With palmistry, it was a slightly different story. Addie read all the books on the subject, learnt about the lines on the palm and what they signified, and so on. She waited for Cate to arrive, and sat for hours with her palm open in her lap. Then she started listing out events from her past.
"Is this true, Catie?" she asked her friend after mentioning an event.
"No," came the reply.
"Are you sure this never happened in your life?" Addie insisted.
"Yes, Addie, I'm dead sure."
"But… the line shows it so clearly… it can't be wrong. Palmistry is an accurate science. It's the wrong kind of practitioners that are giving it a bad name."
"That's all right, Addie," Cate would say.
"But what about my past?"
"Here's what I told you about it, but you refute it. It's what the lifeline clearly says."
"But you said it was the heart line!"
Silence.
"Did I say that?" Now Addie was not so sure.
"Yes, you were referring to it as the heart line…"
"Oh oh. Just hold on, wait here. I'll get my books…"
And that was how it went, Sunday after Sunday, till finally Cate got tennis elbow, somewhat serendipitously, and her hand was painful to lift. A sad end, indeed, to Addie's ambition of becoming a celebrated palmist.
That was around the time when Addie got into cooking.
"Culinary arts, wow!" she was beaming to Cate.
"You know what, Cate. Cooking is the most creative you can be right here in the kitchen."
"Yes," agreed Cate.
"It's the most useful, anyway. At least you get to eat the art you create."
"Today I'm going to make this exquisite pasta delicacy for you!" Addie was all excited.
"Today? Pasta?" Cate was thinking hard.
"Oops, I just remembered. I have a dentist's appointment in thirty minutes time. 'Bye, Addie!"
And she was gone.
With painting, however, there was no such danger. Addie was not a painter, only someone who understood and appreciated the fruits of their craft. As long as she stayed that way, Cate was safe.
By now they had entered the gallery and were already looking at the art on show. Seeing Addie there, the staff made a fuss, but she dispatched them away double quick. She wanted to be alone with her friend, she told them, and they withdrew politely.
They were appreciating this avant-garde painting when Cate elbowed Addie. Someone was standing next to them.
It was Kenrick.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Suddenly Kenrick started believing in God. And in His grand design.
Because, without such a design, how was he to account for this chance encounter with Addie. Was it mere coincidence? Or could it be the stars aligning?
The thought had to come, that morning, to Pat that they ought to go to the Gallery to see the paintings. Two rank outsiders, as far as the arts were concerned. Their knowledge of colors was perhaps limited to a small handful – red, yellow, green, and of course, blue – and they had to the traffic department to thank for that, in addition to Kenrick's royal blood. Why would they ever want to see high art? And now Addie was standing in front of him. There had to be a god.
"Hey." She was the one who addressed him first.
That in itself was a miracle.
"Hello, Princess Adelaide!"
He watched her face curl up.
"I mean, hi Addie!"
A lot of faces – simple, commoner faces – turned at this peculiar way of address. By now, Addie's was a face that was well known enough for people to recognize it. Kenrick himself was a head turner, even with no royalty tag on him. Courtesy of his magnetic good looks.
"And what brings you to these parts?" Kenrick asked, redundantly. His royal mask had not come off fully.
Addie, concealing her amusement, just waved at the paintings hanging along the walls.
"By the way, Kenrick," said Addie.
"This is my best friend Cate. Cate, this is His Royal Highness, Prince Kenrick Royce. And also my stepbrother."
"Hello Cate, we're glad to meet you," came from Kenrick, his royalty back in action.
"And here, this is Pat, my best mate. Pat, you know Princess Adelaide, of course. And that is her friend…"
"Cate," said Cate.
All of them shook hands. Yet again, Pat had a look of familiarity for Cate, similar to the feeling he had the day he'd seen her for the first time.
There was a moment of awkward silence. Kenrick, his antenna up now, swung into action. He raised his hand and waved to the staff, waiting some distance away. The head of the Gallery came running.
"Can we retire to the lounge please?" Kenrick asked.
It sounded more like an order.
"Yes of course, Your Royal Highness," the man obliged.
"This way, please."
He led them through a short corridor to a large, expansive lounge that had the word 'Lounge' printed on a metal plate by the closed door. It was so tastefully furnished, with little private cubicles meant for one-on-ones, that Addie liked it instantly.
"Please be seated, Your Royal Highnesses, and sir, and lady," the head of the Gallery stated.
