“Fix drinks.”
Leaning into her, I dip my head and whisper, “As you command, Princess.”
“Oh good Lord.” She looks away, but not before I spy the pink hue her face has taken. “Command you, huh?”
Although I don’t subscribe to that sort of kink, I do find the thought of Della commanding me to pleasure her in the bedroom incredibly erotic. “As my future wife, you are allowed to boss me around all you want.”
“Awesome. You get to wash dishes tonight.” Then she sashays away, leaving me standing there, staring after her and enjoying the view of her delectable ass.
Tressie dries her hands. “Took you long enough.”
“To ask your daughter to marry me?”
Her lips flatten, but she doesn’t look surprised. “Don’t play with her. And don’t make her a pawn in whatever game you’re playing with your government,” she adds.
I can’t pretend to have no idea what Tressie means. Even if the discovery of our family hadn’t gone viral, she’d see right through me. “How long have you known?”
“An hour ago it was all over the gossip channel, but Della was too busy cleaning and looking after your boys to hear or read it on the Internet.” Tressie tosses the towel on the counter. “I like you, Colin, and I think you have a kind heart, but from one parent to another, if that girl cries a single tear over you, I’ll hand you your royal ass. Are we clear?”
“Perfectly.”
—
I’m in the middle of proofreading the marriage contract when Theo comes striding into my office. While he’s back in the States, the twins are in Australia, working with an animal charity to raise more funds.
“What did she say?” he asks.
“She said she is in to help us tell Parliament to bugger off.”
Theo exhales. “You’re not going to sleep with her, are you?”
I set the papers on the desk, then tug at my earlobe. “I don’t want to complicate things between us.”
“Do you actually listen to yourself when you talk? She’s willing to be married to you and I’m sure if you were to talk—”
“We did and I said it would be in name only.” I tap the contract. “It’s all in here for her to agree to, as well as a prenup so the Sinclair fortune will remain with—”
“Pardon?” The look on Theo’s face is incredulous. “Are you out of your bloody fucking mind?”
“If you don’t allow me to finish a bloody fucking sentence, I will be.”
“Go on, then. Tell me more about this brilliant idea to marry a woman you won’t touch because of a stupid invisible friendship line you’ve drawn.”
“It has nothing to do with that,” I counter, but I also won’t look him in the face because he’d see my lie.
“Bollocks,” Theo spits out.
“I’m not that bloody virtuous.”
Theo laughs. “Yes, you are.”
“Well, then I’m not that bloody virtuous anymore.”
“You’ve drawn up a contract that specifically states your marriage will be in name only,” he points out. “Shall I refer to you as bloody virginal instead?”
“Fuck off.”
“Every chance I get. Perhaps you should consider fucking off as well. You plan to marry a shit-hot woman to give Parliament the what-for, yet the true punishment will be yours. In name only.” Theo shakes his head. “What an idiot.”
“It’s not idiocy to preserve a decade-old friendship.”
Theo marches up to my desk, putting his palms flat on the top and leaning over. “It is mental to deny yourself and her the opportunity. You’re half in love with her already and I suspect she feels the same.”
“You wouldn’t know love if it bit you in the arse.”
“That’s what you think. I happen to love ass-play.” He smirks.
I groan. “That’s something I will never get to unhear.”
“I didn’t say I love having it done to me.”
“For the love of God, shut up.”
Theo straightens. “It doesn’t matter if I shut up or not because the fact remains that you are only letting Parliament win by denying yourself the one woman you’ve always wanted.”
As he leaves the office, I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. “I fucking hate when he’s right.”
Chapter 6
Della
The entire town is practically buzzing with excitement over the news that actual royalty lives here and our landline is practically ringing off the hook due to all the nosy nellies that want to know the scoop, which is why I’m home with Tressie instead of our usual dinner at Spoon & Fork Cafeteria.
“Pizza good?” I ask between bites.
She nods. “My compliments to the chef.”
