by Tee, Marian
Killed anyone who wanted to kill him, Igor thought. But knowing that would best be kept a secret from Fawn as well, the older man cleared his throat, saying, “I was the master’s...babysitter.” Igor’s father would roll over in his grave if he had heard of the way his son described their profession, which had always been a source of pride for their family. Mentally crossing himself in apology for such blasphemy, Igor asked Fawn, “May I ask what my supposedly being Russian has to do with the way I address you, miss?”
“Well, I was thinking, if you call me ‘miss’ in another language, it wouldn’t sound too formal.”
Ah. The older man nodded understandingly. That did not make sense at all, but that didn’t matter since Fawn was now the prince’s special lady. And when Fawn beamed at Igor, he knew he had made the right decision.
“As the prince is Sicilian and Greek,” Igor began, “how about you choose between signorina and kyria?”
“Good idea.” She thought about it seriously. “Signorina sounds like a nickname, doesn’t it? I think it doesn’t sound too formal.”
Actually, it did. Also, more people would know what ‘signorina’ meant compared to ‘kyria’ but because Fawn was the prince’s special lady—-
“I agree, signorina. A good choice.”
She said hopefully, “But of course, just plain Fawn is always better.”
“Not possible, signorina. You are the prince’s very special lady, after all.”
“Really, Igor? I’m the prince’s special lady?” Despite her confusion and misery, she couldn’t help snorting.
Igor did his best to suppress his smile this time, purely out of respect for his master.
Fawn sighed. “You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”
“I’m afraid not, signorina.”
Fawn made a face. “Then I guess that’s that.” Signorina. She wondered absently how that would sound if the prince would call her that as well. It would probably sound very sexy, especially if his occasionally British accent—-
Stop right there, Fawn.
Her cheeks burst with color as Fawn realized where her thoughts had headed. Holy sweet Jesus, but why did it seem like she was thinking of the prince more and more when she should be thinking of Grant and what he did to her?
“I’ll make sure to let the rest of the staff know, signorina,” Igor was saying.
She cleared her throat. “Uhh, thanks, Igor.” Think of Grant. Stop thinking of the prince. She repeated the words in her mind desperately, but somehow all she could see was a black-haired, green-eyed prince who made her shatter with the slightest touch—-
Moisture teased the triangle of her legs as memories flooded her, and she swallowed back a cry of shocked dismay.
Oh God, what was happening to her?
The older man looked at her in concern. “Is everything alright, signorina? You look rather flushed.”
“Me? Flushed?” She forced herself to laugh. “You must be imagining it.” But because she also knew Igor was too perceptive by half, she tried distracting him, asking, “Anyway, I was wondering about something.” She gestured vaguely at her surroundings. “Why is the prince’s room so...girly?”
Igor coughed at Fawn’s choice of term. Girly. He would have to tell Noah and the others about Fawn’s reaction later. But for now, he addressed Fawn’s concerns, explaining, “It is one of the master’s earlier attempts to combat his homesickness. The design reminds him of his home in England.”
“I s-see.” But actually, Fawn didn’t, and Igor’s words only made her head hurt more. Who would’ve thought someone as seemingly invincible as the prince could be vulnerable enough to pine for his family?
“If that’s all, signorina, may I show you the adjoining suite?” He gestured to the door next to the prince’s en-suite bar, and at her nod, Igor led the way to the other room. Opening the door, he explained, “We have been able to collect all your belongings from your previous residence—-”
Face gulped. That was fast, seriously fast. How could the prince have managed such a thing in so short a time?
“—-and you will find all of them here.” To demonstrate, Igor opened a few cabinets and pulled out drawers, and Fawn saw all her stuff, neatly arranged. “If you believe anything is missing or has been misplaced, please let us know, signorina.”
Igor walked farther into the suite, and Fawn followed behind him. He stopped in front of another door, and opening it, Igor murmured, “We’ve drawn your bath, signorina. Please take your time while I have one of the maids prepare your clothes for the night.”
Bath? Fawn cleared her throat. “The thing is, Igor, I’m not actually staying—-”
Igor’s expression turned grave. “Ah, so that how it is now, signorina.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I have been instructed to ensure you relax and have a bath before going to bed. As you know, the prince is quite strict, and I fear I shall lose my employment if he learns of my failure. But of course, because you are now the prince’s special lady, you probably no longer care—-”
“Stop trying to pull my leg.” When Igor’s grave expression didn’t change, she said uneasily, “Right?”
Igor sighed deeply. “If you care to risk my employment on a whim, signorina, then there is nothing I can do—-”
Guilt won over common sense, and Fawn’s shoulders slumped. “I get it, I get it. I’ll take a bath, okay?”
Igor was suddenly all smiles again. “Splendid, signorina.”
Fawn scowled. “Traitor.”
“My loyalty is to the master, and as I have told you once upon a time—-”
“Yes, yes, what the master wants, blah, blah, blah.” Fawn’s teeth gnashed as she realized how the prince had successfully outmaneuvered her through Igor. “You have an evil master.”
