by Leslie North
“My turn,” she breathed, and unzipped his pants.
Outside their secret alcove, the ladies kept chatting, oblivious. The publicness of what they were doing and the fact that they could get caught at any second turned him on like nothing ever had before, and when Ella slipped a hand inside his pants to touch him, he had to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning out loud. She smiled, triumphant, and stroked him.
He held himself as still as a stone, and it was the most difficult thing he’d ever done.
The sound of heels clicking away made him raise his head again. Ella looked up, grinning like a Cheshire cat. The stepmother and her friends were gone and they were alone, although they could still hear the music and faint chatting from the ballroom around the corner.
“Let’s go back to my room,” Ella said in a low voice.
But he shook his head. “I have a better idea. Do you know what this is?” He tapped on the bench beneath them. She frowned, puzzled, and he smiled slowly. “A loveseat. Some whimsical architect built it in when the Summer House was first designed, and I think it’s about time we put it to good use.”
Her eyes widened, with shock but also with desire, if he wasn’t mistaken. “We can’t do that. We’re in public.”
“The vines cover the entrance, and hardly anyone even knows to look for this spot.”
“But someone could find us.”
“It’s possible. Does that turn you on?”
She bit her lip again, and he knew he had her. Giving in to the urge he’d had since he’d gotten his first glimpse of her, he reached out, wrapped her ponytail around his hand twice, and pulled her head back for a long, scorching kiss.
“I’ve wanted to do that ever since we met,” he murmured.
“Oh yeah? There’s something I’ve been wanting to do since we met too,” she replied, then hesitated.
He leaned closer. “What? Tell me.”
A hesitant but incredibly sexy smile spread across her face. “You were right behind me, trying to give me that shoe, but I couldn’t turn around because I thought the bag would spill again. I had to look at you over my shoulder, and I kept thinking about… a better way I could be looking at you over my shoulder.”
“You want me to fuck you from behind?” he asked, because he was starting to realize she liked it when he talked dirty.
She nodded, biting her lip again, and holy hell—this woman would be the death of him. Suddenly there was nothing more important than getting inside her, right now, exactly how she wanted it.
He stood up, unbuckled his pants all the way. There was just enough room in the alcove to do this. Thank God he’d had the foresight to put a condom in his wallet. He tugged it out and ripped it open, but Ella stopped him and took it.
“Allow me,” she whispered, and slowly, torturously, slipped it onto him. He groaned.
“Turn around,” he said gruffly when she was done. “Bend over and hold onto the bench.”
“Your wish is my command,” she replied, echoing him. She turned, bent over the bench, laid her forearms across it and looked back over her shoulder. “I want to watch,” she said.
How was he here with this amazing woman? How was it she could turn him on this much, with a few touches and bold words? He pulled that liquid silver dress up, tugged her panties down and off. She was spread out before him like a gift, gorgeous and precious and his, her head turned with her eyes half-lidded in anticipation, waiting for him. Those heels lifted her up to just the right height. Her ass was heart-shaped and perfect and he couldn’t help but reach out, squeeze it hard enough to mark her as his, dip his fingers between her legs to see if she was ready for him. She was wet, and from the look in her eyes when he touched her, more than ready.
“You are so beautiful,” he told her in a low voice. He spread his hands over her hips to hold her in place and positioned his cock at her entrance. Her breath caught.
“Do it,” she whispered. “I want to see you take me, right now.”
He forced himself to ease into her slowly, filling her from behind. She moaned, low and quiet, still gazing at him over her shoulder. She was so tight and hot and wet, and her watching was a huge turn-on. “Fuck,” he said, giving up and plunging in to his hilt. “Fuck, Ella, I want to be so deep inside you.”
“Yes,” she whispered, and made one of those little noises that drove him crazy, like she couldn’t help herself. “Yes, God, harder, Phillip.” She squirmed her ass against him and he pulled out nearly all the way before burying himself in her again, harder this time and as deep as he could get. She grabbed onto the edge of the bench with both hands, white-knuckled, and dropped her head with a muffled moan.
So she liked it a little rough, did she? He pulled out and nudged her feet further forward, lifting her ass higher for a better angle before he drove back in. He was balls-deep in her now, and it still wasn’t enough, could never be enough. She bit down on a noise, trying to silence her pleasure. He set a relentless pace while the party continued just a dozen yards away, music filtering faintly around them. Pressure built at the base of his spine. He groaned, reached around, found her clit and tweaked it between his fingers. He moved his other hand up, grasping her waist to hold her more tightly in place.
She threw her head back, grinding herself hard against him, mouth open in ecstasy. Her muscles tightened around his hard length as she reached her peak and whimpered, trying to be quiet even though he could tell she wanted to shout. He drove himself into her again, once, twice, faster now, and then the pressure building at the base of his cock released as he pumped himself out.
He held on to her, hands tight around her waist as they both shuddered and spiraled and fell. This was exactly where he wanted to be. Lost inside this woman.
