by Jeannie Moon
“Oh, really?”
He lunged at her, shackling both wrists over her head with one hand while his other was busy ridding her of her underwear. “Really. Now hold on to the headboard, love. Oh, wait.”
She froze, and without any warning he whipped her T-shirt over her head, leaving her deliciously naked.
“That’s better.” With a smack on the ass, he spread her legs wide, settling himself between them. His mouth came down on one nipple, licked it, and pulled gently.
Josie, who had taken his advice and was holding onto her wrought iron headboard, arched and moaned in response.
“Do you like that, darling?”
“Uh huh.” Yeah, she was getting stupid already and he hadn’t gotten below her waist.
“Oh, good,” he cooed. “Now hold on tight.”
He started working his way down.
His hands stroked her, traveling over her skin in a gentle caress. “You are so lovely, Josie. You have the body of a goddess. Soft, lush, perfect.”
Lush, perfect. He’d always made her feel beautiful. In a world where abnormal standards of beauty had been glorified, Tony worshipped her, flaws and all. He never failed to tell her she was beautiful, and for a girl who hadn’t gone on a first date until her freshman year of college, that was something.
“I love touching you. Having you naked like this. I just want to keep touching you.” He moved his hands to her hips and then her thighs. His mouth was a miracle, and it seemed he licked or kissed every inch of her belly as he eased his way between her legs. His fingers ran over her mound and separated the warm folds at her center. He didn’t say another word as his mouth came down on her and his tongue flicked and teased her into oblivion.
He was gentle, thorough, and oh-so-very-skilled. They’d played and experimented a lot when they were together before, and she had surely been spoiled. He was her only lover—before and since.
“Oh, Anton,” she whispered. It was all she could muster as her brain clouded.
He muttered something in French, which he often did in bed, adding to the wonderful mystery of him. “Belle Josie. Mon ange.”
In her head she heard his words, his deep baritone surrounded her, and that was all that mattered. Threading her fingers through his hair as he tended to her, Josie felt beautiful and wicked, like the kind of woman who could tempt a man away from his family, his country, and his throne. Inside her, the heat built. Low in her belly the pulsing became more intense, radiating out to every nerve and muscle. She watched Tony, his long lashes hiding his eyes as all his attention was focused on her. Biting down on her lip, Josie closed her eyes and arched as the waves of the orgasm washed over her.
Light exploded behind her eyelids while her hands gripped the headboard again. Her hips bucked wildly, and Tony shifted his position and slid into her.
God, he felt good, filling her perfectly just like he always did. He moved in such a way that the gentle friction between their bodies aroused her once again.
Her frantic movements slowed in time with his. Long strokes and deep kisses took her into a soft, floaty place. A place where titles and status didn’t matter. A place where only the two of them existed.
Josie wrapped her arms and legs around Tony, clinging to him as he plunged deeper into her. Their bodies molded to each other, and Josie felt only joy when Tony whispered her name.
“Sweet Josie. I missed you. I missed you so much.”
“Oh, Tony…”
Moving faster now, Tony held onto her with one arm and kept himself from crushing her with the other. He was so strong—a protector, a leader, a prince. And all Josie wanted was to be with him.
She felt her body start to crest again. It was a wave of amazing sensations, hot and powerful, all consuming.
She felt Tony as he surged into her, all his strength propelling him forward, as she received all of him—his strength, his passion, his love. And she loved him right back. They were meant to be together, but she didn’t know if there was a way.
Finally spent, he eased himself down, still not separating from her. She was fine with that, loving the way he held her.
“It’s going to be okay,” he whispered. “I promise.”
It was the last thing she heard as she drifted to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Watching Josie sleep was certainly no hardship, and neither was watching her practically orgasm into a coma. The woman went out like a light right after she climaxed and had been asleep for an hour. Stroking the hair away from her face while he held her, Tony worried about how he was going to get his father’s blessing. He wanted to marry Josie. Of that he had no doubt, but no matter what she said, he didn’t know if he could subject her to the fallout in his country that was sure to follow.
He suspected that the Prime Minister’s press secretary had tipped off the European press about his relationship with Josie and his betrothal to someone else. They didn’t show up in New York by chance, and they knew exactly who they were looking for. Once they tracked her down, her life became a living hell. And it wasn’t legitimate press knocking on her door, these guys were the bottom-feeders. The kind that staked out rooftops with high-powered lenses, hoping to get a shot through an apartment window.
“Why are you scowling?” The husky-from-sleep voice surprised him. Looking down, Josie’s eyes were open wide, but still hazy.
“I’m thinking.” Adjusting their position so he could see her better, Tony smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Very…content. God, I missed that.”
“You must have been relaxed. You drifted right off mid-sentence.”
“I think I fainted from the orgasm. You did that. You’re a god.”
He laughed. “No. There was no fainting; it was sleep. You were snoring.”
“I don’t snore,” she snapped.
He chuckled as she feigned offense. “No? Could have fooled me.”
