Jilted Groom (Romance Novel)

by Mia Carson

  “Yes and no,” Matt said tersely, contemplating running back in there and strangling Hades on principal. “Guess we go to the second club.”

  By the time they reached the second club, the later night crowd had come out to play. The place was jam-packed from one wall to the other. The only space available to move was the dance floor. Matt caught Daphne staring at it longingly before Dorian said he’d snoop at the bar again.

  “What do we do ‘til then?” she asked.

  “We blend in,” he said and pulled her after him towards the dance floor. The panels put on a light show beneath their feet as more brightly colored bulbs flashed and roved around the walls.

  The music had a good, strong beat and words, but Matt didn’t hear them. He put his hands on Daphne’s hips and told her this was her chance to have fun if she was ever going to. She grinned, and her body moved fluidly in his hands. She pressed herself against the length of him, and he mentally kicked himself for thinking this was a good idea. They should’ve sat at the bar and ordered drinks.

  His hands were on her ass. His fingers moved a little higher as she continued to move with him, her breasts brushing against his chest until he saw her nipples harden. He was hard, but with each move she made, it swelled more until it nearly pained him to keep holding her. His fingers found the top of her mini skirt, slipped down just a bit, and his face went blank.

  “Something wrong?” she smirked.

  “You… goddamn it, Daphne,” he growled, remembering at the last second Dorian was listening, too. She wasn’t wearing anything under that skirt. Nothing—not a stitch.

  He pushed her out to turn her and brought her back to him, her ass cradled against his hips. He ground against her, his fingers digging into her hips while her chest heaved from her ragged breathing. He knew she felt what she did to him the moment she gasped and caught his eye over her shoulder. His gaze narrowed, telling her in that moment she was in for it later, torturing him like this.

  “Anything yet, Dorian?” he asked roughly, needing to get a move on before he did something stupid.

  “I see him, but we have a problem,” Dorian said.

  “Yeah?” I’ve got quite a few, just add to the list, he thought. “What’s wrong?”

  “Well, the good news is I found Hermes,” he told them. “The bad news, Dion’s here.”

  Daphne froze instantly. “What?” she snapped, glancing wildly around. “He’s here now?”

  “Matt, get her out of here. He’s headed back downstairs,” Dorian warned.

  Taking her hand firmly in his, Matt rushed her through the crowd and out onto the sidewalk. Dorian told him where Dion was, and they barely made it to the next block and out of sight when Dorian said Dion exited the nightclub, Hermes and several goons in tow.

  “You two take off,” Dorian told them over the com. “I’ll follow him a while longer. Tell you what I find.”

  Matt told him to call his cell later and pulled the com from his ear. Daphne did the same and tucked it in a pocket in her skirt he hadn’t even noticed. “How the hell does that work?” he asked.

  She glanced at it then back at him. “What? The pocket thing or the fact I’m not wearing panties?”

  His hand constricted on hers, and he told her to hurry up. She laughed, following, her heels clicking loudly on the sidewalk. When they’d reached his bike and she’d climbed on behind him, sliding close to hold herself against his back, Matt’s white-knuckled grip around the handles of his bike was the only indication of his state of arousal. The ride back to the palace took way too damn long with him imagining doing things to Daphne in her panty-less state. There wasn’t a chance he was going to sneak up to her room. It was too far away, so instead, once she was clear of the bike, he told her to stay close and follow him.

  Matt led her through the servant’s entrance towards the back of the palace, took the rarely used back staircase to the wing with his room, and after he checked to be sure the hall was clear, had her tiptoe behind him.

  Once she was safely inside his room with him, he closed and locked the door. “Have anything to drink in here?” she asked, turning once around to take in his room.

  “I’m going to grab a bottle of wine,” he told her.

  “Make it whiskey,” she told him. “In the mood to get a little tipsy tonight.”

  “Just a little,” he growled and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. When she opened her mouth and nipped it, pulling it into her mouth to suck on it, he cursed and pulled back gently. “Whiskey it is,” he muttered, told her he’d be back in a minute, and ducked out of his room.