He was lost to her, as well. Tonight had brought that home to him—not just how badly he wanted her sexually, but how much he needed her in his life. She fulfilled him, brought out the color and adventure in a life that had always been duty after obligation after responsibility. With her at his side, all of that would be so much more meaningful, a joy instead of a burden.
As they recovered under the stars in their hideaway, a quiet waltz twining around them, he thanked God Ella Fernstone had finally agreed to a real relationship with him—because he didn’t think he could face life without her after this.
12
The next day, Ella sat on the couch in her room, feeling like she was surrounded by a pack of wolves. Her stepmother wouldn’t stop circling the room, pacing and muttering and planning, and Daphne was hunting through all the luggage piece by piece for one of her macrobiotic candy bars. She always got snacky when something exciting was happening.
That was what Ella was now: a sideshow. She wasn’t sure whether her family saw her newly-public romance with the king as a fascinating fairytale or a fascinating trainwreck, but one thing was sure—they wanted every single detail of Ella’s night at the ball.
“I swear, it’s not that big a deal, guys,” she pleaded for the umpteenth time.
Anna rolled her eyes from her spot in the corner without looking up from her medical journal.
Her stepmother pivoted, shooting Ella a look of consternation. “We would know exactly what size of a deal it was if you would just tell us everything.”
Ella had zero intention of doing that. Last night had been magical and mind-blowing and very private, and the part of it that had been public—the four, or was it five, dances she’d shared with the king—everyone already knew about. There was no need for her to rehash her love life for her stepmother, who would only be inspired to use every last drop of influence she had to force a royal marriage. Ella could tell the woman was already wondering if she’d been backing the wrong horse, thrusting Anna and Daphne into the king’s attention rather than Ella.
And that was not what Ella wanted. She already had more of Phillip’s attention than she could handle. What she needed was some quiet time, to try to discern her dreams from her goals an
d figure out what she wanted. She had a suspicion Phillip considered last night the start of a public courtship, but she wasn’t so sure she was ready for that yet. And if she wasn’t, she needed to figure it out fast so she could let him down easy before he announced it to the entire kingdom.
Ella put a hand to her temple. “Look, I’m really tired,” she tried. “I think I’m just going to relax and write a letter.”
Her stepmother’s mouth fell open and she jabbed a triumphant finger at Ella. “I knew you weren’t writing some friend in the States! It was the king, wasn’t it?”
She groaned, but before she could respond, a knock sounded at the door. Ella prayed it was some urgent meeting that would get her away from her family. If not, she planned to beg whoever was at the door to concoct one.
It was Drake. “Letter for you, ma’am,” he said, and she could swear his dour face almost cracked a smile. She snatched the letter from him and shut the door. “You’re welcome,” his muffled voice said from the other side, and yes—there was definitely a smile in it. Ugh, did everyone know about her and the king?
She tore the letter open. Her family crowded around to read it, but she backed into a corner and gave them all the stink-eye until they gave her at least a few feet of privacy. She ducked her head and read.
Dear Ella,
I should probably wait and tell you this in person, but I can’t keep it to myself another second and I won’t get to see you again ‘til tomorrow. Last night was amazing for so many reasons, and it gave me something I never thought I would have: a true love who could also be an amazing queen. Because I do love you, Ella. There’s no one else I can imagine at my side—not just ruling with me, but for all the small moments of life too, the lazy mornings and the nights under the stars, quiet lunches, reading books together in front of the fire. There is no part of my world where I don’t want you present.
With your permission, I want to send all the other eligible ladies away (except your family, of course, if you want them to stay with you). I want to announce that I’ve chosen the woman I will court as my bride. I want to tell the world it’s you. It’s always been you.
I could hardly sleep last night, and when I did, it was to dream about what we did together on the balcony. I’ve never been more turned on by anyone than I am by you, and I’ve never had a night like that before. I want to do it again, with you spread out and waiting for me, watching over your shoulder as I take you again. You are amazing and I can’t get enough of you.
Please write me back as soon as you get this and tell me if you feel the same. I can’t wait to hear from you.
Love,
Phillip
Ella folded the letter, head spinning, and peered up at the room around her like she’d forgotten it existed. The things, the marvelous, impossible things he’d written in his letter echoed in her head.
Her stepmother pursed her lips, taking in the dazed expression on Ella’s face, and nodded. “You love him,” she said, and it wasn’t a question.
“I…yeah,” Ella said after a moment, unable and unwilling to lie to them—or to herself, not any longer. She was in love with Phillip. And what was she going to do about that?
Her stepmother walked forward, took Ella’s free hand and folded both of her own over it in a rare maternal gesture. Ella blinked at her. “Don’t hold yourself back from him,” the woman advised with a wistful smile. “It’s obvious to me now that you two were made for each other. If you love him, you should be with him. Life is so short—spend as much of it as you can with the people you love.”
She said it so easily, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. And…maybe it was. Now that their relationship was in the open, now that her family knew about them, Ella was surprised to realize that the fluttering in her stomach was excitement, not fear. She wanted to be with him for real. She wanted the world to know she belonged to him.
She found a piece of paper and a pen, and sat down to tell him so.
