PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance

by Mia Carson

  The girls led them through the streets, giggling as they walked beside Quincy, but when they reached the shop, they said they had to go to class and hurried off. Olivia waved until they disappeared, saying she was happy to know there were other artists in the city. He told her there were many, she would just have to find them. He held open the door for her, and she stepped inside. If Quincy thought he’d seen Olivia excited before, he was wrong. The moment they stepped into the art supply store, the light in Olivia’s eyes brightened and she bounced as she walked up and down the various aisles stacked with paints made right there in the shop.

  “These colors! I could never get anything like this back home,” she said as she brushed her fingers gently over the tubes and bottles before her. She picked one up and Quincy saw her face fall when she noticed the price. “Damn. That’s not going to work.”

  An old man with white hair that stood out against his tanned and weathered skin made his way towards them and bowed his head. “Prince Quincy! I am glad to see you here, Your Highness. What can I help you with today? Does your lady friend need paint, or perhaps your father has commissioned another great work?”

  Quincy rattled his brain for the man’s name but couldn’t remember it, though he’d seen him bring supplies to the palace painter numerous times. “I’m sorry, my good man, I have misplaced your name today.”

  The old man grinned until his eyes crinkled. “Sebastian, Your Highness.”

  “Sebastian, of course. My father always speaks highly of your paint quality. Now then, I would like you to meet the soon-to-be Princess Olivia. She is a painter and is in need of some new supplies.”

  Sebastian grinned, but Olivia tugged on his sleeve. “Don’t get his hopes up,” she whispered as they turned away from the man. “I can’t afford his paints.”

  “Didn’t anyone tell you? You are officially rich now,” Quincy told her and turned back to Sebastian. “I’m afraid I do not know what she needs, but she would be more than delighted to tell you.” He motioned at the shelves, and Olivia stared in shock.

  Sebastian pulled out a pad of paper and pen to write down her order. It took a minute, but Olivia pointed out the colors she’d liked. The next hour was spent walking around the shop as she talked about colors and quality, dry times, and textures. Quincy stood by the door and watched with a smile on his face. By the time Olivia was finished and Sebastian rang up the total, he thought the new princess would keel over from a heart attack. Quincy stepped forward and pulled his card out from his wallet.

  “Don’t worry,” he told Olivia. “That’s nothing compared to what I’ve spent on nights out.”

  Sebastian laughed. “Yes, and the whole isle knows about those nights out, Your Highness.”

  Quincy shrugged as he tucked his card away. Sebastian told them their purchase would arrive at the palace by that evening, and the two royals headed for the front door where their bodyguards and servants stood under the awning.

  “Where did those clouds come from?” Olivia said. She stared up at the quickly darkening sky and down at her white blouse. “Crap.”

  “We’ll make it before the rain hits,” he said. “Though rain might not be such a bad thing in your case.”

  She shot him a look as he held open the door for her, and they hurried back down the street as the first bolt of lightning shot across the sky and booming thunder chased it.

  Chapter 5

  Contrary to Quincy’s words, they did not reach the palace before the rain fell, and man, did it fall. Torrential waves soaked them head to toe in seconds. Olivia wanted to wring his neck by the time they made it inside, dripping on the floors as she stomped to her rooms. Her blouse was a bit see-through, and the bra underneath hadn’t helped a damn.

  “We will get you out of those wet clothes very quickly, miss,” Allete said beside her.

  “You’re soaked, too. Please, go get yourself changed. I can handle myself.”

  “No, I must see to you first,” Allete insisted.

  Olivia stopped and shook her head. “As princess, I am telling you to go change before you catch a cold. I will be fine, I promise.” She could tell Allete wanted to argue more, but the woman finally sighed and curtsied before heading back down the hall towards her own rooms in the servant’s wing.

  “You know she means well,” Quincy said as he caught up to her.

  “Stop following me,” she said and quickly put her arms back across her chest.

