Seduced by the Prince

by Cristina Grenier

  “Cal, please...don’t do this,” she said into the silence in the cab.

  “Do what?” he asked coolly.

  “Please don’t say anything to Trey. Can’t we work this out?”

  Silence greeted her question. He took so long to answer her, she began to fear what he would say.

  “Viv, we both know how difficult these first few weeks have been,” he began, “and I can’t promise to continue to be on my best behavior when you touch me.” He was only being honest with her, she realized; this was about preserving his sanity. She began to tremble, as though she were cold, and gripped her hands together in her lap. She refused to fall apart again in front of him, even if he had managed to completely break down the reserve she had meant to build up against him.

  “So far, we’ve managed to be professional, Cal,” she said, “and if you must know the truth, I’m really flattered that you find me attractive enough to be aroused by my touch.” She swallowed as she said that, keeping the fact that being around him aroused her too to herself. “But you know it happens to a lot of people, male and female. It’s no big deal.” She paused, trying to read his profile, but got nothing. “Besides, if you ask Trey to change me, he might think I’m no good at my job. I need the hours he gives me, Cal. I have a lot of legal fees to pay, as well as a mortgage now.”

  Cal turned his head briefly to look at her, before turning back to the road. “Touching me doesn’t turn you on, too?” he asked, completely flooring her. His tone dared her to lie.

  That had not been the response she had been expecting. She didn’t know how to talk her way out of answering that question. She hesitated; she couldn’t tell him the truth. They had just reconnected, and even if Cal was ready to admit in words that they still had chemistry, she wasn’t. That would make it somehow official between them, and she had Ray to worry about. His hand on hers dragged her back into the moment. He picked it up and put it on his thigh. She hissed and tried to pull it away, but he refused to let her go, and she knew he didn’t need her words to know the answer to his question. It was too late to prevaricate.

  “You know the answer to that question, Cal,” she said, knowing he would realize she was still stalling. He did.

  “Tell me,” he insisted, keeping her hand on his thigh and squeezing it gently, seducing her.

  “Yes, touching you turns me on, too,” she replied with asperity, hating how vulnerable it made her feel to do so.

  “How much?” he wanted to know next. “You can tell how much it turns me on...all you have to do is look. But I can’t know about you, unless you tell me.” He paused, moving her hand up his thigh, closer to his crotch. “Or, you could let me find out on my own.”

  “Cal, stop it!” she said, pulling her hand away again.

  This time, he let her go, but when she dared to look at him, his cheek was curved in a smile. She took deep breaths and willed herself to stop trembling. He was teasing her, the way a lover does, and even though they weren’t lovers, she preferred this Cal to the one who had informed her of his decision to withdraw from her again.

  “So, are you going to ask Trey to change me?”

  “Tell me about the legal fees first,” he said, surprising her again.

  “I’ve filed for divorce,” she explained simply.

  He reached for her hand again, this time squeezing it so hard her bones ached.

  “Okay...I won’t say anything to Trey,” he promised.

  She breathed a sigh of relief, and relaxed. Maybe today wouldn’t be such a bad day after all.

  Chapter 8 -- At Last

  Cal waited outside the clinic for Viv to appear, his head leaned back against the seat. During their first massage session as two people willing to admit their desire for each other, the tension between them had eased, inexplicably. He had still gotten a raging erection from her touch, but it wasn’t the same stressful thing it had been just the previous day. And Viv had stopped avoiding touching him anywhere except in the areas she was supposed to, inadvertently turning the massage into a much more sensual experience. They had survived, and he had loved the way she squeezed his shoulder before leaving the room, instead of scurrying out as fast as her legs could carry her the way she had been doing before.

  Now he waited impatiently for her, missing her more than he had thought he would. His mother had cooked up a delicious lasagna, which he knew Viv loved. He didn’t wonder how his mother remembered that, and he didn’t worry about why she chose that entrée. He was still enjoying the knowledge that Viv had filed for divorce. It meant she wouldn’t be as hard to persuade to get self-defense classes as it had been with his sister. And it meant that he still had a chance with her.

