Movement in the back garden attracted my attention and I looked out to see Hank bounding toward us.
“Let me take you out back,” he said. “There are so many things I want you to see.”
A small brick patio gave way to a backyard composed of a lush, expansive lawn bordered on one side by apple trees and the other by scraggly pines. Flower beds were bursting with red and blue and yellow scattered throughout. It smelled of sunshine and springtime earthiness. I never wanted to leave.
“Do you play croquet?” Alex asked, placing the champagne and glasses on the patio table.
“The one they play in Alice in Wonderland?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Not really, but I could learn.”
I couldn’t think of a game more fitting of this place. I’d become a croquet champion if it meant getting to stay here forever.
“Perfect.” He grinned. “Back in a flash.”
Alex jogged off around the side of the house, leaving me to bask in a warmth that came from more than the sun. I watched Hank weave through the apple trees, inspecting the bases for fallen treats. It was too early in the season, poor guy.
Alex returned, arms laden with croquet gear. “Why don’t you pour us each a drink while I set up?”
“Can do.” I uncorked the bottle and watched as he set up the game, coming over once he was finished and handing me a wooden mallet.
I passed him a glass in return.
“To surprises,” he said, lips turned in a wry smile.
I laughed. “To surprises.”
Half an hour later, I was a little tipsy, losing badly at croquet, and having the time of my life. Alex batted each ball through the hoop with practiced ease, whereas I circled each hoop five or six times before getting through.
I paused after my latest goal in the shade of an apple tree, panting. The activity could barely be considered exercise, and I swung my mallet back and forth. A colorful bird hopped through the branches above me, vibrant yellow with a black and white head. It trilled a charming tune. I stared up at it, smiling, not noticing Alex watching me.
“Great tit,” he said.
I looked at him. “Huh?”
He pointed to the bird. “The bird,” he said. “It’s called a great tit.”
“And how do you know that?”
He walked toward me, using his mallet like a cane. “If you ever tell anyone this I will personally have you hung, drawn, and quartered.”
“Sounds kinky.”
Alex rolled his eyes, threading an arm around my waist when he reached me and pressing his cheek against mine as we both looked at the tit, still hopping through the branches.
“I like birdwatching,” he said. “It relaxes me. The world around me might be going to shit, but I can look up at that great tit and know that it eats mostly caterpillars, and that the width of the black band across its chest means it’s a male. It’s a simple thing in a world of complexity.”
As much as I wanted to tease him for his nerdy hobby, his explanation struck a chord in me. The events of the day had made it easy to forget the situation with my sister, but I couldn’t forget it for long. I still had no idea what to say to her.
Alex noticed my change in mood. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Have you gone off me now that you know my secret?”
I chuckled and turned my head to kiss him. “Of course not. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
Alex took me by the hand and led me away from the tree, pulling me down to sit on a spot of lush grass and wrapping me in his arms. “Let’s talk about it.”
I shook my head. “Let’s just sit for a while.”
Part of me didn’t want to spoil the perfect day, but another part of me worried that I would scare Alex away with my emotions. I didn’t want to complicate things. I didn’t want to change things.
Alex didn’t argue. He leaned his head against mine, and we watched Hank roll on the grass, tail wagging like crazy.
Chapter 13
Tamara
I wouldn’t have expected Alex to be a great cook, but I was dead wrong. He navigated the kitchen like a seasoned pro, preparing a dinner of mouthwatering chicken thighs and fresh spring vegetables without ever breaking a sweat. We ate out on the patio, enjoying the last strips of color in the sky as the sun sank into the horizon.
“This is delicious,” I commented. “Yet another surprise.”
He smiled, fork halfway to his mouth. “I’m full of them.”
“Evidently.” I chuckled. “Is there anything you can’t do?”
He chewed slowly, thoughtfully, and swallowed. “You know, I’ve never been much of a yodeler.”
I laughed. All day our conversation had been light, but there were lots of things I wanted to know about Alex that had nothing to do with birds or yodeling. I decided now was as good a time as any.
“How’s that project going that you were telling me about?” I asked.
Alex’s smile dipped. “Eh. It’s in the works. Still a ways out before we can announce it.”
“But at least you’re getting to announce it,” I said brightly, hoping to cheer him a little.
He wrinkled his nose and rested his fork on his plate, picking up his wine glass. “It’s strange. I’m looking forward to the announcement, but I’m dreading it as well.”
“Why’s that?”
“The media,” he said. “I know they’ll run with the story, but I’m worried it won’t be for the right reasons. They’ll spin it as a bad boy prince trying to rehabilitate his image using his nationally cherished dead mother to do so. I worry people will miss the real message entirely.”
I winced at how blunt he was. I opened my mouth to assure him that they wouldn’t, but realized I had no way of knowing that. The media were a pack of hounds, and as soon as they scented blood they went on the hunt. I knew that just as well as anybody, and Alex probably knew it better than most.
Alex took a sip of wine and continued. “I know it’s terribly thankless to have the world on a string and still complain of injustice, but it’s frustrating that I can’t do good while playing by my own rules.”
