She loved the way it felt when he touched it. Especially when he used his lips.
“Chris also insinuated that we shouldn’t ‘rush’ things,” she said.
“Are we rushing?”
She grinned up at him. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re not moving fast enough. In fact, would you find it totally inappropriate to make out on the sofa in a hospital waiting room?”
“If it were only kissing, maybe not, but I’m having a tough time keeping my hands off of you.”
She sighed and laid her head against his chest, heard the steady thump of his heart. “There has to be someplace we can go to be completely alone.”
“I have a place in Cabo,” he offered. “Maybe with enough advance warning, your family would let you go.”
“I would love that! I’ll talk to Chris about it.”
“Unless security issues aren’t his only concern.”
She didn’t have to ask what he meant. “I’m twenty-seven. My sex life is none of my family’s business. And believe me when I say that they’re in no position whatsoever to pass judgment. I hate that we have to even talk about this, that we can’t just be a normal couple, let things happen naturally.”
He led her to the sofa, pulling her close beside him as they sat. “All couples have issues, Louisa.”
She drew her legs up over his thighs and curled against his chest. “Sometimes I wish I could lead a normal life. I’d like to shop in a store without a team of security parked outside, or eat dinner in a restaurant without a thorough background check of every employee.” She looked up at him. “Have you ever considered what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone like me? The freedoms you would have to sacrifice? You’d be a fool not to run screaming in the opposite direction.”
“Those things don’t matter to me, Louisa.” He cradled her chin in his hand and gazed into her eyes. They were so dark and compassionate and earnest it made her want to cry. “The way I feel about you, I’d be a fool not to stay.”
He brushed his lips against hers, so tenderly. So sweet. But she didn’t want tender and sweet. She was tired of that. She wanted fire and passion. She wanted to feel sexy and desired.
She slid her hands around Garrett’s neck, pulled him down and kissed him. A kiss that was anything but tender. At first he resisted a little, until she drew herself up on her knees and straddled his lap.
“I can’t seem to control myself when I’m with you,” he mumbled against her lips.
“Good, because neither can I.” She rocked her hips and rubbed against him. Garrett growled deep in his throat and tunneled his fingers through her hair, feeding off her mouth. She could feel his erection growing between them and she wanted so badly to touch him. She was so far gone, she didn’t care that Chris could walk through the door at any second.
Which incidentally, he did.
Somewhere in the back of her hormone-drenched brain she heard the door open, then the exaggerated rumble of a throat clearing. She peeled herself away from Garrett and looked over to find Chris in the waiting room doorway, one brow lifted. She knew exactly what he was thinking. This was her idea of discretion?
She heard Garrett mumble a particularly colorful curse under his breath—one most men wouldn’t dare speak in front of a princess—as he lifted her from his lap and dropped her onto the sofa beside him.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Chris said, “but Melissa is back in her room and eager for visitors.”
Louisa should have asked how Melissa was doing, or if the babies were okay, but to her surprise, and apparently her brother’s surprise as well, the first thing out of her mouth was, “I’m going to Cabo with Garrett and you can’t stop me.”
Demanding she be allowed to leave the country with Garrett probably hadn’t been the wisest course of action for Louisa to win a little freedom. Especially when Chris had just walked in on them making out like two lust-driven youths. Garrett was quite sure, considering her brother’s look of exasperation, she wouldn’t be leaving the country anytime soon. With Garrett or anyone else.
So much for convincing her family that he wasn’t compromising her honor.
Garrett assumed Chris would be furious with him, but when he pulled the Prince aside later to apologize for his inappropriate behavior, Chris only laughed.
“I know you’re smarter than that, Garrett. I don’t believe for a second that my sister wasn’t the aggressor. Just, if you could, try to keep her in check, at least when you’re in public. I would appreciate it.”
Garrett had been so stunned, he couldn’t form a coherent reply, which seemed to amuse Chris even more.
“You think I don’t know what my sister is like?”
“She can be…tenacious,” Garrett said.
Chris chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly. I’ve spent the better part of my life keeping her out of trouble. She whines incessantly that we shelter her, yet she refuses to exercise any common sense. If she wants something she goes after it, all pistons firing. Usually with no regard to the rules, or oftentimes her own safety. And if what she gets isn’t what she wanted, watch out.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love my sister to death. She has a heart of gold and you’ll never meet a woman more loyal to her family and friends. I would lay down my life for her. I also believe that she’ll make a fantastic wife and mother. But she is a handful. Let your guard down and she’ll walk all over you.”
In other words, her so-called reputation of being sweet and naive was bollocks. He’d basically figured that out already. He just hadn’t realized the extent of her defiance. Some men might have considered that a negative quality, and maybe he should have, too, but the idea that she wasn’t at all what he expected only intrigued him more.
The question was: what did Chris have to gain by his honesty? Was he trying to scare Garrett away? And why would he after he’d told Louisa that he was considering offering Aaron’s position to Garrett?