“It’s your recipe.”
“My compliments to the recipe maker, then.”
“Ha, ha,” I reply. “You’ve been quiet since Friday night. Something on your mind?” I know what’s on her mind, but I want her to tell me so we can fix what is bothering her. “Is it because I’m going to marry Colin?”
“That, and well, just that.”
I set my plate to the side and hit pause on the Stranger Things episode we’re watching. “I know it seems sudden.”
“It seems contrived and it seems like, to me, you’re bound to get hurt.” She turns the recliner to face me. Her blue eyes are fierce. “I might not be your real mother”—I start to interrupt her, but she holds up a hand and I keep my mouth closed—“but I love you as if you were my own, and this entire situation is troubling.”
“I won’t get hurt. I’m going into this clearheaded.”
“And full-hearted.”
A blush heats my face. I’m not exactly embarrassed, but with my fair skin, I tend to blush easily. “He’s my best friend and it’s out of the goodness of my heart that I agreed to help him. And the boys…his whole family.”
Suuuuure, it’s out of the goodness of your heart.
Well, my heart is involved, so I’m not lying.
“What is he going to do for you?” she asks.
“He said he’d give me the money to pay me for my time.” That much is true.
“He’s really going to pay you for sleeping—?”
“Being his wife in name only.”
Tressie makes a face. “Screw the money, I’d rather have a hottie in my bed.”
I tilt my head to one side, trying to avoid a direct path to her face. “So would I, but not Colin.” I’m surprised lightning doesn’t shoot from the sky and strike me down for that huge lie. “He’s…we’re friends and friends don’t sleep together.”
My stepmother snorts. “If you’re playing house with that man, where exactly are the two of you supposed to sleep?”
I hadn’t thought of that. “Oh…well, I assumed, we’d just get married and I’d live here and help take care of the boys.”
“Like a nanny, huh?”
“No, not like a nanny. Like a wife.”
“A wife who doesn’t have sex with her husband.”
“Exactly,” I agree. My shoulders slump. “I shouldn’t be so excited about that, should I?”
“You can be excited about whatever you want. I’m more concerned about what you’ll get hurt over.” She sighs. “You’re an adult, Della, so I can’t tell you what to do anymore, but I can tell you to be careful and that when it’s over, you will always have a home with me.”
Tears prick at my eyes as I rush from the sofa to hug her. “Thank you, and, for what it’s worth, you have always been like a real mother to me.”
—
By the time Sunday afternoon rolls around, I’m one giant ball of nerves as I stand in the middle of Colin’s office, waiting for him to finish putting the boys to bed.
“Della.”
Jumping about a foot off the ground, I whirl around. “Don’t scare me like that.”
“You’ve not had a moment’s peace, have you?” he asks, taking me in his arms. Normally, I’d mentally swoon when h
e touches me, but I’m too grateful for the security of his embrace to do more than hug him back. “I knew I should have sent Bailey over yesterday. I apologize.”
“It’s not your fault that a reporter climbed up a tree to get a picture of me showering. She was hoping you’d be in there with me.” I bury my face in his muscular chest, inhaling his mouthwatering scent. Bad idea. Really bad idea. My ball of nerves starts to transform into ribbons of desire and they’d like nothing more than for me to wrap my legs around his waist. Stop it, Della. “Anyway, Tressie took care of her. By take care of her, I mean my stepmom repeatedly threw apples at the woman until she finally climbed down. By climbed down, I mean she fell out of the tree and hit almost every branch on the way down.”
“Remind me to never get in an apple-throwing contest with your stepmother,” he says, a smile in his voice.
“She has really good aim.”
“I don’t suppose the reporter will ever eat apples again.”
“Oh, it’s not that bad. Only a couple were rotten.” I laugh and he lets go of me. I almost take his arms and wrap them back around me, but that would be silly and needy.
