“What?” she asked.
“Alex is taking me away for the night,” I called through the door. “You’ve got the place to yourself, but don’t do anything stupid.”
No answer.
I hefted my bag onto my shoulder and went outside.
Alex was waiting for me in a black SUV, one of the tinted windows rolled down enough to let out a snuffling doggie snout.
“Sir Hank!” I exclaimed, jogging up to the car.
The mutt, hearing his name, began to whimper excitedly. Alex rolled more of the window down for him and he pushed his whole face out, barking once in greeting. I ruffled his head and he lavished me with slobbery kisses.
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Alex asked, peering back at us from the front seat.
I laughed and moved to the passenger door, sliding into the seat and depositing my backpack at my feet.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there,” I said playfully.
Alex growled and grabbed my arm, hauling me partway to his side and plastering a firm kiss on my lips. I giggled and wrapped my arms around him. Keeping my balance was precarious, but worth it. Something jabbed under my armpit and nearly sent me crashing into the console. I looked down to see Hank had pushed his nose up between us.
“He’s not big on PDA,” Alex said. “Ed hates him for it. He and Clarissa always make sure to look around before they make out in the gardens, just in case. My brother can’t stand getting dog hair on him.”
I straightened up. “Poor Hank just doesn’t understand why anyone would want to kiss anyone other than him.” I reached a hand back to pet him. “And I don’t disagree.”
Alex smiled and pulled away from the curb. Sunlight poured through the windshield and picked out the strands of gold in his hair and made his skin glow. Forget royalty, this man was clearly divine.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Can’t tell you that. It’s a surprise.”
“You’re big on surprises, aren’t you?” I said, cocking a brow.
“What’s not to like about a surprise?”
“Aren’t you worried that you’re going to hype something up only to wind up disappointing me?”
He shot me a crooked grin. “No.”
“Why not?”
“You’re not that kind of person,” he said. “You can find enjoyment anywhere.”
We drove out of the city and cruised through the countryside for a good hour or so. I marveled at the endless rolling fields, painted the lightest of springtime green. The sky was an idyllic, cloudless blue, stretching far into the distance. We turned off the highway and onto a small winding road bordered by bluebells and beech trees, and Hank started whining in the backseat.
“He knows we’re close,” Alex explained.
“Close to what?”
I got my answer soon enough. We reached a black wrought iron gate, which swung open with the press of a button on Alex’s keys. Beyond that the trees gave way to a sprawling lawn, and the road widened. When we crested the next hill, my mouth dropped in awe.
“Welcome to Springfield Manor,” Alex said.
I couldn’t think of a better name for the beautiful house. It was set over two stories, with a high gabled roof and rock siding. Sun reflected from the dozens of tall, white-lined windows, nearly blinding me.
“It’s gorgeous.”
Alex parked by the front door, pulling on the handbrake. “It’s all ours for the night. I gave the staff the day off.” He flashed me a grin. “Private. Just like you wanted.”
I stared deep into his eyes, wondering how I could have gotten so lucky. Then Hank barked in my ear and planted a kiss on Alex’s cheek.
“I think somebody would like to go inside,” Alex said, chuckling.
We got out of the car and Alex opened the door for Hank, who went shooting off around the back of the house.
“There’s nobody else around for miles,” Alex said. “It’s Hank’s favorite place to chase rabbits and dig holes. Ed hates it when he does it at the palace so I give him free rein here.”
Alex came around the side of the car to take my bag, then grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the front door.
“What is this place?” I asked. “Who owns it?”
“I do,” he said. “Well, my family does. It’s one of our summer residences.”
I didn’t even have a single summer residence and my mind was spinning. Alex unlocked the front door and led me inside. The inside was just as thrilling as the outside. The high ceilings and abundant windows gave the space a light and airy feel, and the tasteful décor made it look lived in and cozy.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
Alex smiled and brought me to the kitchen, which was a wonder of stainless steel and crisp white tile. He dumped our bags on the kitchen table and walked to the fridge. “Wait until you see my favorite part.”
He rooted around in the fridge and produced a bottle of champagne, winking.
“Your favorite part is the champagne in the fridge?”
“Of course not,” he said. “I’m not that easy to please. Come on.”
Alex took me by the hand again and we moved back through the house, passing a dining room and a sitting room before guiding me through a glass door into a glass-walled conservatory. It was warm inside, enough so that I could see myself lounging in there in my underwear. Sunlight flooded through the ceiling and walls, greedily sucked in by the various plants that bordered the room. In the middle of the floor was a small sitting area with round couches, faced toward the back garden.
“This is beautiful,” I sighed.
Alex walked over to one of the tall, leafy plants in the corner. He fingered a waxy leaf and smiled. “I used to play jungle explorer in here when I was a kid. When Edward grew out of it, I made Victoria play with me instead.”
Movement in the back garden attracted my attention and I looked out to see Hank bounding toward us.
“Let me take you out back,” he said. “There are so many things I want you to see.”
