Royally Mine: 22 All-New Bad Boy Romance Novellas

by Susan Stoker

  Colt released her, turning and rushing back to the table near the lap pool to throw on his pants and T-shirt. He'd only been gone a minute, but when he turned towards the door, Harper was gone.

  "Goddammit."

  ***

  If he suspected Harper had been avoiding him before the morning in the pool house, he knew for damn sure she was after. It had been four days. Four. Miserable. Days. Something had to change soon.

  About an hour after he'd seen her in the pool house, he'd laid down the law with the contestants. They were to stay out of the kitchen. He didn't want them talking to, complaining about, or even looking at Harper.

  And about three seconds later, things had blown up spectacularly in his face with the cameras catching every sordid detail. Every single woman, including quiet Sophia, had badgered him about why he was defending another woman. The accusations flew until the stick-thin model, Cleo, had demanded to know why he gave a damn about the 'fat servant girl.'

  He wasn't proud of it, but he'd lost his shit.

  Even now, days later, he cringed thinking about how the viewing audience would lap up the drama when that episode aired after the holidays.

  He didn't remember exactly what he'd said, only that before he could think, he'd picked up the nearest dining room chair and crashed it into the wall with all of his strength, punching holes through the drywall as he uncharacteristically lost his temper.

  He'd only calmed when a frightened Harper had run in from the kitchen at the sound of the smash, freezing when she realized the entire room was glaring at her—half wanting to slap her, and the other half stunned into silence, their mouths agape.

  He groaned, pretty sure that since they'd captured the scene from at least three camera angles, they had a good shot at induction into The Guinness Book of World Records as the most awkward thirty seconds in modern civilization.

  He hadn't really understood the level of his anger himself, so when Gavin had pressed him for what the fuck was going on, he had no answers. All he remembered was threatening to walk off the project if Gavin even thought about firing Harper like the bitter women were demanding.

  So now, days later, the occupants of the house were still in an uneasy truce of sorts. The women got digs in about the food when they could. Harper kept to herself, refusing to interact with anyone but the Finnegans. Gavin continuously set up situations that created escalating conflict; the bread and butter of reality TV.

  As for Colt, he spent as much time alone as he could get away with, soul searching in a way he hadn't since he was a kid who'd set his sights on playing in the MLB. He went through the motions of fulfilling his filming obligation. Playing board games. Taking walks through the winter garden with different women on his arm. Watching movies in the theater. Steaming in the sauna. He tried to keep as many activities as a group as he could get away with. Safety in numbers, and all that.

  But each day that passed, he felt more pressure to become intimate with at least the three women he'd be down-selecting in a few days. The rules, as they'd been set out, called for him to cut the field from six to three at the halfway mark. When the show had begun, he'd have bet his next payday on choosing Maya, Cleo and Kylie. But as he felt more pressure to sleep with them, he found himself wanting to choose the other three contestants if only to make the sexual pressure disappear.

  And that made absolutely no sense to him, so he knew it would make even less sense to Gavin, who would, in turn, kick his ass for screwing up the show. The irony was not lost on Colt that he'd signed up to romance six women, presumably with the plan of overloading on debauched sex, and he had, instead, been technically abstinent for almost three weeks, well unless you counted Maya's blowjob.

  Bill Clinton got away without calling that real sex.

  That night, after a particularly scrumptious dinner of lobster bisque, shrimp scampi, and flourless chocolate cake, three of his favorites, Colt couldn't take it any longer. Feigning a stomachache, he retired early, leaving the women grumbling and the crew happy to have the night off. He went to his room just long enough to trade his suit in for a pair of jeans and a sweater. He grabbed his coat, wallet, watch and phone, hoping his plan was going to work.

  He knew there were hidden cameras, but it couldn't be helped. He counted on the fact that no one could possibly view the thousands of hours of feed for the entire estate as he slipped down the back stairs, through the dark dining room and into the kitchen. His sense of disappointment at finding Harper already gone for the night was enlightening. It had taken him long enough to admit it to himself, but the plucky chef was at the heart of his problem.

