Seduced by the Prince

by Cristina Grenier

  “I did. It was not the time for seduction. Do you remember what I said then?”

  Despite his best efforts, his breathing was quickening as she continued to glide slowly back and forth over his now fully erect cock.

  “Yes. You said you wanted me to come to you with desire not fueled by grief.”

  He huffed out a hard breath. “And that remains true.”

  She didn’t reply for a heartbeat. Then she asked, “What if I told you this need I’m feeling has nothing to do with grief?”

  “I would find it hard to believe,” he admitted. “I would need proof.”

  Another slow glide, this time pressing down onto his cock. He could feel the warmth of her core radiating through his dress pants.

  “I’ve thought about you a lot these past two weeks,” she said. “All my thoughts were of the lascivious kind. None of them made me feel any better…until just now, when I sat in your lap. I still feel that gaping hole in my chest, and it hurts. Badly. I still feel like a lost soul. But right alongside that is this heat that has been growing between my thighs since you called my name outside the chapel. And now, as I’m sitting here, heartbroken, all I can think of is how much I want you to do what we both want, if the state of your cock is anything to go by. I’ll be lost but satisfied. If that makes sense.”

  She pressed in again as she slid her core over him. “Unless you have some wise words to explain away the pole in your pants?”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you have hidden depths?” he asked, relaxing his spine and letting her seduce him.

  “They’re not hidden from the people I want to see them,” she said. “Like you. Now.”

  He held on to her waist and helped her ride over his still-clothed cock. “I’d say you’re handling this in a very adult way,” he quipped, “taking what you want without apology. It’s quite a turn on!”

  She leaned in to kiss him, and the talk and the teasing ended, replaced by sharp intent. Max found the zipper on her dress and drew it down, pulling the garment off her shoulders and baring her lace-clad breasts to his gaze. He lowered his head and suckled each nipple through the cloth, and then blew on the wet spots, making her shiver. While he ministered to her breasts, she loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, and pushed them and his suit jacket down his arms. She kissed his neck where it joined his shoulder, then licked the long column, and nipped his earlobe before switching sides and doing it all again.

  Max stood up with her in his arms and let her slide down his body. “We are still almost strangers,” he told her between harsh breaths. “Will you still respect me in the morning?”

  She panted as he sucked on her lips for a long moment before letting her reply.

  “I’m a big girl, Max. I know what I want, and for the first time, I’m sure it’s the right thing to do for me.”

  He picked her up again, and growled, “Bedroom?”

  She nodded and pointed him in the general direction, all the while kissing his ears and his cheeks, and licking his lips. He dropped her onto the bed, and pulled her dress and panties off before tackling her bra. When she was naked, he knelt with his thighs on either side of her and feasted on her from her ears to her toes. The scent of her arousal was a drug to his system, and when he spread her lower lips and licked her down the full length of her slit, more cream slid out, heightening the scent. He drank from her, sucking and licking until she was writhing so hard he had to place a hand on her belly to hold her still.

  “Last chance to cry off,” he said gruffly, barely able to speak over the lust crowding his throat.

  “Condoms are in the top drawer of the table on the left.”

  She was certain, it seemed. He pulled off her, shucking his clothing, and reached for protection. He could feel her eyes on him, and he reveled in her gaze. He slid back up her chest, raising her hips and thrusting into her. His eyes closed in relief when he slid home, but he could see pinpoints of light behind them as the pressure to move increased. She was a furnace in her own right, and he was scorched in her flames. He let himself go, and felt her meeting him thrust for thrust, hips slamming together wildly, groans and sighs and growls of pleasure emanating from each of them. Their coupling was savage, fueled by all of the repressed emotion that they had been carrying around since their first meeting. He reached between their bodies, teasing and tormenting her clitoris. She grew wilder, her hips gyrating as she searched for completion. Then he pinched it and Tina screamed as her first orgasm washed over her.

  And Max had only just gotten started. He kneeled up between her legs and pulled them over his shoulders before settling in to riding her again. He drew her back to the edge, and then changed the angle of his thrusts, and she exploded again. He paused to catch his breath, and to control his body’s screaming need to come, kissing her until she was calm. Then he flipped her over, and raised her bottom off the bed before plunging into her again. She rode back against him, taking him all in, before he reached for her clitoris again and rubbed it in time to his thrusts. This time, when she came, he roared over the edge with her.

  Chapter 12: Coronation Day

  The hostess smiled as she refilled Tina’s glass with the sparkling wine that had been ordered for her, no doubt by Max. After some of the most satisfying sex she had ever had, Tina had shared a shower with Max before he stole away. She had cried when he left, because the sense of loss had returned, only now it was doubled. She was surprised that she didn’t have any regrets the morning after. All she had was an overwhelming desire to do it all over again. The many other little details that she had needed to attend to after her grandmother’s funeral had taken up a lot of her time, but she was glad of the distraction they provided.