“The contract is done, and if you need time for an independent lawyer to look it over, I’m amenable,” he says, all businesslike. “Not too long. I’d like to see us married by next weekend.”
I drop my chin. “Next weekend?”
“I realize that doesn’t give you a lot of time to plan, but Wallace will help you with everything.”
“I don’t want your secretary planning my wedding. Our wedding. The wedding.” I take a breath. “Can we just elope? I don’t see the point of having a fake wedding.”
“It’s a real marriage.”
“In name only,” I reply sweetly, but I’m not feeling very sweet at all. “Why does it matter?”
“It matters because it must be seen as real. At the very least, we’ll have to go on a honeymoon.”
A honeymoon with Colin? Um yes please and…“No. That’s pushing it.”
His full lips flatten. “Think of it as a long-overdue vacation.”
“I have to work.”
“I’m sure Vicky will allow you time off.”
I fist my hands on my hips. “You think of everything, don’t you?”
“I try.” His mouth quirks and I can’t help but smile. While I like to tease and fuss at him, I never mean it. Not really. “We will not forgo a honeymoon. I’m a dad who needs a vacation and I don’t remember the last time I’ve slept in.”
“You just had to go to my weak spot.”
He shrugs. “You have your ways of persuasion and I have mine.”
“Are you saying that when you were on business trips that they never turned to pleasure?” Holy crap. I did not just ask that. I never asked about his trips…well, nothing more than a polite “How did it go?”
“I haven’t the time for pleasure.”
“You expect me to believe that?” My heart speeds up and my pulse starts to beat hard against my skin.
“It’s been years since pleasure was on the menu.”
Oh sweet Lord. “Okay. Honeymoon slash vacation it is. Maybe you’ll meet someone!” Someone tape my mouth shut now.
His eyes darken, and not in a good way. He takes a step toward me, putting us only inches apart. “I will honor our wedding vows, no matter what.”
“So will I.”
“It’s not a contest of wills, love. I’d rather not shame you like that. I’ve seen what it does to a woman.”
On one hand, I find that an extremely sexy thing to say, but on the other hand…“Did you cheat on Aiden and Pierce’s mother?” I blurt out.
“No. God, no.” He looks so disgusted by my question that I know he’s telling the truth. Colin never struck me as a cheater anyway.
I wince. “Sorry for asking, but you made it sound like, um, you had personal knowledge.”
“My parents,” he says flatly.
“Oh good.” I shake my head. “Not good. I meant…what’s wrong with me? I didn’t worry about saying the right or wrong thing in front of you before.”
“Damn,” he mutters. “I don’t want you to treat me any differently, Della. Don’t let my title come between us.”
“I don’t care about your title. It’s the whole marriage thing that has me all discombobulated.”
“Oh good.” He tugs on his ear. “Sorry.”
My lips twitch. “Our mouths are just full of our feet tonight.”
“That they are. Would you have dinner with me? Our mouths can be full of food instead.”
“I’ve already eaten but I’d never turn down Thomas’s cooking, so count me in.”
“I’m having it brought in here.” He indicates that I should sit in one of the chairs flanking the fireplace before sitting in the opposite chair from me. The only thing between us is a medium-size table in the shape of an oval. “I’ve been so busy catching up on all my emails and paperwork for Sinclair Enterprises that I barely had time to put the boys to bed, but they come first.”
“You know I can help you with that, so you don’t have to be stretched so thin.”
“That’s very wifely of you,” he says.
“Or very nanny-like.”
“I think we can agree that it is very thoughtful.”
The door to his office opens and Wallace comes inside, pushing a fancy cart. He stops right in front of me. “If you should need anything else, please let me know.”
“We’ll be fine. Please, go home to your family.”
“Very good, sir”—Wallace clears his throat—“Your Highness. Ms. Hughes.”
“Night, Wallace!” I start to pull the cart closer, but Colin stops me with a look.
“Allow me the pleasure of serving you.” The way his mouth lingers over the word pleasure makes me clench my thighs.
