The Wicked Prince

by Wood, Vivian

  The rush of tears that fill my eyes are unexpected. I nod slowly. “Yes, Stellan. I will.”

  He smirks. “Good.”

  Then he kisses me on the lips again, distracting me. But I will never forget that stinging pain at the base of my neck or the man that caused it. He is right. I will always remember why he did it, too.

  Shivering, I embrace him and open my mouth against his, ready for more.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Stellan

  The next day, I push the morning’s plan of packing up and leaving for Copenhagen into the evening. I’m a little desperate for more time before I have to be Prince Stellan again.

  More time to spend with her, time I can be free. Time I can be myself.

  Margot accepts the news of the extra day with a slow smile. “I agree to it on the condition that we leave this bed. I swear, you take me to these little coastal retreats and we hardly do anything but have sex. Not that I’m complaining about the sex, but…” She wrinkles her nose. “My body is pretty sore from fucking for like twelve hours in a row yesterday.”

  I smirk. “I like pushing your boundaries. How else will I know what the limit is?”

  She rolls her eyes. “In hindsight, it was about two times less than we fucked yesterday. I should’ve had some more water or something because my arms and legs and abdominal muscles are a hot mess today. And that’s not even talking about how much you…” She pauses, blushing. “Stretched me out.”

  I give her a wicked grin. “Good to know. I’ll admit to being pretty sore myself. Maybe next time we should be prepared with bananas and coconut water.”

  She scrunches up her face. “Next time? What next time? My excuse for being in your life was officially over at the start of business today.”

  My heart starts hammering in my chest. God, I hadn’t even thought of that. Tiny blades of turmoil slide through my gut and slice me to ribbons.

  I don’t know how I’m supposed to answer, so I just play it off like her question was no big deal. Even though in reality the thought of not seeing Margot again kills me.

  I smile as if nothing happened. “The idea that we’re not going to absolutely ruin each other’s bodies later today is pretty laughable. But… I think there is a restaurant within walking distance. Do you fancy a stroll down the beach?”

  She wrinkles her nose at my awkward phrasing. “Sure.”

  We get dressed, me in dark jeans and a white t-shirt, her in the short black dress that she wears so often. And then we walk down to the beach.

  It’s beautiful and sunny out, though windy enough that the day is pleasant rather than burning. I offer her my hand and she takes it, sliding her small palm against my own. She glances up at me, tucking a wild curl of her pink hair behind her ear. In the wind it’s pointless though.

  She sticks her tongue out at me and I laugh. “What is that for?”

  She shrugs. “When you get too in your head, you get like… physically locked up. Your muscles are noticeably tighter, you’re just all…”

  She playacts jerky, blocky movements.

  I shake my head. “Who says I’m in my head?”

  She puffs out her cheeks. “You’ve been awkward ever since I said that we might not be able to see each other anymore.”

  I stumble in the sand and her eyes widen. “See? You are in your head.”

  I roll my eyes and shake my head. She’s completely right, but she could at least do me the courtesy of ignoring it like I’m doing.

  “So get my mind off of it,” I challenge her. “Tell me a story.”

  “No.” She wrinkles her nose. “We spent time on my story yesterday. I want to hear more about you, Stellan. And not the junk that you tell every other newspaper.” Margot pulls my hand to her chest, holding it against her heart. “I want to know more about who you are as a person.”

  I make a face. “Like what? You want to hear my favorite bands?”

  She shrugs a shoulder. “If that’s what you want me to know, then sure. Who is your favorite band?”

  Grinning, I slow our walking pace to a crawl. “The Rolling Stones.”

  Her eyebrows rise. “That… is not what I expected you to say.”

  “I live to surprise you, Margot,” I tease.

  “You just seem too buttoned up for that.” Color springs forth in her cheeks. “No offense.”

  “Ja? Well. I’ll have you know that I was once arrested.”

  Her eyes widen. “Wait, you were? What happened?”

  “It was… I’ll call it a youthful lapse. I partied a little too hard, did too many drugs. Got sick all over myself. Resisted the police when they were only trying to help. You know, all the usual embarrassing things.”

  She winces. “You didn’t!”

  “Oh, I really did.”

  “Oh, your parents must have been so angry!”

  I exhale a slow breath. “Sort of. They knew, they were just… busy. My grandmother kept a keen eye out for all of her grandchildren, so she got the call instead of my father.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “If you think I am stoic, wait until you see my grandmother receive bad news. But that night when the police brought me to the palace… the door shut, and it was just the two of us… It was the only time I can ever remember her being openly furious.”

  “That sounds terrifying.”

  “What, my grandmother? Ja, it wasn’t great. You have to imagine someone about your size wagging her finger in my face and telling me how I wasn’t living up to the family name. My grandmother was worried that her voice would carry and so she whispered and yelled at me, all at once. After about four hours of that, most people would go crazy.”

  She cracks a smile. “She sounds intimidating.”

  I squint off toward the place where the sky, sea, and land all seem to blend together. “You should meet her.”

  Margot pulls a face. “Uh… yeah, right.”

  My heart pounds in my chest. “No, I’m serious.”

