The Wicked Prince

by Wood, Vivian

  “Oh, right.” She moves onto the board. “Like this?”

  “Ja. Then you sort of turn your leg…” I show her on my board. “And slide your other foot forward. Then the hard part, which is having enough balance to stand on the paddle board.”

  “Right. Got it.” She scrunches her face up. “I mean, I think I do.”

  “Good. Let’s paddle out, then.”

  We pad out to the sea, the sand stiff and crunchy, breaking away under our feet. When I step into the ocean and feel it swirl around my feet, I suck in a deep lungful of salty air.

  Glancing at Margot to make sure she’s still with me, I put my paddle board down on the water.

  “Don’t forget to attach your leash to your ankle,” I say. Balancing awkwardly for a second, I do as I said.

  I look at her as she does the same, biting her lip as she attaches the leash. I can’t help the way my eyes dip down to her lush mouth, or the way they slide down to her tits. She’s taken off her cover up and is just wearing that little black bikini now.

  I realize that I am as bad as a horny fucking teenager, filling in what I can’t see. But I don’t bother to jerk my gaze away this time.

  She looks up and colors when she sees me looking at her. She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “What?”

  I grin. “Nothing. Are you ready to try to surf?"

  She starts to move out into the water. “Ahhh. The water is cold!”

  She jumps back, glaring at me like I’ve just endangered her well being somehow.

  I pull a face. “It’s warmer than room temperature.”

  “It’s so cold!” she disagrees. “You should’ve warned me.”

  “So you give up, then? Because I count that as a forfeit.”

  She wrinkles her nose at me. “No.”

  She stomps back into the water, her movements obviously irritated. She likes to win; I should make a note of that. I wade out after her, carrying the paddles, and watch as her body disappears into the ocean. I shiver a little as I submerge myself up to my shoulders.

  We both paddle out a little ways. The wind picks up a bit. I can feel the ocean sweeping us aside, which is unusual. When I have paddle boarded before, the sea was calm and placid.

  That doesn’t stop us from trying to paddle board today, though. She flounders a little bit trying to get on top of the board and then pops up… only to fall back into the water. When she resurfaces, gasping, I can’t help but grin.

  “You can give up any time you feel like it, you know.”

  She splashes me and I laugh. She grabs her board. “I’m ready to go again. But I want to see you do it.”

  A wave crashes just behind us, distracting me. I look over my shoulder and see dark gray clouds on the horizon. “Shit. Those weren’t there before, were they?”

  When I turn back to look at Margot, she’s eyeing me suspiciously. “I don’t think you can do it.”

  I roll my eyes. “Of course I can. We’ll do it at the same time, ja?” And look over my shoulder again. “I’d say we have about thirty minutes before we probably should get off the beach.”

  She jerks her chin up at me. “Bring it on, Hagrid.”

  “Who is Hagrid?”

  “Less talking, more paddle boarding.” She grabs her board and steadies herself, struggling to get on the board.

  I balance my own board, climbing on and standing up. I use the paddles that I’m holding to help keep myself from tipping over either way. Grinning, I turn to Margot.

  Just in time to see her fall again, hitting the water with a loud smack. I make a face; that had to hurt. A wave crashes right on top of where we are swimming, distracting me for a second.

  When she doesn’t resurface immediately, I look around for her board.

  Fuck.

  I can’t see it anywhere.

  Turning myself around, I keep looking.

  Fuck, where can he have gone?

  “Margot?” I call, panicking.

  I sense movement about ten feet away. I see a flash of pink right before she surfaces in a spray of white water, coughing and choking. She flails a little bit, pushing the wet hair out of her eyes, going under for another second.

  I don’t think. I start swimming towards her, calling out her name. “Margot!”

  She comes back up just as I reach her. We make eye contact but she looks like she’s a little confused and disconcerted.

  “You’re okay,” I promise. “You’re okay. Come with me.” I tug her into my arms and swim for shore, although it is a struggle to hold onto her and swim with one arm. When my feet hit the sandy bottom of the ocean, I feel a strange sense of relief.

