Powerful Prince (Steel Series Book 5)

by Victoria Pinder

  The heat in my skin grew with every syllable I’d just said. Plus my heart raced. This wasn’t good. Now I listened to my own breathing.

  He held me tighter and then his lips met mine.

  Damn, I needed this. My body erupted like a firework, with sweet sparks landing all over me. Once the kiss ended, he said, “No matter what happens Nicole, I promise to be good to you. You’re more than I deserve.”

  I swallowed and sucked in my lips that still had his taste on it. Then I smiled. “Then hurry back so we can get the doctor’s note and be done with this.”

  He kissed me again and steam rushed in my veins, lighting me up like a Christmas tree. He let me go and backed away as he said, “I will. And I promise that, afterwards, we’ll get out of the castle so I can show you around.”

  “I’d like that,” I said as he flipped on the light in his room. I’d give him space to clean himself up. I had work to do anyhow, like writing that blog.

  I had to ensure I didn’t mention anything about his family or private life.

  The charms of a prince would be a good title.

  This was a business deal. But he waved as he headed toward his en suite bathroom. “Me, too.”

  I plopped on my bed and opened my laptop. For now, I worked. I couldn’t hide from my computer. It was my life, and sharing my innermost thoughts and dreams and hopes through my words and pictures had always fulfilled me. At least, until now.

  Chapter 8

  Ryder

  My heart thundered and it wasn’t because freedom beckoned. Everything about today was barbaric and awful.

  Nicole was dressed in a loose-fitting shirt and baggy skirt that went past her knees, though it was asymmetrical and showed off how sexy her lower calves were. She was sweet, and if she went through with a stupid test, for my freedom, then I was a bastard and a jerk.

  Someone knocked on the door and Nicole patted me on the back as she went to answer it, making the air smell like her lavender and oranges as she passed.

  When she opened the door, a woman with a white jacket and short curly hair, wearing a stethoscope around her neck, came in.

  Adrenaline rushed in my veins. I never should have asked her to do this. It was like I’d asked her to be assaulted.

  Nicole walked over to her bed and waited while the medical team set up a bed with stirrups, as if she’d been expecting them.

  This needed to end. I couldn’t let her go through with this. Sweat was forming on my forehead as the technicians finished setting up a medical exam room in the middle of her bedroom.

  Nicole came and stood beside me, cool as a spring breeze, and said, “Just hold my hand.”

  My shoulders were too tight. I needed to stop this. So I told the doctor and her team, “Give us a moment.”

  The two techs and the doctor immediately stopped what they were doing and said, “Yes, your highness.”

  Nicole cocked her head but didn’t say anything. I made sure the door was closed, while she crossed her arms and stared at me. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m mad.” I reached for her hands so she’d understand. “I don’t want this to happen.”

  She waved me off like my concerns weren’t important. “Look, I just don’t want to be alone. If one of my sisters were here, I’d have her with me. But you’re the only one here I know or trust at all. Let’s just get this done.”

  Every muscle in my body contracted. That was exactly why this was wrong. I widened my stance. “We can call it off and run away together.”

  She shook her head, then shrugged and opened the window to let fresh air in as she said, “I … that’s not our deal. So let’s stay focused and let the doctors in now.”

  My skin practically jumped and my neck cords were tight. There was no way I’d want this for us. I said, “You don’t need to.”

  She went to the door as she said, “I want this. It will be fine.”

  “This feels wrong,” I said, but she opened the door.

  And immediately the blue eyes of my sister met mine.

  “I was keeping Doctor Caia company,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

  Nicole waved them both in and said, “Your brother’s indignant over this.”

  She rolled her eyes, but she bounced as the doctor and her staff returned. She raised her eyebrow and asked, “Really? Need me to keep him in line?”

  Nicole waved her in. “Sure, if you can keep him calm.”