  She stops, pulling her hand from my grip. I turn and look at her, my eyebrows lifting. She shoots me a confused look. “What?”

  “I love you. You love me. So— “

  “So we should get married?!” she says, horrified.

  I give her a funny look. “No. I’m just saying... maybe we should… I don’t know… date.”

  She crosses her arms and cocks her hips. “Stellan… we both know that’s a terrible idea. You have a list of girls to choose from— “

  I reach out and grab her by the waist, tugging her up against my hips. Then I cup her heart-shaped face, tucking a strand of those pink cotton candy curls behind her ear. “But I am not in love with any of them. I’m in love with you.”

  She bites her full lower lip and pins me with her intensely blue gaze. When she speaks, her voice is a mere whisper. “I know.”

  “So? I want you here. Stay with me.” I draw in a deep breath, feeling more naked before her than ever before. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. And I’m not willing to just throw that away because it might upset some people.”

  She shakes her head, taking in what I said. Her brow hunches. “I don’t even know how we would make that happen. Are you going to come up with a lie to tell your family? Am I going to lie to my editor?”

  I take her hand, pulling it against my chest and trapping in beneath mine. “Is that what you want?”

  Margot looks at me for a moment, as if trying to decide something. Then she shakes her head again. “No,” she replies softly.

  “So date me. We’ll just show up holding hands and let everyone else deal with the fallout.”

  One corner of her mouth turns down. “That’s not the best attitude to have, Stellan. Besides… dating you… I would assume that it comes with certain… expectations.”

  “It doesn’t have to.” I mean the words, but even as they leave my lips, I sense that they’re not the fullest truth. “Look. I’m saying… this is all new to me. It’s all new to you. Let’s just… forge a path togethe
r.”

  She sighs, looking away. For several moments, I can hear nothing but the sea in the background and the hammering of my own heart.

  Is she really going to turn me down?

  When she swings her gaze back to my face, I can see the torment that is going on behind those beautiful blue eyes. “I want to say yes. I really do, Stellan.”

  My lips curl upward. “So do it, skatter.”

  Margot presses up onto her tiptoes, seeking out my mouth. I lean down and kiss her, pressing my lips to hers. She drops back down, biting her lower lip.

  “Okay,” she whispers. “I won’t go anywhere, as long as you still want me to stay.”

  Wrapping my arms around her, I hug her. She settles against my chest, her arms slipping around my waist to hold me tightly.

  I close my eyes and try to memorize every detail of this moment. To store this memory, keep it safe for a rainy day. Because I won’t always be this happy. She won’t always get to say yes.

  But just now, it’s enough.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Stellan

  In the driver’s seat of my car, I look over at Margot. She looks anxious, chewing her lip and bouncing her knee.

  “We are almost back to the palace,” I say. “Have you thought of what you’re going to say to your bosses?”

  She looks over at me with a worried smile. “It’s all I’ve thought about since we got in the car. Yet I haven’t come up with anything good. What do I say? Sorry about the story, but I’ve decided to date the crown prince?”

  I shrug. “Tell them the truth. They can’t be mad at you for that.”

  She gives a huff of laughter. “Yes they can. They have every right to fire me. If I lose my job, I might get a call from immigration, wondering what I’m still doing here.”

  I fix her with a long look. “You won’t. I’ll have Erik make some calls.”

  Sighing, she looks away. “I wish I didn’t need you to call in any favors. But thank you for doing it.”

  I pull the car up the long driveway in front of the palace, putting it in park. Glancing over at Margot, I tug her hand into my lap. She turns her head toward me, biting her lip.

  I reach up and tuck a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “I have to go in and tell my grandmother that I’m defying her. You have to go tell your editor the same thing, basically.” I inhale deeply. “If it helps, I’m still in love with you.”

  She laughs. “It definitely doesn’t hurt.”

  I pull her in, kissing her fully on the mouth. Then I turn her loose with a sigh. “All right. I’m ready to face the firing squad.”

  Margot nods, opening the car door. “Yeah. Text me later and let me know how it went.”

  I climb out of the car and lean against the roof briefly. As she stands and grabs her bag, I stand there, looking at her ass and her bare legs in her super short dress.

  God damn. After a weekend like we just had, where we fucked until we were too exhausted to move every single day… I should have found the saturation point with Margot. I should be content and fulfilled. And yet… I’m not.

  I don’t know that I’ll ever be, to be completely honest.

  I bite my lip, smiling. “I will.”

  She wrinkles her nose and then walks away, heading for the Politiken offices. I take a deep breath and look up at the palace. Then I stride toward the main entrance, jogging up the steps.

  As I enter a few people are waiting for me. A butler, several maids… and Erik, standing tall, looking especially Scandinavian with his blond hair and enormous stature.

  “Erik,” I greet him. “How are things?”

  Just from the way his lips thin, I can tell that he is irritated with me. He just turns and heads toward the carpeted stairs in front of us. “You were missed yesterday.”

  I follow him up the stairs and into the grand hall, heading toward my study. He bursts through the door and strides past the leather armchairs and the fireplace, throwing himself down in the leather couch with a loud sigh.

