by CA Quigg
Instinct begged me to get the hell out of Dodge because something wasn't right. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and squeezed. Usually, nothing much frightened or intimidated me, but this, this feeling of foreboding was way beyond anything I'd ever experienced. I didn't know how to act or behave in this situation, but if I ran away now, I would probably get lost and never find my way out, plus I'd never understand how my mom ended up married to a prince.
As if sensing my unease, Kit said, "Don't worry, Emma. You're perfectly safe."
"I know that." I didn't know that, but I pretended like I did.
When we reached the end of the hall, Kit hit the call button on a service elevator.
"This will take you to private rooms on the first floor. The door to your suite is open. When the Prince is ready to meet you, someone will come and escort you to him. There's an important party being held at the palace tonight. Do not leave your rooms until instructed to do so. Is that clear?"
"Got it. Don't move. Don't touch anything. Is it okay to breathe? Because I kind of need to breathe. What if I need to eat?"
"Breathing is acceptable," he said and then laughed. "Your suite is fully functional with a stocked refrigerator, and there's a book with phone numbers for housekeeping in your room. They'll bring you hot meals if you require them."
I held out my hand. "Thanks for all your help, Kit. It was a pleasure to meet you."
He looked at my hand, took it then held it to his lips, but instead of kissing it, he inhaled deeply.
"The pleasure was all mine." He stared at me, locking me in place with a dangerous and dark gaze. The fire in his eyes wasn't hard to misread. He knew what I'd done.
Awesome. Fucking awesome.
I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole. Dropping dead would also have been acceptable. I flicked the tip of my tongue over my lips and snatched my hand back.
Kit smiled. "I have a feeling the next few days are going to be fascinating for both of us." He set my backpack by my feet, flashed me another smile smile then strode away.
What the fuck had I gotten myself into?
Chapter Four
Kristian
Going undercover was sneaky and devious, but I wanted to find out what Emma's story was before she was introduced to Prince Kristian aka me. No one other than my mother had called me Kit. The pet name was an abbreviation of my initials—Kristian Ignatius Tandorf—and was a name I had forbidden any one to use after her death. I'd considered using an utterly fake name, but then decided it would be easier using a name I answered to, even if it had been some time.
In all of my years, I'd witnessed nothing as fucking hot as what had taken place in the back of my car. I'd watched women get off and finger themselves before, but that was under my command and never voluntary. Not once had I watched a woman pleasure herself when she thought no one was looking.
My cock throbbed and dripped. As soon as I reached my private chambers, I'd relieve the pressure and fast.
Emma looked as innocent as a new day, but behind those Cupid's bow lips and vivid green eyes was a dirty minx waiting to escape. Everything about her screamed fuck me now.
When her fingers brushed against mine outside the transit station, it took all of the willpower I possessed not to throw her into the back of the car and fuck her because the second I saw her, blood left my brain and rushed straight to my dick. Her effect on me was that potent.
For security reasons, every car in the royal fleet had cameras that fed to my security team, but when Emma had stepped into the car, I'd had the feed rerouted to my phone. I should have pointed out the cameras, but I'm glad I didn't. If I had, she would never have pulled down her panties and fingered herself to orgasm.
The scent of her surrounded me and the musky perfume of her cum on her fingers when I kissed her hand just about did me in. What would she have done if I'd pushed her against the wall in the garage and taken her from behind? I could tell she was woman enough to take all of me, and from the way she gazed at me and the way she licked her lips, she would have been receptive, but I didn't want to take chances. I would watch and wait, and when I was sure we were on the same page, I would take what I wanted and give what she needed.
I had a few hours before the banquet. A banquet I no more wanted to attend than I wanted a bullet through my brain because now that I'd met Emma, I wanted to spend more time with her and discover what kind of trouble she and Kit could get into.
Thinking about her in this way was wrong. So wrong. She was someone I didn't know and therefore someone I couldn't trust. Did she know she held the power to destroy me?
