by Brynn Paulin
“Okay,” I muttered.
He grinned. “Let me show you how to use this screen. You should send your breakfast order to Ygrid. I recommend the eggs benedict. It’s marvelous.” Apparently, the first two meals of the day were individualized then the main meals would be prepared for me to share with him.
As he watched me send a message, his fingers stroked up and down my back, making me shiver and keeping the fire inside me stoked. He leaned into my ear, his lips brushing the shell. “You should know I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Why?” I whispered back.
He moved close, grabbed my hand and pressed it over his rigid cock. I swallowed hard and boldly traced the length with my fingers. “You like flirting with danger, Princess Marigold?”
“No,” I breathed trying to sound as innocent as possible. “Why would you say that, Your Hardness…I mean…Your Highness.”
I felt rather than heard him chuckle.
“All done,” Ygrid said from the doorway of the bedroom. Thankfully from the way our backs were angled, she couldn’t see what we were doing. We both looked over our shoulders at her. “Do you need anything else?”
I turned to face her, not wanting to be rude. It didn’t pass my attention that Booker pulled me in front of him when he too turned.
“I’m good,” I told her. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”
She nodded at me with a small smile then shifted her gaze to Booker.
“I’m fine, as well,” he told her.
“All right. Goodnight, Sir, Miss.” Then she was gone, closing the door behind her. Maybe she wasn’t as oblivious to what we were doing as I’d thought. We’d have to be more discreet.
“Where were we?” Booker murmured, turning me to him and cupping my face. “Oh yes, you were getting me all hot and bothered.”
I pouted. “You aborted my orgasm.”
“By all means, we need to fix that. But love, no more than that today, understood. I don’t want to rush too fast and have you questioning things. I want you—damn, I want you—but I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to be fully comfortable.”
Temptation bit at me, urging me to yell that I was ready, but he was right. “Okay, I understand.”
He grinned at my petulant tone. “Don’t worry, precious. I won’t leave you in need tonight.”
My hands pressed against his chest. “No.”
“No?”
“You may not recognize that word, Your Highness, but it means a negative. The opposite of yes.”
“Smartass.”
“I don’t want pleasure if you’re not getting it, too.”
His forehead leaned to mine, as he initiated his Zenderland mind magic. Steeling myself, I stepped back.
He followed. Wrapping his arms around me. His hard cock pressed into my belly again, and I wanted to groan. “Nothing will make me happier than making you feel good,” he claimed.
I shook my head, trying to escape the fog he pulled me into. “I may be a virgin, Sir, but I’m not dumb. That’s not how it works. I understand biology.”
“If it will make you feel better, you can touch me, too.”
“I think it would.”
“Okay then.” He scooped me into his arms and carried me toward the bed. I bounced a little as he dropped me onto the soft mattress. Immediately, he climbed over me. Straddling my thighs, he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing the heaven of his cut chest and abs.
Holy fallen angel from heaven… There was no way I wasn’t sinning with him.
His satyr’s grin told me he was aware of how much I enjoyed the view. Grabbing my hands, he brought them to his abs, inviting me to touch my fill. I didn’t think I’d ever get my fill of that. His skin was warm beneath my palms. Hard-muscled yet smooth and alluring to the touch.
I looked up, meeting his gaze as he leaned over me, balancing on his outstretched arms. “All yours, precious.”
All mine… Wow.
How did I end up here? The twists and turns of fate, all in one day, stole my breath.
One of my hands slipped up his torso and over his amazing pec, then curled around the back of his neck. I drew him down to me, bringing his mouth to mine.
“I’ll be all yours, too.”
“You better be,” he growled playfully then nipped my bottom lip before kissing me deeply. I groaned, my arms went around him and my whole body seemed to seek his. It was a relief when he lowered, his weight covering me. My knees came up to cradle him against my body. Unconsciously, I rocked, not realizing it until he muttered, “Fuck, Marigold,” under his breath and returned the gesture.
