Pretty Prize

by Goode, Ella

  “I set the menu.” He almost pouts. I have to fight a laugh. It gives me a glimpse inside the hard exterior he keeps showing me. There might be more to him than I’m seeing. I almost feel stupid that I haven't already thought of that. I am a prime example. I live it every time I go out in public. Hell, I live it anytime I’m not alone or with my friend Cara or Aunt Nora. I am always pretending to be who my brother wants or my family name demands. But I’m not a Vandermeer anymore. I feel free when I think those words.

  “That was very thoughtful of you, husband.” I lean over and brush my mouth against his quickly. I’m a little shocked at myself but it feels natural. If he’s surprised by my act he doesn't show it. I should have deepened it, I think to myself. I enjoyed our last kiss. I could have taken another.

  As if reading my mind, Hunter moves, pressing his mouth against mine. His tongue demands entry. I open for him, wanting him there. The tingling I had under control comes back full force. When he pulls away we are both breathless. My mouth feels well used. His lips even look a little red too. I made sure to nip him before we finished. I enjoy seeing my small mark on him. There is no missing the heavy weight of his mark on my hand. My eyes flick to where his wedding band sits on his finger and a sudden feeling of possessiveness takes ahold of me. It’s only a simple gold band but it shows he belongs to me. I watch as his thumb rubs it absently. Is he thinking about how he is mine? Will that ring ever represent more than a contract to him?

  “If you’re going to kiss me, wife, then kiss me,” he tells me before leaning back in his chair. A thrill runs through me every time he calls me ‘wife.’ It is something I’ve never thought I’d take pleasure in but I find myself doing exactly that. I glance up at my husband, realizing we both do have a common enemy. My brother. Why he is Hunter’s enemy I have no idea. I’m sure he won’t tell me if I ask. I find myself not wanting to bring it up because if he did refuse to tell me I’d be disappointed when I shouldn't be. I also don’t want to spoil the small steps forward I have gained with him. I don’t want to poison it by talking about Garrick. I have finally left the Vandermeer name behind and I am never going back to it.

  I glance over to take in Hunter’s gorgeous profile. He winks at me and shows me a small smile. My heart flutters with hope. I know better than to expect Hunter to fall in love with me. Men like him don’t do the fairytale love thing.

  But could he?

  Chapter 9

  Hunter

  She never does what I expect, which is maddening, given that I know everything about her from the time she lost her first tooth at the age of six when she tripped and fell in the Vandermeer mansion to when she cut off her long hair in defiance of her brother at the age of eleven. He didn’t beat her, but that might only have been because Countess Muffy Raspielli was present and said that the short hair made Rose look like a woodland sprite.

  Rose’s hair is long again, never undergoing more than the tiniest trim after that incident, but she is one of the few women who could pull off very short hair. It’s because she has a small face with delicate features.

  I let my gaze drift down her dress. She is probably delicate everywhere, with tiny nipples and a tight little cunt. I’ll have to take extra care when fucking her.

  The plan was to debauch her on the plane, but that was before I realized she had the capacity to surprise me, that the dossier I had put together on her was missing a few things, such as that very strong spine of hers. And I find myself not wanting to diminish that in any way. I also want to fuck her. Badly.

  It’s becoming a need, not merely a desire. Just looking at her makes my cock hard and heavy. Touching her sends my blood pounding. My mouth is dry, my tongue feels thick. My hands itch to map out every hill and valley of Rose’s delicious body.

  Should I take her? Should I carry her to the back of the plane, strip off that expensive dress of hers, pin her ankles over her head and fuck her until every ounce of cum that my balls can produce is emptied into her womb? Should I—

  “Here you are, Mr. Keal and Mrs. Keal.” The flight attendant places our meals in front of us.

  Rose pinkens adorably at the use of her married name. Christ.

  “Thank you,” she says with a shy smile.

  I swallow a sigh and remind myself that Mark is merely doing his job and I can’t demand he be thrown off the plane for interrupting my fantasies.

