And I meant it.
He pushed the clothes I had laid out for the date off the bed and quickly undressed himself but left on his boxer briefs.
“You look so sexy in the suit.”
“Fuck the suit.”
“Don’t we have dinner reservations?”
“We can be late. I’ll eat you instead.”
Ryan’s lips touch mine, and I sucked in a breath. He bit my bottom lip. This one kiss could last me a lifetime of loneliness. It was the type of kiss that writers in this very city wrote novels about. But this kiss wasn’t fictional; Ryan was here. And he was mine. For now.
His hand moved to cup my breast. My naked skin tingled in pleasure. How could someone from the other side of the world know how to make my body feel so good?
I gasped as he rubbed his finger over my nipple. My body was on fire, the throbbing between my legs grew deeper. I was desperate to feel him inside of me.
His tongue quickly replaced his thumb. I moaned as he kissed and sucked on my tits.
“Oh, Ryan!”
His hand slipped down between my legs, softly caressing me. No one had ever touched me there, and strength of his hand sent shivers through me.
His eyes met mine in a devilish grin as he kissed his way down my body.
Nerves rattled inside me. I tried to pull his head up. “Ryan, I’ve never done that.”
“I know. It’s okay. Do you want me to stop?”
“No, I’m just nervous. I may not like it.”
He laughed. “Oh, you’ll like it, baby.” He spread my legs wide. “You have the most beautiful pussy.”
Hearing his words made me feel so dirty.
I shouldn’t be doing this. I should stop.
He licked me slowly down my center, and the foreign sensation drove me wild. He made small strokes with his tongue as he settled between my thighs, and I arched my back in ecstasy. I stared at him pleasuring me, and the sight sent me to heaven. I closed my eyes and gave myself over to the moment. This was nothing like I thought it would be. I feared I would hate it, or it would be awkward, but it was nothing like that. In a word, it was absolute bliss.
His tongue felt incredible. Pleasure built inside me. I felt like my legs would give out.
“Do you like it, Princess? Do you like it when I lick your pussy?”
I nodded.
“Say it, Princess. Or I’ll stop. Tell me what you like.”
“Don’t stop! I love it.”
His mouth covered me, and he licked and sucked some more. I couldn’t possibly have ever imagined anything feeling as good as Ryan’s mouth felt on me. My breath quickened, and I felt like I was going to explode.
I looked down, and Ryan was lapping me up. Just seeing this gorgeous man pleasing me sent me over the edge.
“Oh my God, Ryan. Yes!”
A rush of euphoria covered me as I came, pure joy filling my body.
Ryan pulled himself up to kiss me on the forehead. “How do you feel?”
“Incredible.” I paused and stared at his hard erection through his boxer briefs. I still hadn’t seen him naked. “Can I do something to make you feel good?”
He shook his head. “I feel great.”
I looked at him, perplexed. “I can try to suck on you. I’m sure I’ll be bad.”
“That’s not even possible, babe. I’d love to, but not tonight.”
Hmm. “Okay.” I climbed on his lap, rubbing myself on him. “Make love to me.”
He exhaled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His rejection stung. “Wait, you don’t want to have sex with me?”
He stroked my hair. “I do, babe. More than anything. But I don’t think we should.”
I frowned. “Why? What we just did was pretty intimate.”
“Save something for your husband. Once you sleep with me, you’ll never want another guy. I don’t want to ruin you.” He grinned.
I hit him with a pillow. “You’re impossible. Let’s just have sex!”
“No.”
What? “Why? I thought you wanted me.”
“I do. I just . . . I just think it’s a bad idea.”
I couldn’t let this go. “Why? You clearly have had sex with many women. Why won’t you sleep with me?”
He looked at me, a sad expression on his face. “Because I actually like you. And I think you’ll regret it. I admit, I initially wanted to seduce you and bounce, but I’m trying to do the right thing for once in my life.”
I didn’t even know how to respond to that. But my heart broke.
