Lucas goes on. “Alice isn’t happy about Polly’s upcoming marriage, being a romantic, but I told her marriages for favorable alliances are the way it is in a lot of monarchies. Even our parents suggested arranged marriages for us.”
“Only Gabriel and Emma took them up on it,” I say. “And neither of them went through with it.” Gabriel, as the heir, was held to a higher standard. I suppose it’s the same with Polly being the heiress.
“Nothing we can do about it,” Lucas says, looking right at me. “As I explained to Alice.”
I look away, taking a sip of my scotch. It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. It’s just that Polly is young and full of life. She looked so happy at dinner, talking and laughing with Alice and Lucas. I found myself watching her too much again and made myself focus on business with Adrian. Still, I can’t help but think about her fiancé. What if he doesn’t appreciate her and tries to dim her light?
Everyone should have a say in whom they marry. I don’t know why I’m so fixated on her. It must be because she’s forbidden fruit. I can’t fathom why else my reactions to her are so intense. Even when she’s not in the room, just thinking about her or hearing her name gets me worked up.
“Is it pretty rowdy at that bar?” Lucas asks Adrian. “I may need to stop by.”
“It’s pretty low-key,” Adrian says. “Jazz music and piano. Most bars don’t get rowdy until late.”
Lucas nods. “I did send Louis with her, and there’s Polly’s guard.” Louis is one of our largest security guys. We have another guard, Michael, here with us, hovering in the background. Lucas pulls his phone out. “I’ll just check in.”
Adrian rolls his eyes at me. I shake my head. Pathetic. Lucas can’t even enjoy one drink without checking in with his woman. He’s the one who’s pussy whipped.
“Where’s Charles?” I ask Adrian. I haven’t seen our host since we first got here half an hour ago.
“He’s taking a private meeting upstairs,” Adrian says with a smirk. That’s where the bedrooms are.
“He can’t wait until after the party?”
Adrian shrugs.
I glance around at the mingling guests. Most of the conversation is in English, a common language among the global famous and wealthy. I swear that’s one of the guys who played James Bond a while back over there. I recognize a few actresses here too, but they don’t hold my interest. That’s not why I’m here.
An hour later, I’m getting irritated. Charles finally showed up, but we only talked to him for a few minutes before he went to talk to someone else. I get it. He’s mingling with his ultrawealthy guests, important to the casino, but we’ve got business.
“Stop scowling,” Adrian says to me under his breath. “No business tonight.”
“We’ve barely seen the guy.”
Lucas bolts.
“Where’s he going in such a hurry?” I ask Adrian.
And then I see why. Lucas is guiding Alice in, who’s wearing a black short-sleeved dress with fringe straight from the 1920s with a black bow in her hair. Louis, our guard, stands at Alice’s side; Polly’s guard stands behind the group. Lina, one of the palace maids in a black sleeveless dress, keeps sneaking glances at Louis, checking him out. And then she steps out from behind them, and the air is sucked out of the room.
She’s stunning. Polly changed from the modest blouse and skirt she wore at dinner. Now she’s in a slip of a dress ending midthigh, with silver fringe, flimsy spaghetti straps that could snap with one tug of my hand, and a low scooped neckline. Her skin glows creamy, smooth, and perfect. Her legs are long, her feet in silver high heels with a sexy strap around her ankle. My gaze travels back up her curvy body. Her dark curly hair is up in a high ponytail, exposing the column of her elegant neck. My heart kicks harder, the blood rushing through my veins, my fingers tingling with the need to touch.
She doesn’t look like a virgin princess.
She’s gorgeous, sexy, and I want her so bad I can barely think. I’m at her side before I’m even aware I crossed the room. “How was the bar?”
She beams, and I get a pang in my chest seeing her so elated. “Wonderful!”
Alice leans on my arm, a little wobbly and definitely drunk. “Polly is being extra naughty tonight. She’s not supposed to show her shoulders in public.”