  Their verbal sparring aside, he'd finally put together the real reason he couldn't bond with any of the contestants.

  He wanted Harper.

  He'd wanted many women, of course, over the years. And he'd worked each and every one of them out of his system, which was exactly what he needed to do with her. A few kisses… maybe a BJ or a quickie, and life could get back to normal. Well, as normal as living under a microscope for a reality TV show could get, anyway.

  Undeterred, Colton stepped out the back door, taking long strides towards the darkened pool house. His mood lightened as he realized it would be better to seduce her there anyway. Less cameras. Fewer prying eyes.

  He was about to let himself in the pool house when he noticed the lights were still burning bright in the stables. He wasn't surprised as he'd learned that the Finnegans lived in the large apartment above the animals, much like Harper lived above the pool.

  He turned the knob just as he heard the soft tinkle of Harper's laughter in the distance. Like being called by a homing device, he found himself changing directions, following the wafting sounds of camaraderie emanating from the barn.

  He stopped in the shadows just outside the stable's open door leading to the well-lit paddock. He felt like an asshole for stalking her, but he was fascinated watching her working with the old caretaker, grooming a spirited Arabian. He was too far away to hear what they were talking about, but they chattered on like old friends.

  Harper faced away from him, giving him the perfect view of her heart-shaped ass filling out the pair of jeans she was wearing perfectly. He found it interesting that she wore cowboy boots, the kind that looked well-worn versus the fancy fashion boots Cleo might wear on the runway. Add the ease with which she cared for the powerful animal, and he knew she'd spent time in a horse barn before.

  That was a coincidence.

  He'd grown up working on a Texas ranch only a mile outside of his hometown, mucking stalls for spending money. Old man Johnson had let him ride whenever he wanted, which had been often until a baseball came into his life. Then a bat had replaced saddles as his after-school companion. Hell, it had been over twenty years since he'd been on a horse.

  Colt had been admiring the view for almost five minutes when the German Shepherd dog that had been sleeping near the water trough stuck his head up, alert and growling. Only when the canine took off running straight at him, barking as if he were fending off an intruder, did Colt finally step out of the shadows.

  "Whoa there, boy. I'm just visiting."

  He held out his hand as if to pet the barking dog, but not until Harper called out, "Wrigley, it's okay. Down, boy," did the protective dog back off. He still stood guard, ready to pounce if the new guy to the barn made a wrong move.

  When he was relatively sure he wouldn't be attacked by Wrigley, Colton glanced up to find Harper glowering at him, all trace of her previous good humor having vanished.

  "Hey, I saw the lights on and thought I'd check it out."

  "Well, now you have, so you can go back inside now. I'm sure you're missed. It's almost bedtime." Her snappy snark had returned. He was relieved. It beat her tearful lack of confidence from a few days before.

  "I'm sure everyone can get along just fine without me." He braved moving closer. Wrigley still looked ready for a fight. "You're a natural with horses."

  "And how would you know? Like
you know anything about horses?" She scoffed, her hands on her hips.

  "As a matter of fact, if you'd done a bit more research on me other than just my love life, you'd have found the stories about me growing up in Texas. My first paying job was mucking stalls for Johnson's Ranch about a mile from my house."

  He grinned, happy to surprise her into silence.

  He'd forgotten Charlie Finnegan was even there until the caretaker walked closer, holding out a pitchfork and a pair of gloves. "Care to relive a bit of your childhood, young man?"

  At least the old man was still smiling, even if Harper wasn't. Suspecting it would piss her off, he grabbed the gear and grinned. "I'd love to help. It can replace one of my workouts."

  He had just started scooping up a smelly pile of dung when he could swear he heard her swearing under her breath. Miss Gardener wasn't going to make this easy.

  "What? No camera crew with you tonight?" She prodded, returning to her work.