  She pointed to the exam bed and the doctor motioned that she’d need to take the skirt off, then handed her a sheet to put over her. Then the medical staff left again while Nicole stripped her skirt off and tossed it on a chair. She climbed onto the bed and spread the sheet over herself from the waist down.

  “I’m calm. Let them in now.”

  My sister went before I could utter a word. As the door opened, Nicole took my hand but said, “Emily, thank you for helping.”

  The team got to work and Nicole just gazed at me, like I protected her and everything was fine.

  Except it wasn’t. The doctor had what seemed like pliers, but both Emily and Nicole didn’t bat an eye as the circular plastic instrument was inserted. I turned away. The process made my stomach turn.

  Emily squeezed my arm and said, “Doctor, finish up with my new sister-in-law fast.” And then Nicole asked, “Are you okay, Ryder?”

  I forced my cheeks higher in a stiff smile and held onto her hand. If she could pretend so convincingly that this was all fine, I was in trouble. I liked knowing when people were lying to me. But I said, “Yeah.”

  The doctor took the scope and plastic pliers and placed them on a tray. Nicole sat up like she was fine and asked, “Are we done?”

  The doctor took off her gloves and motioned for her team to go as she said, “I am.”

  Nicole swung her legs over the side of the bed, ready to get up.

  “Prognosis?” I asked and stopped the doctor from leaving right away.

  Her gaze had a twinkle, but she crossed her arms and said, “I’m to report to the king first, but unofficially, I’d start planning the wedding now.”

  “Excellent.” Nicole called out.

  The doctor and staff stepped out. Nicole tugged her skirt on like she was fine.

  My skin tingled but my sister stood there like all of this was normal too.

  So I calmed down. Hopefully, I’d never see anything like this ever again. Once Nicole had her skirt back on my sister waved and said, “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  She had a small giggle on her lips as she stared at me, but then she popped out the door.

  Nicole called after her, “Thanks for coming, Emily.”

  The technicians returned to take away the medical equipment as Nicole said, “I like your sister.”

  My body still had the weight of what I’d done pushing against it, but I stayed at attention like this was an army drill till the medical team was gone.

  Nicole snapped a picture of the ocean and then closed the window. Once we were alone, I breathed deeper and asked, “You ready to get out of the castle for a while?”

  She grabbed a pair of sandals that matched her beautiful pixie look and cupped them around her heels as she asked, “Where are we going?”

  She took my hand and I said, “I planned a picnic, but we can go into town if you want, instead.”

  She beamed at me like she controlled the sun. “A picnic sounds quiet. Tomorrow we can go get our picture taken.”

  We headed out of the tower and took the winding steps down to the ground floor. Then I led her to a back door.

  I had given the staff instructions for where to leave the picnic basket. I hoped she’d like the spot I’d chosen. As we headed outside, the breeze of the day hit my skin. I winked at her and said, “I knew I liked you.”

  “I’m easy to like,” she said, and squeezed my hand.

  We headed onto the rose garden path that was lined with blooms growing in a variety of pinks and reds. My mother used to enjoy her flowers and spent
hours with the gardeners.

  The air smelled sweet and my shoulders relaxed as I held Nicole close. “I can see that.”

  She stretched as we made it to the meadow, with green grass and tulips planted around the small hill. “So was this your escape as a boy?”

  I motioned toward the picnic blanket and basket that were there already as I said, “When we were in town, yes. This is the formal castle and we spent four days a week here, with duties laced through the day.”

  She plopped down on the blanket and opened the basket as she asked, “But three days off?”

  “Yes.” She took out the wine, glasses, and a small tray of sandwiches and placed them around us as I said, “I should warn you that we probably don’t get to ‘retire’ immediately after saying ‘I do.’ My father will probably parade us around on a schedule for a month.”

  She handed me the bottle to open and I reached into the basket and dug out the corkscrew. She laughed and showed me the small cakes she’d discovered for dessert, but put them back in the basket for now. “A month isn’t that long,” she said.

