Royally Mine: 22 All-New Bad Boy Romance Novellas

by Susan Stoker

  “Two years.”

  “That’s a long time to hold onto a silk robe,” she said, brushing her hand along the fabric.

  He shrugged. “I didn’t realize I still had it. One of the servants must have washed it and put it away in a drawer I never look in.”

  “Despite what she did to you, did you miss her?” She caressed the inside of his palm with her thumb.

  “I suppose I did. Or at least, I missed what I’d thought we had together. Her betrayal blindsided me.” He shot her a perceptive look. “Greg cheated on you, so you left him. Despite his infidelity, did you miss him?”

  She sighed. “Sometimes. Not enough to take him back though. My dad cheated on my mom during their entire marriage. I watched her pretend everything was okay when I knew she was hurt and falling apart inside. I couldn’t take that risk, even when part of me wanted to believe Greg when he swore it would never happen again. And now I find out he’s dead and was a criminal. Talk about a bullet dodged.”

  “He didn’t deserve you, Cora.” He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She leaned into him as his fingers trailed down her neck and reveled in the burning wake of his touch. “Don’t ever settle.”

  “Do you give all your prisoners advice about their love lives?”

  “Only the very pretty ones.” He inspected the fading marks on her wrists from the handcuffs.

  Though the redness had nearly disappeared, he bent down to kiss the circumference of each wrist, his lips warm and electric. Every time he placed another kiss upon her flesh, a jolt of awareness shot through her, and her insides coiled with tension. His hot breath wafted on her hands, and his wavy locks tickled her arms.

  She bit her lip in an effort to restrain the moan building in her throat. Her pulse raced and her center throbbed with heat. She squirmed in the chair to alleviate her swelling arousal, but it didn’t help—her desire only escalated with the slight movement.

  Maybe she should hate Akeen for arresting her and bringing her to the dungeon.

  Maybe she should try to resist his advances.

  But damn, she couldn’t force herself to dislike him even a little, let alone hate him.

  Her body hummed at his nearness, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to be fully claimed by him. He’d been a second away from thrusting into her when…

  The sound of approaching footsteps startled her from her naughty thoughts.

  Akeen released her hands and stood up, facing the door of the cell. One of the officers she recognized from earlier appeared in the dimness of the corridor.

  “Commander Wornik.”

  “I have news from the Royal Guard, sir.”

  Cora’s heart commenced pounding and nerves curled in her stomach.

  Please let him say I’m innocent. Please let me go free.

  She held her breath, waiting.

  “Is it sensitive information, or can you speak in front of Cora?” Akeen asked, his entire body tensing.

  “It’s not sensitive intel, and I’m sure the news outlets will soon be broadcasting it anyway, as the Royal Guard is seeking the public’s help in finding certain persons of interest involved in this threat against the crown.” The officer glanced at Cora and then returned his gaze to Akeen. “Greg Keller’s lover, Maria Heshanoma is an Ermastistanian national who recently flew into Ismallia from America. She has relatives in Ta-Kona, many of whom were already suspected supporters of the king’s brother. The Royal Guard found no evidence that Cora was involved in the plot against your father; however, we insist she remain in Ismallia for the time being, in case we must ask her additional questions about Greg Keller. If she leaves the palace, she must be in your company, sir.”

  Cora felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

  She smiled at Akeen and rose to her feet with his help. He gathered her close and gave her a tight hug, not caring that the commander was watching. Before he released her, he pressed his lips to her forehead, just as he had before leaving her alone in his bedroom.

  “I will see that she remains in the palace, Commander. You are dismissed.” Once they were alone, he put his mouth to her ear and said, “Hm. Not allowed to leave the palace unless you’re in my company. I think this means you are still my captive, Cora. Whatever shall I do with you?”

  He swept her up into his arms and carried her out of the cell.

  Chapter Seven

  Sunlight broke over the mountains and spilled into Akeen’s quarters.

