by Maya Blake
‘Nevertheless, I made a promise and I didn’t keep it.’
She was omitting an important fact. And, just like yesterday, his need to know grew to unacceptable proportions. ‘You’ve yet to pack for Montegova. The driver will take you home this morning. Will that not suffice?’
Her gaze avoided his. ‘Um...about that...’ she murmured, a pinch of guilt on her face.
Foreboding and lust burned as she licked her lower lip. ‘Whatever it is, spit it out,’ he prompted.
‘Is it...possible to have an advance on my payment?’
The stirring in his groin abated. ‘Less than twenty-four hours into our agreement and you’re already demanding payment?’
‘I know it’s not strictly what we agreed, but—’
‘You demand trust and yet hold back from telling me the whole truth about your circumstances.’
A spark of anger lit her green eyes. ‘Are you saying the only way you’ll agree is if I let you dig where you please into my life? You think that’s fair?’
He shrugged, hardening himself against the angry hurt in her eyes. ‘You’re naïve if you ever thought we were on an equal footing.’
Her mouth compressed, and a rough exhalation flared her delicate nostrils. ‘Is that a no to my request?’
He suppressed the need to question her further, to know everything about this woman. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her? Why, even now, did he want to lean across the table and fuse his mouth to hers?
‘How much do you need?’
Again her tongue flicked over her bottom lip. ‘Ten percent.’
Twenty-five thousand pounds. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but it could buy her a clean exit from his life. The urge to say no clambered through him. But a look into those stormy eyes told him she would stand her ground, fight for what she wanted.
Admiration flared through him again, but he throttled it back. He wasn’t here to laud the few admirable qualities Maddie possessed. What he wanted was further leverage for his own purpose—because he had no intention of letting her get away.
‘Very well. You will get what you need. In return, I have a condition of my own.’
Her eyes widened. ‘What?’
He shook his head. ‘We’ll discuss it tonight. I have an appointment to get to.’
She worried at her lower lip with her teeth. It took a great deal of control for him not to stare.
‘What if I don’t like your condition?’ she asked, with the tiniest quiver in her voice that Remi wanted to hear over and over again.
He stood before that battering temptation overwhelmed him. ‘It’s an offer of a lifetime. I’m confident you will agree. But if I’m wrong...’ He shrugged. ‘Then we’ll revert to our previous agreement. The funds will be in your account within the hour.’
‘I... Thank you.’
Against his will, his gaze moved over her face, her throat, the increased rise and fall of her breasts. The thought of tasting those lips again fired bolts of lightning through his bloodstream.
His blatant scrutiny made her colour heighten. He curled his fist against the need to trace her pink flesh.
‘I trust you won’t take my money and disappear?’
The challenging spark returned to her eyes as her chin lifted defiantly. ‘I’m not going to keep proving myself to you. You can choose to trust me. Or not.’
* * *
Remi was still mulling over their conversation three hours later, as he sat down to lunch with his ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Maddie’s fearless, plucky attitude would land her in hot water one day. Or make her irresistible to a man who was drawn to her fiery spirit. A man who would be free to kiss those intoxicating lips, mould her breathtaking curves...
He sucked in a breath, shifted as his manhood stirred to life.
Dio, what the hell was wrong with him?
He’d liked his life with Celeste. Had enjoyed her genteel nature, her generous acceptance of the challenges of being associated with a crown prince.
Nevertheless, hadn’t he wished that on occasion that she would challenge him more? Stand up for what she really wanted? Offer stimulating conversation instead of smilingly acceding to his wishes?
He stiffened, disgusted with himself for dishonouring her memory. His fiancée had been loved by everyone she’d come into contact with. He wouldn’t sully her memory by comparing her to Maddie—a woman full of secrets. Full of fire. Full of hidden depths he wanted to explore.
With mounting frustration he snapped his napkin open, startling the ambassador. But, no matter how much he threw himself into their nitty-gritty discussion of geo-politics, he couldn’t get the woman with the defiant green eyes and Cupid’s bow lips out of his head.
Which was probably why he was still disgruntled when he returned to his hotel suite. His mood plummeted further when he found Maddie nowhere in sight.
He turned as Percy entered the room and subtly cleared his throat. ‘Where is she?’ he all but snapped.
‘Miss Myers hasn’t returned since she left this morning, Your Highness.’
Stomach-hollowing disappointment replaced his disgruntlement. ‘She didn’t return for lunch?’ he asked sharply.
‘No, Your Highness.’
She’d dared him to trust her. And he had. So much for thinking she was even a fraction of the woman Celeste had been.
Dismissing Percy, he plucked his phone from his pocket and dialled her number. Her husky voice directed him to leave a message.
Remi’s mood blackened. He’d been well and truly duped. Considering she’d gone from being almost penniless to being twenty-five thousand pounds richer, courtesy of the wire transfer he’d approved, she could be anywhere by now.
The reason why she’d absconded with such a paltry sum when she could have been infinitely richer didn’t even puzzle him. He’d seen her bank account, knew she’d been destitute. Desperately so. And he’d handed her the tools to leave him.