  He leaned his back against the door for a minute, running a hand over his face, and caught sight of the bulge in his pants. Hopefully, he wouldn’t run into anyone on his way to the kitchens and back. It’d be a hard thing to explain. Luck was with him, and the kitchen and halls were dead at this time of night. When he reached his room again, he hurried inside, turning quickly to lock the door.

  “I hope this… this bottle… works,” he choked out, nearly shattering the bottle in his hand with the strength of his grip.

  “Something wrong?” she asked breathlessly, watching him from his bed.

  Matt swallowed hard and twisted open the whiskey bottle. He took a large swig and wiped his mouth on his arm. “Not a damn thing.”

  Daphne tilted her head and smiled, licking her lips as she did so. “That’s good. Care to join me?”

  Matt set the bottle down as his gaze raked over her body. She sat on the edge of his bed, halter top untied but clinging tightly to her breasts, her nipples hardening before his eyes. Her legs were spread all the way apart, her heels still on and the skirt pushed all the way up while her fingers massaged herself gently. He was content to watch until she tossed her head back and moaned loudly. Then he lost it and stalked towards her across the room.

  Chapter 12

  Daphne watched as Matt stalked towards her, his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes transfixed on her hand between her legs. His eyes darkened with each step he took until he stood next to her. The bulge in his jeans made her even wetter than she already was. Dancing with him at that club had made her blood boil, grinding against him as he gripped her ass hard in those hands. It made her almost want to go back to that first club, claim a booth, and let others hear her moans of pleasure as he took her.

  He wanted to conquer her. She saw it in the way his hands twitched at his sides, hungry to touch her. When he knelt beside her, she moved her hand away, but his covered hers and stopped it.

  “No, don’t stop.”

  “You like watching?” she asked with a smirk, tucking that away for later.

  “Just don’t stop,” he repeated, and his hands fell to her thighs. They massaged slowly down both legs, and Daphne’s face heated with arousal. His hands went to the one leg and slowly lifted it up, resting it against his chest.

  He kissed her knee, tickling the back of it with his tongue. Her hand faltered at the new sensation shooting up her body until his mouth moved lower while his fingers undid the straps of her heel and tossed it aside. With careful hands, he massaged the sole of her foot for a moment before moving on to do the same thing to her other leg. Her hand stopped, reaching for him, but he took it and placed it back where it had been.

  A hot, red spike of lust moved through her to have his hand on hers, guiding it across her swollen lips and clit. “Don’t stop,” he whispered again harshly and trailed his hands down her other leg, kissing and caressing as the room spun around her. Her other heel came free, and Matt’s hands massaged that foot as well. His hands slid up both her legs, his tongue tracing a path along her inner thigh, and she struggled to stay upright.

  As if reading her mind, one of his arms enclosed her waist and his hand covered hers again, moving it faster along the most sensitive of places, burning her from the inside out. She’d started this to turn him on, but he was using it against her. When she whimpered, biting her lip as the orgasm blossomed between her legs, Matt shove
d her hand aside and drove his fingers hard into her, his mouth closing around her clit. He sucked it hard, nipping and teasing, ravishing her as she fell backwards onto the bed.

  The explosion within her was harsh and sweet all at once, but at the last second, she remembered where they were and bit back her cries, clenching her hands in the sheets as every muscle trembled and came apart at his touch.

  “Matt,” she moaned as the last ripples of sensation shook her body.

  “Yes?” he asked, and she didn’t have to look to know he was smirking at her with that smug face of his.

  “My turn,” she whispered and sat up just as he stood. She worked quickly at his jeans. Tugging them down his hips and not giving him a chance to protest, she gripped him tightly. He staggered, his head falling back, but when her lips closed around his crown and he cursed, Daphne smirked.

  She drew more of him into her mouth, licking and kissing along that throbbing vein in the side as his hands closed in her hair. He groaned when she sucked hard, and his hips shifted. Feeling him like this and knowing that soon he would fill her brought a moan to her lips. His tip grew slick and salty from pre-cum, and she licked it up, running her tongue along the underside as he swelled more.