  She stepped out of the clinic and he got out of the truck to escort her over.

  “You’re wiped out again,” he said, noting the drained look in her eyes. “You should have stayed home today.”

  He tried to keep his tone even, not wanting to piss her off, but he hadn’t been happy with her for going in to begin with. Still, no matter how much it had hurt to hear it, she had been looking after herself on her own, without him, for twenty years, and he needed to respect her ability to take care of herself. Just because he wanted to wrap her in cotton and keep her safe and healthy didn’t mean he could.

  “I’m better today than yesterday, honestly,” she answered. “But it’s hard work, as you know, and sometimes the clients are difficult. Besides, I need this job too, and the last thing I want to do is start out by taking sick days.”

  He loved how independent she was. He had always loved it, and it made his heart swell with pride to hear her remind him that she was one tough cookie. He helped her into the truck and took her home to his mother. The thought of it stirred something almost primitive in him, but he quelled it. Until she was divorced, he still had no right to even think about the things he wanted to do to claim her for himself. But he would make damned sure she understood his intentions.

  His mother was waiting for them when he pulled up on his driveway. He could see her looking out the front window, because he had told her approximately when he would be returning with their guest. The curtain shifted closed, and by the time he and Viv were walking up to the front door, it was already open. She stepped out and wrapped Viv in her arms, hugging her briefly before escorting her back into the warm house.

  “Vivica Bassett, how are you, my dear? It’s been...what? Fifteen...eighteen years?”

  Cal knew very well his mother remembered exactly how long it had been since she had seen Viv, and he knew what she was doing. He groaned silently as she gushed over the woman he wanted to do the same thing to...he felt his body harden at the thought of gushing over Viv’s dusky chocolate breasts, and his cheeks flushed with color. He had to get a grip. Thinking such X-rated thoughts in the presence of his parents about the woman he craved was not a good idea. The last thing he needed was a hard-on, even if he was wearing jeans. Luckily, after his father also hugged Viv, they had all moved ahead of him, so he took the time to subtly adjust himself behind his zipper before proceeding.

  His mother had set the table for two, and he watched closely to see if Viv was affected by the light. She didn’t seem to be, but he wanted to be sure.

  “Light okay for you, Viv?” he asked.

  “Yes, Cal, thanks.” She smiled at him, a genuine smile filled with warmth.

  “Good.” He turned to his mother, while his dad asked after Viv’s parents. “Anything I can do to help?”

  “You can make an honest woman of that girl, for starters,” she said, shocking him completely. And when she saw the look on his face, she added, “But in the meantime, no. I have it covered. Go sit down and make nice with our guest.”

  She shooed him away, and Cal knew better than to argue with her. He sat and let his mother serve him and Viv, and tried to remember that he was supposed to be eating as well, and not just watching Viv as she ate, and listening to her field his parents’ questions. Her lips curling around the fork sent hi
s mind spiraling into dangerous waters, and he blinked to refocus himself.

  “Are you all right, son?” his father asked, and for the first time Cal became aware that he also was being watched. He shrugged and took a sip of water to hide his embarrassment at being caught ogling Viv.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  He took another sip, and then kept his eyes on his plate for the remainder of the meal. Dessert was also another favorite of Viv’s...chocolate mousse cake. He wondered if she had finished the one he had given her, but decided it would be best not to ask in present company. Instead, he savored the smooth, cool texture, and struggled to keep his thoughts away from the taste of Viv’s tongue in his mouth.

  After dinner, he offered to clean up, as did Viv, but his mother wouldn’t hear of it.

  “Vivica is tired,” she declared. “I can see it in her eyes. You should take her home so she can get some rest.” She turned to Viv as she spoke and added, “I’m sure you have work tomorrow, too, don’t you, you poor thing!” She wrapped her arms around her, and said, “Get some sleep, sweetie. We’ll see you on Saturday at the party, right?”