  Margot coughs a few more times as I pull her onto the shore and put her down just out of the water’s reach. “Hey. Are you okay? Look at me.”

  She nods, sucking in deep breaths. Her voice is pure gravel. “Yeah.”

  Untethering myself from my board, I sit down beside her and pull her into my arms. She’s cold, much colder than me. She barely weighs anything. I press a kiss to her forehead, only just now feeling the weight of the adrenaline that kicked in.

  My heart pounds. I’m sweating even though I’m not hot.

  But Margot is safe. She’s right here, in my arms

  “Fuck,” I mutter into her hair. “Jesus, that was scary.”

  She raises her head and I see tears in her eyes. She clears her throat. “Sorry.”

  I shake my head. “There is nothing to apologize for. It’s just… for a second, I thought I had lost you. And that thought almost killed me.”

  Her eyes well up and she nods, falling against my chest. “Sorry.”

  “We need to get you warmed up. You’re freezing.” Pulling back from her, I stand up and help her to her feet. “Let’s go back to the house.”

  Above us, the first lick of lightning splits the sky in two. A few fat droplets of rain fall onto us. Margot covers her face and takes off toward the house at a run.

  I follow a little slower, weighed down by my thoughts.

  What if something bad had happened to her?

  What would I have done?

  My chest tightens.

  I realize, in that moment, that I’m in love with Margot. I love her so, so much. I can’t even think about all the things that could have happened to her today.

  Fuck. Just considering what almost happened makes my heart wrench in my chest.

  She stops just before she reaches the door, shivering and looking back at me. And I pick up my pace without thinking about it, because she might need me.

  And that’s more important to me just now.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Margot

  After making sure that I’m okay, Stellan kisses me with so much passion that it leaves me shaking. I want more, so I kiss him again.

  We quickly devolve into two creatures born of need. The kissing turns to fucking, the fucking turns to shouting each other’s names as we come. And then we do the whole thing again and again, until we are exhausted.

  Stellan is splayed out on the bed, his eyes closed. I’m lying beside him, my leg thrown over his. I delicately trace the lines of his chest with my fingertips.

  Looking up at his face, his dark hair all askew, his five o’clock shadow becoming more pronounced, I sigh silently. He is so damned beautiful, with a strength of character that drives me to distraction.

  In the early evening light, shadows cling to his face in a way that I think is perfect. If I don’t get a picture of this moment, I’ll regret it. I want to suspend us in this moment in time, so that I can always return back to it.

  Even after he’s gone. Even after I don’t have any right to touch him.

  “Are you awake?” I whisper.

  Stellan opens his eyes a crack. When he speaks, it’s a gravelly purr. “Sort of.”

  “I want to get my camera and take some photos of you. The light is just perfect.”

  He closes his eyes again and raises his fingers to press the bridge of his nose f
or a moment. “Photographs for your article?”

  “No. Just… photos for me. I want to remember this exact moment. I swear to you, I’m the only one that will ever see them.”

  His eyes open a slit and focus on me. I get the feeling that he’s trying to decide if I’m being truthful or not. My cheeks heat.

  But he just closes his eyes again. “Sure, ja.”

  I let out a squeak of excitement, bouncing up to retrieve my Nikon from inside my tote bag. I lie back down, a little farther back this time, and take the lens cap off. After fiddling with the camera setting for a second, I look through the viewfinder.

  There Stellan is, seeming so much larger than life. His naked torso makes my mouth water. He shifts a little, putting his arm behind his head.

  God, does he even realize how tantalizing he is in this moment? He’s a perfect specimen. He’s not just rich. Not just obscenely privileged. Not just attractive. Not just well-endowed.

  He is all those things. And yet, there’s so much more underneath. Compassion, kindness, curiosity about the world around him… all supported by a backbone made of steel.

