by C. J. Miller
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Nothing in his voice communicated real empathy. Serena worked to keep her voice low, but audible. “I know this is hard for you. I miss Danae, too.”
Surprise registered on his face. Perhaps he had not expected her to mention her sister, but it was the big green-spotted pink elephant in the room and they might as well talk about it.
The king cleared his throat. “She was a good person.” Now his voice held actual emotion. His eyes grew damp and she thought she detected some anger in his tone. At the situation? Toward her for bringing it up? “I know it puts us in an awkward position,” she said. She felt better saying it.
“We’ll make the best of it,” Warrington said. He took a sip of his scotch and looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with her.
Serena wondered why she had never considered the impact Danae’s death would have on King Warrington. Perhaps some of his reluctance to spend time with her had to do with his lingering feelings for Danae.
The duke came to the microphone near the band. “Thank you for coming today. Many of you traveled a great distance to celebrate with my bride and me.” He launched into a speech about how much he loved and cared about his new wife and how he looked forward to the days and years ahead. He was poised and collected. Serena wished she could behave that way in public, instead of floundering and stuttering her way through meetings and speaking engagements.
When he finished his speech, the duke pulled his wife onto the dance floor with him. He held her close as the music played. They seemed to move as one around the dance floor.
Casimir came to the table and sat. Fiona leaned into him, setting her head on his shoulder. He didn’t push her away, nor did he slip his arm around her and hold her close.
Serena took a sip of her water and forced her attention on the bride and groom. Samuel Warrington didn’t seem eager to talk about Danae, and Serena wasn’t willing to give away anything about Casimir.
With her and the king harboring feelings for others, could they ever have an honest relationship built on trust?
* * *
Casimir could see the princess and King Warrington in his peripheral vision. Serena was leaning toward him, though she and the king weren’t speaking.
The rage Casimir felt for Serena’s future betrothed was potent, and knowing King Warrington was a liar and murderer didn’t help matters. Yet rage had no place in revenge. It would skew his thinking, much as lust could.
Samuel Warrington tossed him several looks, but Casimir kept his expression neutral. He wouldn’t tip his hand in Samuel’s direction and give the king any reason to look deeper into Casimir’s life.
King Warrington set his hand on the back of Serena’s chair and Casimir forced himself not to look in that direction. He counted back slowly from ten. He had to stay calm. If he revealed himself now as the true heir to the throne, he would ruin the careful plans he had made.
When the bride and groom finished their dance, they motioned for their guests to join them. King Warrington extended his hand to Serena. She took it and he led her to the dance floor.
Casimir changed his position to keep Serena in his line of sight. He rationalized that he needed to keep her safe and therefore he had to keep her in view. But the room was filled with private security and few threats. He wanted to watch her for his benefit.
He needed to know that she wouldn’t fall in love with King Warrington. A long line of lovers had fallen for Warrington’s charms. Casimir couldn’t stand the idea of Serena being in that line. Furthermore, he had promised Demetrius DeSante he wouldn’t allow Serena’s and the king’s relationship to progress too far and once a promise was made to DeSante, it was a life-and-death matter to keep it.
When the song ended, a woman in a purple dress cut in between Warrington and Serena. Casimir saw the change in Warrington’s posture. He pulled the woman to his body, he stared at her and rocked against her. She was one of his lovers. Did Serena realize it, too?
“Come on Casimir, dance with me,” Fiona said.
Casimir escorted her to the dance floor and was lucky when the music changed and another man moved in to dance with Fiona.
Casimir let Fiona go, feigning disappointment. She winked at him. Fiona was a shameless flirt and loved men’s attention.
Serena came to his side. “The king is awfully friendly with that woman. Do you know her?”
Casimir recognized her, but he couldn’t place her. “She looks familiar, but no.” The king and the woman in purple were practically grinding into each other. “Perhaps she is a friend.”
“I don’t touch my friends that way. They aren’t strangers,” Serena said.
“Perhaps she’s an old girlfriend.”
“Or a current one. I have been trying not to let the rumors bother me, but his reputation is making me wonder,” Serena said.
He was glad she was more skeptical and questioning, but he hated the hurt in her voice. She was taking the king’s behavior personally, when it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with the man’s selfish motives. “She has nothing to do with you.”
“Do you think he cheated on my sister?” Serena asked.
Casimir knew that Samuel had. One of DeSante’s contacts in the government of Rizari had been following the king closely for years. It was easy enough to pinpoint when the king took a new lover. New lovers were sent flowers, gifts and given lots of the king’s time for as long as the woman held his attention. “I don’t know what arrangement your sister and King Warrington had.”
Serena looked around the room. “There is so much I don’t know. So much that is beneath the surface here. I can’t really trust anyone. Except you. You’ve been there for me.”
Casimir flinched. It was a knife to the gut. She trusted him? He would hurt her in the end. Casimir was lying to her, and while he was a grand liar, he hated that no part of her detected it. He wished she wasn’t so trusting and naive. Anyone in power, especially someone new to politics, needed to question the people around them and keep some walls up. Serena’s openness would get her killed. “You shouldn’t trust anyone.”