A small brick patio gave way to a backyard composed of a lush, expansive lawn bordered on one side by apple trees and the other by scraggly pines. Flower beds were bursting with red and blue and yellow scattered throughout. It smelled of sunshine and springtime earthiness. I never wanted to leave.
“Do you play croquet?” Alex asked, placing the champagne and glasses on the patio table.
“The one they play in Alice in Wonderland?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Not really, but I could learn.”
I couldn’t think of a game more fitting of this place. I’d become a croquet champion if it meant getting to stay here forever.
“Perfect.” He grinned. “Back in a flash.”
Alex jogged off around the side of the house, leaving me to bask in a warmth that came from more than the sun. I watched Hank weave through the apple trees, inspecting the bases for fallen treats. It was too early in the season, poor guy.
Alex returned, arms laden with croquet gear. “Why don’t you pour us each a drink while I set up?”
“Can do.” I uncorked the bottle and watched as he set up the game, coming over once he was finished and handing me a wooden mallet.
I passed him a glass in return.
“To surprises,” he said, lips turned in a wry smile.
I laughed. “To surprises.”
Half an hour later, I was a little tipsy, losing badly at croquet, and having the time of my life. Alex batted each ball through the hoop with practiced ease, whereas I circled each hoop five or six times before getting through.
I paused after my latest goal in the shade of an apple tree, panting. The activity could barely be considered exercise, and I swung my mallet back and forth. A colorful bird hopped through the branches above me, vibrant yellow with a black and white head. It trilled a charming tune. I stared up at it, smiling, not noticing Alex watching me.
“Great tit,” he said.
I looked at him. “Huh?
”
He pointed to the bird. “The bird,” he said. “It’s called a great tit.”
“And how do you know that?”
He walked toward me, using his mallet like a cane. “If you ever tell anyone this I will personally have you hung, drawn, and quartered.”
“Sounds kinky.”
Alex rolled his eyes, threading an arm around my waist when he reached me and pressing his cheek against mine as we both looked at the tit, still hopping through the branches.
“I like birdwatching,” he said. “It relaxes me. The world around me might be going to shit, but I can look up at that great tit and know that it eats mostly caterpillars, and that the width of the black band across its chest means it’s a male. It’s a simple thing in a world of complexity.”
As much as I wanted to tease him for his nerdy hobby, his explanation struck a chord in me. The events of the day had made it easy to forget the situation with my sister, but I couldn’t forget it for long. I still had no idea what to say to her.
Alex noticed my change in mood. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Have you gone off me now that you know my secret?”
I chuckled and turned my head to kiss him. “Of course not. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Alex took me by the hand and led me away from the tree, pulling me down to sit on a spot of lush grass and wrapping me in his arms. “Let’s talk about it.”
I shook my head. “Let’s just sit for a while.”
Part of me didn’t want to spoil the perfect day, but another part of me worried that I would scare Alex away with my emotions. I didn’t want to complicate things. I didn’t want to change things.
Alex didn’t argue. He leaned his head against mine, and we watched Hank roll on the grass, tail wagging like crazy.
Chapter 13
Tamara
I wouldn’t have expected Alex to be a great cook, but I was dead wrong. He navigated the kitchen like a seasoned pro, preparing a dinner of mouthwatering chicken thighs and fresh spring vegetables without ever breaking a sweat. We ate out on the patio, enjoying the last strips of color in the sky as the sun sank into the horizon.
“This is delicious,” I commented. “Yet another surprise.”
He smiled, fork halfway to his mouth. “I’m full of them.”
“Evidently.” I chuckled. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
He chewed slowly, thoughtfully, and swallowed. “You know, I’ve never been much of a yodeler.”
I laughed. All day our conversation had been light, but there were lots of things I wanted to know about Alex that had nothing to do with birds or yodeling. I decided now was as good a time as any.
“How’s that project going that you were telling me about?” I asked.
Alex’s smile dipped. “Eh. It’s in the works. Still a ways out before we can announce it.”
“But at least you’re getting to announce it,” I said brightly, hoping to cheer him a little.
He wrinkled his nose and rested his fork on his plate, picking up his wine glass. “It’s strange. I’m looking forward to the announcement, but I’m dreading it as well.”
“Why’s that?”
“The media,” he said. “I know they’ll run with the story, but I’m worried it won’t be for the right reasons. They’ll spin it as a bad boy prince trying to rehabilitate his image using his nationally cherished dead mother to do so. I worry people will miss the real message entirely.”
I winced at how blunt he was. I opened my mouth to assure him that they wouldn’t, but realized I had no way of knowing that. The media were a pack of hounds, and as soon as they scented blood they went on the hunt. I knew that just as well as anybody, and Alex probably knew it better than most.
Alex took a sip of wine and continued. “I know it’s terribly thankless to have the world on a string and still complain of injustice, but it’s frustrating that I can’t do good while playing by my own rules.”
“You can,” I said. “You are.”
He smiled laconically. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
Silence settled between us, and I took a drink of my wine. The tangy, fruity notes were heaven on my taste buds.
