by Piper Rayne
“Morning.” He rests a tray with bagels from Andrews Bagel Co. on the bed. “FYI, Mrs. Andrews demands you come in on Monday.”
“But I like seeing Evan.”
“Evan?” He tilts his head in an unapproved glare.
“Evan is a woman and she prepares my bagel for me. She’s cute.”
“Not as cute as you.” He leans forward and captures my lips in a kiss.
“Didn’t you wake up on the sweet side of the bed this morning.” I chuckle.
“Actually, I woke up in the sweet spot of my amazing girlfriend this morning.”
I throw a napkin at him and he stands up, removing his shirt.
“What are you doing? We have family to see.”
He takes away my bagel, but I snag half of it, continuing to eat as he lowers me down to my back. “Not for a few hours.” His lips cast kisses along my neck, as I bite off a piece of the bagel. “Babe?”
“Uh huh?” I mumble over chewing.
“Can the bagel wait?” He picks up his head, taking the bagel from my hands and placing it on the table next to the bed.
“But I’m hungry.” I pout.
“Don’t worry, this won’t take that long.”
I frown. “That is not what a girl likes to hear. If you think just because we’re girlfriend and boyfriend now you can lack effort in that department, you have another think coming.”
He shuts me up with a kiss and his body weight lands on top of me. I wrap my arms around him ready to get lost in Ethanland again. Just as we’re getting comfortable, he pops his head back up.
“What?” I inhale a deep breath.
“One more thing. Can we stop by my family first and then go to yours today instead of splitting up?”
His request takes me by surprise and my lack of response reveals that.
“I just don’t want to separate from you. That’s if you’re cool with me meeting your parents?”
It takes me a moment to process, but I nod. “Yeah. I’m good, but Ethan, are you sure you want me to…”
“Positive.” He brushes my hair off my forehead. “I want my dad to meet the woman I love.”
I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Love?”
He kisses me briefly. “I love you, Blanca, and I don’t care who knows it.”
“Boy, where is that man who doesn’t date his co-workers?”
He laughs. “You killed him.”
“Nah.” I shake my head. “I just loved him.”
Epilogue
Blanca
Two months later…
“Use some muscle,” Rian directs Seth as he tries to get my suitcase of books out of the apartment.
“This really sucks, Blanca. You just moved in.” Rian frowns.
“She’s two doors down.” Ethan raises his hands for the millionth time today, annoyed by all the I miss yous and the delay in getting us into our new apartment.
He and the guys already did his whole apartment this morning.
“Shouldn’t it be a plus to have three strong brothers? Where are they?” Seth asks.
“Right here.” Dom walks in with Carm and Enzo behind him. “Who’s the moron?”
“That would be Seth.” I grin and give each of my brothers a hug. I’m not naive enough to think they’re only here to help me move a few things. They didn’t even help Ethan this morning move all the big furniture.
“Where are the girls?” I ask.
“They stopped at some bakery place.”
“And Val?” I eye my oldest brother because Val is in her last month of pregnancy.
“I tell you this, if she goes into labor while I’m in butt fuck nowhere, I’m going to lose my shit. I mean, is there even modern medicine out here?”
Seth laughs and slaps him on the back. “I like this one.”
“Again, who is this?” Dom thumbs in his direction.
“Let’s go, Seth,” Ethan says, but Enzo helps him with the other side of my bookcase instead.
“Do you need help?” Carm asks Seth. “Looks like you’re struggling there.”
Seth mocks offense even though he was just complaining. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“Suit yourself.” Carm falls onto the couch and presses power on the television. Football blares in my ear seconds later.
“Carm, this isn’t social time. I’m moving.”
“And Mama said you better not be pregnant.” He points to me but waits until I actually confirm I’m not.
“You guys all live in sin,” I say.
“We’re guys. It’s different.” I pick up a magazine and throw it at him. It opens in his lap to the spot Sierra has re-read a million times. “The Prince. I’m so sick of hearing about the Prince.” He rolls his eyes.
“He’s in town. Sierra won a dinner with him.” I’m just as excited as my friend.
Carm apparently is not. “Don’t tell Bella. I mean, look at me. Why am I competing with this guy.” He flips over the magazine and points to the Prince.
“He’s heir to an entire country,” Rian chimes in, sitting down in the chair.
I guess this is break time.
“Who are you?” Carm asks.
“Rian.” She holds out her hand.
He leans forward, shakes it. “I’m Carmelo Mancini, multi-million dollar realtor. I don’t have to compete for my girlfriend’s attention.”
Rian looks him up and down and shrugs.
“What was that?” Carm asks, forehead creased.
“What?” she asks.
“You shrugged.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You did.”
I allow them to argue and walk Dom down the hall to my new apartment. We have an alley view, but we’re closer to the stairs leading to the rooftop which sold it for us. That and being close to our friends.
Dylan is setting up the television when we walk in, the same football game Carm is watching blares from mine. Ethan’s living room has just shifted from his apartment to ours, but we’ll need to purchase a bigger kitchen table.
“Ethan.” Dom holds out his hand.