  I squint and snap several photos, then move to my knees and try for a different angle. For a few minutes the room is silent except for the sound of my shutter clicking.

  Stellan opens his eyes and gives me a knowing look. “Did you capture the perfect image of me?”

  My lips curve upward and I wrinkle my nose. “Want to see?”

  He arches a brow. “If you are offering, yes.”

  I flip a switch on my camera and the screen below the viewfinder comes to life. Moving over to Stellan’s side, I show him the first photo. His brow draws down and he frowns ever so slightly, but he doesn’t say a word.

  I silently toggle through the thirty or so shots I’ve taken. His face never changes; he shows a little interest and an equal amount of skepticism.

  “Well?” I ask gently. “What do you think?”

  He purses his lips and shrugs. “I understand why the outside world is so fascinated with me. I’m a member of the royal family. A curiosity. A zoo animal, at times.” He screws up his face. “But I don’t quite understand why you are interested in capturing me like this.”

  Tilting my head a fraction, I turn the camera off. “Like what?”

  He hesitates then shrugs. “Naked. Resting.” He squints. “Why would anyone want to see that particular side of me?”

  “Do you mean while you are vulnerable?” I ask.

  Stellan frowns and shrugs again. “Sort of. Maybe.”

  I take half a minute before I respond. “Doesn’t everyone want to catch a glimpse of Atlas at rest?”

  He huffs out a chuckle. “Is that who I am now? Do I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders?”

  My answer is instantaneous. “Yes. In my opinion, a large part of who you are is wrapped up in your duty.”

  He seems to give that some thought. “I guess you are right. It’s sort of impossible to be anything other than the king-to-be. I don’t… if my life changed suddenly, I wouldn’t know who to be.”

  I smile at that. “Oh, I don’t know. I think you would figure it out very quickly. Your personality is more than your sense of honor.” I turn my head to the side. “I could see you as a royal air force pilot. You’d eventually become… a commander, or whatever. And you’d live in a very fancy house downtown with your perfect wife and three gorgeous children.”

  His lips lift at the corners. “Sometimes I really, really wish that was possible. I wish I could have an ordinary life. My brothers have a normal life. My sister has one too, sort of.” He sighs. “I’m not the only one who has to worry about appearances, but…”

  I scrunch up my face, finishing his sentence. “But you’re the only one that will be inheriting the crown. So everything really counts for you, and you alone.”

  He chuckles. “Basically, yes.”

  Putting my camera aside, I lay down beside Stellan once more. Running my hand across the smooth skin of his chest, I bite my lip. “I know that this is the only time we’ll ever really get together. I just…” I lower my gaze, unable to meet his eyes. “I want you to know that I am trying to make the most of it. To… to cherish it, I guess. It means a lot to me.”

  His hand comes down to cover mine, pressing my fingers against the wall of his chest. “It means a lot to me too.”

  My eyes threaten to fill with tears. Suddenly, all I can think about is next week. “My article is supposed to be done by now. I haven’t even started it, but… how will I… how do I begin to write it?”

  He tips my chin up so that I’m looking at him. “I don’t have an answer for that. But…” He hesitates. “I don’t want this to end.”

  My lips tremble. I blink away a sheen of tears. “No?”

  He shakes his head slowly. He has never looked so serious before this moment. “No. Do you?”

  I blurt out every dumb thing in my mind without even thinking it through. “I love you, Stellan.”

  As soon as I say it, my eyes go wide and my cheeks turn bright red. The reaction is instantaneous; I close my eyes, my heart lurching in my chest.

  What the fuck did I just say?

  Did I admit to being in love with him out loud?

  Am I a fucking idiot?

  “I shouldn’t—“ I start, but he cuts me off.

  “You do?”

  I open my eyes, cringing. “Yes. I didn’t mean to… I mean, I just blurted it out. It wasn’t very elegant— “

  He cuts me off again with a press of his lips against mine. Crushing, insistent, I hear him take a breath against my mouth. “I love you too, skatter.”