“If you think so, signorina, and yet – you are now his very special lady.”
Argh! “Stop calling me that!”
Igor’s eyes were brimming with amusement. “Signorina, you are blushing.”
“N-no, I’m not.” Fawn scowled as hard as she could, but Igor’s next words proved that it did no good.
“I shall tell the master you’re pleased at being called his very special lady—-”
“No!”
“Very, very pleased,” Igor interpreted her protest as such.
“Igor, you’re evil, too!” And before the prince’s right-hand man could torment her further, Fawn rushed inside the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
She was not pleased at being called the prince’s special lady.
She was not!
And yet her cheeks remained flushed as she stepped into the tub, which was filled with hot, rose-scented water.
Evil prince, evil right-hand man, this was definitely the house of evil!
Fawn took her time bathing and only stepped out of the tub when she was absolutely sure her cheeks were flushed from the steam and not from anything else. Coming out of the bathroom, Fawn was surprised to see Paula bent over the bed.
“Paula—-”
The brunette turned around, Fawn’s pajamas in her hands. “Hi, signorina.”
Fawn blinked. “What are you doing with those?”
“Readying it for you?”
“What?” She rushed to the other girl with a shake of her head. “You don’t have to do that—-” Fawn stopped dead at her friend’s suddenly grim look. “P-Paula?”
“I thought Igor was joking, but I guess not, signorina.”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“The prince specifically chose me to be your personal maid, signorina.”
“I don’t want that!”
Paula’s lips pursed in visible disappointment. “And here I thought you were still my friend, signorina.”
“You are,” she insisted.
“Are you speaking the truth, signorina?”
“Yes!”
“Then...why don’t
you want me as your personal maid?” Paula took a step towards her. “Why don’t you want me to have this amazing promotion—-” Paula took another step forward, “—-which pays more for less work?”
When Paula closed the distance between them, Fawn did her best to resist the urge to lean back, asking weakly, “A-are you saying you w-want me to be my personal maid?”
Paula smiled sweetly at her.
“Oh. Umm. Okay?”
“Yay!” Paula pulled her up. “I knew it, you’re still my friend, signorina.” She gave Fawn a quick hug. “Now, I’ve readied your pajamas, and once you’re done, please go to the master’s room, he’s waiting for you there.”
Evil bullies. It was all Fawn could think as she watched Paula cheerfully attend to her task. That was the exact term for it, and this house was full of them.
Five minutes later, and Paula had successfully dragged Fawn into the prince’s room.
The prince, seated elegantly on the settee next to the window while sipping a glass of red wine, looked up as Fawn stumbled into his room.
“Thank you for doing such a great job, Paula,” said the house’s biggest and most evil bully. “As promised, you will get your bonus tomorrow.”
Hearing that, Fawn mouthed furiously at Paula, Traitor. First Igor, and now Paula. Was no one in this house on her side?
Paula blew her a kiss, mouthing, Money talks, signorina. Then she turned to the prince and bowed. “Thank you, sir.”
The door closed behind Paula, leaving Fawn alone with the prince.
She waited for the prince to speak, but he didn’t, and the silence in the room was only interrupted by the sound of rustling clothes—-
Her head jerked up, and to her shock, she found the prince actually pulling his shirt over his head, revealing his sculpted chest inch by inch.
Her throat dried.
She had seen the prince bare-chested more than a few times, but even so she didn’t think she could ever get used to the sight of it. He was just so magnificently sexy, it was hard to breathe when seeing all those tight, whipped muscles—-
The prince’s lips curved in a grin. “You can also touch, you know.”
A squeak of embarrassment escaped her as she realized that the prince knew she had been staring the whole time. “I wasn’t—-what are you p-planning?” She tried not to panic as the prince started walking straight at her, an alarmingly dangerous glint in his green eyes.
The prince was just a few feet away now.
I’m not going to let him think he’s scaring me—-
The prince was just a foot away now.
Who cares if he knows the truth?
She was scared!
Fawn whirled around to run away, but it was too late, and she heard the prince release a low, dark chuckle just as he swept her up in his arms.
“Put me down—-”
And he did, but on his bed, and then he was joining her. She tried to roll away, but again the prince proved too fast. He moved on top of her, and she froze at suddenly having the hard, hot weight of the prince’s body pressing down on her.
The prince calmly reached for the switch next to the bed, and the incandescent light coming from the wall sconces went out, plunging the room into darkness.
Was this really happening? It seemed like she was fated to ask this question over and over, but—-
Was it really happening?
Was she actually sharing the same bed with the prince?
“Nervous?”
She could hear the smirk in the prince’s tone, and if she weren’t so nervous, she would have thumped him for it. Of course she was nervous. She was in his bed, and he was on top of her. She had just seen her boyfriend doing another girl, and an hour later she had let another man make her come—-
“You’re overthinking again,” the prince chided gently.
“I can’t help it.”
“You should try harder,” the prince purred, “if you don’t want me to make you come again.”
“Um.” Her voice came out all strangled.
The prince’s grin flashed in the moonlight. “Did that actually make you hesitate about which one is a better alternative?”