  My heart beat an entirely new tune. She handed me the glasses and I poured the wine as ordered while I said, “It might feel that way for you. You’ve never done royal duties.”

  “No.” She took the stem of the glass I offered and sipped the wine. Then she said, “But I know how it feels to always shine a light on myself, even when I want to stay in bed and do nothing.”

  Yes, both of our lives were documented—though hers was by choice. I said, “We have that in common.”

  She unwrapped the sandwiches that were even meatier than breakfast. My favorite ones had lamb as a base. My mouth watered as she offered them, and I took a slice.

  “So, when you get to retire, what’s the first thing you want to do that you can’t do now?” she asked.

  I devoured the sandwich like I’d been the one to go through the ordeal of being prodded. Once I finished, I met her gaze and asked, “The truth?”

  She twirled her wine in her hand. “Yes.”

  I clinked glasses with her and leaned closer to share this lifelong dream. “First thing is walking around my own house or castle in nothing but my pajamas all day.”

  Her head rolled back and she laughed like I’d just said the funniest joke ever. She even slapped her knee. Once she calmed down, she asked, “That’s it?”

  Maybe every Sunday of her life she had the luxury of doing nothing and never having to politely wave at anyone. I nodded and sipped my wine. “Yes, I’ve always wanted to know what not having to do anything feels like.”

  Her face went white and her jaw dropped, so we ate in silence for a few minutes. Then she asked, “After that?”

  I took a deep breath. Gio was the only one who knew about my plans. I had a portfolio ready, but my inheritance was tied up and out of my control for now. That meant my growing allowance was all I had to prove my worth at the moment. But I only said, “I want to support boards and companies that will leave less of a carbon footprint.”

  Tears seemed to mist in her pretty brown eyes and she cupped my face. “I didn’t know you had that interest.”

  We had more in common than we’d realized, it seemed. I gazed into the distance, at the bay and the trees, and asked, “What about you? What are you going to do once you’re posting less?”

  Her lips quirked up. “After I join you in the pajama party?”

  She scooted closer and her thigh pressed against mine as I said, “Yes, though you being there might make the day more fun.”

  “I hope so.” She seemed hypnotized by the blue sky meeting the darker blue waters as she said, “But then, I’d like to sit down with myself and write the book in my heart.”

  I blinked and glance down at her. “That’s it?”

  She sipped her wine then put it down as we took our time enjoying the afternoon. “I’m always putting off my Modern Life manuscript to write my blog. I have this huge idea on how we should all live, but I’m so caught up in advertising my life, that I sometimes leave what I really want to write on the back burner.”

  I put my glass down and scooted in front of her as I said, “So we both get what we want with this.”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck. “That, and I get to marry a man I trust and respect, which is definitely an added bonus.”

  My skin buzzed with the need to kiss her. As I leaned forward, I said, “We’ll discover more about each other, after the wedding.”

  She leaned back, denying the kiss, as she said, “You said you were free once we had the test.”

  Our gazes met and, for once, it was like I had a partner. I swallowed, and didn’t let her go as I said, “True, but I want it to be special, for both of us.”

  “I’d like that,” she said, and came closer to me.

  Then I claimed her lips as my own. She might not realize it yet, but she was about to be my forever.

  Her lips burned me, like they were the only ones I’d want, forever, and that was perfect. She was everything I’d ever need.

  Chapter 9

  Nicole

  A trumpet sounded a tune. I sat up, ignoring how my body tingled for more kisses, and scanned the area to see who was there.

  I saw no one, so I stood up. In the distance, I could see a man with a trumpet on a brown horse, flanked on both sides by riders in full blue and gold military uniforms.

  Ryder stood and smoothed his pants like they might have wrinkles. The afternoon sun was setting. I raised my eyebrows and asked, “Are we being summoned?”

  He placed his hand on the small of my back though his shoulders tightened. “Seems so. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy dinner.”