  Viv nodded, and let herself be hugged and kissed. No one would ever suspect, watching his parents with her, that they hadn’t seen her in eighteen years. It was as though no time had passed. He loved his parents, and this was one reason why. He helped her with her coat, and told his mother he’d be back soon. She looked pointedly at him, and then at Viv, who was thankfully not paying any attention to them, and his father said,

  “We won’t wait up, son.” And then to Viv he said, “It’s good to see you again, young lady. Don’t be a stranger, now!”

  Cal felt like he was twelve again, but he couldn’t be angry with his parents. They had loved Vivica from the first time they had met her, and apparently they still did. He gave in completely and stopped fighting his own feelings for her.

  “Thank you so much for dinner, Mrs. Appleton,” she said, smiling at his mother. “It was delicious, as always.”

  At her door, though, he waited to see if she would invite him in, and when she walked away from the door, leaving it open, he stepped inside, knowing they had crossed another threshold. He followed her into the kitchen, where she put the leftover lasagna his mother had given her into the fridge.

  “Your mother remembered my favorite pasta dish,” she said, obviously surprised.

  “My mother loves you,” he replied. “She always has. She used to call you her daughter-in-law.”

  She turned shocked eyes to his face. “You never told me that!” she exclaimed.

  “And she gave me a hard time every visit I made home about how ‘disappointed’,” he put air quotation marks around the word, “she was that you weren’t her daughter-in-law. Her words, not mine.”

  “How mad did that make you, exactly?” she asked, laughing.

  “Spitting,” he admitted. “But I always forgave her, because…” He stopped suddenly, catching himself before he said what he shouldn’t. But it was too late. She had heard his hesitation.

  “Because what, Cal?” He was having a déjà vu moment. Last night, they had been in this exact position, only she had been the one keeping secrets from him. But unlike the night before, he was sure she could figure out what he was not telling her.

  “Because I loved you, too,” he said. His eyes were gleaming out at her, and he wondered what she saw that made her walk to meet him, putting her hands flat on his chest over his heart.

  “So did I, Cal,” she whispered, and pressed her lips to his chest just where her hands were. “So did I.”

  She didn’t ask him the question he knew he wanted to ask her. Despite the sparks, it had been so long. How could either of them be sure what they were feeling was still that pure love? They were grown now, and had lived their adult lives apart. This could just be chemistry, which would dissipate over time. It bothered him more than he cared to admit that she might have gotten over him, even if her body still wanted his. He didn’t want to just fuck her. He had done that plenty in the last twenty years. He wanted to make love to her.

  It was time to leave. He knew it, but that fleeting kiss over his heart had him thinking with his second head, the one even now demanding that he quit worrying about semantics and take his woman up against the nearest wall.

  “Viv,” he began, holding her by her wrists, although he couldn’t bring himself to pull her off his chest, “I’d better be going. Ma is right...you need your rest. You have work tomorrow.”

  “I need you, Cal,” she whispered, raising her eyes to his face, letting him see all the emotions she had been hiding from him. “I know it’s wrong, but I need you.”

  She reached a hand up to cup his jaw and bring his face down to hers so she could kiss his lips. He lost the last shred of control, and swept her into his arms, holding her tight, as he took her up to her bedroom, his mouth never leaving hers. He set her gently on the bed, kneeling before her, as he had done the night before, to remove her shoes. Then, after stealing another deep kiss, he pushed her shoulders until she lay back, and he removed her pants, bending his head until he could inhale the scent of her womanhood through her cotton panties. Her hips were even more delicious bare, and the sight of her shaved pussy sent his senses reeling. The lips were pouty and full, and he could just see the tip of her pink clitoris peeking out at him. Giving in to the need roaring through his veins, he lowered his mouth and licked her. She let out a squeal and tried to close her legs.

  “Baby, you taste so good,” he told her, but she kept straining to close her legs. “Why?” he asked, looking up at her.

  She closed her eyes, and he knew she was blushing, although he could see nothing in the shadows of her room. “I haven’t showered since I left the gym, Cal!”