Phillip felt like whistling as he made his way to the last appointment of the day. One more duty, and then he was headed straight to Ella’s room. It was a good thing, too, because after the flurry of letters all day today and yesterday—each dirtier than the last—he wasn’t going to make it long if he didn’t get her naked as quickly as possible.
He grinned. She loved him. She’d said so herself, plain as ink on the page. And tonight, after they’d had some private time together to reconnect, he would send all the other girls away and announce to his country that the two of them were courting.
And then, in a few more weeks once Ella had had some time to settle in, he’d pop the question. He wasn’t sure yet whether he’d use the royal engagement ring or not. He’d always considered it to be terrible luck, but it did lend an extra touch of romance, of finality. Maybe he could pull Anna aside, ask her what she thought her stepsister might prefer.
He turned into the library and closed the door behind him, sitting down across from the reporter. The man had an officially-sealed envelope in his lap—his invitation to this interview. This was the last of the puff pieces Phillip would have to do for the next few days, and he couldn’t wait to get it over with.
The reporter smiled and shook hands, then launched into a volley of questions about the Summer House Party, his plans regarding Parliament, and his project to improve the country’s roads. Phillip answered politely but succinctly, barely able to keep himself still in his seat.
Finally, the interview was over and Phillip rose. “It was good to meet with you,” he said graciously, internally urging the man to get a move on so he could go to Ella.
But the reporter stayed seated. “If you don’t mind, I have one final question,” he said.
With a sigh, Phillip sat back down and waved his hand, granting permission.
The reporter handed him the envelope. “There must have been a mix-up,” he said, a small smile that Phillip didn’t like the looks of playing at the corner of his mouth. “I believe you intended this for someone else.”
Phillip looked down at the letter. It was made of thick, creamy stock, sealed with red wax imprinted with the royal seal from his ring. There could be no doubt it was from the King of Danovar. But Phillip had sent precious few letters today for there to have been a mix-up—just one to the reporter, and…
And half a dozen to Ella.
Slowly, he reached for the letter, dread curling low in his gut. No. It couldn’t be.
He pulled it open, slid the letter out. It was from Ella to him. He scanned it, praying it was one of their more innocent pieces of correspondence. It wasn’t.
He raised his eyes, his stomach turning over. “You opened this.”
The reporter pursed his lips. “A guard handed it to me. It wasn’t addressed to anyone, so I thought it was the official invitation with the time of our interview that I’d been expecting. I of course would never have opened a royally-sealed document intended for someone else otherwise.” He folded his hands and leaned closer. “But now that I have opened it, I have an exclusive on the biggest scoop of the year. King Phillip and his secret tryst.”
Phillip’s hand curled into a fist around the letter, crumpling it. Knowing this man had read Ella’s letter, invaded her privacy, seen things that were meant to stay between her and Phillip—it made him sick. It made him furious. “I could have you arrested,” he said in a low voice.
“I’ve already taken pictures, emailed them in a zipped folder to a friend. If I’m arrested, he opens it and releases them to the public.”
Phillip slumped in his seat. The threat had been half-hearted anyway. The press in his kingdom was free, and throwing a reporter in jail without any real charges went against everything he believed in. He just wished he could see another way out of this. “What do you want?” he asked.
The reporter sat back in his seat. “I want a scoop. I need a scoop, if I want to keep my job. But I respect you a lot, so I want to make you an offer.”
A thread of hope shone thr
ough, and Phillip grabbed it with both hands. “Go on.”
“In anticipation of this interview, I’ve done some digging over the last few weeks, and I’ve found evidence that a member of your staff—likely one in a high position—is a thief. One of the crown jewels went missing six or seven years ago and then reappeared just as suddenly. The royal family did their best to cover it up but they couldn’t erase all the records of such a high-profile theft, albeit a temporary one. So here’s the deal I want to offer you. I need a scoop, but I’ll let you decide which one. Expose these letters—and I mean all of them—or expose whoever the thief is that you’ve been protecting all this time.”
A headache pounded at Phillip’s temples. This couldn’t be happening. He couldn’t be facing this choice. Allow the public at large to invade his and Ella’s privacy, or turn over a person who’d become one of his most loyal subjects to the public’s wrath.
He closed his eyes. If he looked at this reporter for another second, he’d punch him. “If I choose the letters,” he said, feeling sicker with every word, “I would need a guarantee that they wouldn’t be published until after the wedding.”
The wedding. A few minutes ago he’d been full of joy and hope for the future when he thought about his and Ella’s marriage, and now the word tasted like sourness and betrayal.
He cleared his throat. “I would also need a guarantee that they would be exposed in a romantic light, not as some kind of dirty secret. This woman is your future queen.” He opened his eyes and gave the man a hard stare, and the reporter quailed a bit and nodded, agreeing to both demands.
The reporter extended his hand. “We have an agreement then,” he said. Phillip nodded sharply but kept his hands on the arms of his chair, refusing to shake hands with the devil. After a moment the man straightened his suit and walked out, and Phillip was left by himself, staring at the wall and hoping he hadn’t just ruined his future.