“Oh, God,” I breathed when the ridge of his cock ground into my pussy. The sensation I’d experienced out in the foyer came rocketing back and I was right back on the verge. This time, Booker seemed intent on taking me over the edge.
His hand pushed up under my shirt to find my breast. He molded it for a moment, finding the nipple through my bra and tugging. My back arched, and he shoved my top out of the way and yanked down the lacy cup that covered me. His mouth was on me in an instant. He sucked and licked, delivering bliss I’d never experienced. When he yanked down the other side and repeated his actions, my vision blurred and I bucked beneath him.
“Yes,” he breathed. “Take it all in. I want to make you feel good.”
“Touch me,” I begged. His hands and mouth were already on me, but I wanted more. My breathing stuttered as his fingers skimmed down my torso. I lifted my hips in invitation when he reached the waistband of the athletic shorts I’d borrowed from him. He yanked on the tie to loosen the waistband then he slid in his hand, unobstructed.
“No panties?”
“I couldn’t. They were soaked like the rest of my clothes.”
He hummed a little pleased sound then kissed me again. His fingers slipped lower, and I whimpered at the first, intimate touch. When he grazed my clit, I went off, the orgasm zinging through me with unanticipated ferocity. Booker kept stroking as I climaxed beneath him.
“That’s right, precious. Give me what’s mine.”
“Booker! Oh…God!”
He slowly pushed a finger inside, and my walls clenched on the long digit. “So fucking tight,” he growled. “You’re gonna strangle my dick, aren’t you?”
His thumb rubbed hard over my clit, and I fell into climax again. Booker filled my grayed vision as he dropped his forehead to mine, completely fogging my overwrought brain.
“You are,” he whispered. “And I can’t wait to feel it.”
“Booker,” I murmured, my eyelids heavy. I vaguely felt him pulling me into his arms, and I snuggled into his chest. We weren’t the prince and the poor girl. We were just Booker and Marigold. Equals. One.
Chapter Six
~ Marigold ~
I was surprised to wake up alone—surprised and a little disappointed. After going through my morning routine and getting ready for the day, I headed out to the hallway. Biting my lip, I turned toward the stairs and the great room beyond them. Booker hadn’t given me a full tour, but I thought the kitchen was that way.
Since the back half of the penthouse was an open floorplan and very similar to Brix and Cricket’s place, it took me a moment to realize I was right. Ygrid was alone in the kitchen.
I started to head that way before I was distracted by the wall of glass lining the perimeter of the living room. Beyond it, a pool sparkled in the morning sunlight, the smooth surface broken by a swimmer, his powerful arms propelling him back and forth.
Without thinking, I headed that way to watch Booker. The man was incredible.
“He likes to swim every morning before going into his practice,” Ygrid said behind me. Peeking over my shoulder, I saw she was just a few feet away. “Would you like coffee?”
“Yes, that would be wonderful. With a little cream.”
“Of course, Miss. Do you wish to eat in here or out on the patio?”
“Oh…out there would be wonderful. I
s it warm enough?”
“Quite. It’s already seventy.”
“Definitely outside then. Can I help with anything?”
She smiled. “No. You just go take a seat, and I’ll bring it out to you in a moment.” I bit my lip, unsure how to take being waited on. It was so unfamiliar.
Finding the door in the expanse of glass, I stepped outside. Not wanting to interrupt Booker, I headed for the table and slipped into a seat facing the pool. I leaned on my elbows and watched him cutting through the water. I was so engrossed, I was startled when Ygrid came up beside me.
“Thank you,” I said as she set the eggs benedict and fruit before me, along with my coffee.
She nodded then headed back inside. When I looked back up, Booker was at the side of the pool, his crossed arms resting on the edge as he watched me.
He grinned. “Good morning.”
“Hey,” I answered.
“Did you sleep well?”