Turning to face him, she smiled. “We’re still pretty good together.”
“I never doubted it.” Running his thumb along her jaw, Tony leaned in and kissed her. “You’re beautiful, Josie. I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you, too.”
He didn’t know how he was going to leave her, and at the same time, he didn’t know how he could stay. “Do you start teaching swimming tomorrow?”
Steering to something innocent seemed like a good idea.
“I do. I have the four- and five-year-olds. We do more water safety at that age, but we make sure by the end of the three days they can float and dog paddle.”
“Is it dangerous to teach them in open water? I saw the chop out here the other day. It hardly seems safe for a small child.”
“Barefoot Bay is protected. The water is very calm.”
Throwing the covers back, Josie stood, giving Tony a view of her beautiful back and the golden swell of her behind. He didn’t realize how tan she was until he saw bathing suit lines around her hip. “Where are you going?”
She glanced back over her shoulder, giving him the tiniest peek at her breasts. “I was thinking I needed water, but maybe you have something else in mind?”
He had many, many things on his mind, and not one had to do with a glass of water. “Come back to bed.”
Turning slowly, Josie bit down on her lower lip and did exactly as he asked. She didn’t say anything, but kept her eyes trained on his. The devilish grin on her face told him he should be prepared for anything.
As she crawled back under the covers, pressing her soft naked body into his, she still hadn’t uttered a word.
“You have clothes on,” she cooed. He did, just his underwear. “Why? You need to take them off.”
Her words, calm, gentle—firm—made his blood run hot, and since he wasn’t stupid, he did what she wanted.
Once he was naked, Josie straddled him.
He damn near lost it when he felt her move against his cock. It was slow, rhythmic. A tease to be sure.
Bending toward h
im, she dropped a quick, sexy kiss on his lips, then took her time, nibbling his neck, ears, and chest. It was the best kind of torture.
It felt so good to have her hands on him, her mouth. They’d always been good together, there was no denying that, but somehow the separation made everything more intense.
Tony was losing his mind as her teasing reached a fever pitch.
He wanted to be inside her. Badly.
“Do you have protection?” she whispered. “Because we were careless last time.”
“In my shaving kit.”
“That’s good, because you look like you’re in agony, and I think we really need to do something about that.”
Loving her forwardness in bed, Tony lifted her off and in seconds was back with a fistful of condoms.
Josie grabbed one of the packets and tore it open. “I’ve dreamed about you making love to me, Tony. Ever since you left, I’ve dreamed about it.” She placed the condom over the head of his penis and started rolling it on. “When we were in bed together, the world made sense.”
There was nothing quite as amazing as the feel of Josie’s body in his hands. When he grabbed her by the hips and brought her back over him, she smiled, anticipating what was going to come next.
“God, Josie.” She was going so slow, almost painfully slow, taking him a little at a time. Tony focused on her face, watching her expression as he filled her. She was happy—blissful—and seeing that made Tony realize he’d missed her too much to be without her again. She stilled for a moment, adjusting to him, and Tony let her warmth surround him, consume him. He maintained his control until she shifted her hips, then he held tight and rolled her onto her back.
“Well, hello there.” She smiled up at him, and Tony’s heart just stopped.
“I love you, Josie. I always will. I want us to be together…”
Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him. “I love you, too. Just make love to me. We’ll worry about the future tomorrow.”
The beach was bathed in gray light, telling Josie another day was about to start. But the sun wasn’t quite up yet, which told her it was still very early. Rolling over, she expected to see Tony lying next to her, but instead he was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone in his hand.
He wasn’t moving; he just sat frozen, thumb poised over the screen. He was preparing himself to call home. Josie’s heart broke watching him agonize over this. In all other things, Anton was so confident. He was funny, intelligent, driven by devotion to his country.
When they had been together before, Josie didn’t know he was royal, but she did know about his job with the Ministry of Commerce. She’d often hear him on the phone, negotiating agreements in any number of languages. He could handle the head of a multinational corporation as well as a head of state. Tony’s brilliance, his confidence, had always attracted her, but it was the way he explained the importance of his work, the connection to the citizens of his country, that made her love him all the more. Everything he did was for his people.
They’d made their way out of bed last night to find a snack, and while scrounging up grilled cheese, he sat on a stool at the kitchen island and told her about his life growing up, about his parents, and about his sister, Marie. He’d had a nice childhood. Special in many of the same ways Josie’s was special. Tony’s country was small, and he and his sister had an almost normal childhood growing up. His father wasn’t the most attentive man in the world, but Tony never doubted his father’s love for any of them. It was when he reached his teens that his role changed. Expectations changed.
That’s why watching him agonize was breaking her heart. Tony desperately wanted to do the right thing, but he didn’t know what that was. Did he stay devoted to her, or to his family? Could he do both?
“I can hear you thinking back there,” he grumbled. “You have something to say?”
Snuggling up to him and resting her cheek on his strong back, Josie wished she could make everything better.
“No. I just want you to know whatever you decide, I’ll still love you.”