His jaw gritted. She wouldn’t get away with it. They had an agreement.
About to summon his security chief, he froze at the sound of approaching footsteps.
She arrived on a whirlwind of silk and heels, her face flushed, a few wisps of hair escaping its sleek knot. Even flustered and flushed, she was a captivating sight. He stared, a fever sweeping through his veins.
‘Where the hell have you been?’ he snarled.
She screeched to a halt, her breathlessness drawing his gaze to her chest. ‘Sorry, I—’
‘And why did your phone go to voicemail?’
Her wide gaze dropped to the bag in her hand. ‘Oh, no. I’m sorry. I forgot to turn it back on.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Back on? After what?’ Again that spike of jealousy came from nowhere. ‘Tell me where you’ve been, Maddie.’
She blinked, her face growing wary at his icy tone. ‘I was with my father. He wasn’t feeling well after...after we went to the estate agents to secure our new place.’
He frowned. ‘You’re moving house?’
She nodded. ‘That’s why I needed the money. For a down payment and to get the rental process started. Then I had to start packing. The whole thing took longer than I expected. I turned my phone off so I wouldn’t be disturbed.’
‘Considering I’m the only one supposed to have access to you, am I to assume you didn’t want me to disturb you?’
‘I just...needed to concentrate on my father, okay?’
‘Why?’
She hesitated for a beat, then took a deep breath. ‘My father isn’t well. Everything took longer than I expected. But I’m here now...’
Wary green eyes met his. He loathed the wave of relief that swept through him. It strongly indicated something weighty he didn’t want to acknowledge. Something compellingly close to possessiveness.
She
shifted on her feet, commanding his attention.
‘So are we okay? Or does that granite-hard jaw and the tight grip on your phone mean you’re about to ask for your money back? If so, I won’t be able to oblige. A good chunk of it is gone,’ she informed him.
She was here now. He needed to let it go. But too many emotions still churned through him.
‘If I’m not about to be summarily dismissed, can I ask a favour?’ she asked.
‘I suggest you quit while you’re ahead. Or do you enjoy testing me?’
The merest hint of a smile curved lips glistening with whatever gloss she’d employed. With an elegant pirouette that wouldn’t have been amiss in a ballet dancer, she turned away.
‘Fine. I need help with my zip, but I’ll ask Percy to give me a hand, shall I?’ she asked, with a look over her shoulder.
His attention dropped to her bare shoulders and the silky-smooth expanse of her back. When he dragged his gaze back to her face she was staring at him with a hint of challenge in her eyes.
Dio, she could give the most notorious siren a run for her money.
She took a step towards the kitchen Percy had made his domain.
‘Madeleine.’
Uttering her name was meant to be a warning. Instead it triggered something darker, more potent in the air. She stilled, her gaze widening as she watched him. ‘Yes?’
‘Stay.’
He approached without sensing his feet move. Her perfume filled his ravenous senses, stabbing him with a need to lower his head to that control-wrecking curve where her neck met her shoulder.
His not quite steady fingers found the zipper, slowly glided it upward while his hungry gaze roved over her light gold skin as the garment came together.
He barely heard her husky thank you over the loud drumming in his ears, and the sight of her cleavage when she turned to face him threatened to flay him.
Dio, this was getting out of hand.
‘So, are we good?’ she asked again.
‘No,’ he growled. ‘We’re late. And getting later by the second.’
She reached up to smooth back the wisp of hair that had escaped. When she dropped her arm she was the epitome of charm, poise and lethal temptation.
‘Then what are waiting for?’
‘This,’ he muttered.
Like a starving man, he curled his hand over her nape and tugged her close. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he slanted his mouth over hers, his tongue delving between her lips as he attempted to slake his gutting hunger.
She froze against him for a single moment before her arms crept around his neck. Remi dragged her closer, slavish need sending him up in flames. When the weight of her firm breasts settled against his chest he groaned. His shaft thickened, his blood roiling as he tasted her deeply, heard her breathless whimper against his lips.
She was exquisite. Magnificent. And he wanted her more than he’d wanted anything for a long time.
They weren’t going to make the first act of the opera. Their host would be disappointed but he would understand—because Remi was the Crown Prince of Montegova, after all. He would send ahead his apologies.
In a minute.
After he’d taken the edge off this insane hunger.
* * *
Maddie was barely aware of being lifted off her feet and carried out of the living room. Her senses attempted to return when Remi set her down next to a wide divan in the private living room attached to his bedroom.
Drunk on lust, she watched him tug off his tie and toss it away. Her skin grew tight, her whole body trembling in the peculiar fever only this man evoked. She curled her fingers in the soft expensive cloth for support.
‘You know how phones work, Maddie. I expect you to pick up when I call. Understood?’
She blinked. ‘Yes. In the future I will. But I’ve already apologised. Are you going to keep bullying me about it?’
Yes, she risked infuriating him further, but she couldn’t seem to stop playing with fire where he was concerned. It wasn’t surprising, therefore, when he prowled towards her, every masculine inch of him streamlined with purpose.