I nodded. I wanted to tell him, I’d missed him when I’d woken alone, but I didn’t want to come off as a stage-five clinger, even if I might be when it came to him.
“Sir, would you like your breakfast out here?” Ygrid called from the door.
“Yes, thank you.” As soon as she’d walked inside, Booker leveraged himself from the pool. Water sluiced off him. I swallowed thinking off all that smooth, manly skin under my palms.
“Do you swim?” he asked. He grabbed the towel he’d left near the edge of the pool. He rubbed it over his chest before he started scrubbing it over his hair.
“What?” I asked, barely hearing him as I stared.
“Swim?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“I swim every day. It’s a great stress reliever.” He sank into the chair beside me. And Ygrid returned to set his food before him. “Back in Zenderland, before leaving for college, it was my escape. No one bothered me while I was in the water. Once I was at university, I kept it up every morning. I went to the fieldhouse at four, as soon as they opened each day. I just kept it up. No matter what else was going on, I gave myself an hour away from it all each day.”
I gave him a half smile. “I went to the Y a few times, but I always liked the pool.”
“Well, I’ll have to get you swimming then.”
“Where do you go in the winter?”
“This all encloses. I try to keep it open as long as possible, though.”
I looked around the area, imagining what it would take to enclose it every winter. It was beyond comprehension. Thinking about power and privilege, I took a bite of the eggs benedict, the lemony flavor of the sauce bursting across my taste buds.
“Oh my God,” I moaned. “This is amazing.”
He raised a brow. “Orgasm inducing?”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Oh, shut up! It’s good.”
“Ya, Ygrid is an amazing cook. My mum was peeved with me when I stole Ygrid from her.”
I ate a few more bites. “I can see why. Oh my gosh.”
Booker smirked, and we ate in silence for a few more minutes. “What’s on your schedule today?” Booker finally asked.
“I have classes from ten until four. Somewhere in there, I’ll have to get replacement books. Most of them were in the apartment and the ones I had with me are destroyed.”
“I’ll send you with my driver. Adler will be with you, too. He’ll be your protection detail. He’ll also arrange payment for whatever you need. We’ll get your hand scanned today, for getting in and out of our home.”
“Protection detail?” I blinked at him, hearing what he was saying but stuck. He’d mentioned this last night but it hadn’t computed. I should probably argue about paying for my books, too, but honestly, I hadn’t been sure how I’d get them.
He reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear then trailed his fingers along my cheek. “Precious, as soon as people realize you’re with me, they will try to get to you. Few will want anything nefarious, but we can’t be too careful.”
“Are we? Together, I mean.”
His eyes narrowed. “Do I need to show you?”
I shook my head. I wanted that, but I knew we didn’t have time. “Maybe later?”
“Oh, quite definitely I will later. That was never in question.”
Heat filled my cheeks as I recalled what we’d done last night and considered what might happen tonight. I turned back to my plate. “I’ll pay you back once I start my job.”
I’d taken a couple bites and a sip of coffee before I realized he hadn’t responded. When I looked up, he was staring at me. “You absolutely will not pay me back.”
“But—”
“No.” He shook his head when I started to protest again. “I can more than afford a few books. Let me take care of you.”
I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t. “Okay,” I agreed.
He didn’t miss a beat once I agreed. “So after your classes, Adler will bring you to my office. We can go out to dinner tonight. Something casual, so we don’t need to come home and change first.”
It was then I realized I’d lost the discussion about having a protection officer or not. Damn it. His points were valid though. Cricket and I had already discussed paparazzi yesterday. I knew he wasn’t making up the bit about people trying to get close.
“I don’t need your driver,” I told him. “I’m riding to the university with Cricket.”
“Oh, good. They have an excellent driver and her bodyguard will be there, too.”
My lips parted and I just stared at him. How was this my life? Drivers and limos, a staffed penthouse? Protection officers?