“Hey Dom.” They shake and then Ethan opens up our fridge where all the beer he bought yesterday is and starts passing them around.
“Oh no.” I walk around taking them out of their hands.
“Who invited buzzkill?” Dylan asks and then winks at me.
“We have a few more boxes and then it’s beer and game time.”
Just as we step into the hallway, the three women in my brothers’ lives are getting off the elevator.
“I love this town. Let’s move,” Annie says to Enzo, her small box from Scrumptuals open in her hands. “They have the cutest little gazebo here.”
Enzo stares at me like he’s blaming me for her falling in love with Cliffton Heights.
“It’d be a great place to raise the baby. I mean, Ryder barely learned how to ride a bike without getting hit by a taxi. Maybe we need to move,” Val says.
Dom puts his arm around his wife’s shoulder and looks into her box from the bakery. “What did you get?”
“He’s like a pro at changing the topic,” Seth remarks. “I think I want to be your brother when I grow up. So intimidating and he makes his presence known.” He puffs out his chest and walks with his arms out from his sides.
Ethan laughs, his hand falling down and squeezing my ass.
“We’ll be right there. I have to show Blanca something.” Ethan shuts our door and locks it.
“Hey. My brothers like you, but that can change.”
His hand molds to my hip and he presses his body to mine. “I just want you to know, today is the happiest day of my life so far and I’m so excited to see your bedhead, smell your stinky morning breath, and feel you drool on my chest.”
I hit him in the stomach. “Hey!”
“Believe it or not, it’s a good thing. Because I also can’t wait for morning showers together, breakfast in bed, and making love until dawn.”
I sigh and my head
falls back to the door. “I love the sound of that.”
“I love you.” He kisses me and as his tongue slides into my mouth, it’s Sierra’s voice I hear on the other side of the door, her fist pounding, demanding entry.
“What, Sierra?” I ask.
Ethan’s still not willing to accept defeat on our private moment.
“You’re not taking your bed, right? Mind leaving it for Adrian? Maybe your dresser too?”
Ethan groans and steps back.
I swing open the door. “What?”
Sierra stands in the hallway with her hair all askew wearing sweat pants and an I heart New York t-shirt which seems… odd to say the least.
“Oh, my God.” She rushes into my apartment and shuts the door. “He wants to live with us!” she whispers.
“I’m sorry. Who does?” I whisper back.
“Adrian!” Her smile is gigantic and although whatever is making her this happy is awesome, I’m still not following.
“HOLY SHIT! CARM, grab your camera. It’s PRINCE ADRIAN MARX!” I hear Bella yell in the hallway.
“I’m not getting shit. He’s not that great, you know. Running a country isn’t any harder than selling an overpriced penthouse in Manhattan.”
I run back down the hall, Sierra and Ethan following and when I reach my old apartment, sure enough, there he is.
Bella’s mouth is hanging open.
Val is searching the pantry, uncaring.
Annie is sitting down, watching everything go down with rapt attention.
All the guys are on the couch watching the football game.
Rian raises her eyebrows at me.
The broad shoulder guy wearing a pair of sweatpants and an I heart New York t-shirt that matches Sierra’s, turns around and yeah, maybe his teeth do gleam a little like in those princess movies. But what’s with the matching outfits?
“Hello, I’m Adrian Marx.” He has a slight accent, though I’m not sure what it is. French, maybe?
Bella leans forward. “Prince. Adrian. Marx.”
He chuckles at her and puts out his hand. “Where do I sleep? In your bed?” he asks, looking at me.
Ethan’s arm quickly hangs over my shoulder. “Not happening.”
“Sierra mentioned I could borrow a bed while I stay here. Temporarily, of course. Would you like compensation?”
“That accent.” Bella sighs.
“I have an accent too. A New York accent,” Carm yells.
“No, that’s okay. So you’re moving in here?” I clarify because I’m so confused right now.
“Yes. Sierra said yes.”
I turn in her direction and she’s giggling. “Can you believe it?”
I shake my head. “No. I can’t.”
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I step into what appears to be the foyer of the suite. Marble floors gleam, the beautiful gold and white stone feeling more modern than the path to get here.
“WHAT THE HELL? DON’T MOVE!”
I freeze where I am.
“Hi.” A man dressed in beige slacks, a button-up shirt and a sweater-vest comes rushing into the foyer and holds out his hand. “I’m Jean.”
I shake his hand and he’s quick to let mine go as though we’re in the middle of a receiving line at a wedding and there’s a line of waiting people behind me.
“Sorry, the prince is playing Xbox.”
“Xbox?” I clarify.
Jean sighs with an expression to say he doesn’t understand it either.
I’m not against grown men playing video games. I mean, most of my boyfriends have, but doesn’t the prince have more important stuff to do? I mean, he’s a prince.
“Afraid so.” He signals for me to follow him. “Sir. Your date is here.”
“AW BUDDY… I gotta go. Duty calls.”
I hear a loud thud and assume it’s the remote. Of course he’d rather play a game than go on a date with me. A bit of my excitement over the evening dies.