  He carried Cora to his bed and gently laid her down. “I’m going to ring the servants for breakfast. Please make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.” He gave her a quick kiss and left her alone.

  The sound of birds chirping entered with the warm breeze. She visited the bathroom quickly, making sure to wash her face and straighten her hair. Dark circles were starting to form around her eyes. Damn. She really needed to catch a few hours of sleep. Yawning, she ventured back to the bed and curled up under the soft sheets.

  She drifted off in no time, dreaming of fancy balls and dancing across the room with Akeen.

  When she awoke an indiscernible amount of time later, she felt the solid warmth of a body spooning hers. Inhaling a deep breath, she knew it was Akeen. She’d recognize his familiar spicy masculine scent anywhere. She turned, hoping to catch a glimpse of him sleeping, only to find him wide awake and peering at her with an intensity that spoke volumes.

  Beneath the hunger flaring in the dark depths of his eyes, was an ocean of apologetic turmoil. He obviously still felt bad for arresting her and taking her to the dungeon. How could she be angry with him? He’d been doing his job. If anyone were to blame, it was Greg. The jackass had probably made some sort of deal to secure the building licenses he’d been having difficulty obtaining in Ermastistan and gotten in way over his head with the CKP in the process.

  She smiled to show Akeen she harbored no ill will, then reached for a strand of his thick wavy hair and gave it a quick but sharp tug.

  “Payback,” she said, still grinning.

  “I still have the handcuffs, if you want to pay me back completely,” he replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his chest, and she returned his embrace, enjoying the affectionate moment.

  Her stomach rumbled then, disrupting the quiet.

  “I ordered breakfast, but you were asleep when it arrived. Here, sit up. There’s plenty left.”

  She sat against the pillows as he reached for a tray of fruit. Grabbing a slice of orange, he guided it to her mouth. She parted her lips, feeling a tad awkward, but allowed him to feed her. He continued on, giving her slices of peaches, strawberries, and blueberries, followed by little pastries that tasted like apple pie.

  “Coffee?” he asked. “I think the carafe is still hot.”

  “Yes, please. Cream and sugar.”

  He poured her a cup of coffee, adding a splash of cream and a spoonful of sugar, stirred it, and passed it to her carefully. She inhaled the delicious aroma and took a sip.

  “Mm. Thank you.” She straightened and decided to broach the subject that was troubling her most. “So, I’m really not allowed to leave Ismallia?”

  “That’s correct. Not until the Royal Guard gives you permission.”

  “My flight home departs in four days. Do you think I’ll be able to leave then? I have to get back to work. I have meetings with several important clients next week, and my boss is a total hardass. I’ll probably get written up if I don’t return when scheduled.”

  Akeen’s gaze darkened. “I don’t think I like this boss of yours. Maybe you should work somewhere else. Like in a public relations firm in Ismallia. It’s not difficult for American citizens to obtain work permits here. I could put a rush on it and have one ready for you in days.”

  “Wow, you sure do come on strong. We haven’t even slept together yet, and you are trying to make plans for me to live in your country. Never mind the fact that we’ve known each other for less than twenty-four
hours.”

  “I want you, Cora. I want to confine you to my quarters and never let anyone else see you. I want to keep you all to myself, and I’m going mad at the thought of you returning to America soon.” He leaned toward her and took the coffee from her hands, setting it down on the table beside her, then cupped her face. “Even if the Royal Guard clears you to leave the county, I have to sign off on it. Maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll confiscate your passport and keep you here forever as my personal fuck slave.”

  He was only half-serious, she knew, but the possessive glint in his eyes and his deep sexy voice melted away the sharp retort that sprang to her mind. She gulped hard and ran her hand up his jawline, trailing her fingertips over his dark stubble. Then she realized she had coffee breath and could probably use a shower, and she suddenly backed away and escaped his hold, jumping out of bed.

  “Something wrong?”

  “I need a shower. And a toothbrush.” She glanced down at the robe. The gown she’d worn last night was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps a servant had taken it to clean. “Um, I’ll need something to wear too.”