“Why are you telling me this?” he asked Chris.
“I think you should know what you’re getting yourself into. Louisa needs a man who’s just as headstrong and determined as she is, and I see those qualities in you. She needs someone who can…rein her in.”
He made it sound as though Louisa needed a babysitter more than a husband. Did the royal family cling to the archaic values that deemed women should be seen but not heard?
He wasn’t sure if he should feel grateful for Chris’s candid advice, or offended on Louisa’s behalf. And since when did Garrett feel the need to defend her? When did he start caring about her feelings?
Probably right around the same time she smiled up at him and said she couldn’t wait to see him naked.
“By the way,” Chris said. “Send me a copy of your itinerary and I’ll see what I can do. It will take at least two weeks to arrange.”
It took a second for Garett to realize he was talking about the trip to Cabo. “I assumed that wasn’t going to happen.”
“If I tell her no, there’s a good chance she’ll go without permission. Besides, maybe some time away would do her good. With our father in fairly stable condition, I think we could all use a vacation.”
Garrett, too, was looking forward to some time away. With his brother around, the less time he spent at home, the better as far as he was concerned. He and Ian had nothing left to say to one another, and all that talk about Ian changing his ways was rubbish. Ian would never change.
After a short visit with Melissa, who was indeed climbing the walls, Garrett said goodbye to Louisa, sealing their departure with another enthusiastic kiss. He made a short trip to the office to get a few documents that needed his attention. Then, because the cook had Sundays off, he picked up dinner on his way home.
Later, as he lounged in front of the television, mindlessly surfing the channels, he thought about calling Louisa to see if Melissa’s tests came back favorable. Only, as usual, she called him first.
He picked up the phone after the first ring and said, “You pr
obably won’t believe this, but I was just about to call you.”
“Were you really?” a sultry voice purred in his ear. “And here I thought you’d forgotten all about me.”
The unfamiliar voice threw him for a moment, then he looked at the caller ID and realized it wasn’t Louisa after all. It was Pamela, a woman he dated on occasion. Although to call what they did “dating” was a gross overstatement. They had sex. Unemotional, uncomplicated, no-strings-attached sex. Just the way he liked it.
“Pamela, sorry, I thought you were someone else,” he said. “How have you been?”
Her voice dripped with the promise of something naughty. “Missing you terribly, love.”
He used to find her sultry drawl warm and sexy. Now he recognized it for what it was: as insincere as her affection for him. She was using him, just as he had used her. Up until today that hadn’t bothered him in the least, in fact he’d preferred it that way, but now it just seemed…sleazy.
“I’ve been busy,” he said, but she totally missed what he’d hoped was a direct brush-off.
“Well, if you’re not busy tonight, why don’t I stop by for a while? We could get…reacquainted.”
It wasn’t the only time she’d offered herself up freely to him, but for the first time, he wasn’t the least bit interested. Not that he had no appetite for female companionship, but the female he was interested in right now was Louisa.
“I’m afraid this isn’t a good time,” he told Pamela.
“How about tomorrow night instead?”
“That won’t be a good time, either.”
The sexy tone wavered, as though she was finally starting to catch on that something was up. “When would it be a good time?”
How about never? “The thing is, Pamela, I’m seeing someone.”
“So?”
Admittedly, in the past, that wouldn’t have stopped him. “What I mean is, I’m seeing someone…special.”
There was a pause, then a short burst of laughter. “Are you saying that you’re in a serious relationship?”
“I am,” he said, relieved that he didn’t have to spell it out. Sometimes he could hardly believe it himself.
“Is she pregnant?”
“No, she’s not pregnant.”
“Blackmailing you?”
He laughed. “Is it so hard to believe I met a woman I want to date seriously?”
“I’ve known you almost ten years, Garrett, and in all that time not once did you ever have a serious relationship. You’re far too selfish.”
Pamela was right, but that selfish streak had led him to where he was now. He didn’t miss the irony. Some might go so far as saying he was too selfish for his own good.
“Who’s the lucky girl? Anyone I know?”
“No one you know,” he assured her. Of course she knew of Louisa, but they had certainly never inhabited the same social circles.
“Well, I guess all I can say is good luck,” Pamela said.
He said his goodbyes, hung up, then permanently deleted her number from his phone. He was about to set it down on the table beside him when it rang again.
This time it was Louisa, and he caught himself smiling. “I was just thinking about calling you,” he said.
“Were you?” There was a distinct note of happiness in her voice.
“I wondered if you’d heard the results from Melissa’s tests.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew they were not entirely true. If he had called, it would have been just to talk to her. To hear her voice.
“How sweet of you,” she responded, buying his fib without question. “She got the results just a bit ago and unfortunately the babies’ lungs need at least a few more weeks to develop. They’ve started her on steroids to get things moving along. On the bright side, she hasn’t had any more contractions.”
“That’s good news.”
“Do you know why I called you?” she asked.
“Why?”