By law, she was my twenty-one-year-old stepdaughter, and I shouldn't want to shag her senseless. But why not? From what I remembered, which wasn't much, I hadn't touched a hair on her mother's head, and it wasn't like I was related to Emma. We were total and complete strangers.
When I first saw her, with her green eyes glistening, her hair in a messy bun, and her clothes wrinkled and disheveled, she looked like she'd been thoroughly fucked. Her ruffled appearance only added to her sexiness and allure. I was sure she and I could have more than a good time together.
The way her eyes widened and the way her lips parted when I mentioned dungeons told me all I needed to know about the girl and what went on in her beautiful head.
Oh, yes, I had dungeons. The club in the caves miles below the castle had several kinds of dungeons, and only a few women had visited them with me. Most women would run in terror if they found out about my need for rough, controlling sex, but I was good at reading people, and I read the want and Emma's eyes. She wanted a man to take control. To tell her what to do. To challenge her.
Perhaps after I tested her willingness and openness, I would bring her to the dungeons and push her to her limits. But how long before she demanded to meet Prince Kristian? How long could I hold her off? I would make excuses for his absence as long as I could. Say he'd been called away on business, but he very much wanted her to stay until he returned. Would I ever reveal who I was before she left? Maybe. Maybe not.
My dick twitched reminding me I had a punishing hard on to take care of. I made it to my private chambers without seeing anyone, and before I had even locked the door, my zip was down, and my hand was curled around my cock.
With my free hand, I dug into the front pocket of my jacket and grabbed my phone. I pressed play on the video I'd downloaded and watched Emma pleasuring herself in the back of the car. In no time, my balls drew up signaling I was ready, but, fuck, I didn't want to come. Not yet. Coming in less than a minute wasn't acceptable.
I squeezed the base of my cock and watched as she got on her knees and shoved down her jeans and panties. Her swollen and dripping pussy lips were a delightful sight. When she reached between her legs and parted her folds, revealing a deliciously plump clit, my mouth, and cock watered in anticipation.
If everything worked out, later tonight, I would lock my lips around her clit and suck and bite until she exploded in my mouth, and then I would drink and savor every last drop of her. In an attempt to impede my imminent ejaculation, I grasped the base of my cock and gritted my teeth.
In the video, Emma moved her fingers to her nipples. Her hips moved recklessly back and forth and side to side. Her movements fast and focused. She knew what she wanted and went after it with eagerness. Because I'd been driving, I'd only viewed bits and pieces here and there, and at one time I was so engrossed in her, the car swerved, but that didn't stop her. She kept on going, lost to her excitement. Too close to the edge to restrain herself.
Hell yes, later tonight that pussy would be mine and I would pound into her over and over and over again.
Milky pre-cum oozed from the tip of my cock and electricity fizzed in the base of my back. My balls tightened and filled. I couldn't stop or hold back any longer. I jerked my hand back and forth faster and faster, harder and rougher until I exploded and ribbons of cum shot out covering my hand and splashing onto the floor in front of me. If Emm
a were with me, I would have her lick the cum from my fingers and cock and clean every last drop from the floor.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the door and reality came crashing in. What the fuck was I playing at? In less than two hours, a banquet for my future wife, whoever she was, was being held in the grand ballroom. Yet here I was jerking off to the image of a twenty-one-year-old with luscious tits and a plump pussy. A twenty-one year old who could ruin everything for me.
Having Emma here was dangerous for both of us, but while she was here, we could fuck until we both got bored. Maybe she never had to find out that I was Prince Kristian. I liked the thought of her not knowing who I was, and maybe for once, I could act as depraved as I felt and I could see what it would be like to be with a woman who saw me as a regular man and not as a winning lottery ticket.
My cock hardened again, and I groaned. No matter how often I jerked off, I wouldn't be satisfied until Emma's pussy lips were wrapped around my dick.