  His lips twitched with a wry grin. “My plans for you don’t include clothing.”

  She put her hands on her hips and gave him the sternest look she could muster. “When I’m finished in the shower, I expect to find my suitcase waiting for me.”

  “Ah, moving in already?”

  “In your dreams, lover boy.”

  She stomped to the bathroom and slammed the door, trying to ignore the feelings of warmth and desire he unfurled in her. Though she hadn’t known him long, they’d shared a tense experience that she would never forget. Their lives were forever bound together.

  He could have tried torturing a confession out of her, but he hadn’t harmed her in any way. She’d been handcuffed and at his mercy, but the whole while, even though she was nervous about the outcome of the Royal Guard’s investigation and the false accusations against her, she hadn’t felt utterly terrified in Akeen’s presence. If any other man had arrested her, handcuffed her, and taken her to the dark, scary dungeon for questioning, she would have been frightened out of her mind.

  As she stripped off the robe and stepped into the steaming shower, she pictured his tattooed, muscular chest, and she couldn’t stop the quiver that ran through her and settled to pulse white hot between her thighs. She shampooed her hair and tried to get the mental image of Akeen straddling her and preparing to sink his cock into her out of her mind, but trying to stop thinking about it was like trying to stop breathing.

  Reaching for her pussy, she stroked through the wetness for a few seconds, her hips jerking when her fingers grazed over her swollen clit. Her breasts felt heavy and her nipples ached. God, she wanted him. Right now. If he wasn’t balls deep inside her in the next few minutes, she would surely go mad.

  She hurried to finish in the shower. After grabbing a towel and wrapping it around herself, she stepped out to find her suitcase on the counter, next to a toothbrush and brand-new tube of toothpaste. She hadn’t heard Akeen enter the bathroom and hoped he hadn’t witnessed her rubbing herself. Her face heated at the thought.

  She finished drying off, wrapped a towel around her head, and then set about choosing something to wear. She opted for a pink sundress with yellow polka dots and a pair of flip-flops. No panties and no bra, but hey, at least she didn’t have to keep wearing the black silk robe leftover from the ex-girlfriend who’d sold Akeen out to the tabloids.

  Her heart suddenly ached for him. The whole country probably believed serious falsities about him. She wondered if he’d ever done anything to counter the effect the tabloids had on his image. At her public relations firm, she often helped high profile clients navigate the murky waters of a public scandal.

  She unwrapped the towel from her head, gave her hair a good scrub, and borrowed a comb from Akeen’s things to untangle her knots, all the while planning how the sexy stud waiting for her could improve his public image—if he wanted to, that is.

  Volunteering at charity events, donating money to good causes, and putting together a fundraiser for the less fortunate were great starting places. Not to mention finding a good cause to routinely champion. Though the headlines about Akeen had been the most scandalous, she’d seen a few naughty tidbits about some of the other royals, including King Brenul, as well. The entire royal family could benefit from the services of a good public relations expert, like herself.

  What are you thinking?

  She gave her head a shake.

  She was most definitely not thinking about staying in Ismallia.

  Nope, not at all.

  ***

  “Thanks for grabbing my things.” Cora exited the bathroom and walked towards him with confident steps. The seductive sway of her hips made his cock go instantly hard.

  He nodded, but failed to mention he’d intentionally neglected to fetch her other suitcase, the one containing her panties and bras. His palm twitched as he imagined what he’d do to her when he once again discovered her ass bare beneath that short flirty dress.

  “Oh, you showered too,” she said with surprise, eyeing him up and down. “Where did you—um, never mind.”

  “There’s another bathroom just beyond the kitchen in my quarters,” he explained, running his hand through his damp hair.

  God, she was sexy. The front of her dress hugged her breasts and pushed them up nicely, and she looked remarkably beautiful without any makeup, fresh-faced and innocent looking. One hundred and ten percent fuckable.

  “Come here, my little captive.” He reached for her, and she placed her hand in his.