  As I walked along with him, I checked that my own clothes weren’t dirty anywhere. Then I settled into our pace as I asked, “Is it more sandwiches? When I imagined royal life, it was lines of buffet options with unending food in sight.”

  His blue eyes had a sparkle in them, but he didn’t laugh. “We do offer buffets for parties. Tonight, we’ll probably have a lamb stew. Tomorrow, we’ll be back to fish. We usually eat it for dinner three or four times a week.”

  He walked me to my door, and inside, I saw a selection of dresses laid out for me. A pink frothy chiffon that would go to my knees, with matching shoes, and white gloves. A bright blue dress that also went to my knees, with a gold sash for the waist and matching gold shoes. And a white with blue trim, knee-length dress with lace, also with matching shoes. Seriously, this needed a photo, so I didn’t touch anything yet. And my fans would wonder if I was getting married when they saw that white dress, which was a tease. As he went to his room, I said, “Not to change the topic away from food, but we have more important things going on here. Your father and you are so stiff with each other, but he doesn’t seem that way with your brother.”

  He stripped off his polo and tossed it in a bin near the en suite bathroom. I trotted to my room and saw the same bin. Seriously. I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

  “Harry’s the heir. I’m the spare,” he said. “Emily is the girl. And you’re the test pilot. Gio and father paid for a matchmaker to find you.”

  I slid back to the open doors and put my hand on my hip. “Seriously?”

  He glanced up as he tugged the white shirt sleeves over his muscles. “Yes. Harry confirmed it.”

  I grabbed my phone, snapped a photo of my wardrobe choices, and quickly posted it along with the caption: Decisions! Which one do I wear?

  I brushed my hair and decided to pin it up in a bun as I waited for the immediate crowd answer. “What if I wasn’t a virgin?” I asked Ryder. “Would the matchmaker not get paid?”

  He popped his head in the door with his shirt mostly buttoned. “He used a woman in Avce who gets paid up front.”

  I turned around and my heart thundered.

  I dabbed on some of my face cream and said, “Well, that’s good business. Should I send her a thank-you card?”

  “No.”

  I walked over to him and
ignored how my skin still zipped when I was near him. “Can I blog about that?” I asked, “I’ll give her a glowing recommendation.”

  This time, his face beamed. I bounced on my feet and wished he’d hold me.

  “You would?” he asked. “You’re happy?”

  I pretended to kick a rock, though the floor was polished and the carpets we stood on were plush, as I said, “I think so.”

  He patted my hip. “Don’t blog about the matchmaker, please. I’m not supposed to know.”

  I saluted. “I won’t. You’ll have to trust me like I’m trusting you.”

  His face turned red. I got it. Trust wasn’t something we had. Not yet. I sucked in my bottom lip and ignored how my heart thundered. But then we heard footsteps.

  “I … And here comes my brother and sister. Father must be busy.”

  “You’ll have to fill me in more soon.”

  He returned to his room and I checked my phone. The pale pink number had won. Guess my fans knew my complexion. I put my phone away and opened my door. I stood taller as I saw both of his siblings and called out loudly, “Hello, Emily. Harry.”

  Emily hugged me and laughed. “Americans are so informal immediately.”

  Harry headed past me and into his brother’s room. I rubbed my shoulder and asked, “Should I call you ‘your highness,’ then?”

  “No, Emily is fine.” She laughed and walked over to the clothes as she realized I wasn’t dressed yet. I picked up the pink outfit as she said, “I just find it fascinating that father so easily accepted you because of some matchmaker. And that you and my brother seem so happy and at ease with each other.”

  I rushed into my en suite bathroom to change into the dress, but I said first, “Well, I’m happy I was ‘hired’ to teach Ryder here how to live a more peaceful life. I think he needed me.”

  He called out as my hand was on the door. “I don’t hate yoga or anything. I find it relaxing.”

  Emily clapped her hands like she was amused. “See? Even more reasons.”