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Will there be anything further?”

  “Not now. You can leave us. We’ll ring when we need you.” I hope he gets the message. We are not to be disturbed.

  Mark ducks out quickly.

  “This is my first time flying, but you know that, don’t you?” Rose says as she cuts off a piece of meat. I watch as the fork disappears between her lips. How much of my cock would she be able to fit inside her mouth? What will she look like when I face-fuck her, holding her head still while I shuttle my cock between her lips?

  I force my gaze onto my own meal. If I don’t stop thinking about sex, we won’t even make it to the rear of the plane. I’ll end up throwing her down onto the floor and taking her right in the aisle.

  “I do,” I answer, seeing no point in lying to her.

  “How long have you been hunting me?”

  Hunting…that’s actually the perfect term for it. “Six years.”

  “That long. I thought you saw me on my birthday. That’s when my brother put me up for sale, you know.”

  “I didn’t know.” I set down my knife and fork so I can study her properly. None of my reports indicated that he was accepting suitors at that time. He has turned down a multitude of offers in the past, which led to my belief he had rather impure thoughts about his own sister.

  “He didn’t come out and say it, but I knew when I was being put on display. It was an expensive night and he’d never spent anything on me.” She plucks at her dress. “This outfit and the one that I wore at my birthday are the nicest things I’ve ever owned. Whenever Garrick spends money on me, he expects a return.” She gives me a pointed look which I decide to ignore.

  “You went to a private boarding school and a very expensive private college,” I remind her.

  “Sure, but that doesn’t mean I had nice things. In fact, everyone at school had expensive clothes and purses and stuff, but Garrick didn’t want to waste the money on me. He said it wasn’t worth it since no one of value would see me.”

  I’d missed that. In the reports I received, it hadn’t occurred to me that I should see purchases of things other than school uniforms, books, and school supplies. It does make sense, though, that he began receiving offers of marriage after the party. I’d thought it was because she was finally eighteen.

  “Your brother turned them all down.”

  “It terrifies me that you know all of this,” she says, popping another piece of meat into her mouth. She looks as far from fearful as a person could possibly be.

  “I don’t know everything about you.”

  “Really? I don’t think that’s possible. You know I like horseradish with my steak, for crying out loud.” She jabs her fork in the direction of the ceramic compote holding the condiment.

  “You tended to order the same things whenever you were out with your friends,” I reply.

  “Stalker.”

  “Not me, personally, but, yes, I had you followed.” I was protecting my investment. No one was going to take what I'd claimed as mine.

  “That’s creepy, Hunter.”

  I glance at her plate, which is almost empty. “You don’t seem disturbed by it. At least, your appetite is unaffected.”

  “Well, a girl’s got to eat. Besides, it doesn’t change the past if I stay mad about it. I knew Garrick would sell me off eventually.” She shrugs as if being used as a bartering tool seems normal to her.

  Perhaps it does. “There is one mystery.”

  “Oh, what’s that?” She dabs her last bit of meat into the horseradish before eating it.

  “How did yo
u manage to survive your brother?”

  Chapter 10

  Rose

  “Who said I’ve survived?” I answer.

  Hunter gives a small jerk at my answer. I’m not sure if he’s surprised or shocked by it. I take the last bite of steak. I don’t know how it’s possible but I’ve just had the best prime rib of my life served to me on a plane. It could be that life is tasting a little different right now. Either way, it’s wonderful.

  “You’re mine now. Not his.” I’m not sure if he’s saying that to remind me or to reassure himself.

  “Because he agreed? Who knows how this will go? My brother always finds a way to get what he wants.”

  Everyone kept saying he wanted me. Was I missing the signs? My dealings with men were only ever under the watchful eye of my brother. I was never allowed to have private interactions with any man that wasn’t him. Now I am navigating my time with Hunter on my own. For all I know I’ll be back with Garrick next week.