“No!” Yes.
The prince’s lips grazed her cheek, and she shivered under him. “While I’d love to make you come...I’m afraid that’s the one thing I can’t do tonight, parthena mou.” The prince suddenly rolled off her, leaving Fawn blinking in bemused shock. “Don’t be too disappointed, mm?”
“I’m n-not.” And she wasn’t. Her body was just aching because she was...tired. Yes, that was it. Her emotions had been all over the place, and it had taken its toll on her.
“Mm...” The prince sounded skeptical.
“I told you, I’m not.” But not wanting to let him argue the point, she changed the subject, asking, “What does parthena mou mean?”
The prince smiled in the darkness. “Care to take a guess?”
“My...something?”
“You’re half correct.”
“So...what does the other word mean?”
“It’s what I plan to take from you tomorrow night.”
She gasped. “My soul?”
The prince scowled. “Very funny.”
“Then what? It’s not like you need more money, and I don’t know what else I have that you don’t.”
“Think very carefully,” the prince advised, “and it will come to you.”
She did as asked, and after several moments, she said uncertainly, “My scholarship?”
The prince wondered how it was possible that Fawn could make him want to fuck her and laugh out loud at the same time.
He said finally, “No.” And before she could drive him crazier, he said calmly, “Parthena mou means ‘my virgin.’”
Oh.
“But once I’ve taken your virginity, I’ll make sure to call you by another name, of course.”
OH.
Telling herself that she couldn’t let him think he could call all the shots, she said determinedly, “I w-won’t let you.”
“Really?” And in the next second, the prince had pulled her under him again, and as his weight pressed down on her, this time she also felt something else. She also felt something growing against her belly, throbbing like it had its own life.
OH.
With Fawn’s audible gulp telling him that she was now aware of his rigid erection, the prince pulled her more tightly against him, his hands cupping the sweet, tight cheeks of her bottom. Brushing his mouth against her ear, he whispered invitingly, “Shall I make the pain go away again, parthena mou?”
She whimpered.
“You want it, don’t you?” He began to rub his cock up and down against her, and the folds of her pussy started to swell.
Fawn’s teeth sank into her bottom lip. “N-no.” And she had to say that. It was the only right answer, the only thing she could say that wouldn’t make her—-
“You’re lying,” the prince said softly.
She felt the prince’s mouth move over her cheek.
“But it’s alright.” The prince’s lips touched her forehead. “I don’t plan to touch you tonight.” He rolled away the second time, saying levelly, “I want you too much.”
Just when she was about to feel rejected, his last words made her heart skip a beat, and Fawn winced at the realization of how much power the prince seemed to wield over her. He only had to say a word, and her mood would be swinging like a pendulum.
“Is that a bad thing?” she whispered. “Wanting me?”
“Right now...it is.” She felt the bed dip as the prince turned to lie on his side, facing her. A shaft of moonlight touched his face, and she saw the way his emerald green eyes were focused on her completely.
“In this case, it’s pretty easy to understand how your mind works, parthena mou. The moment I let myself touch you, I won’t be able to control myself. But if something happens between us tonight, you’ll wake up hating yourself tomorrow.” The prince paused. “Won�
�t you?”
Oh. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Shouldn’t I?” If something did happen tonight, it wouldn’t be rape. She swallowed. “I’m just like them, aren’t I?”
“No. You’re not.” The prince’s tone was succinct.
“How do you know—-”
“Because if you were, then we would have been fucking for months now.”
“Prince.” His words made complete sense, and yet – did really he have to put it that way?
“Just relax and go to sleep, parthena mou. Nothing will happen, much to my...conana’s dismay.”
She cringed. “Will you never let me hear the end of that?”
“It depends.” The prince’s tone was lazy. “Do you think you’ll be able to say the word co—-”
“No!” She knew she was being downright silly, but she didn’t care. Something told her that if she allowed herself to say the word—-
It would be completely over for her.
“Are you certain? It’s just one word,” the prince cajoled. “C-o-c-k.”
“I just can’t.” But she was laughing this time. At the same moment, the prince reached for her, his fingers twining with hers, and Fawn stilled.
“What?” the prince bristled.
“You’re holding my hand,” Fawn said dumbly.
The prince’s teeth gnashed together. Trust Fawn to say what was embarrassingly obvious.
“Why are you—-”
“Stop saying it,” the prince cut her off irritably. “You’re just making me feel more juvenile.” His fingers tightened around her. “It’s all I can let myself touch. Okay?”
Silence.
Then—-
“You’re so sweet,” Fawn blurted out.
The prince’s grip started to tighten painfully.
“I mean, sweetly...cruel?”
Ah, if only he could kill her without hurting her. “Just stop talking,” the prince said grimly. “You’re only going to make it worse every time you open your mouth.”
A full minute of silence passed.
“Prince?”
He knew it. She wouldn’t be able to shut up. She never had been able to, so why did he even think this time would be different?
“I’m sleeping.”
“I just want to say—-”
“Don’t say it.”
“—-thank you for being so nice.”