  Quincy grinned at the movement and that damn left dimple appeared, making Olivia’s eyes dart to it. He pointed to the left, and she followed his hand. “We’re standing outside my rooms, Princess.”

  She turned around to stalk to her own rooms to change. The minute the rain had wet her shirt, she’d felt his eyes on her chest and saw the glimmer of longing in his eyes. Did he want to kiss her? Pull her close and hold her under an awning as the storm raged around them? Or maybe that was just her thoughts of him.

  “Stupid. You are being absolutely stupid,” she muttered as she pushed open her doors, closed and locked them. The last thing she wanted was for him to barge in while she was changing.

  First, she headed to the bathroom to grab a towel; she stripped her clothes off, dried her body, and attempted to deal with her mess of hair. The rain had made it go flat, and it was nothing more than a tangled mess. She glanced around for her hairbrush, but it wasn’t in the bathroom. Cursing, she saw it on her nightstand. Not even thinking, she rushed across the wood floor to grab it, but it was slick and she slipped and fell hard on her elbow.

  “Damn it!” Pain ricocheted up her arm as she winced. At least no one had been around to see that not-too-graceful move by the future princess. She tried to get up, but the floor was so slick, her hand slipped out from under her and she fell back again, cursing even louder.

  She lay there with a towel around her head and stared up at the ceiling. Laughter bubbled up until there was a knock at her bedroom door. Her laughter stopped, and she struggled to pull the towel over her naked body and get up again but failed and slipped for a third time. “Yes?”

  “Just wanted to make sure you were alright. Sounds a bit violent in there.”

  Quincy. Really? “I’m fine!” she called back. “Just slipped is all. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Are you sure? Do you need help?”

  “No,” she said as she managed to get almost to a standing position, but she took one step forward and slipped again. A few more words came out of her mouth that would make her mother blush. “What the hell are these floors made out of?”

  “That’s it. I’m coming in to help you.”

  “No! You can’t!” Olivia panicked as she looked around for anything to throw on, but nothing was close. “The door’s locked!”

  “I’ve been picking locks since I was seven,” he said.

  “I’m uh… I’m not exactly decent,” she called instead, and there was silence on the other side of the door. “Quincy? You still there?”

  She thought she heard laughter, and he said, “Are you… uh, without clothes, Princess Olivia?”

  “It’s not funny, you bastard,” she snapped. “I think I sprained my elbow.”

  “Fine, I’m coming in to help you. I will close my eyes, I swear it.”

  She wanted to argue with him, but this was getting ridiculous. Her elbow throbbed, and her whole arm had started to tingle in pain. “Fine, but if you look I’m going to rip out your eyes!”

  “Threatening the crown prince? That’s not a good way to start your reign,” he jested. There was a rattling at the door, and Olivia heard the lock click. “My eyes are closed, just guide me with your voice. It’d be tragic to step on you.”

  “That’s not funny,” she said, and he turned in her direction. He’d already changed into fresh clothes—simple slacks and a tight, white t-shirt—but Olivia took in every inch of him as he moved towards her, eyes shut tight. “You’re close, just be careful. The floor’s still wet.”

  “How far away am I?
”

  “A few feet,” she said and held out her hand as she told him to hold out his towards the floor. “Walk forward a bit more and, hey great, you found me,” she said. “Now help me up.”

  “Hard to do when I can’t see.”

  She sighed and told him to put his other hand out so she could grab it. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” he said and slowly pulled her up. She started to slip again, and his hand slid down to her sprained elbow. She cursed in pain, and he quickly moved his hand to her side, trying to hoist her to her feet without both of them falling again. He managed to get her to her feet, but his hand slipped again and Olivia froze.

  Quincy, eyes still closed, frowned as he gave a little squeeze. “That’s not your arm, is it?”

  “Nope,” Olivia said quietly as his hand held her boob. “No, it’s not.”

  His hand dropped, and he backed away. “I’m so sorry,” he said, holding up his hands. “It was horrible, I promise. Didn’t like it at all.”