“I’m a born decision maker. I’ve always been comfortable with pressure. When I was in the army, and I was given my first command, I wasn’t intimidated, I was ready. Now, I don’t know what to do.”
“The stakes are high. It’s understandable.”
He turned. “I don’t feel I should have to choose.”
Moving, she shifted her position and settled on his lap. Looping her arms around his neck, Josie kissed him. “Could you be happy here? With me? Forever?”
“Here?”
“Yes, here. Could you settle into life on Mimosa?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it. I assumed that if I stayed with you in the States, we’d go back to New York. But I do like it here.”
She nodded, not having the heart to tell him New York would be a hard sell after the debacle there three years ago. There were a lot of places she would eagerly go with him, London, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago—but Josie wasn’t sure she wanted to live in New York again.
“You’d better make your call.”
“I’m sorry I woke you. I know you have a busy day with the kids.”
“I’m fine. I’m going to go swim a few laps in the pool to wake up.” Softly, and with all the love she could muster, Josie kissed him. “I love you. I don’t know if that helps or hurts, but I do.”
“It helps. Those years when I thought you hated me were torture.”
Hate him? “Never. I was angry, and I didn’t understand, but I could never hate you.”
It was time to make herself scarce, so after pulling on her bathing suit she left Tony to make his call. Donning her goggles and tying her thick hair back in a ponytail, Josie dove into the deep end of the pool and did a couple of warm-up laps before breaking the surface with a full-on butterfly stroke. She actually hated the butterfly, but it forced her to expend more energy than she would doing anything else, and at that moment, she needed to beat the anxiety welling up inside her.
Thinking about Tony on that call, defending her to his father…or not…sent a wave of sadness crashing through her. It was crushing, and she imagined the way it consumed her, the way it stole her breath, was what drowning would feel like.
Never so happy for the shelter of the pool, Josie flipped and swam back in the other direction, grateful that the water hid her tears.
The pillows on Josie’s bed held her scent, which calmed him. Dialing the palace, he knew he wouldn’t get his father right away. He’d be sent through switchboards and secretaries before King Edward picked up the phone to talk to him.
Mariana Palace wasn’t as grand as some European royal residences, but it was a beautiful building nonetheless. While it may have lacked the grandeur of a place like Buckingham Palace, it had what people often called character. It held art, historic documents, and the family that had lived there for seven hundred years.
He got through the switchboard and heard the phone ring in the palace office. A familiar voice picked up, answering in a sweet lilt. “Bonjour! Palace office.” It was the oddest greeting, but Gigi, the secretary to the crown, had been answering the phone the same way for forty years. An aged woman who prided herself on being at her desk by eight each morning, Gigi had to be close to eighty, but she wouldn’t admit to being older than sixty-five. One member of the palace staff swore they’d been celebrating Gigi’s sixty-fifth birthday for at least fifteen years.
“Bonjour, Gigi.”
“Oh! Anton! Enfin! Comment vas-tu?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine! I’d like to speak to my father, please. Is he in his office?”
“Oui! Of course! One moment, please. Oh, His Majesty will be so pleased. He’s been hoping you would call.”
His Majesty would kick Anton’s ass if he could. His father, who had a reputation as calm and steady, had been a champion boxer while at university. He never hit his children, but considering Anton was no longer a child, he would probably make an
exception.
“Good morning, Anton.” His father’s deep, clipped, boarding school English, was the most intimidating sound in his life. Even now. “So, how are the Americans? Have things calmed down a little over there?”
“Better where I am, yes. I’m sure you know I left New York.”
“Yes, you’re in Florida now? With your…friend? Her name is Josephine, I believe.”
“You have been keeping tabs.”
“Of course I have. Do you think we wouldn’t know where the Crown Prince is? You have security, you just don’t see them.”
“It’s a very quiet little town.”
“The security team said it’s quite charming.”
The silence was deafening. “Have you heard from Astrid’s father?”
“The Duke is mortified. He’s apologized daily. Have you heard from Astrid?”
Anton was glad he hadn’t; the last thing his father needed was to post transatlantic bail money. “No, and for her sake, I hope I don’t. I would like to come home. I think it’s time for a statement.”
“I’m pleased to hear it. Your mother and sister will be thrilled.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing them. I was thinking it’s time for everyone to meet Josie.”
“Josie?” His father paused. “The girl?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“I guess that depends on why you’re bringing her home.”
Tony took a deep breath. “I want your blessing to marry her, Father.”
“Oh. I see.”
Those three words told Tony exactly what he needed to know. Josie was not acceptable.
“Anton, there are a number of lovely women we would welcome to the family…”
A number of lovely women. That was code for no. “Papa—” He rarely slipped into this familiar name for his father anymore. It was from another time in his life, one that was innocent, simpler.
“Anton, we’ve been through this. As nice as the young lady might be, she hasn’t been raised to be part of our world. It would be a very difficult thing for us and for her. We’ve discussed young ladies who would be acceptable companions for you.”