  It reminds me that I should live in the moment. You never know what is going to come. I am going to enjoy every second that I am away from Garrick. I am going to Rome, I have gotten rid of that curse of a last name and I have a sexy as hell new husband.

  My body has also decided to have a mind of its own when it comes to Hunter and I have no intention of trying to convince it otherwise. My new husband is on the top of the list of things I need to do to live my life. Whether this relationship lasts a day, a month, or a year, I will make each moment count before Hunter tires of me or Garrick gets his claws back into me.

  “This is for keeps.” Hunter’s jaw goes tight. I can feel the tension fill the plane as his mood shifts. It might be, but it is clear he wants to take Garrick down. I may end up a casualty in that war. I have always been used in one way or another.

  Can you be cursed with beauty? I think so. I’m not going to enjoy being the toy pulled between the two of them. With the way Hunter is making me feel I’m not going to come out unscathed either. That whole plan of me keeping my emotions in check isn’t working out so well for me. My thoughts are all over the place when it comes to the man sitting next to me. I’ve never had to deal with so many emotions at one time so I’m struggling to keep them in check.

  “Are you referring to the fact that you think my brother wants to fuck me?”

  I shock even myself saying the words out loud. I’ve heard them before. Cara has spouted them a few times. She’s pointed out a time or two that all the women my brother is seen with look eerily like me. I saw his love interests on occasion when he brought them home. He wasn't discreet about it. Sometimes he’d even go out of his way to prance them in front of me as if he wanted me to see them.

  Chills run down my arms now that I’m actually thinking about it. I always laughed it off when Cara said it but I’m starting to realize exactly how odd it is.

  “Wants?” he half growls. I fight to not roll my eyes.

  “I’m still pure. No need to cast me out.” I drop my fork down onto the plate. If I hadn't eaten I would have lost my appetite now. “That is why he likely hasn't touched me. Wouldn't want to soil me.” I let the mock annoyance bleed through my words. “He goes out of his way not to touch me,” I add.

  In a flash, the serving tray is pushed away. I’m lifted from my seat and dropped into Hunter’s lap. I gasp in surprise. I wasn't expecting it. Hunter looks pissed. Have I gone too far? I don’t think so. It’s me we’re talking about. In my opinion, I didn’t go far enough. I’m not only mad at everyone but myself too. It shouldn’t matter to me whether Hunter believes I am pure or not. Yet I allowed myself to get upset when I thought he saw me as impure and would cast me away because of it. I was hurt by this thought and I shouldn’t be.

  “He doesn't touch you because he wouldn't be able to stop.” His hands go to my hips as he digs his fingers into me. It’s almost painful how tight he holds me but a delicious chill runs up my spine. “It’s why he doesn't let males close to you.” He leans in. “We want you. Pure or not we’d take you.”

  My nipples tighten. The rush of power I felt before comes back stronger now. He’s got a hold of me but in a weird way I feel like I have the power and he’s all but reminded me of that.

  “You seemed to care when you thought another man kissed me,” I toss back at him.

  “Don’t talk about other men kissing you,” he bites out. I narrow my eyes at him, ready to call him a liar. “If a man had kissed you, if a thousand men had touched you in ways that only I’ll ever actually know I’d still take you. Still have you.” His eyes lock with mine. “I’ll just be your last.”

  “Will I be your last?” I find myself asking. I shouldn't care but I do.

  “You think after I’ve seen perfection I’d settle for anything less?” I wiggle on his lap at him calling me perfection. “You’ll soon see I don’t settle. I always keep pushing until I get what I want.” His words excite me. I wasn’t worried about him getting what he wants, I was worried about him keeping it once he had it.

  In a moment of weakness, I lift my finger and caress his face. His eyes close as if he’s memorizing my touch. When he opens them, they seem to soften as he stares back into mine. We stay like this for a few moments, neither of us saying a word. Our trance is broken when we hit a bit of turbulence and the pilot comes across the speaker asking us to fasten our seatbelts. Hunter lifts me from his lap with care and places me back into my own seat. He reaches over and fastens my seatbelt for me. I’ve never experienced turbulence before so I reach down and grab his hand before he can take it away. He doesn’t pull it away and I’m thankful for that.