  Her hands moved up and down his length, following her mouth, and for a second, she thought she would get to show him exactly what she felt like when he took her this way, but he pulled back and dragged her to her feet. His mouth slanted hungrily over hers. Daphne groaned when his hands yanked off her halter top and cupped her bare breasts. She melted against him, tugging his t-shirt off over his broad shoulders so she could feel his chest, tracing along his tensed muscles. She clung to him, wanting nothing more than to spend every night together like this, captivated by his lips, entranced by his stubborn, hard-ass charm, the way he turned her on until everything else fell away and it was just the two of them with their pounding hearts and ragged breaths mingling together.

  Matt grunted against her as he spun her around, holding her up against his body. He kissed her neck fiercely, down to her shoulder, but disappeared for a minute, fumbling behind her. She heard his jeans and shoes hit the floor, then he moved her closer to the bed and bent her over. Daphne bit her lip in anticipation. Matt’s hands slid up the back of her thighs and cupped her ass, shoving her mini skirt up to her hips. With his knee, he spread her legs and his tip pressed against her wet lips.

  She rocked her hips back, moving against him, gliding along his length. Matt held her hips steady, and with a groan, he thrust hard inside of her, burying himself in her warmth. It wasn’t slow, not tonight, and when she dug her nails into his thigh, he lost the control she knew he held onto so tightly. With Matt’s body covering hers, she managed to forget about everything else and let herself be free. This was living. This was what she wanted. This man and no other, ever.

  A cry escaped her, and Matt quickly pulled out, flipped her back over on the bed and climbed on top of her. He kissed her, his tongue plunging into her mouth with the same intensity as he entered her again, driving her across the bed. Her heart thundering in her ears, she nipped his lip and let him make love to her as intensely as he could, wanting to be marked by him forever.

  He swelled and quivered inside her as she clenched him hard, milking every last drop from him as her cry mingled with his groan. A grin lit up his face, and he lowered his mouth to her nipple, licking it until she bucked beneath him, another jolt of pleasure adding to the aftershocks of the orgasm.

  “Not fair,” she gasped.

  “Who said anything about fair?” They stayed wrapped together for a long time, Matt tasting every bit of her as she did the same to him. She couldn’t get enough of his skin, the strength beneath it contained in those muscles.

  “You ever going to admit it?” she whispered against his lips.

  Matt rolled them over so she straddled him, still inside of her, and smirked. “Admit what?”

  “Deep down, you care,” she told him, laying across his chest.

  “Never said I didn’t, love. Isn’t that good enough?”

  She nipped his neck in reply. “For now.”

  They lay in his bed, curled up in one another’s arms, and let the night drift by around them.

  ***

  Daphne yawned, stretching in Matt’s bed, and squinted through sleepy eyes to find the clock. It was nearly four. She should try to get back to her room before the whole household woke up. After kissing Matt lightly on the lips, she crawled out of the bed, dressed quickly in her mini skirt and halter top, and grabbed her heels. Carrying them in her hand, she unlocked the door quietly and stepped out of his room. The hall was empty, and she tiptoed down it, moving for the back stair again.

  “Princess Daphne? What in God’s name are you doing down here?”

  She flinched at the gruff voice and turned slowly to find Ambrose staring at her, wide-eyed. “Morning, Ambrose. I was just ah, just checking in on… on something. Headed to bed right now.”

  “Oh, come now, don’t lie,” another voice said behind her, and Daphne’s blood ran cold.

  She whipped around to find Dion leaning casually against the wall. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out of my home before I call for—”

  “Who? Your bodyguard? Or your lover?” He leered and held up an enlarged picture.

  Daphne stared at it, wide-eyed. She and Matt… in the garden having sex. Dion had pictures. “You bastard! What do you want from me? Trying to take my throne isn’t enough?”

  He tucked the photo away in his suit jacket. “Who said anything about trying?”

