by Mia Carson
“No, she doesn’t, unless you count volunteering to drink to support the local economy.”
Olivia pursed her lips. “Isn’t that what you do?”
Quincy shrugged and closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breeze blowing off the water. It rushed over his skin, making his hair stand on end. “I have my moments. Are you done with her yet?”
“Nope. What else do we know about Gigi? Ah, that’s great information.”
“What is?”
“It appears the women were told to write letters to you in order to help you decide which one would make a better queen.”
Quincy reached out to snatch it, but she yanked it away and held it out of reach. “I really don’t want to hear it. Give me the folders.” He sat up all the way and scooted closer, but Olivia moved out of reach again.
“You really need to hear this.”
But he didn’t want to. Quincy didn’t mind Gigi when she was with other people, and granted, she was the most suited to be a queen, but he really did not like the woman. There were too many negative things about her, too many snobby things she said about others at court that made even Quincy want to shut her up.
“Hand it over, Olivia,” he said and lunged for it again.
“Oh, come on,” she said with a laugh as she scooted out of the way just in time.
Quincy grunted as he decided enough was enough. Olivia smirked at him until he made a final grab for the folder and tackled Olivia to the ground in the process. The folders went flying everywhere in the sand, and he looked down, ready to apologize until he saw the look on her face. Her eyes had narrowed, but not in an angry look. His body lay full length on hers. Every curve pressed against him, fitting perfectly like a tailored glove. Her eyes stayed on his, her breathing suddenly deeper, and her chest pushed against him. He realized she was thinking the same thing he was. His skin against hers in a most intimate, delicate fashion.
“Quincy.”
That one breath with his name on it ended his resolve. He didn’t stop to think as he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers.
Chapter 8
Olivia didn’t know what to do. Quincy’s lips moved against hers, and her arms wrapped around his back, pulling him tighter against her body. The kiss was warm, and his lips were softer than any others she’d kissed before. Her heart thudded in her chest, and her whole body was starting to come alive. A sudden longing bloomed to life between her legs, and she squirmed as the kiss deepened and his tongue licked lightly at her lips.
She should have stopped. Every voice in her head screamed that she shouldn’t do this, but no matter how hard she tried to tell her body to stop, it didn’t.
Her mouth opened on a sigh, and Quincy groaned as their tongues met. He tasted of the sweet red wine mixed with tropical fruits of the island. She wanted to drink him in for the rest of the evening while the sun set over the water. Quincy’s hands moved down to her shirt and slid underneath. They massaged her sides, and she itched for them to go higher so she could feel his touch on her breast again. She hadn’t been able to get it out of her mind since it happened. His fingers teased her at the edge of her bra, and she pushed her chest up, wanting them to be closer.
Quincy smiled against her lips and moved his hands lower again. She pushed her chest up against him in protest, wanting his hands back where they belonged. Wait, where they belonged? What the hell are we doing?
“Quincy… Quincy wait,” she said, breaking her lips away from his.
“What?” He stared down at her, worried. “Olivia?”
“We can’t do this,” she whispered. “Oh my God… What are we doing?”
In a panic, she shoved him off and scrambled to her feet, yanking her shirt back down in the process. She ran her hands through her hair and shook her head, trying to understand what the hell was going on. How could she be such an idiot?
“Olivia, calm down,” he said. “It’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad? We’re going to be step-siblings. Royal step-siblings! We can’t do this.”
The words sounded half-hearted. She could still feel his lips on hers and his hands running up her sides. Just the thought of it made her have to press her legs together to stop the sudden throbbing there. Why did he have to be such a damned good kisser? The way his tongue had moved with hers like they were meant to be together…
“No,” she snapped at herself and paced down the sand. “No, this isn’t happening.”
“It already happened,” he said and pushed himself to his feet. “Olivia, please calm down. No one knows anything. If you feel that badly about it, we won’t say a word. No one will know.”
She froze as she stared at his face, his swollen lips, and the light in his eyes. Olivia wondered why he wasn’t worried when a horrible thought crept across her mind, one that made her hands tighten into jealous fists. “Am I the first woman you’ve brought here?”
His eye twitched, and he rubbed the back of his head. “Yes, you are. Why would you ask that?”
“You seem extremely calm, that’s why.”
“I have never brought anyone else here, Olivia.”
“And I don’t believe you because—?”
He threw his arms in the air. “I have no idea. Maybe because you are crazy. It was just a kiss, that was all. One extremely incredible kiss that will never happen again.”
Her heart sank, like the wind had been knocked out of her. “Oh, well… If that’s all it was, then I guess there’s no need for me to uh… to uh… worry about it. I’ll find my way back to my room.”
Heart pounding and nerves on edge to the point that her hands shook, Olivia trudged up the sand and to the open corridor. Quincy called after her, but she’d heard enough. Whether or not he told the truth, they still shouldn’t have done that. It was too much, and there was no way anything would ever happen between them. Could happen between them. Tears stung her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall until she was in her room with the door closed and locked. Allete wasn’t there, thankfully, and she was able to slide to the floor and let it all out. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
How could she fall for a man who was going to be her stepbrother?
