PRINCE CHARMING: A Secret Baby Stepbrother Romance

by Mia Carson

  Not meaning to, thoughts of Olivia set the blood rushing lower than he wanted, and with Gigi pressed so close against him, she felt every bit of his growing arousal. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t even realize it until she glanced up at him with narrowed eyes and a seductive little smile.

  “Why, Prince Quincy, I wasn’t aware you found me so attractive,” she whispered quietly. She pressed herself full length against him, and her boobs pushed up. If she had been any taller, they’d be in his face.

  Quincy frowned. “Oh, my apologies, Lady Gigi. I don’t know what’s come over me.” Damn it! Stop thinking about Olivia, he thought as he tried to silence his sudden arousal. “Truly, I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

  “There’s no need to apologize.” Their dance ended, and she trailed her fingers up his neck and into his hair. “We could always disappear for a little while, and I could see to your…sudden princely needs. There is no shame in it, and I will let you know that I am not a virgin,” she said, whispering the last few words as close to his ear as she could.

  That was more information than he needed, and Quincy coughed, trying to clear his throat as he fought against the urge to laugh hysterically. Never did he think his night would start out so badly, wind up being great, and then go back to being… He wasn’t sure what. There was no way in hell he was going to take Gigi away to some dark corner and have his way with her. No way in hell. That was one can of worms he wasn’t about to open.

  He bowed his head and took a step back. “I am sorry, but I fear there are other women I must dance with tonight. A prince must remember his manners.”

  Gigi glared. “Not always. You and I have a connection, and we both know your father favors me.”

  “Does he now?” Quincy asked as he stared her down. “Well, thankfully, he is not me.”

  “No, but sooner or later, you will have to choose me,” she said. “I am the only choice. So go, dance with the others.” She swayed her hips as she walked by him. “But in the end, it’s me you will end up with. Good evening, my dear Prince Quincy.”

  He watched her walk into the crowd as his anger built and his face warmed. It was true King Lamont had been pushing him towards Gigi. She was the daughter of the wealthiest family on the isle and her parents were important members of the parliament, but it was her attitude he didn’t think he’d be able to stomach. If King Lamont made his decision for Quincy, Gigi would be his betrothed before the summer ended.

  All he could do was hope something drastic prevented that from happening.

  Chapter 11

  Olivia rolled over the next morning, relishing the way her body felt—sore but just as relaxed as if she and Quincy had gone at it again. If she could wake up like that every morning, it’d be pretty damn good. Though she wore herself out the night before, she was up early enough that Allete did not come in to wake her.

  The air was fresh though humid, and she woke with the need to paint. She hopped out of bed, still wearing Quincy’s clothes, and grabbed her paints and brushes. She hummed while she pulled her messy hair back into a ponytail, changed into some old painting jeans and a tank, and stepped out onto the balcony to set up her easel. Maybe today she would get something accomplished for her portfolio and feel a little better about where she stood.

  As the sun rose higher into the sky and the rest of the palace bustled to life, Olivia painted, finishing the scene of the palace crumbling from age and neglect. She set that one aside and picked up another of the haunted jungle, shadowy and dark. The only color was the flora and fauna buried deep in the center of the shadow. The brushes moved smoothly across the canvas, and soon she was covered in blues and greens, violets and shades of red while she perfected it and set it aside to dry as well. The whole time, her thoughts were on Quincy and the way his hands moved across her skin. How he’d kissed her deeply, letting his tongue move with hers…

  “Princess Olivia? You are a mess!”

  “Huh?” She turned, the end of the paintbrush in her mouth as she nibbled on the wood. She’d been so lost reliving last night she hadn’t heard her barrage of ladies enter her room. “Morning, Allete.”

  “What are you doing, miss?” She moved to her side and looked at the finished paintings drying in the sun. “Those are beautiful. What time did you wake up this morning?”

  “Early,” Olivia said with a satisfied sigh. “Finally found some time to get them done.”

  “Well, they are magnificent, but what is that one you started? I don’t recognize that place.”

  So focused was she on remembering every detail of last night that she hadn’t noticed she’d started to paint Quincy’s private cove. It was barely started, mostly the outcropping into the waves she’d fallen off of last night and the faint hint of the beach. With a blanket and her shoes from last night set off to the side.

  “Are those your shoes?” Allete asked as she leaned in closer.

  Olivia shrugged. “I guess so. I was letting the inspiration of the island take me for a ride.”

  “Well, I am afraid your inspiration must be put on hold. You must look good for the outing today.” She walked back inside, dragging Olivia with her. “Wash your brushes quickly, then you must shower and dress.” The maid frowned and leaned forward, sniffing Olivia’s hair. “Interesting.”

  “What? Do I smell bad?”

  “No, but you smell like Prince Quincy’s shampoo. Odd, that’s all. I thought you had your own. The maids must have switched it by accident,” Allete said and pushed her once again towards the bathroom. She missed Olivia’s wide-eyed stare and gulp.

  “Yeah, must be. I’ll shower, then I’ll be out,” she said and closed the bathroom door behind her.