Her smile faltered but didn’t fully fade. “What does that mean? Are you telling me I have misplaced my trust in you?”
Grossly misplaced. But Casimir needed to stay close to her. He searched for words that wouldn’t hurt her, but that weren’t an outright lie. Somehow, that seemed to cross a line. “I mean to keep you safe. I mean for you to understand that as the princess and soon the queen, people will want to hurt you and take advantage of you.”
“I won’t let that happen, but I was thinking it might be a good time for me to take advantage of you. Come to my room?” she asked.
A bold statement, coming from her. He went hard thinking of slipping into her room again. “Yes. You go first and I’ll meet you at the hotel.”
* * *
Casimir entered her room, his body keyed up and his arousal swollen to the point that it was painful against the fabric of his pants.
Serena rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her dress rising up around her hips. “I thought you wouldn’t come.”
“I’ll come. We both will.”
He carried her directly to the bed and laid her down, careful not to put his full weight on her. She rocked her body, simulating the act that his body wanted most.
“Casimir, please. Hurry.”
He couldn’t do anything except respond to her requests. Lust surged in his head, forcing out thoughts of caution. He was fully prepared for her to change her mind. Was this an emotional reaction to her sadness and hurt over King Warrington’s behavior? There was no room for another man between them. “Are you sure?”
“I ache for you.”
Simple, honest words. Casimir knew if he made love to her, he would never allow her to sleep with Warrington. They had spent the night together, they had fooled around, but they had never taken it this far
. By sleeping with Serena, he was raising the stakes high. Everything was on the line.
She could not fall for King Warrington. She would belong to Casimir and Casimir alone.
If his revenge didn’t unfold according to plan, he would lose the crown that was his birthright, his spirit would be crushed, his mother would sink further into darkness and he would fail Serena. She would marry King Warrington and if Casimir survived the inevitable backlash from the king, he would have to live with that knowledge.
Casimir would make her feel as good as he knew how, he would show her how a man should treat a woman and every other man she came in contact with would pale in comparison to him. He took great pleasure knowing that. If by some horrible twist of his plan, Serena married King Warrington, at least Casimir would know that he had been with her first and he had treated her like a princess, like a queen.
He ran his hand down her smooth hair. “I want you, too, Serena.”
In one even motion, he flipped her onto her stomach and worked on unfastening her dress, kissing her skin as his fingers worked the dress open. “We need to have a conversation about picking dresses without so many buttons.”
“Just rip it.”
With a firm tug, he parted the fabric. Buttons bounced to the ground. “Much better.”
He unsnapped her black bra. The black did something to him. She rolled over and he peeled away her dress and tossed aside her bra.
She was naked to the waist and he kissed her, brushing his lips over her cheeks, her chin and her throat. The longer he kissed her, the more he wanted her. She touched his hardness through his pants and let out a gasp of surprise.
He moved her hand away. “This is about you.” If she touched him, he would embarrass himself. He was that turned on.
“What about—”
He silenced her with another kiss. He skimmed his hand between her legs. Serena lifted her hips into his hands, demanding more. More he was willing to give. Finding her ready, a charge of electricity burst through him, mind-numbing pleasure taking over. His finger easily slipped inside her and she cried out. They didn’t need her guards coming to investigate, so he quickly returned his mouth to hers. Kissing was fast becoming his favorite way to spend his time.
He moved his hand, slowly at first, letting the tension between them build and grow. He watched her face, gauged her reaction to every movement. He slid her dress down her legs to give him more room to maneuver. Watching her was an utter turn-on. If he hadn’t already been mad with lust, her gasps and sighs would have taken him there.
Nothing about this had been part of his plan. He had wanted to use her for information, but this act had nothing to do with his plan for revenge. He didn’t want to consider his exact motives. She was beautiful and sweet and he was about to make love to her. That was enough.
The involuntary buck of her hips let him know she’d found completion. Gathering her close, he held her.
Her pulse was racing. When her hand moved to the tent in his pants, he shifted. “I’m fine.” It would go away. Eventually. A cold shower. A bucket of ice. His hand when he was alone.
She didn’t say anything else, just snuggled in tight. After a few minutes, her even, deep breathing indicated she had fallen asleep.
* * *
Serena rolled to her side and slung her leg over Casimir. “I’m cold.” Based on the darkness that shrouded the room, sunrise was still hours away.
Casimir reached to the bottom of the bed and pulled the sheets and blankets over them. “When I was dancing with Samuel, I was thinking about you,” she whispered.
Casimir watched her with soulful eyes.
“As the princess, you would think I would be allowed to make some of my own rules.”
“When you are queen, perhaps you can.”
She shook her head. “I’ll be a queen in name only, a figurehead, but powerless.”
“You have managed to have complete power over me.”
He said the sweetest things that reached to her core. “Kiss me. Please.”