  She opened her mouth to scream when a hand closed around it with a cloth. Ambrose pinned her against his body as she struggled, kicking and screaming to be let loose. She sucked in a breath, but it was the wrong thing to do. The hall spun around her, spots filled her vision, and the last thing she saw before everything went black was Dion’s gloating face moving closer.

  Chapter 13

  Someone pounded on Matt’s door, and he shot up in bed, ready to hide Daphne, but she was gone. The bed was cold on her side, and he frowned, wondering when she’d snuck out last night.

  “Matthias! Wake up, we have a situation,” Jeremiah yelled through the door.

  “I’m up, just give me a minute,” he called back and grabbed his clothes. Once he was dressed, he unlocked his door and Jeremiah burst in. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s not good. The king and queen want to see you in the surveillance room—now,” he told him. “I’m sorry, I have no idea how it happened.”

  “How what happened?” he asked quickly.

  “I think it’s best if you see for yourself, Matt,” Jeremiah said and his tone told Matt whatever happened while he slept gave credence to the way the hairs on the back of his neck prickled with worry.

  Matt grabbed his boots and his holster, tucking his Beretta snugly in it, and followed Jeremiah out of the room. The hall swarmed with the rest of the palace security and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. The twitching in his hands started, and he was unable to stop it. Everyone glared at him, but Matt didn’t stop to ask questions. Not until he knew what the hell happened while he slept.

  “Here he is, your majesties,” Jeremiah announced at the door.

  Matt stepped in after him and bowed his head to King Calix and Queen Alexandria. “Majesties.”

  Calix glared at him openly, but Alexandria stormed forward and slapped him hard across the face. “How dare you? How dare you do this to us?”

  She lifted her hand to slap him again, but Calix called her name and several of the guards stepped forward to stop her. The hit stung, but Matt didn’t move a muscle as he stared from her to the king and back again.

  “You look confused, Matthias,” Calix snapped.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  “Turn it on,” he called over his shoulder and stepped aside.

  Matt listened to the morning news announcer talking about the greatest s
candal in the Eridian royal family history. Pictures flashed one after the other of Daphne and him walking into the gardens together and, to his horror, one was blown up of them kissing. The reporter said there were others showing them clearly having sex, but Calix called for it to be muted again.

  “Now do you see?”

  Matt shook his head. “Who the hell took those pictures?”

  “I’m sure you had someone do it,” Alexandria yelled fiercely. “You wanted your moment of fame. Couldn’t be satisfied being her bodyguard. You had to sleep with our daughter! You ruined her!”

  “You did,” he yelled back, losing his temper. The room fell silent around him. “The both of you. In trying to control your daughter, you didn’t see what was happening right in front of your faces! You nearly broke her.”

  “And you were kind enough to pick up the pieces, is that it?”

  Matt took a step towards Calix, but Jeremiah and another guard held him back. “I learned who she really is! I didn’t treat her like a damn princess. I treated her like a woman! Like the damn intelligent and strong person she is!”

  “That’s it, get him out of my sight, right now,” Calix demanded. “We have his mess to clean up. You, sir, are banished from this island!”

  “Where’s Daphne? Where is she?”

  “Get him out of here! Now!”

  Matt struggled to free himself, but Jeremiah whispered to calm down, he’d tell him everything once they were outside. He didn’t want to, but he let himself be dragged from the room, down the hall, and finally out to the main gate of the palace.

  “I’ll take care of him,” Jeremiah told the other guards. Once they were out of earshot, he ran a hand through his hair. “Daphne’s missing.”

  “What?” he snapped. “Why the hell aren’t they looking for her?”

  “They saw the news this morning first, went to her room, but she’s nowhere in the palace, Matthias. She’s gone, just disappeared.”

  Matt paced back and forth, his heart pounding as he ran both hands through his hair. She wouldn’t run off, not like this. She cared too much for parents who betrayed her and the people who didn’t know her. Those pictures coming out this morning… that couldn’t be a coincidence. Panic rose, but he forced it down. He wouldn’t lose control until there was reason to.