Polly giggles. “Or my back.” She turns to show us her exposed back, the dress snug over her cute ass. She whirls back, the fringe whipping around with her. “Or my knees.” She bends, putting her hands on her knees, giving a prime view of her cleavage. My mouth goes dry. She straightens and lifts her hands in the air. “Ta-da! Be shocked, everybody.”
I chuckle. “How much have you had to drink?”
She taps my nose. “Just the right amount, Prince Oscar.” She turns to my brother. “Hello, Prince Adrian. You’re looking dashing in that blazer.”
Hello, I’m also in a blazer. Is she into Adrian?
Adrian gives her a slow smile. “Thanks. You’re cute when you’re drunk.”
“I’m totally not.” She gets in Alice’s face. “Right, Alice?”
“Right!” Alice exclaims loudly. “Not drunk but still totally cute.”
Louis takes Lucas aside for a hushed conversation. It could be bad news if security needs to do a briefing. What went on over at that bar?
I glance at Lina, who’s shyly looking at the ground, her head tilted toward Lucas and Louis, obviously eavesdropping.
“So what else is on the bachelorette party agenda?” I ask Alice.
She lifts a finger. “First, very important. A penis hat.”
“Shh!” Polly says in a loud whisper. “You’re not supposed to say penis out loud. It’s a member, remember?”
They collapse into laughter.
Alice chokes out, “That rhymes. Member, remember. Regency humor!”
“Dick humor!” Polly exclaims. “What the hell is Regency?”
My jaw drops. Polly has not uttered a crude word since we met. It makes her feel more approachable.
I take her hand and brush a kiss over the back of her knuckles, one of my many smooth moves. I’m being naughty tonight too.
Her brown eyes go wide in shock.
I almost want to laugh. “Regency is Alice’s preferred historic time to write about.”
“Oh.” She stares at her hand in mine. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I appreciate a dick joke.”
She crinkles her cute nose. “You’re speaking very inappropriately to a woman of my station.”
“I’m at your same station, right?”
She tilts her head to the side. “You are.” She smiles, lifts my hand, and studies the inside of my wrist. “Look at that. Blue blood just like me.”
“Me too!” Alice says, holding up her wrist. “Lucas pumps it into me every chance he gets. No condom, so I think—”
“Alice!” Lucas barks.
She turns and smiles. “Lucas, I was just talking about you.”
Polly sends me an amused look and whispers, “Inappropriate.”
Lucas slides an arm around Alice. “Yes, we all heard. Would you like something to eat?”
“I’m not hungry. Don’t you remember dinner?”
He smiles indulgently. “How about chocolate?”
“Oh, yes! I always have room for chocolate.”
He guides her across the room toward a table laden with desserts.
“Guess it’s just us,” Polly says to me.
I glance around. Adrian is across the room, talking to some people he seems to know well. Louis is leaving with Lina. I guess he’s off duty since we have two guards with us here. I turn back to her. “Guess so.”
“I would like a drink,” she says with a nod.
And you know what? I can’t deny her a good time, even if she does regret it in the morning. How often does a virgin princess with a constant chaperone get to party? Her guard remains a distance behind, standing watch but giving her some leeway.
I in
cline my head for her to follow, and we head for the bar just off the kitchen.
“What’re you drinking?” I ask as we get in line behind a couple of actresses.
“Let’s see, I had two martinis earlier, shaken not stirred in honor of Bond, so now I’ll have…” She taps her finger against her pink lips. “What’re you drinking?”
I swirl the remaining drink in my hand. “Scotch.”
“I’ve never tried it. May I?”
I hand it to her. She takes a sip and nearly spits it out. “Blech! That tastes vile! Like the cough syrup Marge shoved down my throat when I was a child.”
I bite back a smile. “Okay, maybe not scotch, then. What do you feel like?”
She runs her hands down her sides and does a little wiggle. “I feel fabulous.”
I stifle a laugh. Not touching that one, literally or flirt-wise. “How about some wine? Chablis? Chardonnay?”
“Your French is very good.” She switches to French, assuming my pronunciation of wine is enough to understand her. Fortunately, I do. I’m bilingual like all of my family. She’s telling me about her chaperone, Marge, and how guilty she feels for being so happy here in Monte Carlo while Marge is back in Villroy feeling so awful.