What was I doing with this wounded man? He seemed so strong and tough on the outside, but inside, he was sad and alone. He was developing feelings for me, and I was just using him for some pre-wedding fling.
I was just the worst person.
“Are you sure? I want to, Ryan.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s get ready for dinner.”
He grabbed his clothes and walked into the bathroom.
A wave of guilt washed over me, not just for getting intimate with Ryan, but for playing with his emotions.
I ached for him. I wanted him to feel as good as he’d just made me feel.
And I knew that no matter what, I would miss him when he was gone.
Chapter 16
Ryan
WE HAD A ROMANTIC DINNER, but my mind was elsewhere. What was wrong with me? Giselle asked me to blow me, hell, to take her virginity—and I had turned her down.
Why? I loved sex; it was my favorite vice. I’d slept with women and not even thought about them twice. Why was I stressing about this one chick?
Why had I said no? I was losing my game.
But I did know. I’d even told her. Feelings. I was having feelings for her. I never had feelings; I had shut that part of my heart off years ago.
Ever since my mom left me, I’ve been hesitant to trust people. The few times I briefly let anyone in other than my Teammates, I’d been destroyed. Never again.
The next day we woke early and had a long day of sightseeing. Giselle covered her hair with a scarf to evade being seen. She took me to the Louvre, where we saw the Mona Lisa. My mind was utterly blown that I was actually going to museums in Paris with a princess. I would’ve never in my wildest imagination thought that this would be my life right now.
After another romantic dinner where we dined on coq au vin and sipped a magnificent merlot, Giselle and I strolled on the Seine River.
The view of the Eiffel Tower after sunset was spectacular.
I cupped her face and kissed her under the moonlight. “I’m crazy about you.”
I was for once in my life truly happy.
Even if we only had one night left together.
Was this what my buddies talked about when they wouldn’t shut up about their wives? And if I was really falling for her, why did she have to be taken?
I held her hand as we walked down the gaslight illuminated street. We approached a corner, and Giselle stopped cold.
I looked up and saw a dimly lit man with his arms around two women wearing tight dresses and fuck-me heels.
“What’s wrong, babe?”
“That’s . . . that’s Miguel.”
Oh, hell no.
Miguel whispered something to the women. They nodded in unison and stepped away from him.
Giselle stepped forward and shed my arm.
Got it. I was the help.
“Giselle, darling.” He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
Rage seethed inside of me. His designer purple suit and shiny black shoes clung to his scrawny body. I wanted to throw him into the river.
“Ladies, this is my fiancée, Princess Giselle. Giselle, these are my ‘friends.’”
The brunette bounced over to Giselle. “Oh, hi! We’ve heard so much about you. I love Santa Cariña. Miguel said he’ll be running the casinos. I can’t wait to come visit. I’ve never been friends with a Princess before.”
What a mind fuck. What planet
did these people live on? I felt like I was on some fucked-up version of the royal bachelor. I’d rather be fighting ISIS.
“Hello, Miguel. This is Ryan. He’s my . . . bodyguard.”
Knife. Heart.
But that was all I was. Her hired help. I knew my role: be her bodyguard, protect her, take her to dinner, make her come.
Then walk away.
Maybe it was the red wine, or maybe it was just because I was a hellion and looking for a fight, but I couldn’t hold my tongue.
“Well, since you two lovebirds are engaged and all, we should just leave you alone to celebrate your engagement. I can call your ‘friends’ a cab. Hey, Princess, maybe you and your fiancé can spend the night together in your suite.”
Giselle placed her hand on my chest, her eyes pleading with me. “Ryan, stop. You knew. Please don’t make a scene.”
I turned to her, my ears pounding, my mind slamming all doors to my heart shut. “Yeah, I knew. But I didn’t think I’d meet him.”
Miguel laughed, whispered something else to one of the girls. She giggled.
He touched Giselle’s arm. “Is there a problem, Giselle? You seem to be quite cozy with your bodyguard.”