  “Well, thanks for that. Nice to know I repulse you.”

  “What? No, but you’re going to be my stepsister and I just groped you,” he said quickly. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned around. “Am I headed towards the door?”

  “Yes, you are,” she said as she tried to forget what that touch felt like. “Go straight… you’re going to—oh, sorry.” She cringed when he ran into it with his face and cursed. “Are you alright?”

  “Fine, just fine,” he said as he held his face. “Be careful, and I would put some clothes on if I were you.”

  He closed the doors tightly behind him, and Olivia felt her body sag with relief. She took the towel still draped over her wet hair and put it on the floor to wipe up the water as she finally made it to the nightstand, grabbed her brush, and headed back to the bathroom. Her elbow still hurt, but she could move it well enough, though there was a nice-sized bruise forming on it.

  As she brushed her hair, she thought of how easy it would’ve been for him to open his eyes, but he hadn’t. Grabbing her boob had been an accident, but she couldn’t even be upset by it. Instead, her mind took off on fifty different fantasies of what could happen with this crown prince Quincy. It was the first time anyone had touched her like that, even by accident, and her sudden longing for a touch again told her just how much trouble she was in. Slowly, her hand stopped its brushing and reached down to hold her boob as he had. Her other hand slithered down her stomach as an intense heat built between her legs.

  His face popped into her head, and she froze. That couldn’t happen, not with him. Her hands stopped, and she forced them away from her intimate parts. She could not do anything with the man who was about to become her stepbrother. It would be worse than a scandal. She was pretty sure she’d get kicked out of the country, and what about her mom?

  “Just get a grip,” she whispered to her reflection. “It was an accident. All his little jokes are just that.”

  She couldn’t convince even herself. He’d been teasing her since she arrived, dropping hints here and there, and making her wonder what he was trying to pull. Maybe he wanted a scandal so he could disgrace himself and get out of the arranged marriage. It didn’t seem like something he would do, but people did strange things when they were desperate.

  Either way, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t do anything with Quincy, and she told herself not to be interested in him. No matter what happened here, he was her stepbrother and she had responsibilities as a future princess to not cause problems for her soon-to-be father and her mom, who had finally found some real happiness in her love life. Olivia would have to do her best to stick to what was expected of her and not spend any more time with Quincy.

  Especially if she found herself naked on the damn floor.

  Chapter 6

  The night of her first official state dinner, Olivia tried not to be nervous. She’d managed to only see Quincy once yesterday evening at dinner, and she’d avoided his gaze as much as possible. When the meal was finished and her mother and Lamont excused themselves, she was right behind them and disappeared to her rooms. The last thing she wanted was for Quincy to have a chance to speak with her alone. It was bad enough that the moment she saw him, her chest tightened and she could feel his hand holding her.

  Tonight, she was supposed to be Quincy’s guest of honor, which meant dancing and meeting all the people that made up their small court. She wasn’t nearly ready for this night, and as Allete helped her get ready, she couldn’t stop her damn hands from shaking.

  “Miss, are you alright?” Allete asked as she held one of Olivia’s hands. “There is no need to be so nervous. Look how beautiful you are tonight.”

  Olivia stared at her reflection. She wore the blue dress she’d found yesterday and spun a bit so the skirt flowed out. It was floor length with a fitted bodice, low neckline, straps that hung across her shoulders in bunched fabric, and just a bit of beading at the waistline. Her hair was done up in curls, pinned here and there, and she saw a small tiara sitting nearby that Allete would put on her once she finished her makeup.

  “It’s not that. I’m just worried I’ll mess something up.” It was an honest statement. She didn’t want to lie to the woman, but telling her the whole truth would’ve been more embarrassing than it was worth.

  “You won’t mess anything up.”

  “How do you know?”