  He groaned, and kissed each thigh, right where they connected her legs to her torso, so close to her clit, his breath scooted over it, teasing her. She hadn’t relaxed her legs, but she let him push two fingers up inside her, and when he curled them up to stroke the bundle of nerves just behind her clit, she gasped, and her legs fell open.

  “Don’t you dare lick me again before I’m washed!” she growled at him, but she covered his hand with hers, telling him she wanted him to keep those fingers busy inside her.

  He obliged, working her over for a minute before rising from his knees and lying next to her on the bed, capturing her mouth to deepen their connection even as he fingered her. She was so damn hot, she burned his fingers. He groaned as she rocked against his hand, and slid a leg over her thighs, pressing his still-clothed erection against her, needing to get inside her more than he needed to breathe.

  “Faster, Cal, please. Oh god, I need to come!” she whispered, dragging her mouth away from his to make her plea.

  Taking her at her word, he thrust a third finger inside her and sped up, fucking her deep and hard, and swallowing her moans in his kisses. When she broke, he felt ten feet tall as she screamed his name, ripping her mouth from his to tell him how much she loved him, how much she wanted him to fuck her and make her come again. She was shaking and breathless and disheveled, and she lit up his world.

  “Fuck, Viv!” he said when she rolled over to face him and put her arm around his neck. “That was so hot, baby!”

  “Mmmm,” she mumbled sleepily.

  Cal smiled. His dick would go another night unfulfilled. But he had given his woman pleasure. He could live with that, even if it meant finding his own peace later in the shower. He stripped her of the rest of her clothes while she dozed, and kissed her breasts, making her moan, but she kept her eyes closed, and he felt the space where his heart was warm immeasurably. He covered her naked body with the blankets, and kissed her cheek tenderly.

  “Sweet dreams, baby,” he whispered, and tiptoed out. He’d spend the night in her living room, and ask her for a spare set of keys in the morning. Just so that if this happened again, he could lock up and go home. That’s what he told himself as he settled into the lazy boy recliner she h
ad in front of her television.

  She woke him up at two in the morning, when she appeared in the doorway, wrapped in a sheet, like a Halloween ghost, and he sat up and watched her walk over to him.

  “What are you doing down here?” she asked, when she got close to him.

  “Sleeping,” he answered. “You were tuckered out, and still feeling some effects from the migraine. I thought it would be better to let you have the bed alone.”

  “Liar!” she accused him softly, but she smiled, and it took the sting away. “You’re running scared, that’s all.” She stood her ground before him, and he knew she had nothing on under the sheet.

  “Are you calling me a coward, woman?” he asked, pulling her down to straddle his lap.

  “I believe I am,” she answered, smirking.

  “Have you forgotten you’re talking to a Green Beret?” he inquired, nipping her bottom lip.

  She moaned, but answered sassily anyway. “Not for a second. But you’re only fearless against terrorists and other such bad guys. You can’t handle the real tough guys, though.” She nipped him back, and he smiled as she licked the spot to soothe the hurt.

  “Are you saying you’re a real tough guy?” He sucked her top lip into his mouth.

  “Mhm,” she murmured, opening her mouth to kiss him back, then drawing away to answer more fully. “Me, and the rest of your female relations,” she explained. “You can’t handle us. No sir, not even for a second. That’s why you’re sitting in this recliner, instead of upstairs in my bed, with me.”

  He kissed her to shut her up, though he wasn’t really mad at her for knowing the truth. She suckled his tongue, winding him up, though to be truthful it wouldn’t have taken much to do that. Still, he felt he needed to be the voice of reason.

  “You’re still off limits to me, Viv,” he said, pulling away to look her in the eye. “I won’t be the man to disrespect your marriage.”

  “You did that the first time you kissed me, Cal, if that’s your excuse,” she said sharply, making him wince. She had a way of telling it like it is and taking no prisoners, when she wanted to. “But since my marriage was over the first time Ray hit me, you’re safe.” Taking him by surprise, she stood up and began to walk away. “Still, if you’re really not going to sleep with me, I’ll lock up and let you run back home to your mama.”