“I was lying in bed thinking about our kiss today and I just wanted to hear your voice.”
Eight
Garrett found himself envying Louisa’s unrelenting honesty. Why was he so incapable of expressing his feelings? Or maybe in her case, his discretion was the kindest thing he had to offer. Was it fair to lead her on when the emotions he was feeling now were driven by curiosity and fleeting at best?
He didn’t think so.
“I’m starting to feel like I’ll go crazy if we don’t get some time alone soon,” she said.
He could relate. If Chris hadn’t stepped in the room when he did, things might have gotten out of hand. “I know what you mean.”
“I think about it a lot,” she admitted.
“Think about what?”
“Sex.”
He sat up a little straighter in his chair. “You do?”
“I fantasize all the time.”
“About what?”
“You. What it will be like when we’re finally alone. How you’ll touch me, and what it will feel like to touch you. Sometimes I get myself so worked up thinking about it that I have to…well, you know.”
She couldn’t possibly be saying what he thought she was saying. “You have to what?”
“Touch myself.”
Bloody hell. He formed a mental picture of that and just about swallowed his tongue.
“I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the Internet, too,” she said.
“What kind of reading?”
“Erotic short stories mostly. My favorites are the romantic ones, but there are a few with a bondage theme I thought were kind of fun.”
Bloody hell. Now would be an excellent time to change the subject, but his brain just wasn’t cooperating. Probably because all the blood in his body was pooling in the vicinity of his crotch. He was so hard he had to unfasten the button fly on his jeans.
“Nothing too extreme, of course. But I think I’d be willing to try silk scarves and feathers.”
He resisted the visual representation, but it popped into his head anyway.
He was so stiff he was aching, and he was seriously considering asking what her feelings were on phone sex, but if he and Louisa were going to be intimate, he’d be damned if he was going to do it from across town.
“Are you trying to drive me insane?” he asked, and she laughed.
“Maybe. Is it working?”
“I’m in agony.”
“You wouldn’t believe all of the different things I could do to help you with that.”
And, of course, a dozen or so instantly came to mind. “If you say another word, I swear to God I’m hanging up.”
She laughed. “Okay, I promise I’ll stop.”
“All those rumors I’ve heard that you’re inexperienced and pure—I’m not buying it.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but the rumors are true.”
“How is that even possible?”
“I was very sheltered. I wasn’t even allowed to start dating until I was eighteen and when I did there was always a chaperone. I never had the chance to experiment, although not for lack of trying. Unfortunately, the more I tried, the tighter my family pulled back on the reins. It was as if everyone was determined to keep me unspoiled and pure. Eventually I got tired of fighting them and I just sort of, I don’t know…lost interest, I guess.”
“You seem interested now,” he said.
“It was the Internet. I stumbled across a site full of stories and it opened up a whole new world to me. I finally started to realize what I’ve been missing all this time. It all just seemed so natural and…beautiful. I wanted to try everything. Well,” she amended, “almost everything. When it comes to sex, people do some weird things.”
“For the record, I’m not into weird.”
“I’m glad,” she said, sounding a little relieved.
“If you’re so…interested, why don’t you date more?”
“Because most men I meet are more interested in my wealth or my title than me.”
How woul
d she feel if she knew he was one of those men? That would remain his and Wes’s secret.
“I find so many men, especially the ones close to my age, far too arrogant and entitled. So, here I am now, twenty-seven and still unspoiled, but dying to be corrupted. And don’t ask me how, but when you took me in your arms on the dance floor, I just knew you were the one.”
Though it made no sense at all, he felt honored that she had chosen him. “I can’t say that I’ve ever corrupted anyone before, but I’d certainly be willing to give it a go. I’m free right now, in fact.”
“Even with Chris and my parents gone, inviting you over at 11:30 p.m. might be pushing the envelope. But the time will come when we’re completely alone, and I know it will be worth the wait. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later.”
“Me, too.” What healthy heterosexual male didn’t wish he had, at his disposal, a young, beautiful and sexy virgin willing to—in her own words—try practically everything? Men would pay exorbitant sums of money to trade places with him. And to think that he once believed he would have to take the sexual aspect of their courtship painfully slow. How completely wrong he’d been. This was working out far better than he ever could have imagined.
So why, somewhere deep down, did he feel so damned guilty?
The King had all the necessary adjustments performed on his heart pump Wednesday and the reinsertion after the capacity test went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, the news was not what they had hoped. Though some areas of the heart showed signs of healing, there had been little improvement in his overall heart function.
Everyone was disappointed, but Louisa refused to let the news get her down. As far as she was concerned, this was just a minor setback. His heart was just taking a little longer to heal, that’s all.
Anne was still in England with their parents, so Louisa sat in a visitor’s chair in Melissa’s hospital room with Aaron, Liv, Chris, and of course Melissa, discussing how the setback would affect the family.
Chris sat on the edge of the bed with his wife. “Obviously I’ll continue to perform Father’s duties, and Aaron will cover my duties.”
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