Chapter Five
Emma
A loud knock rattled the door of my suite. About time. I jumped up from an overstuffed sofa covered in pastel flowers and tassels and ran toward the door. I'd ordered a burger and fries, or pomme frites as housekeeping had called them, about thirty minutes ago. I was starving. The fridge was stocked with food I didn't recognize and held lots of stinky cheeses. Rather than take a chance, I'd decided to stick with what I knew wouldn't kill me.
I flung open the door, half expecting to see a servant dressed in a penguin suit waiting with my dinner, but instead I found an elegant Scandinavian blonde who looked to be in her mid to late fifties wearing a pale blue pantsuit. She was much to regal to be someone who usually delivered food.
Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun at the nape of her neck and stretched the skin on her face giving her a pinched expression. Or maybe resting bitch face was how she always looked. I held the door open and gestured for her to come in.
"Hi. I'm Emma. Thanks for bringing the food. I'm ravenous."
She strode into the room and left the cart of covered food where it was. I grabbed the handle and pulled it inside. The delicious scent of fresh French fries and a flame-grilled burger had saliva pooling in my mouth.
"I know very well who you are." She looked me up and down, and if looks could kill she'd be arrested for homicide.
She obviously wasn't a fan of mine, but whatever because right now, eating was more important than her opinion of me. "I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked.
"What do you want, girl?"
There were no niceties with this woman. I'd done nothing to deserve her animosity, but fine, whatever, I could bring the bitch as much as she could.
"What do I want?" I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms. "I want to get treated with respect and not like I'm a piece of trash. We can either continue like this or we can start over."
She gave me a condescending smile. "People don't get my respect for no reason. They earn it, and you, dear girl, have done nothing to earn it."
"And you, dear lady, have done nothing to earn my respect either. So I guess we both know where we stand."
She nodded. "Yes, it seems we do."
As much as I wanted to tell her to get the hell out so I could eat my food in peace, I didn't because I wanted to know what her problem with me was. "I'll ask again. Who are you? You might know my name, but I don't know yours."
"I'm Beverly Willoughby-Forbes. Prince Kristian's private secretary. You and I have been emailing back and forth for the past few months."
"Oh, now I understand why you're being such a bitch. You didn't want me here in the first place."
Beverly snorted. "Darling, this isn't me being—" her lips twisted as if even the thought of saying the word appalled her—"a bitch. This is me being friendly. Trust me, you don't want to get on my wrong side because I can make your stay here unbearable."
"Are you threatening me?" We stood at either end of the cart as if in a standoff, but instead of guns, words were our weapons.
"Threatening you?" She raised a perfectly penciled-in eyebrow. "Heavens no. I'm trying to decide and decipher what you want and how soon I can get rid of you."
"Thanks for your honesty, I guess." My stomach rumbled and, not being able to resist any longer, I lifted domed lid off the plate. A feast of skinny golden fries and a juicy burger fully dressed with cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato sat in front of me. I picked up a fry and held it to my lips, popped it into my mouth and chewed, savoring the salty goodness. "I'm sorry, but it's been a while since I ate anything."
"Really?" She pursed her lips and looked me up and down. "I find that hard to believe."
Was this woman for real? I'd met some vile people in my life, but she won the gold medal for nastiness, but I wouldn't rise.
"What do you mean you're trying to decipher why I'm here? You already know the reason. I explained it all in my emails. I want to know why my mom and Prince Kristian were married, and why he didn't do anything to end it."
She sighed as if bored and picked a piece of nonexistent lint from her jacket. "Very well. The Prince and his cousin went on an ill-advised trip to Las Vegas. A last hurrah if you like. Kristian lost a bet to his cousin Charles. I'm not privy to the details, but it meant Kristian had to marry the next woman who smiled at him and regrettably your mother just happened to be that woman. There's no other reason why he married her. No big secret. No big love story."
"And just like that, my mom said, 'Yeah, sure, I'll marry you, you complete stranger you.'" My brow wrinkled. "That doesn't make any sense. I mean I know she liked to party, but she wasn't dumb enough to get married to the first strange guy who asked her."