  He deposited the manure into a wheelbarrow and then broke open the fresh bale of straw using the pitchfork to shake the bedding into place for the lucky horse whose enclosure they were in.

  "Naw. I gave them the slip. I needed to walk off that five-star dinner you served tonight."

  He glanced up, watching for her reaction, not expecting to find an evil smile as she added with glee, "I'm sure it was a big hit with all the ladies."

  He'd suspected she'd been purposefully choosing dishes the contestants had nixed, but since it was creating such wonderful drama, Gavin had let it go.

  Unaware of the veiled sparring his companions were engaged in, Mr. Finnegan gave him a gift. "You've helped me long enough. Let's get Dolly saddled up for your night ride. With the full moon, it's the perfect night for a ride around the lake."

  Harper glanced his way nervously. What he'd give to get inside that adorable head of hers.

  "I've changed my mind. I think I'll pass on riding tonight."

  Colt saw his opportunity and jumped at it. "Actually, I think that's a great idea. Any chance I could tag along?"

  He didn't ask Harper. He knew what her answer would be. He asked Charlie, who was only too happy to oblige.

  "I'm relieved, to be honest. Ms. Gardener doesn't know the property well enough yet. Even with the full moon, I was worried about her riding alone. I'll go grab Prince and his saddle."

  After they were alone, she pressed him. "Why are you doing this? Shouldn't you be in the house giving someone a massage or something?" The snark in her voice was morphing into nervous anxiety.

  He took the high road. "I'd really like to ride, if it's not too much trouble. It's been almost twenty years and being out here… the smells… the sounds. It makes me almost homesick."

  The funny thing was, in that moment, it was the truth. For a guy who traveled around two-hundred days a year for work, moving to a different hotel every few days, he rarely felt at home, even when he was at the loft in the city that technically was his home.

  She didn't say yes. But she didn't say no, either. Colt helped Charlie saddle up the gelding, and within ten minutes, he swung himself up into a saddle for the first time in forever. The anticipation made him feel like a kid again as he waited for Harper to effortlessly pull herself up into the tall seat like the experienced horsewoman she was.

  She looked as happy as he felt.

  They started out slowly, finding the trail that ran along the white fence just before branching off into the bordering woods. It was significantly darker under the cover of trees that blocked the moonlight. They walked the horses in single file, the sounds of the forest surrounding them. Colt brought up the rear, enjoying the opportunity to study Harper on her steed as she led the way.

  By the time they reached a clearing near the five-acre lake, all of the stress and anxiety from the previous weeks had magically receded, bringing a rare calmness. He normally lived his life at full speed, so the unexpected opportunity to ride in the moonlight with nature did his soul wonders.

  Harper pulled her mare to a stop at the shore, sitting on her ride, looking out over the water. She looked cold in the November chill, her puffs of warm breath visible in the cool breeze. The light jacket she'd worn was not nearly hearty enough for the night wind off the lake. He stopped next to her, wanting to pull her into his arms to warm her. Not because he wanted to get in her pants. Well, to be fair, he did still want to get in her pants, but more so because the moment felt special.

  "It was warmer here last night," she admitted.

  "Thanks for letting me tag along. It's been a while since I've felt this at peace with the world."

  She glanced at him, suspiciously. "Oh come on. With the money you make, you can afford to do anything you want to relax."

  "True, but you'd be surprised how little I have left at the end of the year after I pay off everyone riding on me."

  She looked pensive. "Is that why you're doing the show? You need the money?"

  He barked a laugh. "Don't feel too sorry for me. I'm still in the top five percent earners in the MLB. To be honest, I got conned into doing the show in the middle of the playoffs when I wasn't paying attention to the fine print. Now I'm just trying to be a good sport about it all to avoid getting sued by the production company and Showtime for breach of contract."

  Her eyes widened. "Can they do that?"

  "You better believe it. I'm sure they'd like a crack at my bank account."

  She didn't answer, looking back across the lake instead while his horse stretched down to make a snack of the remnants of last summer's long grass next to the clearing.