  “I’m not your captive.” She lifted her eyebrows. “Not anymore. I’m innocent. You’re lucky I don’t come after you for false imprisonment. I could get the international courts involved and sue your pants off.” As the last few words left her mouth, she flushed bright pink.

  “You don’t have to get lawyers involved to get my pants off, Cora.” He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his hardness against her and prompting her to gasp. “Now, where were we before all hell broke loose?”

  He captured her lips in a kiss that was tender at first, but soon became more insistent as the urgency within him built to a crescendo. Sliding his tongue against hers, he took control and moved his hands to cup her face, drinking all of her in, from her little moans to the scent of her freshly shampooed hair. She tasted like mints and something much sweeter. Christ, he couldn’t get enough of her.

  With a growl, he pushed her down on the bed and crawled atop her, not once breaking contact with her lips. She arched her center and gyrated against his cock. Holy fucking hell. He was going to fuck her so hard, she wouldn’t be able to walk onto a plane in four days, let alone manage to leave his quarters anytime soon.

  Breaking the kiss, he pushed up her dress, groaning with satisfaction to find her bare pussy. He gave her a stern look and cupped her smooth mound.

  “I see another spanking is in order.”

  She threw up her hands and tried to fight him off, but he had her turned onto her stomach in seconds. She giggled and thrashed around, uttering, “No no no,” in a breathless tone that Akeen translated as yes yes yes. He swatted at the moving target, striking her right cheek first, then her left one. Finally, she stilled and peered over her shoulder at him, her expression drawn in the cutest pout.

  “Maybe you should move on to the second part.”

  “The second part?”

  “Last night you said girls who don’t wear panties in Ismallia get spanked and then fucked hard.” She wiggled her ass at him and then tried to roll onto her back, but he caught her and delivered another slap to her behind, before finally allowing her to turn over.

  He shrugged off his tee shirt while she tugged her dress the rest of the way off. He winked at her and stood to remove his jeans, followed by his boxers.

  Fuck, she had to be the sexiest woman alive. One glance at her and he was smitten all over again.

&nb
sp; His hard cock jutted out as he approached her, seeking entrance in her sweet little body. He paused only long enough to grab a condom from the bedside table drawer and roll it onto his eager shaft. She gave him a look of approval, rested on her back, and parted her thighs wide, exposing her bare folds to his gaze, her pussy spread wide enough to reveal the glisten of moisture hiding within. She arched her back, causing her breasts to bob slightly. Hell, he was torn between taking her nipples in his mouth—they had tasted like the best fucking candy in the world last time—or surging his throbbing length straight into her pussy.

  In the end, he settled on straddling her and teasing her slit with his cock, while suckling on her breasts. She emitted a series of frustrated little moans and repeatedly lifted her center in an attempt to take him inside her. But teasing her was so much fun, he dragged it out longer than he originally planned, sliding the tip of his manhood inside her hot chasm, only to withdraw soon after.

  “Please. Akeen, you are driving me mad.”

  “Am I?” he whispered against her nipple.

  “Yes, now please, do it already.”

  He caught a glimpse of her urgent expression and couldn’t restrain a grin. A heady sense of power flowed through him, knowing she was panting and aching to be filled up with his cock.

  “Tell me what you want, Cora,” he said, grazing his teeth on the soft underside of her breast.

  She exhaled quickly. “You know very well what I want.”

  “Ask for it, sweetheart. Ask for it and maybe you’ll get exactly what you want.”

  She ran her hands over his back, digging her nails into his flesh. “I-I want your cock in me, pounding me. Hard and fast. Please, Akeen. Please.”

  He rose from her breasts and gripped her hips, then waited until she met his gaze before he thrust his cock deep inside her tightness, all the way to the hilt in one harsh drive. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, grabbing at the covers and parting her thighs wider.

  A wave of dizziness swept through Akeen, and he blinked hard to dispel the little black dots that spotted his vision. Cora’s wet warmth was perfection, her taut inner walls clamping down around him as he began pumping in and out of her sweetness.