by the idea. “Not a chance. You have lost your mind.”
“Why not?”
“Because we hardly know each other. Because people don’t do things like that. Because you’re royalty and I’m a common filing clerk.”
He had to interrupt her there. “Please don’t put yourself down. There’s nothing common about you. You’re gorgeous and kind and sweet and loving and sexy and mine. The perfect dream woman.”
She rolled her eyes. “I should go. I need time to think. This is overwhelming. You’re overwhelming.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “Go where?” he asked, trying not to let her hear the panic in his voice.
“Home, of course. It’s like noon. I have things to take care of at home.”
“Like what? You have a pet? A cat? Plants?”
She laughed. “No. I don’t have a pet, and any plants I’ve ever had died in my care.” She winced. “I don’t take care of living things well.”
“Lucky for you, I can keep myself alive,” he joked.
She let her gaze lower to his chest and suddenly lifted a finger to trace the edges of his tattoo. “I can’t believe I’m the first person to see this.”
�
��You’re the first person I trusted with my secrets. You’re also the last person who will ever see it. I don’t like my private life all over the tabloids. I can’t help that people talk and will say anything and everything to create a story. But they don’t need to know about the specifics of my tattoos. Let them wonder.”
“It represents temptation, and you lured me into your heart with it.”
“I did. Successfully I hope.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Dead serious. You’re mine. You might not have known it before last night, but I’ve known it for weeks. I was just waiting for the right moment to grab your attention. I’m sorry I waited so long that you got attacked last night, but I’m here now. It won’t happen again.”
“You can’t know that, Cain.”
He shook his head. “I’ll do everything in my power to ensure it. Especially if something happened out front already this morning involving Katelin. There are drawbacks to marrying a prince. Never going anywhere unattended is one of them. I’ll have someone assigned to guard you from now on.”
She jerked against him. “That’s too much. Come on. I have to work. I can’t have some bodyguard next to me while I’m making a living.”
“About that…”
“What? My work? Oh no. You can’t expect me to quit my job too.” Her voice rose. This was going to be a challenge. “We met last night, Cain. I can’t give up a good job that pays the rent to take a wild chance on you. I worked hard to get that position. I might never find one as good later.”
He cupped her face. “Baby, you’re not quite getting it. You don’t need to work. In fact, it would stress me out all day if I thought you were out there exposed to who-knows-what while I was at the office. I’d rather you be here or at least with a guard at all times. For your safety. Curious people are going to come out of the woodwork to snap pictures of you. They’ll riffle through your background and dig up everything they can.”
Shayla moaned at that last statement. “Who would want to read about the exciting life of a twenty-eight-year-old woman who came from foster care? I’m not that interesting, Cain.”