  “Well?” he demands. I close the door and sit on a corner of my oak desk, crossing my arms and pursing my lips.

  “Well what?” I ask.

  “You cancelled your appearances yesterday.”

  Cocking my head, I squint at him. “So?”

  “So… you missed the board meeting regarding the children’s cancer center to be named after Anton. You knew that was important to me!”

  That gives me pause. Anton was Erik’s little brother; he died of childhood lymphoma. The board meeting was a meeting of the royal family, in which they voted on which projects to fund.

  “Ahh. Shit.” I wince. “Did the family really vote against a children’s cancer center?”

  “It got funded, but barely. That’s not really the point, Stellan. You promised me that you would be there to champion Anton’s name!”

  I blow out a breath. In the back of my mind, I knew that coming back to Copenhagen was going to be like this. I knew that I would be disappointing someone and letting someone down. I always am, I guess.

  It’s just usually not Erik.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”

  Puffing out my cheeks, I sigh. “I spent the weekend with Margot.”

  Erik stills, his eyes tightening on my face. “What do you mean, you spent the weekend with her?”

  At that moment, the door to the study swings open. I turn and watch as my grandmother glides in wearing a light gray pantsuit.

  I paste on my coolest smile. “Ah, Momse. Good, I can tell both of you at once.”

  My grandmother arches a brow. “I hope you are about to tell me why you felt like shirking your duties yesterday. It was very difficult to get enough royals to cover all your engagements.”

  I want to roll my eyes, but instead I just continue to smile. “I’m dating Margot Keane.”

  Her nostrils flare. Erik shakes his head, glaring at me.

  “That’s a bad idea,” he mutters.

  I shoot him a glare.

  Ida raises her chin and looks me square in the eye. “Is that the journalist from America?”

  “Yes.”

  She brushes a bit of invisible lint from her jacket sleeve. “You know that you can’t marry her.”

  I hold up a hand. “No one said anything about marriage. I haven’t even looked into that possibility yet.”

  She eyes me. “Stellan, you were raised to hold yourself to high standards. Certainly higher than a poor American reporter. I mean, really! I’m not even sure that our constitution will allow the crown prince to marry a foreigner, much less someone of such a different class than our family.”

  My lips thin. I draw myself up to my full height. “I know that Margot isn’t your choice, Momse. But for now, she is mine. So you can either deal with it or you can find someone else to be your well-behaved little pet prince.”

  Ida’s hand goes to her chest. She opens her mouth to retort, but I’m already turning my attention to Erik.

  “And you.” I glare at him. “I am sorry that I missed the vote yesterday. That was wrong of me. But I’ll tell you now… I won’t tolerate anyone telling me how to live my life. You need to get comfortable with the fact that I’m dating Margot.” I look at Ida. “Both of you do.”

  Erik looks angry. “You don’t even know any of her past, Stel. Trust me, she has plenty to hide.”

  “Really?” I ask, crossing my arms. “Tell me. Go ahead. Get it out of your system now.”

  Ida clears her throat. “I had someone look into her background. It isn’t pretty.”

  I make a disgusted sound. “So what? Unless one of you is willing to tell me what kind of mysterious things Margot has done that I don’t know about…”

  There is a silent moment where Ida and Erik look at each other, their frowns heavy. I shake my head.

  “I didn’t think so,” I say.

  A butler hovers in the doorway and clears his throat. “Pardon me, but the cr
own prince has a number of engagements to prepare for today…”

  “Thank you,” I say to the butler. Swinging back to Erik and Ida, I shrug one shoulder. “Being the prince never ends.”

  Then I turn and stride out of the room, following the butler.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Margot

  Getting out of the limo with twenty pounds of ballerina pink tulle zippered snugly around my body is a real struggle. I push myself up against the doorframe, cursing my own decision to wear this delicate, strapless ballgown. When I finally find my feet, I pat my hair discretely.

  Are we really about to do this? My heart pounds. I look up at the fancy hotel we are at, praying that I don’t sweat in this dress.

  Stellan is right by my side, offering his arm. He’s at his most dazzling dressed in a dapper tuxedo and his smile as he looks me up and down gives me chills.

  “You look amazing in that dress,” he intones, his eyes taking me in. “You’re going to be perfect tonight.”

  I place my hand on the inner elbow of his tuxedo jacket, exhaling. “Thank you. I won’t even bother to compliment you, because you always look perfect.”

  He smirks. “Come on, then.”

  He leads me past the bowing bellhops and valets, through the perfect pink granite lobby, and up a gorgeous pink granite grand staircase. We emerge onto the second floor and hear the party before we see it; strains of a string quartet escape from the ballroom to our right. He sweeps right past the people crowded around a set of wide double doors. I try to play it cool, lifting my head high like I belong here, but I don’t.

  I am just pulled along with him.

  As we enter the ballroom, I notice people bowing. They’re definitely bowing to Stellan and not to me, but it still makes me uncomfortable. The party is already in full swing, the women in extravagant gowns, the men stunning in their tuxes.

  It’s a Wednesday night, for god’s sake. Don’t these rich people have better places to be than here? Especially tonight, the night that Stellan and I are stepping out together as a couple.