All his dropped hints and innuendos… he knew now they meant nothing. He probably did that to every girl and took them to his special place to have his way with them. He and Gigi would be perfect for each other. She’d never been this stupid before, so why had she let her guard down around him and let herself be taken for a ride? She would have to put a stop to it and only deal with him when it was absolutely necessary. When the summer ended and the wedding was over, she’d go back to Nebraska and forget Quincy.
Too bad the feeling of his lips tasting hers lingered, along with the touch of his fingers so close to where he could steal her heart away.
***
Quincy downed the rest of the wine, alone on the blanket, and tried to understand what had happened. One minute, they’d been talking, and he hoped she would give him her honest opinion about the woman who might eventually become her sister-in-law. And the next… the next…
You were lying on top of her, feeling every curve while you tasted her lips.
He cursed, her touch lingering on his body and the sweet taste of her in his mouth. She’d just eaten something sweet… berries, maybe? Or a mango, he couldn’t quite tell. Didn’t matter. He was a fool for acting like that and not realizing he had crossed a dangerous line. The accidental boob grope had been one thing, but kissing her like he wanted her beneath him, in his bed, wet and ready for him?
Quincy straightened as the truth punched him hard in the gut. He did want her. He wanted every last inch of that damn woman, but he couldn’t have her. Shouldn’t have her. She was correct that it was wrong. As royals, they couldn’t afford this type of scandal.
So don’t get caught.
If only it was that easy for them to not get caught, but from the look on Olivia’s face as she stormed away, a one-night fling with him was not what she had in mi
nd. He liked her, too, but had all his flirting made her fall for him? She hadn’t flirted back much when he did tease her, but then again, he hadn’t spent as much time with her the last few days. She’d been busy with her mom preparing for the wedding.
Quincy finally got to his feet, tucked the blanket away in the bin, and buried it beneath the boulder. Suddenly, his hideaway was not as quiet and comforting as before. Olivia might think he brought other women there, but it wasn’t true. She was the only woman he’d ever brought there. He had never felt comfortable bringing anyone else to this place where he ran when he needed peace. After his mom died, while the kingdom mourned together, he mourned here amongst the rocks and the waves.
Bringing Olivia to his hideaway had been a last-minute decision, and he never expected to wind up kissing her like that.
The walk back to his room with the folders tucked under his arm again wasn’t as fun as the walk down to the secluded bay. The folders weighed more than they should, each holding a choice he realized, deep down, he wasn’t going to be able to make easily because one person could never be in that stack. Though they only shared one kiss, one kiss had been enough.
***
Olivia kept a safe distance from Quincy over the next few days. Part of her was embarrassed by what had happened, and the other part of her was mad about what had happened. She didn’t know what to do with him anymore, and the roiling feelings that kept building inside of her only made it worse. She was more confused than she’d ever been by a man and his actions, only made worse by the fact that he was her future stepbrother.
“Miss? Are you alright?” Allete asked as she pulled Olivia’s ballgown from the wardrobe and laid it out on the bed. “You have been awfully quiet.”
“Just a lot on my mind, I guess. I have to start thinking about my fall classes soon,” she said as an excuse. “And I haven’t gotten very far with my portfolio project, either. This ball is stealing another night from me.”
Allete smiled gently. “Believe it or not, this ball is work for you.”
“Not the type of work I need to be doing,” she grumbled and glanced at her unfinished paintings set up on the balcony. There were five half-finished ones of the surrounding fauna and one of the palace, tweaked a bit to a more fantastical version that went with her artistic eye, but so far, she hadn’t finished one of them. It was not where she wanted to be this far into the summer. Her professors were going to be checking in soon, and she needed to show them something accomplished besides half-finished works.
“Miss? Maybe you should speak to your mother about taking a day or two to finish,” Allete said. “I’m certain King Lamont will understand. It is for your education, after all.”
“I’m going to have to. The portfolio will decide my career.”
“You don’t just want to be a princess?”
“I don’t think I could make that into a career,” she deadpanned. “What would I do all the time? Quincy will be in charge when Lamont retires, not me.”
“You are still important. There is much good you can do here for the island and its people. You just don’t yet see the potential. With your art background, you could help the art schools and work with the team on revitalizing the city.”
Olivia had not thought of that. To see her paintings on walls of the city would be more than she ever imagined. Her only goal so far had been to get out of school and either go back and teach or pray a museum or patron would support her. But to be part of the revitalizing and painting of the city?
“Allete, that is a wonderful idea,” she conceded as the idea really started to come to life in her mind.
“I believe the king and prince would welcome such an artistic touch.”
“Prince, right,” Olivia mumbled, and her stomach plummeted. As much as she’d tried not to, the last few nights, she dreamed of him holding her, his hands moving across her body and to places a man had only ever touched her in dreams. “Well, I guess I’ll have to talk with the king and my mom about that later.”