  At night, she had taken to thinking of Max before she went to sleep, resulting in some pretty wild dreams that required the use of her electronic boyfriend to provide her with relief. It was a really great distraction from her grief, but it let her sleep, which she knew she needed to do if she was to weather this emotional storm without losing her mind. She was still stalled in her work, however, and nothing seemed able to dislodge the block that made it impossible for her to add anything to the manuscript she had been working on.

  She had gone shopping at the store Seth had suggested, knowing she could trust her friend, whose style sense was impressive. He had told her the dress that he thought would suit her best, and would be most appropriate for such an elegant occasion. Tina had fallen in love with it at once, and had bought it and another, in case she had occasion to go to another fancy to do before she left. Her suitcase had been packed for a whole week before the flight, and now here she was sipping champagne and feeling like a princess.

  Dinner had just been cleared away, and she decided she would take a nap. She was tired from all the energy she had used up to clean her apartment thoroughly so that Seth wouldn’t arrive to a dirty place. She drained the wine glass and put it on the table beside of her before closing her eyes and settling herself comfortably in the wide seat. The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake by the hostess.

  “Ms. Cooper, we have arrived.”

  Tina swiped two fingers down the sides to her mouth, to make sure she had not drooled. Satisfied, she gathered her things and waited for the aircraft to taxi to a halt. Then she followed the others out into the airport terminal, found her luggage and cleared customs. She saw her name immediately and walked over to find…Peter waiting for her.

  “Good evening, Ms. Cooper!”

  “Good evening, Peter.”

  “How was your flight?” he asked solicitously as he stowed her luggage in the trunk.

  “It was thankfully uneventful, Peter. The service, amenities, and food were all wonderful!”

  “The Prince will be pleased to hear it,” he said, and Tina frowned. Why would the Prince care how well she traveled? They didn’t know each other.

  Peter helped her into the car and went around to get into the driver’s seat. He slid smoothly into traffic, and everyw
here she could feel the buzz of excitement in the air. The coronation the next day was a big deal, and a great cause for celebration. The streets through which they drove were gaily decorated for the occasion, and at this hour a few people were still out and about, enjoying the beautiful evening.

  Tina was so busy looking at all the beautiful decorations that she hadn’t been paying any attention to where the car was going. When it turned onto a long curving driveway that began under high arching gates of bronze, with the royal crest dominating the point of the arch, Tina’s eyes bulged in her head. Why was Peter taking her to what was clearly a royal residence? Was this how they made money for the upkeep of the palace? She had Googled the nation and read everything she could find about Lauenstein. She remembered seeing this castle on the site as they rounded the last corner and she saw where she would be staying. It was breathtaking! According to the article she had read, the palace belonged to the Sovereign Prince and was his guest residence.

  “Peter,” she asked, “Isn’t this the palace that houses royal guests?”

  “It is indeed, madam.”

  “So why are you bringing me here? Am I a guest of the Prince?”

  “Yes, madam, you are.”

  He stopped the car in front of an imposing set of steps that led to a massive front door. A footman — she supposed that was who he was — opened her door and extended a helping hand. Tina stepped out into the crisp night air, and was immediately ushered up the steps into the palace. She was greeted warmly by a rather large and portly gentleman in a bow tie and tails, and she grinned. He looked rather like a kindly, overgrown penguin.

  “Good evening, Ms. Cooper. I am Stavros. The Prince will see you shortly,” the portly butler told her, leading her into a spacious and elegant office. “Please make yourself comfortable, madam. Would you care for some tea while you wait for His Highness?”

  “Yes, thank you, Stavros. That would be lovely.”

  When the man left, Tina walked around the opulent space, admiring the elegant appointments, the lush plants, and beautiful paintings. There was a large, rather imposing painting of a man and woman over the fireplace across from the desk. The man looked vaguely familiar to her, but she knew she didn’t know him. Something about his face was not new to her. He was dressed in a brightly-colored uniform of red and gold, the epaulettes on his shoulders sparkling in the light. His medals gleamed on his chest, and his bearing suggested that he had earned them all. He must be the current Sovereign Prince. So his son was to be crowned tomorrow, which meant the man standing so regally in the portrait was seventy-five years old. He aged well, she thought.

  The woman was strikingly beautiful. Long auburn hair was artfully arranged around her head, and she smiled confidently next to the man whom Tina assumed was her husband. It lit up her face, like the sun at dawn. She was almost as tall as her husband, and wore a gown that shimmered golden in the light. Jewels sparkled at her earlobes, neck and wrists, all gold and ruby. The dress hid her feet from view, and though it did not touch the floor in front, the train fanned out in a circle beside her.