"Shall I call for some refreshments, Your Royal Highness?"
"Ah, yes please," answered Kenrick thoughtfully.
"Something to drink, and munch."
And with that, the man vanished. They all settled down on the luxurious sofas. Here, they could chat as much as they wished, without disturbing the avid art lovers back in the gallery.
"So," Kenrick began the conversation, in the fitness of things.
"What have you girls been up to?" He aimed the question at the two ladies.
"Well," started Addie, looking at Cate.
"We're supposed to be studying, aren't we, Cate?"
"Y-yes," replied Cate.
She was nervous in the presence of the prince, who was quite unlike a prince right now. He had never been seen this way, not this close, and definitely not this casual.
"But for some reason," Addie was saying.
"We're unable to focus. Lots of interruptions, you see."
Kenrick absorbed that, nudging Pat as if to say, "This is the kind of jibe she unleashes on you". But Pat never got it anyway, lost as he was in some recollection of his own.
The food and drink arrived, and Kenrick motioned to them to start having it. But none of them was in a hurry to consume it. Each had his or her own thinking to do. A few moments passed by.
Kenrick knew that he had to do something to break the ice. He also saw that both Pat and Cate were looking at each other, and both were thoughtful, so he tried something.
"Pat, looks like you know Cate. Is that true?" he asked.
"What?" Pat was flabbergasted.
"How would I know Cate?"
"I have no idea," replied Kenrick.
"Cate, do you imagine you've seen Pat before?"
Cate was too stunned to speak. This was the prince, the future king himself, addressing her.
"I… I don't think so," she stammered.
There was a moment of silence yet again.
"Unless…" It was Pat.
Kenrick looked at him.
"Cate, did you ever happen to live in Dockyard Green, by the docks?"
"Um…" she shot a glance at Kenrick, who trained his eyes on her.
"Yes… that is where I spent my childhood."
Kenrick looked back at Pat, whose eyes now turned brighter.
"Yes, yes," said Pat, excited now.
"We were staying there too… before we moved to Cotton Common."
"Really?" Cate, whose nervousness was showing now, averted her look and sat closer still to Addie.
Kenrick shot a look at Adelaide. She was calm and composed, her eyes set on the table in front. She seemed not to be thinking about anything in particular.
"I remember dating a Cate way back when I was in high school," announced Pat.
&
nbsp; "Could that be you, Cate?" He barely recognized her.
Cate appeared to be shaken with that revelation.
"Yeah… are you the same Pat, Pat?" she asked, less awkward than before.
"Cate," said Pat.
"Pat," said Cate.
Kenrick's gaze went from one to the other; it was a long shot, but it hit the bullseye all right. He looked at Addie again. She was the same. Though she overheard the Cate-Pat reunion, she seemed unperturbed in the least. What a controlled woman!
On an impulse, his hand reached over and touched Addie's.
It was the first ever time he had ever touched her. And it happened as an involuntary act, a reflex action responding to his thoughts about her.
To his surprise, Addie did not react. She did not even look at him. She just left his hand be, over hers, but only for a moment. A second later, she quietly withdrew her hand and hid it below the table for the rest of the meeting.
Neither Cate nor Pat had witnessed it. The two of them were talking, and it seemed that they had a lot more to share than a residential address in the past.
That touch. It remained a sweet secret between Kenrick and Addie.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
That touch had electrified her.
It was the first time he'd touched her.
Another thought zipped through Addie's head at the speed of lightning: It was the first time that any man had touched her that way.
Adelaide was lying on her bed. It was night. The day had passed much too fast for her liking. In fact, after they met at the Royal Gallery, it seemed like a blur to Addie. Especially after Kenrick had reached out and touched her hand.
At that instant, Addie was wet. It sent a sizzle through her body; she was glad that she was already down, or else she would have collapsed right then.
What was this attraction? she wondered.
Was this the feeling called love? She had felt a kind of infatuation for certain men, but nothing came close to this.
Inadvertently, her hand went to her bosom. Her breast felt soft, yet firm. At the thought of the prince, her nipples turned taut. There was a slight twinge between her legs. Her other hand reached for her pussy…
No man had ever reached there, she said to herself.
This was for him, Kenrick. This treasure she'd been guarding ever since she'd been aware of its capabilities.
Her hand gently rubbed over her vagina. It was hot.
How would he react to her virginity? Would it work for or against her? A girl who was twenty and still a virgin – would he take to that negatively?