“If you insist, I’m not going to say no,” I tease, trying to keep it light and friendly between us.
A sexy grin covers his face, the first one I’ve ever seen directed at me, as he removes the domes covering the plates of food. “Thomas prepared a couple of your favorite dishes in case you decided to eat with me.”
“I’m pretty sure we like the same things.”
“When you move in, you’ll have to give him a list.”
I glance up at him while he is in the middle of transferring the dishes from the cart to the table. “What about Tressie?”
“She is welcome to move in, too. There are twenty unoccupied bedrooms in the home.”
“I think she likes where she is.”
“You don’t want to leave her.” It’s not a question.
Looking away from his knowing gaze, I take a bowl of steaming homemade mac and cheese that has chunks of lobster in it and start eating. Tressie and I always add ham to ours, but I secretly love the seafood version better.
“It seems kind of silly to live here, with her so close and you traveling, maybe even more now with y’all all out in the open. Although Pierce and Aiden have grown up here and probably wouldn’t want to live in the caretaker’s house.”
“No idea if they would or not. After we talk to them, I’ll allow you to continue to command me.” He grins at me. “Amazing job, by the way.”
“If I didn’t like this mac and cheese so much, I’d throw it at you.” I take a big bite, savoring the taste with a moan…until I feel his eyes on me. They’re heated and he’s staring at my mouth. “What?”
“Nothing.” He lingers at my side, not bothering to grab anything for himself. Then he touches my face with the tips of his fingers, right along my jaw. A thrill of desire washes over me, making my nipples hard and goosebumps appear on my arms. He breathes my name. “Della.” Then he swallows, his head dipping to mine. “I think we should reconsider…that is, if you’re…if you want.”
I’m already nodding before he can get out his last word. My eyes close and I tip up my chin, desperate to find his mouth. To finally feel his lips against mine and learn what he tastes like.
His mouth lowers to my jaw, replacing his fingers with his lips and a breathy moan escapes me. “Read the contract, love, then decide if you want to change it.”
“I don’t want to read it right now.”
Colin’s hand goes to the back of my neck, cupping me there as his lips trace a path down my throat. “I’m in no hurry for you to.”
My fingers grip the bowl and my fork tight. I want to touch him so bad that I don’t know what to do, but I don’t want to start something that I have to stop or will regret later, either.
For the first time in our friendship, I start to question his intentions, his formerly quasi-secret life…and I hate the way it makes me feel—guilty and then angry because I haven’t done anything to feel guilty over.
“Please stop.” I bring the bowl between us and push against his chest, hoping I don’t sound all wispy-voiced. “I—You…we need to eat.”
He doesn’t say anything, just lets go of my neck and then moves to his side of the table. Unlike most guys I know, he’s not pouting or fuming. “I promise things won’t change between us. You have my word.”
Things already have changed between us. “When I go into work tomorrow, I’ll talk to Vicky about taking next week off.”
“Brilliant idea.”
“I’ll have Tressie’s gentleman friend look over the contract, too. He’s a lawyer from Raleigh. Nice guy and supersmart.”
“Return it to me when you feel comfortable.”
His lack of response to my kind of rejection makes me irritated. Unreasonably irritated. “You’re okay with me telling you to stop.”
“Absolutely.” He means it, but I’m pretty sure he means it in a way that I don’t.
I shake my head. “I mean that you don’t look like, or even breathe like, we were at the beginning of a huge make-out session.”
“Trust me, my body is one hundred percent aware of what we were doing. I don’t think I need to show you how hard I am for you…unless you don’t believe me and need to investigate for yourself.”
My fork almost slips from my hand, but I catch myself in time. “I believe you.”
“Too bad because I’d looked forward to your inspection.” With a slight smirk, he takes a drink and all I can think is What have I gotten myself into? followed by Who cares, you know you wanted to see his royal appendage. Tell him you’ll be happy to see if he measures up to your royal measurements.
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