by Tawny Amaya
“I don’t blame you,” the one on the right chuckled as we walked over to the door and stepped into the stairwell.
I smirked as we walked down the flights of stairs, a quick trip to the lobby. The lobby was bustling with tourists, many stopping to stare as we walked past. I gave them all a smile and a wave, ignoring the cell phones that were coming out to take pictures. After all, it wasn’t every day they saw a man flanked by two security guards.
As we walked past the lobby desk, I looked over and was happy to see Carrie was there. She looked up, and I gave her a quick smile and a wink, watching as her eyes widened in response. What would she do if I walked over and engaged in a conversation? Likely hit me over the head. I wouldn’t put it past her.
I kept walking toward the doors and soon was in the car, heading through the traffic to the UN. I allowed myself to look at the passing scenery, my thoughts shifting back to Carrie. It would have been nice to meet her under different pretenses, where I could have hidden my royal status and just done what everyone does, whatever that was. Something told me she could care less about my title.
A chuckle escaped, and I cleared my throat, pulling out the cards that had my speech printed on them. I needed to focus on the task at hand. I was speaking on clean energy, some of our buildings on Maltan only powered by solar panels that were developed on the island. My father had been invited to speak, but he had delegated the task to me, and after today, the entire world would know that I was his heir. That knowledge truly had been just on the island until today.
Unless I was researched on the internet.
“Get it together,” I told myself, focusing on the words on the card. I had to clear my mind of everything, including Carrie.
Chapter 11: Carrie
I rolled my neck with a sigh, rubbing the tight spot just under my large bun. Today I had thrown myself into my work, working hard so that my mind wouldn’t have time to think or wander off toward a specific nearly naked prince that I had connected with this morning.
Ugh, I was doing it again.
With a frown, I grabbed my coat and shrugged it on, throwing my purse over my shoulder before exiting the office. It was sometime after ten at night, the lobby eerily quiet due to the drizzle of rain that was falling outside. Either all the tourists had found somewhere in the city to find refuge, or they were snug in their rooms, watching tv. Wherever they were, it wasn’t at the bar.
I walked out of the lobby and out a side door, the cool wind coupled with the rain making it nearly miserable outside. While I would love to go straight home and curl up in my bed with a good book, I had something else to do, something that I wasn’t going to skip. Tugging my hood over my head to keep out the rain, I walked quickly down the alley and to another door at the back of the hotel, one that was already propped open. “Chase,” I smiled as a tall, burly man filled the doorway. “Whatcha got tonight?”
“Oh, a little bit of this and that,” he responded, grabbing the two large sacks on the counter. “They gonna eat good tonight Miss Carrie.”
I rolled my eyes as I took the sacks. “Why do you call me that? You are only a year older than me?”
He winked at me. “Because it irritates the hell out of you.”
I stuck out my tongue before giving him a little wave, turning back down the alley. Chase and I had been doing this hand off for a year now, finding another home for the food left over from the dining room service every week. While some of it was composted and given to farms, one night a week, Chase boxed up the food carefully and packed it for me to take to the homeless camp near my apartment. Some days there were only a few people to feed while other days I barely had enough food to go around.
Hefting the sacks, I was nearly to the end of the alley before a shadow stepped into the opening, causing me to halt my steps. Normally I had no problems whatsoever picking up the food, but I wasn’t above throwing it at the stranger in an effort to leave.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
“Erik?”
The prince stepped closer, and I felt my heart start a slow thud as he looked at the bags I was carrying. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans that fit him too well and a t-shirt, his hair covered with a ball cap. He looked like any other guy on the street. “Carrie. What are you doing?”
“The same could be said of you. Throwing your detail again?”
“Perhaps I snuck down the stairs while they were taking a piss.”
I grinned. “Your uncle isn’t going to like this.”
“He’s not going to know,” he responded, looking at the bags. “Need some help?”