“Thank you for coming today,” Alex said. Our conversation left his voice with a raw, emotional note.
I smiled. “It’s me who should be thanking you,” I said. “I’ve had an amazing day. It was a perfect reminder that life isn’t only stress and bills.”
Alex sat forward. “I’m glad. I needed this too. Badly.” He reached over the table and rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand, curling my fingers into his own. “I can tell you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“Just the stuff with my sister,” I said, and then filled him in on everything that had happened over the past few days. He listened quietly, and when I was finished he folded his brows in thought.
“I remember what you told me about expecting your sister to snap one day,” he says. “It stuck with me because there have been times when I’ve felt like that myself. Prince or student, pressure builds up inside the same way.”
“She puts the pressure on herself though,” I said. “It’s not like she’s got a whole country watching her every move and scoring her for style points.”
He nodded. “True, but what are the expectations of millions of strangers compared to the expectations of your family? Even if you don’t feel like you’re applying pressure, maybe that’s not the way she interprets it. I would hear her out, even if you don’t think you’re going to agree with what she says.”
“That’s incredibly insightful for a man who was once caught smoking in the bathroom at the opening of a fancy art gallery.”
“That was all Teddy!” Alex exclaimed. “I bloody told him not to, but he’s a right nasty fella when he’s having a nic-fit.”
I chuckled. “Sure.”
Alex rolled his eyes and grinned, sending a wave of heat between my thighs. I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. “Uh, should we take these plates inside?”
“Right,” he said. “Yes.”
We cleared the table and cleaned up inside, then took our wine back to the patio just as the first stars of the night materialized in the darkening cobalt sky. Hank sat out on the patio while we ate, but now that there was no more food he lost interest in the outdoors and was quietly dozing on one of the dog beds inside.
“I know I said it already, but I can’t thank you enough for bringing me out here,” I said. “This place...there’s something magical about it. Don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Oh, I definitely agree. It’s my favorite place to be.” He dropped his head to the side and smiled at me. “And now you’re my favorite person to be here with.”
I couldn’t tell whether it was the wine or the happiness spinning in my belly, but his smile made me lightheaded in the best of ways. I took a long drink of my wine.
“We’re really alone out here?” I asked.
Alex nodded, eyes sparking with interest. “Completely and totally.”
I put my wine down on the table and stood, holding my hand for Alex. He placed his own glass down and took my hand without hesitation.
I led him out onto the grass, kicking off my shoes and socks as I went so the blades tickled the bottoms of my feet. The ground was still warm from a long day of sunshine, though the air held a slight chill. We walked silently until I reached a part that felt right, and turned to face my prince.
The moon cast a white glow over his features. The air was silent, save for the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds settling down for the night. He could probably identify each one by their song, but I had a better idea.
I gripped Alex by the front of the shirt and pulled him down to kiss me. His hands found my hips and pulled me tight against him, so that I could feel every ripple of muscle against my body.
I opened my mouth and Alexander’s tongue stroked mine, slipping deeper into the kiss. My body buzzed. I always felt like this when he touched
me, when he held me. It was like I was slowly coming to life, one cell at a time.
Alex guided me down to the grass, wedging himself between my legs to grind his already hard bulge into my sex. Sparks flooded my core, and each brush of grass against my bare skin was another burst of electricity.
His kiss turned ravenous. He held my face in one hand and groped my breast through my shirt with the other. I gasped as he pinched my nipple, rubbing his thumb over the spot afterward to soothe it. Alex growled and rotated his hips against mine.
My pussy throbbed. Ached. I felt a great emptiness, a need beyond anything else I’d ever known. This hunger dug its claws in deep and demanded satisfaction, and only the bronzed god above me could provide it.
Alex pulled my shirt off and I fumbled with his. The moonlight cast shadows over the strong planes of his chest, accentuating his hard muscles. I ran my fingers over them as he sat on his knees and stared down at me.
“I wish we could stay out here forever,” he whispered, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me.
I answered anyway. “Forever’s a long time.” I pressed my palm into his jean-clad bulge. “Let’s start with tonight.”
Alex’s eyes flitted closed with pleasure and I took the opportunity to guide him onto his back. I fit neatly between his legs and I used the advantage of being on top to grind him exactly where I needed him.
Alex’s head fell back and he swore. I loved hearing him swear. He may have been a rebellious prince, but he was a prince all the same, and it delighted me when his polished veneer cracked. Especially when I was the reason.
I unzipped Alex’s pants, tugging them down his legs and tossing them to the side. While I worked on my jeans, Alex leaned over and fished a condom from his jeans pocket. He lay back again just as I unclasped my bra and my breasts bounced free, nipples hard from desire and the chill in the air.
Alex held my hips. He licked his lips and his eyes roamed a hot path down my body, stopping at my panties, which were already soaked. He smiled wickedly and returned his gaze to mine.
“How can I thank you for today?” I asked, fluttering my fingers over his package. I felt it flinch under the fabric of his boxers and smiled. “You’ve been such an accommodating host.”
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