I speak in French back to her. “She’s where she needs to be, and there’s nothing wrong with you enjoying yourself in the meantime. You’re a grown woman, and a chaperone is overkill. It’s too bad she doesn’t take a break once in a while and enjoy herself too. Then you could have fun on your own without the guilt.”
“Yes! That’s exactly why I bribed Lina to have a good time. I mean, for me to have a good time, and her too. We both can. She’s so hot for Louis. Personally, I think his neck is too thick.”
My lips twitch, and I pass on another flirty opening. Thick can be good in the right places. See, I can be friendly without crossing the line. “You bribed Lina?”
She sighs and steps up to the bartender. “I’ll have your specialty.”
He turns to me in question.
“Glass of Chablis, please.” I turn to Polly. “Why’re you bribing Lina? She’s on payroll.”
“She’s on your payroll. I need her on mine. Marge threatened—” she takes her drink “—thank you!”
We step away and head back to the mingling guests. “Threatened what?”
“To bring down the wrath of my kingdom if Lina left me unchaperoned.” She lifts her glass. “But guess who’s in charge of the kingdom?”
“You?”
She frowns. “Almost. After I marry.” She takes a long swallow of wine. “Oscar, I don’t want to talk about my kingdom in French or in English. Especially not in French. That’s my home language, and it just reminds me of the noose around my neck with stupid Peter.”
I refrain from mentioning she’s the one who started speaking in French, because I hate that she feels like she has a noose around her neck. She’s a free spirit who should be allowed to live on her own terms. I switch back to English. “What’s wrong with Peter?”
She finishes her wine in one long chug and holds up the glass. “I think I’ll have another.”
I watch as she orders another glass. If she wants to get drunk, that’s fine. I’ll keep her safe. She needs this break from all the pressure on her.
After she gets her drink, I steer her toward a quiet corner of the room. She leans against the wall with a sigh. “Alice has such a dirty imagination.”
I stand across from her, careful to keep my distance. “I heard her stories are pretty racy. Did you read them?”
“No, but I plan to. Though maybe that’s a bad idea because…” She looks at the ceiling, seeming deep in thought, before meeting my eyes again. “Expectations. Got to keep them low.” She gestures wildly with one hand. “Guess you heard about the virgin thing.”
I step closer. “Keep your voice down.”
“Why?” she asks loudly. “Everybody knows! Anna blabbermouthed and Lucas blabbermouthed.” She jabs a finger in my face. “I know that’s how you know.”
I keep my voice low, hoping she’ll follow my example. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does!” Her eyes are huge and glassy. “I want it on my terms. My virginity, my adventure. Maybe tonight!”
I whisper to her, desperate for her to quiet down. I’m sure people have recognized her, and this won’t help her reputation. “How’s that wine? Can you taste it, or are you too drunk to notice?”
She tips up her glass, thrusting her tongue in the glass to taste. My God, everything she does tempts me. I tear my gaze away. I’m going to have to ask Alice to take Polly back to her room if she gets too out there.
She sips her wine and smacks her lips. “It tastes like wine.” She finishes the glass and hands it to me like I’m her personal butler.
Now I’ve got a glass in each hand, so when she suddenly plasters herself against me, I’m caught in her embrace. A flash of heat surges through me. She feels right, good, perfect. This is a problem.
She looks up at me, her arms wrapped around my middle. “We’re magnets. I knew it since we met.”
“Magnets?” I echo, confused.
She laughs. “Yes. It’s magnetism that makes me want to press against you.” She goes up on tiptoe and whispers in my ear, “Can I tell you a secret?”
I stifle a groan, but I don’t pull away. She feels too good. Besides, she probably won’t remember any of this in the morning.
She whispers so close my ear vibrates. “Alice told me you’re making eyes at me. Does that mean you feel the magnet pull too?”
“Attraction, and yes. It’s mutual.” She sighs happily, so I add, “Not that we’re going to do anything about it.”