"Wasn't she? There's a video of the ceremony I hope to receive soon. It's in the chapel's archive. From what the Prince remembers, he didn't believe the marriage was legally binding, but since the chapel filed the wedding license, it was." She spread her hands and gave me a cold smile. "And look at us now. Here we are sixteen years later with someone who claims to be Prince Kristian's stepdaughter on our doorsteps."
"I'm not claiming to be anyone." I picked up three fries, shoved them into my mouth and chewed. "Am I going to get a chance to meet him? I'd like to hear the story from his lips."
"You'll see him when he has time." She shook her head and shuddered. "Why is beyond my comprehension. It's not like he knew your mother. He didn't remember she existed until he saw your email with the marriage certificate and the picture of her, and even then it was a stretch for him. I guess she just wasn't that memorable."
I wasn't stupid enough to fall for her barbs. Mean girls like her got off on poking sticks at people and riling them up. I'd dealt with enough of them over the years to know not to take the bait. In time, Karma would take care of Beverly,
Unable to resist the lure of the burger any longer, I picked it up and took a huge bite. Grease dripped between my fingers, and my eyes rolled to the back of my head. "This is a great fucking burger." I guess I shouldn't have spoken with food in my mouth because Beverly rolled her eyes again and made a face that said she was revolted. Or maybe it was my swearing that revolted her. Or maybe it was me.
"I'll ask again, what is it you want, Miss Brown? Why didn't we hear from you as soon as your mother died? Your sudden interest in Prince Kristian is very suspicious."
Regretfully, I set the burger back on the plate. "Because I was five. I didn't find the marriage certificate until I went through a box of my moms stuff. Even then, I wasn't sure what to do with it. I'm not out to cause trouble or some diplomatic disaster. I just wanted to find out why. I bet my mom didn't even know she'd married a prince."
"Yes, well, I think it's best for all concerned that she wasn't aware of that detail. I can hardly imagine you and your mother fitting in here can you? You're not exactly royalty. It takes a certain, shall we say, class."
And just like that, I was ten years old and being teased for living in a trailer park and wearing clothes someone else didn't want. I
didn't know why I was so disappointed or hurt by Beverly's superior attitude. It wasn't like I'd expected anyone to welcome me with open arms, but I hadn't expected so much animosity or aggression from someone I didn't know either. At least Kit had been somewhat friendly and flirty, and I could do with seeing his face right about now.
I sighed and wiped my hands on a cloth napkin sitting on the trolley. "Here's the deal, Bev, as soon as I meet the Prince, I'll leave, and you'll never hear from me again. I just thought it was a fun story. One I could someday share with my kids and grandkids. I honestly don't want anything from him. If he wants me to leave now, I will. No hard feelings."
"If I had my way, he'd never have brought you here in the first place, but he did because you wouldn't stop emailing and he assumed it would be the only way to get you out of our lives. You've piqued his curiosity. The boys didn't talk much about their time in Las Vegas after they came home because they couldn't remember. He sees you as a piece of a very fuzzy puzzle."
I laughed. "I guess it's true what they say, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
Seemingly not impressed by my attempt at humor, Beverly frowned. "The Prince will be at a banquet this evening. Heads of state, dignitaries, and their daughters will be there. You're to stay in this room and are not to leave."
"If the dinner is so important, why didn't you wait until next week to bring me here?"
"An unexpected conflict arose that's none of your business. Do not leave this room. Do you understand?"
I picked up the napkin, dabbed my lips then said, "I'm not sure if I do understand. Can you say that again but slower?"
"You are not to leave this room, do you understand?"
I shook my head. "Nope, still not getting it. I must be dumb. Jeez, my IQ isn't as expansive as I thought."
She gritted her teeth. "I'm sure you think you're hysterical, but I promise you, you're not. Do not leave this room."
"I've always wondered what it would be like to be held prisoner in a castle, and now I know." I didn't feel the need to tell her Kit had already instructed me not to leave the room.