Maybe sensing my discomfort, Booker shifted subjects while we finished eating. The sounds from the city drifted up to us, a muted background as we relaxed over our coffees.
When we were finished, he shocked me by gathering both our plates and carrying them to the kitchen. I trailed behind him with the coffee cups. Then he led me back to my room for me to finish getting ready.
Holding both my hands, he leaned forward and brushed a kiss over my lips. Then he was gone, heading upstairs, while I pressed my fingertips to my mouth and stared after him.
I’d never survive this man. He could make a nun swoon.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I headed into my room and to my phone. It was in the sitting room and still seemed to be working—thank you waterproof case. I wasn’t sure if Linzey would call me or even if she had access to my contact info. I knew she’d never memorized my number. If my stepmother had taken her cell… Well, we’d have trouble reconnecting. I had to believe we would find each other, though.
Pocketing my phone, I grabbed my empty, now-dry backpack then tossed my wallet inside. Since there was nothing else to take, I headed to the foyer to wait for Booker.
He took my hand when he came in, shortly later, and we headed down to the street. I was vaguely aware of Carson and Adler falling into place behind us. As we entered the lobby of the building, Carson smoothly came around us, so we were flanked front and back.
“I’ll see you this afternoon,” Booker said, turning me to face him and taking my hands. I looked up at him, again realizing he was a foot taller. “Let Adler know if you need anything, okay?”
“I will,” I promised quietly. Booker gave a single nod, swooped in and brushed his lips over mine then ushered me into Brix’s waiting car. Cricket smiled broadly at me, but my gaze was captivated by the Prince and his bodyguard as they walked to the car behind us and got inside. I barely noticed Adler climbing into the vehicle with me. He shook hands with Cricket’s officer, then we were on our way, my friend chattering merrily at me.
* * * *
People were staring and pointing at me, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t the protection officer at my side, though his dark suit left a lot to be desired when it came to discretion.
“Just ignore them,” he said, guiding me to the waiting car. Apparently, Booker had sent his driver to collect us once we were finished in the student bookstore. My stom
ach felt full of rocks after the grand I’d just spent on his dime to replace my books. Having people gawking at me didn’t help the slightly ill feeling.
“Is there something on me? Are my clothes messed up or something?”
“You look fine,” he replied in the unaffected, bland tone he’d used all day. I didn’t get the impression he didn’t like me, but instead that this was his work demeanor.
“Then what’s going on? It’s not like they know about Booker.”
“With all due respect, miss, everyone knows.”
“What?” I squeaked.
“Your interlude this morning was all over TMZ and Page Six by noon. At this point they don’t know much about you, the mystery girl, but it’s only a matter of time.”
Sudden tears burned at my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to keep them back. I feared the dissection of my life and of my physical appearance. If they dug deep, they wouldn’t find a pleasing, benign background worthy of being with a prince. They’d drag out my destitute situation, my father’s sordid suicide, my less than TV-sitcom worthy family. All my dirty laundry would be strewn before the world.
I stiffened, forcing an emotionless face. I had two choices. I could be a victim, or I could be a strong, role-model for other girls like me. Truly, I wasn’t sure I had the strength, but I already felt too strong a connection with Booker to slink away into the night. If he wanted me, I’d stay with him. If he didn’t…? My heart jerked painfully at that idea.
“Let’s get you into the vehicle,” Adler said gently. His hand rested between my shoulders as he guided me. I didn’t breathe until I was settled into the backseat. We were on our way, practically before Adler climbed into the passenger seat up front. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my thundering heartbeat. I had no doubt Booker would be upset if I arrived in an agitated state.
“Are you okay?” my bodyguard ask as we edged through the heavy traffic.
“Yeah. I’m good,” I lied.
Adler didn’t look as if he believed me, but he didn’t call me on it.
Minutes later, all my calm once again disappeared. As we pulled up, I saw several men and women with camera’s lingering near the entrance to the offices.