Anyway, it was her decision to lose her virginity to the man she loved. And she'd been waiting. It was a long wait, but Addie knew in the end it would be worth it.
Whenever she was caught thinking of him, of Kenrick, she could never sleep. This was going to be another such night. And added to that was another factor now – her innocence.
If it had to be anyone, it had to be him. And when it happened, sometime in the near future, it would be far more than just sex – Addie knew. It would be way ahead of passionate lovemaking as well. It would be the sex of the century, because she was a virgin, and he was her stepbrother, and they were royals.
Who was more qualified – and capable – to take her virginity than him? He was the most eligible, the most handsome, and he had the biggest cock in the world.
She paused a moment.
Imagine that huge tool thrusting its way through her virginity!
She would be writhing in pain, but twisting in pleasure, and experiencing God knows what else. And then he would push and shove, propel and plunge, forcing it in and driving harder and harder and harder…
She realized that she was playing with herself, and stopped. That was not what she wanted; she wanted the real thing. From a real man. From a man like him.
Unexpectedly, guilt consumed her yet again. The same questions of right and wrong, morality and immorality, and good and bad came up. And she had no answers. Was her conscience going to play spoilsport this way, each time she thought of him?
Sighing, she turned to her side in bed, almost in a fetal position. Her legs were tight, with no space in between, perhaps as a reflex action to her remorse.
But that was how she preferred it – legs tight. She was Addie, she was not giving herself away to just anyone. It needed to be a special someone. And that someone would have to earn her.
Would Kenrick be that man? Her heart said so.
That mesmerizing moment – when his hand touched hers – came back to her. She could figure out that he was acting on instinct; it was not premeditated. It happened in a flash, yet it lasted forever.
She felt flushed all over. What a touch that was! And what a specimen of manhood he was! The fact that he was the prince, the heir apparent to the throne, and the future king, was merely incidental. First and foremost, he was the greatest man she had ever seen. And she was fortunate to know him and meet him, and to have him like her. For that, at least, she felt a weird sense of gratitude for the royalty – they had taken her in as one of them, after all.
But.
Hold on.
Wasn't this the web of charm he spun around every woman he met?
That thought sent a shudder through her spine. This was the smooth operator in action, his skill so superior, the victim was sucked into the web without her knowledge.
This was probably what every woman felt when meeting him. This was what every woman experienced at his first touch. This was what every woman went through at night. None of this was new.
In seconds, her exhilaration turned into revulsion.
So that was what was going on. The 'romantic' prince had caught yet another prey. And he was playing with it. He would tempt her till she finally bit into the hook. And on the big day, the prince with the big cock would win.
Yet again.
Well, my dear prince, you got the wrong number this time, Addie thought. This prey was slightly different.
You'll see, she spoke to Kenrick in absentia.
*****
Next morning, Addie woke up with a resolution.
She would stop all the nonsense that was going on, buckle down and focus on her studies. Exams were imminent, and this was no time to be fooling around – figuratively or literally. Everything could wait, including the prince, or Kenrick, or whoever. She needed to concentrate.
With that on her mind, she had an early breakfast and hit her desk well before nine o'clock. She decided to put in a solid four hours with her books before lunch. This was vintage Addie; the strong-willed, determined Addie. She had goals, and nothing – or no one – would come between her and fulfilling them.
Just before getting into her study, she switched off her mobile. Then she called her governess.
"Mrs. Bradford, please don't let anyone in."
"Very well, my child," the old lady replied.
"I need to study for my exams – they are less than two weeks away. So, strictly no visitors."
"Even if it is Prince Kenrick?"
The old woman knew of Kenrick's habit of barging in without the courtesy of asking.
"Even if it's Prince Kenrick," Addie said in an even tone.
Especially if it's Prince Kenrick.
That surprised Mrs. Bradford. For she had heard from various quarters that the stepsiblings were getting closer.
"The thing is, Mrs. Bradford," said Addie by way of clarification.
"I'm wasting enormous amounts of time, when I should be at my desk. Hence this imposition on myself."
"All right, my child," agreed the governess.
"I'll order the door to be closed. And it won't be opened without your express permission."
"Thank you," said Addie, who stepped into the study.
"My child," Mrs. Bradford called her.
"I almost forgot. There's a note waiting for you on the desk."
It sent a shiver through her being.
Royal S.O.B. (A Bad Boy Romance) Page 16