“You can,” I said. “You are.”
He smiled laconically. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
Silence settled between us, and I took a drink of my wine. The tangy, fruity notes were heaven on my taste buds.
“Thank you for coming today,” Alex said. Our conversation left his voice with a raw, emotional note.
I smiled. “It’s me who should be thanking you,” I said. “I’ve had an amazing day. It was a perfect reminder that life isn’t only stress and bills.”
Alex sat forward. “I’m glad. I needed this too. Badly.” He reached over the table and rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand, curling my fingers into his own. “I can tell you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“Just the stuff with my sister,” I said, and then filled him in on everything that had happened over the past few days. He listened quietly, and when I was finished he folded his brows in thought.
“I remember what you told me about expecting your sister to snap one day,” he says. “It stuck with me because there have been times when I’ve felt like that myself. Prince or student, pressure builds up inside the same way.”
“She puts the pressure on herself though,” I said. “It’s not like she’s got a whole country watching her every move and scoring her for style points.”
He nodded. “True, but what are the expectations of millions of strangers compared to the expectations of your family? Even if you don’t feel like you’re applying pressure, maybe that’s not the way she interprets it. I would hear her out, even if you don’t think you’re going to agree with what she says.”
“That’s incredibly insightful for a man who was once caught smoking in the bathroom at the opening of a fancy art gallery.”
“That was all Teddy!” Alex exclaimed. “I bloody told him not to, but he’s a right nasty fella when he’s having a nic-fit.�
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I chuckled. “Sure.”
Alex rolled his eyes and grinned, sending a wave of heat between my thighs. I shifted in my seat and cleared my throat. “Uh, should we take these plates inside?”
“Right,” he said. “Yes.”
We cleared the table and cleaned up inside, then took our wine back to the patio just as the first stars of the night materialized in the darkening cobalt sky. Hank sat out on the patio while we ate, but now that there was no more food he lost interest in the outdoors and was quietly dozing on one of the dog beds inside.
“I know I said it already, but I can’t thank you enough for bringing me out here,” I said. “This place...there’s something magical about it. Don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Oh, I definitely agree. It’s my favorite place to be.” He dropped his head to the side and smiled at me. “And now you’re my favorite person to be here with.”
I couldn’t tell whether it was the wine or the happiness spinning in my belly, but his smile made me lightheaded in the best of ways. I took a long drink of my wine.
“We’re really alone out here?” I asked.
Alex nodded, eyes sparking with interest. “Completely and totally.”
I put my wine down on the table and stood, holding my hand for Alex. He placed his own glass down and took my hand without hesitation.
I led him out onto the grass, kicking off my shoes and socks as I went so the blades tickled the bottoms of my feet. The ground was still warm from a long day of sunshine, though the air held a slight chill. We walked silently until I reached a part that felt right, and turned to face my prince.
The moon cast a white glow over his features. The air was silent, save for the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds settling down for the night. He could probably identify each one by their song, but I had a better idea.
I gripped Alex by the front of the shirt and pulled him down to kiss me. His hands found my hips and pulled me tight against him, so that I could feel every ripple of muscle against my body.
I opened my mouth and Alexander’s tongue stroked mine, slipping deeper into the kiss. My body buzzed. I always felt like this when he touched me, when he held me. It was like I was slowly coming to life, one cell at a time.
Alex guided me down to the grass, wedging himself between my legs to grind his already hard bulge into my sex. Sparks flooded my core, and each brush of grass against my bare skin was another burst of electricity.
His kiss turned ravenous. He held my face in one hand and groped my breast through my shirt with the other. I gasped as he pinched my nipple, rubbing his thumb over the spot afterward to soothe it. Alex growled and rotated his hips against mine.
My pussy throbbed. Ached. I felt a great emptiness, a need beyond anything else I’d ever known. This hunger dug its claws in deep and demanded satisfaction, and only the bronzed god above me could provide it.
Alex pulled my shirt off and I fumbled with his. The moonlight cast shadows over the strong planes of his chest, accentuating his hard muscles. I ran my fingers over them as he sat on his knees and stared down at me.
“I wish we could stay out here forever,” he whispered, and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me.
I answered anyway. “Forever’s a long time.” I pressed my palm into his jean-clad bulge. “Let’s start with tonight.”
Alex’s eyes flitted closed with pleasure and I took the opportunity to guide him onto his back. I fit neatly between his legs and I used the advantage of being on top to grind him exactly where I needed him.
Alex’s head fell back and he swore. I loved hearing him swear. He may have been a rebellious prince, but he was a prince all the same, and it delighted me when his polished veneer cracked. Especially when I was the reason.
I unzipped Alex’s pants, tugging them down his legs and tossing them to the side. While I worked on my jeans, Alex leaned over and fished a condom from his jeans pocket. He lay back again just as I unclasped my bra and my breasts bounced free, nipples hard from desire and the chill in the air.