  She pulled a strand of hair to her nose and sniffed. Damn, she did smell like Quincy. Leave it to Allete to pick up on that, but she would just have to be more careful in the future. In the future? So you’re going to do it again? The idea wasn’t exactly smart, but Olivia couldn’t stop smiling when she thought of Quincy.

  “I do not hear water running,” Allete called through the door.

  “I’m going, I’m going,” she huffed and hurried to rinse her brushes in the sink, hoping the maids wouldn’t get upset at the paint staining the basin. She set them aside to dry, turned the water of the shower on, and got ready for the day. “Another outing with Quincy. Wonder what this one will be like.”

  ***

  Allete allowed Olivia more casual attire than normal, dressing her in a blue sundress that varied in shades from the top to the bottom. It was sleeveless, and her shoes, thankfully, were flat. Her hair was curled but down, which she was thankful for. After last night and all those pins, her scalp was still sore and hating her for it.

  Olivia hurried to the main hall to meet Quincy. He, too, was more casual than normal in slacks and a printed, button-up shirt. “Am I late? Allete kept trying to fix my hair.”

  “I think it looks fine,” he told her. His hand lifted as if to touch it, but he cleared his throat and shoved it in his pocket instead. “And no, you’re not late. Royalty is never late. Something to remember for later when you are officially a princess.”

  “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

  “Good, that’s good. Shall we?” He offered her his other arm, and she slipped her hand around it so they could walk to his Jeep which was parked out front on the drive. “The weather is supposed to be perfect today, so a tour of the campus will be the first thing.”

  Anything sounded good to her as long as she was with Quincy. They climbed into the Jeep, and once the guard was ready in front and behind, they drove out the palace gates and into the city. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as they went, waving at the people cheering for their prince and new princess. Olivia was nervous at first but waved back with a smile and laugh. She would get used to this at some point, especially if Quincy was always at her side.

  He wound them through the streets and slowed when they came to the outer reaches. Olivia felt her jaw drop open a
t the sight of the building. “That’s the university?”

  “I had a feeling you’d like it.”

  “That’s an understatement,” she muttered as they drove under the stone archway and up the paved path to the front of the university. At first, it looked like one giant stone building, but as they turned to park the Jeep, she saw the others stretched out to the sides. They were made of the same stone as the palace, and if she hadn’t known any better, she would have thought it was the palace. “This is crazy. It’s beautiful.”

  “It was originally built to house the army—well, what little army there was,” he explained as he got out and walked around to her side. “About fifty years ago, my family cleared it out and turned it into our own island university.”

  Olivia nodded, only half listening. She wished her university looked this nice and old. There was so much history pouring out of the walls, she wanted to disappear inside the buildings for days to see what she could find. She felt like she’d stepped back in time, and she had a prince at her side to escort her around the grounds. Quincy asked if she was ready to go inside and she nodded, taking his arm and walking quickly towards the large front doors. They were made of solid wood and creaked when he pushed them open. Their steps echoed on the dark stone floor and off the walls lined with paintings and photographs. Beside each one was a name, and Olivia rushed to read them.

  “Were these done by students?”

  “Yes, all of them up and down these halls,” he said. “It’s mainly an art school, so you’ll see paintings and murals in the other buildings, too.”

  “Can we see them all?”

  “Yes, you can, Princess Olivia,” a woman’s voice called from down the corridor. “Prince Quincy, nice to see you again.”

  Olivia watched the woman in her flats and paint-splattered jeans walk to them and bow her head as she stopped. “Hi, are you a professor?”

  “I am Director Marie Hollins,” she said. “Welcome to my university.”

  Olivia tried not to let her jaw drop. The woman couldn’t have been older than thirty, yet she ran the university. Amazing. She had her black hair pulled back in a bun and blues and violets were in her hair from whatever project she had been working on. For the first time since arriving on the isle, Olivia felt she’d found a kindred spirit, someone she could really talk to about her art. Quincy would listen, but this woman would really understand her.

  “This is amazing! Where do we start?” Olivia asked, her voice filled with excitement. “What were you working on?”

  “Would you really like to see it?”

  “Trust me, she would,” Quincy said. “Please, lead the way, Director Hollins.”

  Olivia walked beside Marie while she told her about the history of the campus and the art the students made there. She nearly forgot about her new life on the island and why she was even there to begin with. Everything fell away, and for a moment, she was back home with her paints and a blank canvas, discussing the right mediums and brushes to use with another painter.

  ***

  Quincy glanced at his watch and grinned, laughing at the fact that Olivia and Marie had been talking about paint for the better part of three hours while they toured the campus. He really wasn’t even there, not in their minds. He trailed behind them, admiring the beauty of the campus and listening to them talk. It brought a smile to his face to hear Olivia so excited about what she did.

  “This is fascinating. If I wasn’t so close to being finished with my classes, I’d stay here,” Olivia said as they stopped in the massive courtyard in between the buildings.

  The towers soared high, maintaining their sentient forms from their days as military buildings, though the students’ murals of beaches and oceans, even crumbling cityscapes, helped make them less intimidating.

  “Why don’t you just transfer?” Quincy asked. Marie had excused herself to return to her work and was already walking back to her studio, leaving them alone. “I don’t think it would be that much trouble.”