She hugs me tight, pressing her cheek against my chest. I like it way too much. “I’m glad. Otherwise, this hug would be so embarrassing.” She looks up at me. “Hug me back.”
“My hands are full.” I try to step back, but she moves with me. “Let me put these glasses down.”
She pouts but complies, watching me closely. I step to a small table, set the glasses down, and turn back to her. Her arms are open to me, a big goofy smile on her face, waiting to embrace me again. I’d laugh at her enthusiasm if I wasn’t so turned on. This is wrong on so many levels—she’s drunk, she’s practically engaged, she’s a virgin. This is not a woman I can casually fool around with.
I take her hand and lead her to sit on the end of a long sofa. I take the seat next to her, and she immediately slides her fingers to the nape of my neck, stroking my hair. I am not unaffected.
“Soft,” she says.
I take her hand off my neck, giving it a gentle squeeze before pushing her hand down to rest on the sofa. “Have you ever had this much to drink before?”
“Oh, I never get a hangover. I’m very careful. Two drinks, that’s it.”
“I counted four.”
She holds up two fingers. “Two martinis.” She puts them down and lifts them again. “Two wines.”
“That’s four.”
She grins. “Just two of each.” She leans against my arm. “You know what else Alice said?”
I exhale sharply. “I don’t want to know.”
“She says a man’s mouth on you is magic.”
I jolt, lust surging through me, the blood rushing through my veins.
She goes on. “It’s even better than her vibrator, and that has three levels. I never got to try either.” She looks up at me expectantly. “Neither one. Just my own fingers going round and round.”
I’m rock hard. I tear my gaze from hers and see the skinny strap of her dress slipped off her shoulder. How can one smooth shoulder be so sexy? “I didn’t hear that,” I mutter. Virgin Polly dirty talking. Nope. Didn’t hear a thing.
“Is your mouth magic?” she whispers.
At least she’s whispering. “It’s getting late. We should get Alice to take you back to the hotel.”
“Don’t you dare send me home!” She straightens, stiff as a board. “I outrank you.
I’m a princess.”
I bite back a laugh. “I’m a prince. You don’t outrank me.”
“I’ll soon be queen!” It would probably have more effect if she didn’t slur the soon.
I dip my head to speak close to her ear. “Right now you’re a drunk, horny virgin princess and, unfortunately, I have to be the sensible one here.”
She huffs. “I’m going to find another magnet.” She points across the room. “That man is making eyes at me too.”
I glance around. People are looking this way and whispering. They must’ve heard at least some of what she said.
I slide an arm around her and pull her off the sofa. “Let’s go somewhere more private.”
Her eyes light up. “Finally you got my subtle message.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
After a brief talk with Adrian, I gesture for Polly to follow me upstairs.
Halfway up, she announces, “Vaughn, I need personal space for intimate matters.”
I turn back and her guard eyes me. I try for an innocent face. I may be lusting, but I’m not going to act on it.
“Please,” Polly says softly.
He inclines his head and returns to his post near the stairs.
She pushes my back, urging me upstairs. “Hurry, before Vaughn changes his mind.”
Chapter Six
Polly
My heart is racing, and my head is swimming in martinis, wine, and Oscar’s sexy scent. This night just gets better and better. First I had a blast with Alice and Lina at our 1920s flapper girl night, aka my bachelorette party, and now I get to do something dirty. I’m alone with Oscar! Unprecedented! I’ve never requested private time alone with a man. Never been tempted. It was Alice who made me do it. She swears there’s nothing better than a man going down on you. And guess what? That is not sex. At least not the kind the royal doctor would notice. Pretty sure. Lina agreed wholeheartedly with Alice’s assessment and shared that returning the favor was also hot. That got Louis’s attention and the two of them exchanged longing looks for the rest of the time we were at the bar. They’re probably busy exchanging favors right now. It’s been practically all I could think about ever since. For myself, I mean, not Lina. I believe Alice too. She was dead serious when she shared that and her cheeks were bright red. A telltale sign of true honesty.
Royal Player (The Rourkes, Book 5) Page 6