I held out one to him, and he took it, his fingers brushing mine and sending a shiver up my arm. This was dangerous, but I wanted his company, especially when he was doing something he shouldn’t be. “Come on.”
He moved aside so I could exit the alley and started down the sidewalk, the prince falling in step beside me. “May I ask where we are going?”
I shifted the bag in my hands so I could pull out my metro card, approaching the subway station. “Have you ever ridden in a subway?”
He chuckled. “I can honestly say I haven’t.”
“You are about to.”
I led him down the stairs and into the tunnels, swiping my card for both of us before walking toward the platform. I was unable to resist stealing a glance at the prince as we did so, seeing some curiosity in his expression at his surroundings. What was he thinking? I mean, I had been riding the subway for years, used to the smells and the people that sometimes frequented the platforms.
But this had to be new for the prince. I doubted they even had subways on his island. He looked over, and I smiled at him. “It’s not that scary.”
He grinned, and I felt my insides quiver in response. “Of course not. Unless we get stuck. Then I shall walk everywhere from this moment forward.”
I laughed as the train pulled up to the platform, nudging him forward into the car. Due to the lateness of the hour, we were able to find seats, and I sat the food in my lap, the smells of the pot roast from tonight’s dinner wafting in the air. “May I ask where we are heading?” Erik asked as the doors closed, and the train started to move.
I leaned back on the seat, feeling the weariness settling in my bones. “I take this train home every night. It’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around in the city.”
He looked over, his eyes intense. “You’re taking me home?”
I felt my cheeks flush at his subtle comment. “Not exactly.” Good lord, what was he thinking now?
“I’m just kidding you, Carrie.”
I cleared my throat as the train slowed down, busying myself with grabbing the bag and standing. “Come on. This is our stop.” Was it so bad that I didn’t want him to be kidding? I should have left him at the hotel. This was a bad idea, but I couldn’t go back now.
I largely ignored him as we exited the train and the station altogether, crossing two blocks before my destination loomed up ahead. It was under a bridge, the sight of the cardboard boxes breaking my heart. I was fortunate to have a decent job that I could afford a place to stay in the city, but these people had no choice but to live on the streets. There was a misconception that they were all druggies and lazy people, but it was far from the truth. Most of them were veterans unable to function in society. Some were older, some were younger, but all were damaged by what they had done for their country.
It broke my heart.
Chapter 12: Erik
I watched as Carrie handed out the small boxes of food, her gentle smile coaxing smiles out of the people as she passed them. I had been far too intrigued to find out what she was going to do with all this food from the hotel, my mind wandering, but this hadn’t crossed it. Unable to find the words to even speak about what I was witnessing, I held the bags as she pulled box after box out of them, wondering how many times she had done this alone. A woman alone in the city at night. It was like the perfect murder mystery, yet Carrie didn’t seem ver
y bothered by it.
In Maltan, there weren't many places that crime ran rampant enough that anyone would worry about walking alone at night. Sure, we had some crime, but nothing compared to what happened here.
Carrie handed out the last box, accepting the gratitude gracefully before taking the empty bags from me and throwing them in the nearby trash. “Come on,” she said, grabbing my hand. “My apartment is just around the corner. We can get out of this rain.”
I barely registered her words as her hand curled around mine, soft yet firm as she tugged me toward the building. Hell, I liked Carrie. She didn’t see me as the prince as everyone else did, but as a guy passing through her life. With her, emotions and feelings weren’t faked, and I had learned more about her as a person over the last two days than I had about anyone else in my life.
I squeezed her hand gently as we walked to her apartment building, laughing as she approached the elevator in the lobby. “Can we trust this one?”
She looked back, a sparkle in her eye. “I think so.”
I smirked as we entered the elevator, watching as she pressed the floor button, her hand still in mine. In this instance, I felt like a regular guy, one that was escorting his date back to her place after a night out on the town. Like this, I had no obligations to an entire country, no uncle breathing down my back.