  “I have a great reputation and relationship with my professors. I don’t want to let them down.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’ve worked with me since I started college, and I’m kind of their prodigy, so to speak. If I just leave like that… They might be sore at me for it, and they’ve done so much, I can’t do that to them.”

  Quincy glanced around to make sure they were alone before he slid his hand across the bench to hers and held it tightly, massaging her palm. “Even if it meant you could stay here? With me?”

  Her eyes narrowed as she sucked in a breath. “Quincy, what are you doing?”

  “I’m not doing anything. Is there a problem?” He smirked as he let his hand trail to her bare thigh. Their bodyguards waited at the other end of the courtyard with their backs turned, and the place was otherwise devoid of students since it was summer. He loved her soft skin, like flower petals, and his fingers slowly slid higher, up her dress, but stopped short of going further. Her eyes closed on a sigh, and she turned towards him as if to kiss him.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “We… we can’t do this here.”

  “So do you want to leave?”

  “Won’t they ask questions if we leave early? Besides, we have to meet your father and my mom.”

  Damn it, forgot about that. He jumped to his feet, a wicked glint in his eyes as he pulled her up. “Come on, we don’t have much time.”

  He made sure they headed in the opposite direction of the bodyguards and ducked into a building, Olivia laughing and asking what the hell they were doing. He didn’t answer, pulling her down the stone corridor. Eventually, he found a room with the door open and told her to get inside. No one had followed, so he closed and locked the door behind him, keeping the lights off as he glanced around.

  “Well, isn’t this romantic,” Olivia laughed.

  “Could be worse,” he said. “Could be the janitor’s closet.”

  It wasn’t much better, but a room that appeared to be for nothing more than storage was better than no privacy at all, and he was not going to make it through an entire day without touching her or having her at least once.

  “You had to wear a dress today,” he said. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. He pressed his body against hers, and she moaned, pressing her lips to his with such need he wasn’t sure he could take it. His hands moved to her dress and snuck underneath as she fumbled for his pants.

  “Are you sure they won’t find us in here?” she asked against his lips.

  Quincy groaned when her hand slipped down his pants and gripped him. “Yes, I’m sure. Damn, couldn’t have gone into a dormitory.”

  “I’m sure we can find something,” she said and looked around. “There, that’ll work.”

  She pulled away from him, and Quincy frowned at the loss of her touch but followed her across the room, through some shelves and to the back where a stack of blankets and pillows had been stored. His view of the door was totally blocked. It wasn’t a bad idea just in case someone did pop inside. They’d have a few seconds to gather themselves or hide.

  When he turned back to Olivia, her dress was hiked up to her hips and she stared at him intently. No smile, just a look of such need, Quincy’s gut clenched and an answering need flooded his body. He kissed her again as they managed to lie back on the pile of blankets. Olivia moved a pillow behind her head, and once she was comfortable, pulled Quincy down to her. His lips moved over hers and to her neck, making his way to her collar bone and lower still. Her dress was strapless, and it had driven him crazy all morning seeing so much skin exposed, so much he could reach out and touch.

  While one hand trailed delicately across the upper mounds of her breasts, the other slid up between her legs, pulled down her thong, and searched for her folds. He knew they didn’t have that much time, but the last thing he was going to do was rush someone who only last night had been a virgin.

  The moment his f
inger found her clit and glided inside, they both sighed at the connection. He stretched her using another finger, moving them in a circular motion that made her squirm beneath him. Her hands buried in his hair. His erection grew painful in his pants as her wetness enveloped him, and she moaned at his touch moving slow and languid, in and out. Quincy flashed her a wicked grin before he turned his fingers and searched for just the right spot…

  “Oh my God,” she gasped. “What are you doing?”

  “You want me to stop?” He let his thumb massage her clit while his fingers made a come hither motion inside of her, rubbing the sensitive spot inside her. Olivia’s back arched off the blankets, and he kissed her, swallowing her cries as he moved faster. “You didn’t answer.”

  “No, God no. Don’t you dare.” The ragged whisper preceded her cries of pleasure. She squeezed his fingers tightly inside her, and just when the tremors started to wrack her body, Quincy leaned back and removed his hand. She frowned until she saw him undo his pants and place himself back on top of her.

  The moment she spread her legs for him, Quincy was lost at the sight of her with her dress hiked up to her stomach and the top barely covering her nipples. Not for long. He wanted to see those, taste the sweetness of them as he took her again. He reached around to her side and pulled the zipper down, and she pulled the dress down the rest of the way for him. The moment she was free of it, his lips closed around her nipple and he pressed himself against her wetness.

  Quincy nibbled, and she wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him in. He could do nothing but oblige her and thrust inside in one smooth motion. She gasped, but when he glanced at her face, it wasn’t scrunched in pain but in languid pleasure as she took every inch of him and held there for a moment. His tongue licked and teased her nipple as he moved his hips and thrust inside her, slowly and deeply each time, making her legs tighten around him. She whispered his name, and he thrust faster, building the friction between them until he wasn’t sure how much longer he could last.