Alex held my hips. He licked his lips and his eyes roamed a hot path down my body, stopping at my panties, which were already soaked. He smiled wickedly and returned his gaze to mine.
“How can I thank you for today?” I asked, fluttering my fingers over his package. I felt it flinch under the fabric of his boxers and smiled. “You’ve been such an accommodating host.”
Alex didn’t mince his words. “I want you to ride my cock until you cum,” he said in a deep, commanding voice.
I nearly came just from the way he said it. My heart threatened to explode out of my ribcage and my sex begged me to follow his command.
I leaned forward to kiss him again, and Alex made fast work of my panties, practically ripping them down. I had barely managed to shake them off my legs when he speared two fingers inside of me. I cried out at the sudden intrusion, but it was exactly what I needed. He pumped them inside of me, grunting with satisfaction at how slippery I was.
Alexander pulled his fingers out and pushed me back a little. At first I wondered if something was wrong, but he had a dark, wicked gleam in his eye. He held my stare as he sucked his fingers into his mouth. My sex throbbed almost painfully and I bit my lip to keep from moaning at the very sight of him enjoying my taste.
“Fuck,” he said. “I’ll never get enough of that.”
Before I could respond, Alex tangled his fingers in my hair and pulled me down for a rough kiss. I could taste myself on his tongue and it only turned me on more.
I needed him. I needed him now.
I pulled desperately at his boxers until his cock slapped me in the thigh, hard and heavy. After snatching the condom from him, I made quick work of rolling it down his engorged length and climbing on top.
Alex stopped me before I could sit on his cock, holding me up by my hips.
“Slow,” he said. “I want to watch your face as you take each inch of my cock.”
How could I deny such a simple request?
I slid down his pole little by little, biting my lip in ecstasy as he stretched me wide. My hands gripped his pecs, legs shaking as I resisted the urge to spear myself in one fell swoop.
Alex gritted his teeth and watched me lose my mind. My world shrank to the sensation of his cock splitting me in half in slow motion, and by the time I rested on his hips I was halfway to cumming.
Alex’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. I didn’t move, and his hips twitched up against mine. I moaned, even though the movement was slight.
And then I did just what he asked of me—I rode him like a champion bull rider at a rodeo.
Our bodies slapped together with every bounce of my hips. I leaned forward and Alex grabbed handfuls of my breasts, pulling them to his mouth to suck. My clit ground against his pubic bone perfectly, and the combination of sensations was enough to drive a woman wild. I felt that if I stopped riding him I would die, and my thrusts became animal-like.
I panted. I groaned. My legs burned but I kept moving, rotating my hips in that perfect motion that would get us both off.
He wanted to see me ride him until I came, but I wanted to make him cum too. Alex was always in control, and tonight I wanted to take that control back and reward him.
I pressed sloppy kisses into his throat, dragging my teeth down his sensitive flesh until I felt goosebumps prickle his skin. I’d never felt so powerful. So alive. Primal urges had taken over and I was free.
“Fuck, Tamara,” Alex groaned. “You feel so good. I’m not going to last.”
“Good.” I pulled back and kissed him hard, murmuring against his mouth. “I want to feel you shoot inside of me.”
He gasped and squeezed his eyes shut. I smiled and sat back, throwing my head back until my long hair brushed Alex’s thighs. He rubbed his thumb in circles against my clit and my scalp tingled.
I was close too.
I gripped onto his thighs for support and thrust up, over and over again. The breeze kissed
drops of sweat on my brow and chest and made them sting deliciously. Tension furled in my belly. Hot. Tight. I squeezed my eyes shut and strained for my release, squeezing the muscles in my thighs, my ass, until my body screamed for mercy.
I shattered.
Alex grunted and slammed up toward me two more times before he shuddered and collapsed against the ground. I sucked in a gust of breath. When was the last time I remembered to breathe?
Alex lay panting beneath me, staring up at the stars but not seeing anything.
I watched his chest rise and fall. It seemed so strange that a moment ago the world was a mess of sensation, painted in the violent red of the backs of my eyelids, and now everything was silent. Still. It was like we’d gone on a journey and only just returned to Earth.
A bird chirped. Alex chuckled and hauled me down to his chest, banding his arms around my back and pressing a sweet kiss to my lips.
I kissed him back and we rested—with the moon and the birds and the stars as our silent witnesses.
Chapter 14
Alexander
It had been a long time since I’d woken with pressure on my chest. Even Hank, when I let him share the bed, never got that close. He didn’t like anything or anyone touching him while he slept.
I, on the other hand, loved the feeling of waking up with a woman in my arms. There was just never occasion for it in my life.
“Good morning,” I whispered, not wanting to wake her.
Luckily, Tamara was already awake. She lifted her head, smiling at me. “Good morning to you too.”
“This feels strangely domestic,” I said. “I like it.”
She didn’t answer, but dropped her amber gaze to my lips and leaned up to kiss me sweetly. Her naked body fit perfectly against mine, and while we kissed it was difficult to tell where I ended and she began.
We parted and Tamara’s lips pulled up to one side. “Is there breakfast?”
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