  Allete smiled as she reached for the eyeshadow and told Olivia to close her eyes. “Because I have seen enough of them to know what happens. You’ll shake some hands and speak very briefly about yourself if they ask, which they rarely do. Then you’ll dance for a bit and retire at the end of the evening. It’s really a piece of cake.” She finished with the eyes. “Oh, and there is cake by the way. Delicious, too. Make sure you snag a piece.”

  Olivia opened her eyes and smiled at Allete in the mirror. “I guess it doesn’t sound that bad.”

  “No, and you’ll have Quincy there the whole time to watch out for you.”

  That wasn’t what Olivia wanted to hear, but she was going to have to deal with him, no matter what. Her hope was that he would forget the boob-grabbing accident and not bring it up again, but something told her that wouldn’t happen.

  “I think you’re worrying for nothing. You will be the hit of the dinner, and you won’t even have to do anything.”

  “Thanks, Allete, really.”

  A knock sounded at the door, and Quincy called out to see if she was ready. Olivia’s hand went to her chest just at the thought of him being near, but quickly fell when she caught Allete watching curiously.

  “I’ll be right out!”

  “One more touch, miss,” Allete said and turned to pick up the tiara. It had diamonds and sapphires delicately placed through the band and just a bit of scroll design in the middle. “Very simple, but perfect for you, I think.”

  “Do I even want to know how much it cost?”

  Allete smiled as she stepped back, and Olivia could tell she was admiring her work. “No, you really don’t. Now, slip into your heels and you’re all set.”

  “Heels, right,” she said as she stared at the five-inch tall silver sandals. She glanced back down at her feet, covered by the nearly ten inches of trailing dress, and chewed her lip. “Think anyone will notice if I’m barefoot?”

  Allete’s satisfied smile fell. “I will notice. Shoes… now, miss. Do not make me send for your mother.”

  Olivia hurried over to the sandals and held up her dress so Allete could slip the sandals on her feet. She wobbled for a minute as she adjusted to the height but managed to stay standing.

  “Now you are ready,” Allete said with a nod. She went to the door and swung it open for Quincy.

  “Olivia, I’m… Wow,” he said, the last word barely a whisper. Olivia felt his eyes skate across every bit of her body in the blue dress he had picked out, and he cleared his throat. “You look magnificent, Your Highness.” He bowed as he entered and held out his hand for hers. “It’s truly a sight f
or the guests to see of their future princess.”

  She frowned. “Really? I’ve never been this dressed up before. It’s a bit weird.”

  Quincy laughed as Allete rolled her eyes. “You look anything but weird. Allete, as always, you do a wonderful job.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” Allete said as she curtsied.

  “I shall escort you to the dinner then,” Quincy said. “My Princess?”

  Olivia’s chest tightened at the title. Even though it was her new one and she should get used it, for some reason, hearing him say it meant something entirely different. She wanted to be his princess. Quincy was like no one she had ever met before, and in so few days, she already felt a spark any time he was near.

  They walked slowly down the corridor, her struggling to stay upright while he held her hand in the crook of his arm. The second Olivia heard her door close, she pulled him to a stop and hoisted up her skirts.

  “What on earth are you doing?”

  “Getting rid of a hindrance before I make a fool of myself.” She slipped out of the sandals and bent to pick them up. A serving girl passed by with a small stack of towels, and she quickly set them on top. “Hide these for me and don’t let Allete see.”

  The young girl laughed but curtsied and hurried on her way while Olivia readjusted her dress.

  Quincy shook with amusement beside her as he watched the serving girl disappear around the corner. “Allete is going to murder you when she finds out.”

  “What? I’m not going to tell her, and no one will notice,” she said as she glanced down at her feet hidden by the dress. “Unless, of course, you’re going to rat me out.”

  “There are many things I would like to do,” he said as he turned towards her. “But that is not one of them, not with you.” His eyes locked onto hers, and Olivia couldn’t breathe as his hand gently reached down for hers again. He brought it to his lips, kissed the back of it, and tucked it in his arm. “May I take you to the dining hall now? Or are there other garments you’d like to be rid of first?”