The elevator doors opened, and Carrie stepped out, dragging me along with her, reaching into her pocket for a set of keys. She stopped before a door, pausing before looking up at me. “It’s not much,” she said softly, looking somewhat embarrassed. “Probably a tenth of the size of your palace.”
I reached out, unable to help it, and cupped her cheek. “I don’t care.”
Her eyes widened, and I removed my hand instantly, feeling a bit concerned about the tender rush of feelings that had accompanied my touch. I shouldn’t be thinking of her like this. She was far from the woman that my uncle or even my father had planned to be my queen, yet I felt closer to her than anyone else in my life. “Sorry.”
Carrie turned away from me and fumbled with her keys, finally inserting one into the lock and pushing open the door. A rush of cold air escaped the space as we walked in, Carrie flipping on the lights as she walked ahead of me. I took in the small space, no bigger than my bathroom at the palace and instantly felt like an ass for all the times I had complained about my personal space back home. This was like a fucking closet.
But Carrie was looking at me hopefully, and I was not going to tell her anything but positives. “It’s cozy.”
She smiled, and I felt some of the tension leave the room. “It’s a little bigger than the elevator. I assume you are going to be alright?”
I chuckled, watching as she shucked her rain coat and hung it on a rack on the wall before crossing over to the tiny kitchen. “I have some coffee. Would you like some?”
I nodded and stuck my hands in the damp pockets of my jeans, walking over to where she was standing. “Sure, that would be great.”
She started to bang around in the cabinets, and I wandered over to her windows, looking down at the dark, wet street below. What would she say about my place, my view? Would she be in awe of it all, or would she see me as a wasteful prince who didn’t think of anyone but himself? Why did I care what she thought? Two more days and I wouldn’t be here any longer.
Turning back, I saw Carrie watching me, her hands crossed over her chest. “What?”
She smiled. “I just, I can’t imagine what you must be thinking.”
“About what?”
She waved her hand about. “About this place. About what I did tonight. About the city. You name it, your highness.”
I frowned, not liking the way my title came out of her mouth. “Don’t address me as such. Call me Erik.”
She pursed her lips, something crossing her face. “What are we doing here Erik?”
The question hung in the air, weighing heavily on my shoulders. I didn’t know. Hell, I didn’t know why I insisted on going with her tonight, riding the subway and grinning like a damn fool every time she smiled at me. I pushed back the heavy questions, giving her a grin instead. “Drinking coffee?”
She stared at me a moment longer before blowing out a breath. “Yeah, you’re right.”
I wasn’t, not by a long shot. Carrie turned back to the kitchen counter, and I crossed the room, feeling something changing between us. This was probably going to end badly, but there was something, something I couldn’t shake about her. I breathed her scent in as I stood behind her, my hands damn near trembling as I reached out and encircled her waist with my arms, pulling her against me. She stilled in my arms before I felt her body relax, her head leaning back onto my shoulder with a sigh. My blood was boiling in my veins, my lower half reacting to her soft body against mine and I wanted nothing more than to take Carrie. I wanted her under me, on top, bent over, however the hell she wanted it. The need was overpowering, and I gritted my teeth against it. No, I wasn’t going to do that to her.
Chapter 13: Carrie
I felt the air shift around us when Erik touched my waist and pulled me against him, every fiber in my body going on high alert all at once. He felt too good and suddenly didn’t want it to stop here. I wanted it all.
Turning around in his arms, I looked up at Erik, seeing the conflicted emotions in his eyes. He was fighting it too, whatever we were experiencing. I reached up with my hand and cupped his cheek, feeling him jump slightly as our skin made contact. “Carrie,” he said softly, his jaw clenched. “I’m attempting to be a gentleman here.”
I smiled, leaning in to press my lips against his. Oh, he tasted like rain and heaven at the same time. “Don’t be,” I whispered against his lips.