  The feel of his hand in mine gives me comfort. I begin to relax and eventually I feel myself drifting to sleep. His whispered words awaken me. He lifts me into his arms, carrying me to what I’m guessing is one of the bedrooms. He gently places me on the bed and begins to undress me, tossing my dress to the floor. My body immediately awakens but my mind trails behind still in a slumber as he gently puts me into a silky nightgown. His eyes eat me up as he covers me back up with the delicate material. Then to my utter surprise he joins me on the bed. He pulls me into his hold, wrapping his arm around me and I once again fall asleep, feeling taken care of for the first time in my life.

  Chapter 11

  Hunter

  There are three hours left on this flight and I am aching. Need courses through me, making my hands shake. My muscles are tense from keeping still but it's worth it because she's sleeping. There's enough trust between us that she can fall asleep in my arms and that thought has kept me up for four hours.

  I've done nothing to earn her trust. I bought her from her brother as if she was nothing more than a piece of pretty jewelry. Worse, now that I want her, I find myself commiserating with her debauched brother.

  I don’t want anyone to see her either. I want to lock her up in a room and keep her to myself, preferably naked and on her knees. That would be the easiest way for her to hate me, to turn this fledgling trust into dislike and fear. Before meeting her, I wouldn’t have cared. In fact, I expected her to despise me, call me names, ban me from her bedroom. I envisaged a life where the two of us would engage in meaningless sex enough times for her to get pregnant. Whenever I need the release. Sex hasn’t been something on my mind these past years. Revenge consumed everything for me. I wouldn’t let myself have any kind of pleasure until I got it. It was a vow I made to myself after I lost my mom. That taking sweet Rose’s innocence would be enjoyable but a necessary part of my revenge. A small loophole.

  That plan is out. No, I don’t think I’ll be satisfied with loveless fucking. I want it to mean something. No. I want to mean something to her. I want her to look into my eyes when I’m seated inside her cunt and see that there’s nothing in her head but me.

  I shake my head lightly. Where did these thoughts come from? This isn’t the cold hearted Hunter Keal who has spent most of his life ruthlessly pursuing revenge, ruining people for even off-handed cruel things they mouthed about his
mother. This is a softer version. My cock twitches in denial. I suppose not all of me is soft. My cock is hard as steel.

  She stirs in my arms and her perfect lips purse and kiss the air. She sighs and my name floats out into the air. Hunter. Hunter. Below, her legs move restlessly. Another sound escapes her mouth, this one higher and needy. A small hand with pink nails travels down her belly to cup herself. She moans in frustration when the nightgown prevents her from making contact her with pussy.

  “Shhh,” I whisper against her head. “Let your man do this for you.”

  I reach down and pull up the hem of the silky nightgown until her bare thighs are exposed to the cool air in the plane. Gooseflesh pimples along the skin. She shifts again, rubbing her thighs together.

  “Having a naughty dream, are we?” I murmur. I slide my hand between those taut, golden thighs and find her inner flesh damp. The poor baby. How long has she been in this condition?

  At my touch, her legs part and her knees fall back on the bed. Her silk panties are wet, outlining the plump lips of her cunt. My tongue darts out as if I can taste her on the air. I pull the gusset of the silk aside and run one finger along her crease. She arches at the contact, another longing sigh drifting out of her precious mouth.

  I use her own lubrication to circle her outer lips, rubbing in small, light motions. She thrusts her hips up in the air and frowns when there’s no return pressure. I slip a finger inside.

  Her eyes fly open. “Hunter?” she says.

  I dislike that my first response to her saying my name is to smile. It’s just a name, for fuck’s sake. “Yes.” I nod more curtly than I mean to, more curtly than I should when I have a finger shoved up her tight, virgin cunt.