  Colt dismounted, tying the reins to a low branch of the nearest tree and turning back toward Harper.

  "What are you doing? We should go back now."

  "Let's let them graze for a while. I'd like to find a few rocks to skip."

  She looked uneasy with his request, glancing nervously in the direction they'd just come from as if she were tempted to take off again. He inched forward, trying not to startle the feral animal she suddenly resembled.

  With a resigned sigh, Harper dismounted, and even though she needed no help whatsoever, he reached out to steady her, hands on her waist as her feet touched the ground.

  They were close. He wanted to be closer.

  She shivered in the cold, giving him the perfect opportunity to open his coat and step forward, sharing his body heat with her as he wrapped her in his arms, pulling her away from her horse and back against his chest. He'd half expected her to wiggle away, but she melted instead, throwing her head back until it rested on his shoulder as they looked out over the water.

  Neither of them said a word, but her contented sigh spoke volumes in the quiet night. He froze, sure that any words he spoke or action he took would ruin what felt like a rare perfect moment. For a change, he didn't try to analyze it. He simply followed his instincts, nuzzling the woman in his arms, letting his lips find the sensitive juncture where her neck met her shoulder before nibbling his way slowly up to her left ear, sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

  His first taste of heaven.

  Colt's sleeping libido roared to life, demanding he make up for lost time. His brain, luckily, prevailed, forcing slow movements as his hands took on a life of their own. His fingers found her zipper, opening her coat to grant him access to her body as she subconsciously ground her ass against his expanding groin.

  He knew he was doing something right when she fell harder against him, turning her body over to him as he explored her sexy curves. Her purr of contentment gave him the green light to latch onto her breasts through her shirt, squeezing her ample mounds, careful to pinch the protruding nips hard enough to send a jolt of excitement through both of them.

  And then he made his first error. He spoke.

  His, "Ah, Harper…" acted like a bucket of cold water thrown on the passionate couple. As if he were suddenly a hot poker, burning her, Harper jerked out of his embrace, bolting quickly away from her horse and Colton. By the time he caught up to he
r, she was fumbling to rezip her coat, her boots inches from getting wet in the placid lake.

  "You shouldn't have done that," she accused, nervously breaking the silence.

  "Why? It seemed like you were enjoying it."

  She glanced his way as she spat angry words. "Screw you. Aren't you happy enough messing around with the contestants? I'd think you were getting so much booty that you wouldn't need to cheat on them with me."

  There were so many problems with her assertion he didn't know where to start. He spun her body towards him so he could see her eyes in the moonlight.

  "First, let me assure you, I've gotten zero booty, and even if I had, I'm not in a relationship with these women, so how the hell can I cheat on them?"

  Her eyes widened. "I can't believe it. I knew you were a playboy, but I didn't peg you for a liar too. Well, no thanks. I'm not interested in being number seven on the list," she huffed, her spunky sass returning.

  "What would you say if I told you that you were number one on the list?"

  And he meant it. He wasn't interested in even playing Scrabble with the other six, let alone fucking them.

  "What is this? Some kind of game?" As if she remembered something upsetting, she glanced around nervously. "Are you taping this? Are there cameramen out there trying to catch me acting like an idiot?"

  "Oh for crying out loud, of course not! I wouldn't do that to you."

  She didn't look convinced. "Why not? And maybe you wouldn't, but Gavin would in a heartbeat. I know the only reason he hasn't fired me is because he's hoping my being here is gonna make you do something stupid again like throw a chair through another wall." Her eyes softened with laughter as she started giggling. "I still have no clue why you did that by the way, but it was pretty fucking hilarious. You should have seen the look on everyone's face as I came running in. It was priceless."

  "Yeah, real funny," he grumbled, running his fingers through his hair self-consciously.

  Her tinkling laughter made it hard to stay embarrassed. "You should see their faces every night when Cecelia puts the food down on the table. You're sure to piss off at least one of them every single meal."