Jean finally allows me to enter the room. This is it. The moment I’ll first set my eyes on the prince. I fully anticipate being mesmerized by his blue eyes… but all I see are sweatpants and a T-shirt with a stain streaked down the front.
“Sir, you should excuse yourself,” Jean suggests, but instead the prince wipes his cheesy stained hand down his shirt and holds it between us.
I stare down at it. He quickly figures out that I’m not going to shake his hand. Rude or not, he laughs to himself and puts it in his pocket.
“Sorry, I was online with my brother. With the time difference we rarely get to speak. Wanted to get in a game with him. Do you play?”
His accent throws me at first although I knew he had one. Sandsal is a mix of different languages but his comes off as being more French than anything. It’s not a thick accent at all, but it’s there.
“Not really.”
He nods and then looks to Jean. “What’s the plan?”
How much more unromantic can you get? After waiting forever for him to finish playing his game with his brother, he’s now asking this Jean guy what’s planned for our date. I inwardly roll my eyes.
“Dinner.” Jean smiles at me. “On the terrace.”
I glance around looking for the photographer and his crew since JC warned me that they’d be here.
“The Prince has decided not to have pictures.” Jean answers the question I never asked out loud.
“Too nosy,” he picks up his drink, downs the rest of it. “I’ll be right back.” He saunters out of the room without any urgency in his step.
Jean shoots me his overly polite smile once more. “I’ll check on the dinner.”
“Excuse me,” I say. He turns around with a look of concern. Maybe he thinks I’m going to bail. “Do you mind if I make a phone call while I wait?”
He releases a breath and his smile loses the tension it was laced with. “Oh, certainly.” He gestures behind me. “You’ll find some privacy on the south terrace.”
I follow the direction of his hand and see a large formal dining room I suspect Mr. Sloppy Prince won’t be using unless he has a buffet for his gamer buddies. Once I’m out the double doors and on the terrace overlooking Central Park, I pull my phone out to call Blanca.
“Something’s wrong if you have time to call me,” she says when she answers. The easy lilt that’s always in her voice is ever present. She’s too nice for her own good.
“He’s…”
“Hold on, putting you on speaker.”
“Is he dreamy?” Rian asks. My friends think my crush on the prince is humorous, but they were speechless when I said I’d scored a date with him.
“Definitely not.”
“Uh oh, what’s wrong?” Blanca asks and I wish I had it in me to lie, but I’m so frustrated that I spent all day at a spa, had someone come in to do my makeup, and bought a new dress for this douche to wipe his dirty hands down his shirt before trying to shake mine.
“If I wasn’t in the penthouse suite on a terrace overlooking Central Park and wasn’t patted down by a bodyguard who’d give Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson a challenge, I’d think I’ve been duped.”
“Why?” Bianca asks.
“He wasn’t even ready when I got here. He was playing Xbox with his brother. His shirt was dirty, and his hand was covered in fake cheese.”
“Okay…” Blanca says.
“Nothing wrong with some Xbox,” Dylan chimes in.
“I didn’t know the guys are there.” I’m sure they can all hear the annoyance in my tone.
“Yeah, sorry. Do you want me to take you off speaker?” Blanca asks.
I lean against the railing and stare out into the darkness of Central Park,
thankful the prince wasn’t polite enough to take my coat when he greeted me. “No. I’m just annoyed.”
“Ditch the prince, we’re about to play a game of Exploding Kittens,” Rian says.
“While eating chocolate cake,” Dylan’s voice sounds muffled with half the cake already.
I think about my options. Heading home to Cliffton Heights means a night spent with Blanca and Ethan. That uncomfortable feeling settles in my gut. It’s slowly getting easier to be around them, and I couldn’t be happier that my best friend has fallen in love. Okay, I could be happier about it if it weren’t with my ex, but I’m not bitter about it either. It’s just weird to be around them still. Hopefully that will change when Blanca moves out tomorrow. She’s only moving to an apartment at the end of the hall with Ethan, but hey, a little distance will be a good thing for all of us I suspect.
Yeah, forget about going back home. Whether the prince is deserving of a date with me or not, something has to come of this night that doesn’t include watching Blanca and Ethan kiss and flirt with each other.
“Nah, I’m going to stay.”
Just then the door behind me creaks open and I glance over my shoulder. My phone almost slips out of my hand.
The man cleans up well.
His longer than average dark hair is slicked back, and his clean shaven face makes it easy to see how beautiful this man really is.
“Sorry,” he says with complete sincerity.
“I gotta go.” I hang up on my friends, sliding my phone into my purse.
“Sierra, right?” He walks across the patio with his now clean hand held out for me.
“Are you a twin?” I ask, shaking his warm, strong, callus free hand.
He chuckles and his gaze dips over my body, igniting a wave of heat straight between my thighs. “No.”
So I was right in the first place. The prince really is a heartthrob.
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Camp Tall Pines is a camp for single parents. Lily will only attend during the day, but there is an overnight camp for kids coming from farther away. It was an option for Lily this year, but I’m not ready for that. Even if it’s only fifteen minutes away.