He growled and crashed his lips against mine, his hand coming up to cup the back of my neck and angling my head to give him better access to my mouth. I gasped as a flood of anxious activity blew through my veins, my hands gripping his shoulders to pull him closer. If this was to be our only night, I wanted it to be everything.
His tongue delved into my mouth, and I was lost in his taste, the way he stroked my tongue until I was panting against his mouth. I was going to implode if he kissed me any longer. Tearing my mouth from his, I leaned against his chest, my body shuddering. “Can a person implode from a kiss?”
He chuckled, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me close. “I wasn’t thinking that, but I would say the odds are in your favor.”
I half laughed, half groaned, acutely aware of his hands trailing over my back lightly. If that was just the beginning, I wasn’t going to make it to the end.
His hands pulled at my shoulders until I looked up at him, a lopsided grin on his handsome face. “We don’t have to do this.”
“You don’t want to do this?”
The prince dropped his head, blowing out a breath. “Hell, Carrie, I want to do it so badly I can taste it.” He then looked up, his eyes burning with intensity. “But you know.”
I didn’t let him finish his sentence, knowing what he was going to say as I pulled him into another kiss. I wanted to forget that he was going to leave, that he was a prince and I was nothing more than just a lonely woman. He growled as I knocked his hat off his head, my hands reaching for the hem of his t-shirt frantically before either one of us changed our minds. He yanked it over his head, only breaking the kiss long enough to slide it over his face and my hands collided with his warm skin, feeling the muscles shift under my hands. Oh, he was gorgeous, and I felt the warmth spread all over my body.
When his hands slid to the buttons on my shirt, I broke the kiss, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. Here he was all chiseled like a Greek god, and I was, well, I didn’t know what I was.
“Carrie?”
My hands dropped from his chest as I looked up at Erik, wetting my lips. “I’m just; I don’t know what you are used to in a woman.”
He pressed his finger to my lips, a tender smile coming over his face. “You’re fucking gorgeous, and I am abou
t to explode with need for you.”
His words surprised me, changing my train of thought immediately. This prince thought I was gorgeous?
His hand brushed over the exposed skin at the collar of my shirt, leaving goosebumps in his wake before he stepped back, breathing heavily. “But I will do whatever you want to do.”
I started, renewed hope spreading through my veins. He was letting me decide. Oh, I wanted him so bad I could taste it. Why did it matter what I looked like? He had already made it known he wanted every last inch of me.
With trembling fingers, I unbuttoned my shirt, pulling it off my shoulders and throwing it on the floor. What the hell. If this went horrible, I never had to see him again. My skirt went next, puddling on the hardwood floor until I was standing there in my skivvies. Then and only then, did I raise my eyes to Erik’s.
The look on his face was feral, and I shivered under the intensity. There was no laughter, no regret in his eyes and I knew at that moment that I was practically in love with the prince.
“You’re gorgeous,” he said in a low voice, his hands going to his jeans. “So unbelievably gorgeous.”
My cheeks flamed with both excitement and a bit of nervousness as he shucked his jeans, the evidence of how badly he wanted me springing out from the confines of his pants. Oh my god. He was large, and I felt the warmth puddle between my legs at the sight of him.
“Come here, Carrie.”
Somehow, my feet moved, and I crossed the space between us, sighing as he took my face in his warm hands and kissed me deeply. By the time he broke the kiss, his hands had moved elsewhere, removing my bra and covering my breasts. “So lovely,” he whispered as his hands molded them, brushing over my erect nipples lightly. I moaned and used my own hands to trace his chest, my fingers gliding over his abdomen.
“Go ahead,” he whispered, his hand trailing down my stomach. “Touch me, Carrie.”
So, I did. He groaned as I took his hard cock into my hands, feeling the heaviness of his need for me (for me!) against my palm. His fingers delved into my panties, and it was my turn to groan as his fingers sought out the hard nub in the center, brushing over it and leaving behind a wet trail. “You’re so wet,” he said, his mouth nibbling at my ear. “So ready.”