  The door opened again, and another footman appeared, bearing a tray. Tina sat down in the large chair by the fire and watched as the young man placed the tray on the table next to the chair she had chosen.

  “Thank you,” she said, and smiled when he bowed slightly and left.

  She had a lot of questions, not the least of which was what Max’s relationship was to the Prince, if he had enough pull to get her lodging in the royal guest palace. Was he a family member? Perhaps a brother? She hadn’t read that the Prince had any siblings, but she had only skimmed the articles, preferring to view the many images of the country and its people on the few sites she had visited. And why was the Prince meeting her before the ceremony? Until Max showed up, she would have to maintain her patience.

  She poured herself a cup of tea and nibbled on one of the cookies provided on the delicate china plate. The tea was delicious. She finished a cup before the door opened again, and Stavros announced,

  “His Highness, Prince Cedric, madam.”

  Tina stood up, not knowing exactly what protocol was for meeting royalty. She knew she’d have to curtsy at some point, but she would wait until…

  Max stepped into the room, and her jaw dropped. He was dressed in a business suit, but his hair had been trimmed back, as had his beard, which was now low cut and sexy. He walked in and Stavros shut the door behind him.

  “Max? What are you doing here? Where’s the Prince? Is this some kind of joke?”

  He smiled, and it was the same heart-stopping smile that she knew so well. “Would I joke about something so serious, Tina?”

  She felt numb. The Max she knew was an ambassador… Suddenly, it hit her. As his country’s sovereign leader, he was an ambassador to the world. So technically, he had not lied about that. But he had not told her the whole truth, either. He had managed to leave out the most important part of his job description. Now she realized why the man in the portrait looked familiar…he was Max’s father. The woman was his mother, now deceased. It was no wonder Max was so tall, since both his parents were.

  Her scrambled thoughts were interrupted by the sudden awareness that he was standing right next to her. She had not noticed him move from the door, and now she wondered how she was supposed to respond to the man whom she had trusted enough to sleep with, the man who had just proved that he was not to be trusted, after all. Raw fury surged through her veins so strongly that she trembled from the force of it.

  “I seem to have stumbled into a nightmare, Your Highness,” she said. “I thought it was a dream come true, but I should have known it wasn’t. Just my tough luck.”

  She put the teacup, which she hadn’t realized she was still holding, back on the tray and turned to face him again. “I’d appreciate it if you would have someone bring my things back to the front so I can leave for more appropriate accommodations. I’m sure I can rearrange my flight back to the States without too much trouble.”

  Suddenly everything made sense. The royal treatment on the flight over had been planned by a prince. The way Peter treated him. Impotent rage held her in its grip, and she clenched her fists to stop herself from lashing out at him.

  “I know that you are very angry with me right now, Tina,” he said, “and I understand why you are. But I cannot allow you to leave. It is too late in the evening, for one thing, and there are no other available accommodations this close to the coronation available to tourists. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me as your host.”

  The fact that he was right did not improve her mood in the slightest. It made her even angrier to have to accept his hospitality for a second longer than she wanted to. She needed to get away from him.

  “Then have someone show me to my room. I’ll just stay there until a flight home can be arranged.”

  “I will escort you up,” he said, not moving out of her personal space.

  She hated that her body seemed unable to distinguish between the man she had been letting herself fall for and the liar who stood before her. She turned away from him.

  “Let me pass, please,” she said in a strangled voice.

  He had the nerve to chuckle. “And where will you go without me?”

  “I’m sure Stavros or one of your other flunkies knows where I’m supposed to sleep tonight.”

  She knew she was being unreasonable, but she just couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Max had lied to her. Omission of important information was a form of misinformation, which amounted to lying in her book.

  “Be reasonable, Tina,” he said. “Come with me, and let us talk about why you’re angry.”

  She rounded on him in a flash. “Why I’m angry? You really want to know why I’m angry?” She could almost feel the flames flashing out of her eyes at him as she raged. “I’m angry that you chose to keep me in the dark about who you really are. You had so many chances to tell me, and you let them all pass. I’m angry that you chose to let me th
ink that you were just an ambassador for your country, and that you let me make a fool of myself calling you by a title that was far less than the one you actually have.”

  By this point, she was poking his chest with a hard forefinger. “I’m angry that you made me fall…”

  Her voice broke on the admission she had almost made. She was a grown woman who had let herself foolishly believe that Max’s kindness, his thoughtful behavior, his charm and beauty meant more than they did. She had, within a month of the John Sampson disaster, let herself be fooled again because this man knew how to play her.

  Max’s finger under her chin made her stiffen. “Look at me, milaya,” he demanded.

  She refused to comply, stubbornly keeping her eyes lowered.

  “If you refuse to look at me, I will be forced to take what we both want without your consent.”

  She looked up then, a moment of wild panic spearing through her. He might be a liar, but Max wouldn’t…