  I freeze. Surely I didn’t hear that right. “What?”

  Stellan cups my jaw with his hand, his ice blue eyes burning into mine. “I’m in love with you. I know it’s only been a little over a month. I know it feels like it’s too soon. But I’ve never felt this way about anyone before in my life.”

  My brain feels like it’s tumbling down a set of stairs. My mouth opens and words fall out. “You… you feel this way too?”

  He draws my hand up over his heart and laces his fingers with mine. “Yes, skatter.”

  “Oh.” I stare at him for a second, giving him time to tell me he’s joking. But he doesn’t.

  I scramble up onto all fours, climbing on top of his body and kissing him so fiercely that I can’t quite think straight. He groans and sinks his fingers into my hair. His cock is already hard for me, long and thick and stiff as steel.

  I reach down between us and position his cock so that it is flush with my entrance. Already I can feel my pussy growing slick with my excitement. When I push the crown of his cock inside me, he murmurs my name.

  “Margot.”

  I bite my lip and look down into his face, already feeling stretched out by his cock. He draws my head down and kisses me slowly as I push my body down to meet his, taking him in inch by inch. When he releases me again, he moans.

  “Look at me,” he says. “Keep your eyes on me.”

  We fuck slowly, my hips working to raise me up and down on his hot cock, his hands roving all over my body. He tweaks one of my nipples and I cry out, increasing my pace.

  The whole while our gazes are locked.

  “I really fucking love you,” he grits out.

  I smile, breathless. “I love you too.”

  His hands anchor my hips in place as he starts to thrust up. When he moves like that his cock touches a spot deep inside me that makes my eyes roll up in my head and my toes curl. I can feel tendrils of excitement reaching through my body, up from where we are joined to my tits, my neck, my mouth.

  It’s like he’s touching me everywhere at once.

  “Look at me!” he commands.

  I open my eyes and focus on his face as he thrusts up into me again and again, his movements growing rougher with every passing second. And I love it; I would take him any way I can get him, but when he’s rough it’s just that much better.

/>   “Touch your clit for me. I want to watch you unravel,” he whispers, ramming me with his rapid-fire thrusts.

  I bite my lip and slip my hand down, two fingers searching for my clit. The second I find it and begin to circle it with slow strokes, my eyes drift closed.

  “Open your eyes, skatter,” he says, his voice gone to gravel. “Let me watch you fall apart.”

  I force my eyelids open just as I start to peak. “Oh my god. Oh my god… Stellan…”

  My hips jerk as I climb the last few steps to plummet over the edge. As I watch his beautiful face, I come harder than ever, my pussy spasming, my hips lurching, my entire body on fire.

  “Fuck,” he whispers. He comes all at once, his cock filling my pussy with long lashes of his seed. I can feel him twitching inside my body and right now, it’s the sexiest thing I think I’ve ever experienced.

  Stellan reaches up and cups my face in his hands, tugging me down for a breathless kiss. I collapse on top of him, kissing him lazily and loving the damp, hot skin of his naked torso pressed against mine.

  He gives a husky chuckle. “Damn.”

  I give him an exhausted grin. “I know. I didn’t think that the sex could get any hotter between us… and then there was this.”

  He kisses the corner of my lips, then my cheek, then my jaw, working his way down to my neck. I inhale suddenly, still sensitive on every inch of my body.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, giggling and squirming.

  “I want you to remember this day forever,” he murmurs, pressing lips against my throat. “And I’ll use every tool at my disposal to do it.”

  He finds a spot just at the juncture of my throat and neck. Then he bites down pretty hard, hard enough to make me gasp. Just when I start to react, to push him away, he releases me and kisses away the pain.

  “Why did you do that?” I protest.

  Stellan’s lips curve upward. He looks me dead in the eye. “Because now I can be sure that you’ll remember. Every time you look in the mirror. Every time something touches your skin just here.” He traces a light touch over the bite mark. “You’ll remember that I said I loved you, won’t you?”