He captured her mouth in a soul-stirring kiss. She felt the swell of his arousal against her belly. He deepened the kiss and she opened her mouth, letting his tongue stroke hers, lightly sucking on his lower lip.
“I have always planned to use great care with you, but you are making that impossible,” he said.
His mouth found hers once again and their tongues collided and sparred. Her entire body was tuned to him. He had been attentive to her and she wanted to please him.
But Casimir seemed to have an agenda of his own. He palmed her breasts, sending molten heat surging through her. Instead of rising between her thighs and removing his pants, Casimir lowered his head between her legs. He took her into his mouth and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. His tongue moved up and down, swirling. He sucked her hard and she jerked against his mouth, desperate for release.
She had never felt this way about a man. The intensity, the intimacy, the incredible sensations were a whirl in her brain and in her heart. “Please, Casimir.”
“Tell me what you need,” he said, kissing the inside of her thighs.
“I need you.” Every word was a pant. “You inside me.”
He answered her plea by pressing two fingers inside her. He moved his tongue and fingers with expert precision. Serena knew she was close to finishing, but was unable to stop it. She looked at him and he lifted his head, making eye contact with her. She went off at that moment, tremors rocking her body, bringing every inch of her skin to attention and sending pulses of pleasure over her.
Casimir gathered her against him. He kissed her forehead. “Can I spend the night?” he asked.
“What about Fiona?”
“We have separate rooms. She won’t know where I am,” Casimir said.
“What if she comes looking for you?”
“Then I will tell her I was sleeping off an alcohol-induced buzz.”
She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I wish you would let me return the favor.”
“I’m fine.”
He didn’t sound fine. Why didn’t he want her to touch him? Casimir Cullen was a curious man. He had been a mystery from the very start, and Serena felt as if she was only beginning to scratch the surface of what lay beneath.
Chapter 7
The coronation of the queen was a grand affair in Acacia. It had been declared a national holiday. Banks, libraries and schools were closed. The formalities of the day were broadcast on television and streaming on news sites.
Serena tried to think about the day in pieces: the procession, the ceremony and the reception. She was hosting dozens of royals from around the world. The coordination of security, the staff and various events was a huge task.
Lucky for Serena, she had help. Iliana was handling her first major kingdom-wide event as Serena’s personal assistant with poise. She’d provided Serena a detailed schedule, outlining where she had to be and with whom. Without her, Serena would be lost.
Her uncle Santino had overseen the details of her personal security and how to manage the crowds. Living through the day would be an accomplishment, as would her holding it together.
King Warrington was scheduled to meet with Serena before the procession. While he was not a part of the coronation, he had inserted himself into the day by making his travel plans known and arriving in Acacia by private airplane.
A physical reminder of her duties and future life, the Acacian crown, sat heavy on Serena’s head. She had practiced wearing it, balancing it and walking with it. She would wear it today, but not many other occasions. It would return to the vault for safekeeping after the ceremony. Her biggest hurdle would be pressing through the coronation and the reception without stuttering and stumbling over her words. Her stomach was in knots. Someone might decide tonight was the day to take a shot at her. Or poison her food. Or slip into one of the private events and get close enough to hurt her.
A queen. The queen of Acacia. It was a position she hadn’t thoug
ht she’d occupy. Immediately, her mind shot to Danae, sending grief to war with her worry. The crowning of the new leader of Acacia should have happened years from now, when her father was old and had decided to pass his crown to the next generation and live out his remaining days in the comfort of his seaside estate.
Her phone rang and seeing Samuel Warrington’s private number, Serena almost didn’t answer. But if she spoke to him now, perhaps she could avoid him later.
“Samuel, hello,” Serena said, sitting on the chaise lounge in her bedroom.
“Good morning. I hate to drop in on you on such short notice, but I’d like to congratulate you personally before the coronation. Stealing a moment alone with you later will be nearly impossible.”
Why did he want to meet alone? She was immediately suspicious. Would he try to pressure her into agreeing to the engagement today? “My schedule is booked.”
“It will only take a few minutes. I am sure you can squeeze me in. I’ll see you shortly.”
He ended the phone conversation. His tactics were strangely like Demetrius DeSante’s. Why were the men in her life so quick to strong-arm her?
Iliana looked at Serena. “Everything okay?”
“King Warrington would like to see me before the procession.”
Iliana squeezed her hands. “You need to bridge this gap with him at some point. I know it’s hard and he hasn’t exactly been Prince Charming, but you can make this work. I know you, Serena. You’ll find a solution.”
Like passing the crown to someone who wanted it and would happily marry King Warrington? “I’ve been trying.”
Iliana pursed her lips. “Yes, but also no.”
Serena knew what she meant. She was thinking about Casimir. Sleeping with Casimir wasn’t helping her relationship with King Warrington.
Iliana consulted her tablet. “When he arrives, where would you like to meet?”
Serena considered her options. Not her bedroom—too personal. Her office seemed too formal. Many other parts of the castle were staged for various elements of the day’s events. “The rose garden.”
“Perfect. I’ll message you when he arrives.”