Allete smiled and clapped her hands. Three more ladies came into the room, and Olivia felt her stomach fall even more. “Right, time to get you ready for the ball. You are going to impress everyone there! And I believe Edric is going to be there as well. I checked for you.”
“Edric? Really? What about his sister, Cheree? I liked her.”
“I believe the young lady will be in attendance, yes, though it may be in your best interest to make friends with some of the potential bachelorettes for Prince Quincy.”
“I’m not sure who he is even interested in.” That was a lie. He was interested in her, though that could never happen. “I don’t really know him well enough yet to judge whom he might fit with.” She moved to the center of the room as was the routine now for the ladies and Allete to get her ready. “As long as it’s not Gigi.” The ladies laughed and Olivia grinned, happy to know she wasn’t the only one who disapproved of the woman.
They gossiped and chatted as they worked Olivia out of her everyday clothes and into the sapphire and violet ball gown that had been made for her. The skirt was full and twirled out when she spun. It was strapless with a heart-shaped neckline, a low back shaped like a V, and beading that caught the light all throughout the skirt. Shimmery powder was brushed over her shoulders and along her chest. Her makeup was completed by Allete, as always, and last was the necklace, bracelets, and earrings. Each one was more extravagant than the last. The silver and blue bangles had been handmade on the island and pushed halfway up her forearms. The earrings were teardrops of colors, shifting from blue to violet, matching the necklace chunked with stones that sparkled.
“There… Now, I know I have told you this before about looking the part and wearing heels, but in light of the dancing that will occur all night,” Allete began as she pulled a box from the floor, “I had these made for you at the last minute.”
Olivia pulled the top of the box off and stared at a pair of handmade violet ballet flats. They had been embroidered with stars and moons along the sides and waves crashing into a beach on the toes.
“Allete, these are wonderful,” Olivia said as she pulled one out to look at it. “Thank you, really.”
“These shoes you will not ditch.”
The ladies laughed again, and Olivia hugged Allete tightly. “No, I promise.”
They helped her step into the shoes, and once she was ready, walked her to the door. Olivia had no idea what tonight was going to bring, but avoiding Quincy was going to be key.
***
Already, it was turning into a long night, and the ball hadn’t even officially started yet. Quincy waited for his father to finish getting ready in his royal chambers. The last few days hadn’t been easy, and he wasn’t looking forward to a long night of dealing with whatever Olivia was going through. He’d gone to her room a few times to talk to her, but each time, he couldn’t even get himself to knock.
“Stop looking so dour, Son. This is a ball, and you are the star of it,” his dad said as one of his servants adjusted his overcoat. “Ladies will be lined up to dance with you all night long, and perhaps one of them will sweep you off your feet.”
“Maybe I don’t want to make a decision yet,” Quincy said. “I’m not too thrilled about doing it, you know.”
His father frowned and waved away his servants so he could face his son. “You do not have a choice in this matter. You must follow tradition and marry. Any of those women would work well for you and this kingdom.”
“Are you sure about that? Have you actually sat down with any of them?”
“I have, and with their parents. There is nothing wrong with any of them.”
“That you know of,” he muttered and sunk down in his chair like a pouting child. “I do not feel well. I think I might not go tonight.”
Lamont glared at his son and told the servants to leave the room. Quincy cursed, knowing what was coming and not in the mood to be lectured again. “You have been dragging your feet for a long time,” his fat
her admonished. “What are you waiting for, Quin?”
“Maybe I just don’t want to make a rash decision concerning the rest of my life. Can’t you understand that?”
“I can, but that doesn’t mean you are going to get out of it any time soon.”
Quincy stood and paced around the room. “Isn’t there anything you can do about it? You’re the damn king! Change the law… Do something—I don’t care.”
“It’s not a law,” Lamont said, his lips pressed into a thin line.
“No, that’s right, it’s your law. This damn tradition from this damn family that maybe I no longer want to be a part of! I don’t want to do this right now. I don’t want to do it ever!”
“You don’t mean that,” Lamont said, but his eye twitched at his son’s words.
Quincy breathed heavily and felt his mind clear for the first time in months. Did he really mean that? He had never been anything but a prince, and he felt his freedom and his life were quickly slipping away as he scrambled to pick up the pieces of himself before he lost them completely. Getting married sealed the deal that this was going to be his life forever. There’d be no getting out of it. His father would retire one day, and he would have to take over, be the responsible man, and run a damned country.
“Quin... Son,” Lamont said, laying a hand on his shoulder. “I know being in our family isn’t always easy, but this is the life you were born into. You must accept it.”
“But do I have to do it now?”
“The sooner the better. We need heirs to carry on our legacy, and that, I’m afraid, has come down to you,” Lamont said. “Do you really want the Pentacrafts taking over?”
Quincy frowned and stepped away from his dad. “Wait, what? Why would they take over?”
Lamont moved to the mirror and looked at his reflection, adjusting his jacket. “Because if you decline to take a bride at the directed time and fail to produce an heir, they are next in line for the throne. You have no cousins or other relatives. It will fall to them.”