I pointed in his face. “Watch it, buddy. I’m warning you. You don’t know who you are talking to.”
But that motherfucker didn’t back down. “Dude, it’s okay. Not sure if Giselle told you, but we aren’t together romantically. It’s an arrangement. Maybe you can teach her some tricks. Just break her in for me. I’ll thank you later.”
That was it. Fuck this dude.
I clenched my hand into a fist and clocked him in the jaw.
“Ryan!” Giselle jerked away from me to Miguel’s side.
Fuck that. Fuck her. Fuck my promise to her father. If she wanted to waste her life with some scumbag like Miguel, I should just let her.
I stormed down the street, not knowing where I was heading. I just wanted to get out of Paris, out of France, back to the USA.
And forget I ever met this princess.
Chapter 17
Giselle
“RYAN! WAIT!” I SCREAMED AS I raced after him. I kicked off my heels and tried to catch up, but he was almost half a street ahead. Wow, he ran fast.
I kept sprinting and finally got closer to him. “Please, Ryan, let’s talk.”
He finally turned to me, his face flushed, his eyes wide. “What? What do you want to talk about? How you’re about to marry a guy who doesn’t even respect you? Wants me to ‘break you in’ What kind of man says that? What a worthless piece of shit.”
I glowered at him in the moonlight. “You’re one to talk. You said you’ve been with hundreds of women. You are no better than he is.”
“Fuck you, Giselle. How dare you say that? Yes, I am better than him. My previous women wanted nothing more than I did. They were hookups, one-night stands. They meant nothing to me, and I meant nothing to them. I’ve never had a girlfriend—I’ve spent more time with you than I have with any other girl.”
“More time? Less than a week?”
“Yes, smartass, less than a week. And I would never, ever want to share you. Just the thought of that sleazy motherfucker touching you makes me want to kill him.”
His lip trembled, and I could see his breath in the air. “You care that much about me?”
He looked at his shoes. “Yeah. I guess I do.”
“I do, too.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
There was an awkward pause. Then a crazy idea hit me.
“Well, maybe I could go with you.”
His eyes met mine. “With me? To San Diego?”
“Yes. Why not? I have another week of vacation. I’ve always wanted to visit the West Coast.”
He gritted his teeth. “What’s the point, Giselle? We should end it here. Now. I’ll just call your dad and get Henri to watch you. Nothing good can come of this affair. Let’s just call a spade a spade and go our own ways.”
I touched his face, trying to bring him back to me. “But I don’t want to. I like you.”
He stared at me, and I felt him coming back to me. “I like you, too. But we have nothing in common, and you’re about to marry that douche-canoe back there. I’m out.”
He turned and walked farther down the street, but I ran after him again.
I grabbed his shoulder. “No, listen. It will be fun. Why can’t we just enjoy the little time we have together?”
“Do you always get your way? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”
I pouted. I knew I was spoiled, but I wanted Ryan. “Fine, Ryan. I can call my father myself. But look me in the eyes, and tell me you never want to see me again. This is your last chance because I will be married next month. To Miguel. Say goodbye if you want, but leave me with no regrets.”
His eyes met mine.
Checkmate. Ryan wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
“Fine. You win. Come back to San Diego with me. I’ll show you a good time.” He pulled me to him and held me close. “But I’m warning you, Princess—one more week with me, and you will never want to leave.”
Chapter 18
Ryan
HOW DID THIS GET SO INTENSE, so fast? I had always lived my life with no regrets. And I did have another week of leave back in San Diego. I could show off my princess to my friends.
And then, she would leave me forever.
But I wasn’t going to focus on that now.
Giselle booked a ticket back with me, and, of course, upgraded us to first class. I was starting to get used to her fancy lifestyle. She would probably refuse to stay at my small apartment. Maybe I should book her at the Del. Royalty always stayed there, and it was right next to the base.