‘I’ve never bullied anyone in my life. Whatever I’ve asked of you, you’ve given willingly, have you not? I don’t intend that to change...especially in respect of our future liaisons,’ he drawled.
She didn’t want to know about those. She really didn’t. ‘Whatever you think they are, keep them to yourself. Why are we in here?’ she asked breathlessly.
‘Are you sure you don’t know?’ he taunted softly, staring down at her with single-minded purpose that made her senses jump.
His hands wrapped around her upper arms, sending sensual shockwaves rippling to her very toes.
‘Remi, what are you doing?’ Her voice was a panting rush.
‘Seeing if I can free myself from this insanity,’ he said darkly.
‘What...what insanity?’
He didn’t answer. Not vocally. He plastered her body against his hard length, searing her mouth in a kiss that erased her every last thought.
Every warning she’d armed herself with withered and died. With a helpless moan she wrapped her arms around his neck, jerking onto her tiptoes so she wouldn’t miss a second of his kiss.
When he pushed her back onto the divan she went willingly, her senses on fire. He broke away abruptly, stared at her with eyes that glinted with a touch of bewilderment. Then he took her mouth again, kissing her with a wild, frenzied intensity as his hands roamed unapologetically over her body.
Maddie felt that same bewilderment flare through her, but it wasn’t enough to stop the freight train of her desire. For now, the whys didn’t matter. Especially not when he cupped her breast, moulded her yearning flesh for several teasing seconds before dragging his fingers over the tight peak.
She cried out, her own fingers digging beneath the lapels of his jacket to explore the tight muscles of his shoulders.
With an impatient growl, he levered himself off her, shrugged off the offending garment and tossed it away. Eyes glued to hers, he nudged her legs apart. Heat rushed into her face as his gaze slowly dropped to where her dress had ridden up her thighs.
One impatient hand pushed the material higher, exposing the tops of her garter belt and the lacy panties already growing damp with need.
He made a rough sound under his breath. Then he settled himself over her, the rigid column of his erection imprinting itself unashamedly against her damp centre as he fused his mouth to hers once more.
Time grew elastic. All Maddie knew was that she was at the point of screaming her need, of begging him to ease the terrible ache at her core when he reached between them and boldly cupped her sex.
He swallowed her hot gasp, his tongue flicking erotically against hers as his hand delved beneath the lace of her panties. Expert fingers grazed the swollen bundle of nerves and her whole body burned furnace-hot. She wasn’t aware that her nails had dug into his shoulders until he flinched and raised his head.
For a taut moment, stormy eyes stared down at her. ‘How are you doing this to me?’ he muttered thickly, as another whisper of guilty bewilderment flickered over his face.
Her face flamed. ‘I... I’m...’
He shook his head, denying her stuttered response. Still staring at her, he let his fingers explore, circling her slowly, erotically. Another whimper burst from her throat and, seeing the single-minded purpose on his face, she felt a tiny sliver of apprehension pierce through her desire.
He was touching her where no other man had.
Suddenly the virginity she’d pushed to one side in her fight for survival became a precious commodity she didn’t want to throw away on a quick fumble. Certainly not with a man who looked at her with guilt-laden eyes.
She grabbed his wrist, halting the wicked onslaught between her thighs. ‘Remi...’
<
br /> He stilled, his eyes widening a fraction as he slowly exhaled. ‘You want me to stop?’ he breathed in quiet astonishment, as if he couldn’t believe it.
She couldn’t believe it either. ‘I...’ The denial that had surged so true in her head moments ago faltered.
His free hand spiked into her hair and his lips found the sensitive area beneath her ear. Delirium heightened and she fought to breathe.
‘I don’t know why I crave you like this. If you really want me to stop, say so,’ he rasped in her ear.
She squeezed her eyes shut, absorbing the thrilling shiver that coursed through her before she attempted to find her voice again. ‘I’m not stopping you... I’m... I don’t know...’ She paused, self-consciousness pummelling her. ‘I’m a virgin,’ she finally blurted.
He reared back as if he’d been shot, expelling a stunned breath as he stared down at her. With hectic colour staining his cheeks, and hair dishevelled from her frenzied exploration, he was the most spectacular sight she’d ever seen.
Maddie wanted to rise up, explore more of him before this thing inevitably ended. But then that skilful hand began to move again. Slowly. Tortuously.
‘Tell me why you’re twenty-four and still a virgin,’ he demanded, his grey eyes almost black with stormy desire.
The pleasure strumming through her almost made her vision blur. ‘Before you jump to conclusions—no, I haven’t been waiting around for the perfect opportunity to hand my virginity to a crown prince. You’re... You don’t have the monopoly on emotional challenges. I was let down by someone I trusted. After that sex became...inconsequential.’
That wave of possessiveness washed over his face again, and then, his eyes still boring into hers, his touch intensified. There was something mind-melting about having him watch every whimper of pleasure he drew from her.
By the time he circled one finger at her entrance, she was a mindless wreck. She wasn’t going to pass out. She refused to. She wanted to remember every second of this ride. Because it had to stop soon.
‘Whoever he was, did he make you feel like this?’ he rasped gruffly.