Our flight was long, but at least we got to sleep on the plane. Our seats even reclined, and the food was surprisingly good. I never thought I’d ever have a decent meal on an airplane. Most of the time I spent in planes, I had a parachute strapped on my back, and a gun slung across my chest.
I was still livid about Miguel. And Giselle wouldn’t even talk about it with me anymore. She kept telling me that their marriage was set in stone. And since I didn’t want a relationship with her, it didn’t matter.
But was that true? Was I certain I didn’t want to be with Giselle? She was on my mind twenty-four hours a day. Would I ever get over her? Or would I be dreaming about her for the rest of my life while I was stuck in some fighting hole overseas?
Probably the latter. Fuck. But what was I going to do about it? What could I do about it? Not only was she engaged but also she was a princess. She could never be satisfied with me or my life.
So I would spend this week with her, and then we would say our goodbyes. Forever.
I woke before our plane landed in San Diego, and she was nestled under my arm, sleeping contently. She looked like an angel.
Fuck, I was whipped.
I roused her from her sleep. “Babe, we’re almost here.”
She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and sprang up. She gazed out the window toward the sunset. “Oh, it’s gorgeous! Reminds me of Santa Cariña. Maybe you—”
She didn’t complete her sentence. We both knew what she was going to suggest. But we also both knew that it would never happen.
The plane touched down, and we disembarked. I gathered our luggage and stepped away to call Erik, who was in the cell phone lot.
He picked up on the first ring. “Welcome back, buddy. How was it?”
“Crazy. Hey, you alone?”
“No, Dax is with me.”
Dax, the rockstar turned SEAL. That dude was even more of a womanizer than I was. I didn’t want him anywhere near Giselle. At least Erik was a solid guy and married; his wife was an Olympic gold medalist and the first female Navy SEAL. She was a complete badass.
“Well, heads up, I’m not alone.”
“What? You brought some chick home from Europe?”
“Yeah, actually. And she’s not j
ust a chick. She’s a princess.”
“Aren’t they all?”
“No, seriously, dude. She’s a real-life princess. Princess Giselle of Santa Cariña.”
“How the fuck did you meet a princess?”
“She was getting mugged, and I saved her. She’s also engaged. It’s complicated.”
He laughed. “Damn, man. I knew you shouldn’t have gone alone. Hell, even Dax could’ve kept you out of trouble.”
Now I laughed. Dax got more pussy than the tiger exhibit at the Wild Animal Park.
“Just be cool. And tell Dax to behave. We’ll be outside in a few minutes.”
“Gotcha.”
I headed back over to Giselle, who looked effortlessly beautiful. I took our bags, and we went outside.
A few minutes later, Erik pulled up in his huge truck. He and Dax hopped out, hugged me, and threw our luggage into the bed.
Dax walked over to Giselle and knelt before her, his hand across his chest. “At your service, Your Royal Highness. Would you knight me?”
Giselle smiled at me. “Your friends are charming.”
I shook my head. “No, they’re not; they’re jackasses.”
I opened the front passenger seat for Giselle and climbed in the backseat with Dax.
“So, a real-life Princess. I’ve actually been to Santa Cariña, it’s a beautiful country.”
Of course he had; Dax had been everywhere.
She turned her head around. “Really, when?”
“Ten years ago. When I was on tour.”
“Tour? A military tour?”
He shook his head. “No. I was in a band. I doubt you ever heard of us.”
And that would be all he would say. Dax never told anyone that he wasn’t just in any band. He was the former lead guitarist of Gold Whiskey, one of the biggest bands of the millennium.
But that was his secret to tell, not mine.
“Do you want to come over to our house for dinner? Aria cooked up a feast.”
I didn’t want to tell Erik no, that I wanted to keep Giselle to myself a bit longer. With all of Aria’s endorsements, they purchased a beautiful home in Coronado right next door to Dax’s mansion, which he bought with his rockstar money. I didn’t want Aria to see their places before she saw my tiny digs.
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