Reluctantly I pulled on last night’s boxers and jeans. Couldn’t find my shirt, so I figured good enough.
Wondering what the hell was so urgent, I shuffled into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. In minutes, my kitchen filled with the rich, Earthy smell. Coffee was considered a poor man’s drink in Amberfall and I loved every black, bitter thing about it.
Alex’s beamer pulled into the apartment lot a few minutes later. I saw Scar in the passenger seat next to him from my window and another girl I didn’t recognize in the backseat.
Huh, that’s curious. I rubbed the stubble on my jaw. Alex didn’t mention anyone else coming.
The telltale buzz at my front door splintered through my head as it announced their arrival.
“Fuck,” I groaned as I shuffled over to answer it. The prices on over-the-counter drugs had skyrocketed recently, which forced me to ration my supply of painkillers. This headache definitely justified a pill or two.
I held the door open and all three of them filed in one by one as if I were hosting some uptight dinner party. Alex and Scar looked casual enough but still too bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for my taste.
“Couldn’t even put on a shirt, Gav?” Scar teased. She looked like a younger, more attractive version of our mother, with blonde hair to her waist, bright blue eyes, and a pearled smile.
“You’re lucky I have pants on,” I muttered. I love you Scar, but why are you so goddamn cheerful this early in the morning?
“Gavin, there’s someone we want you to meet.” Alex, looking as polished as a Ken doll in his crisp chinos and polo shirt, held his arm out to their guest, gently urging her forward. “This is Lady Stella of House Lundenberg.”
“Please, Your Highness” she blushed delicately. “You don’t have to address with me with that title.”
I couldn’t stop myself from staring. Everything about her gave an air of royalty, but in a classy, refined way rather than flashy or pompous. Her straight posture, clearly from years of training, accentuated her long, elegant neck partially covered by waves of rich brown hair. Stunning hazel eyes cast downward shyly were accented with thick, heavy lashes. My eyes lingered on her pink, pert mouth and my own dry, cracked lips parted in response.
She dressed modestly and simply, with a high-necked blouse and slim trousers, but I still gazed over the swell of her breasts perversely, following down the long length of her legs. With myself barefoot, shirtless and disheveled, I suddenly felt unworthy of being in the presence of such an elegant beauty.
I wondered if I should kiss her hand or whatever the fuck you do to greet a royal Lady, but my morning wood was already alert and saying hello in my jeans. Any contact with her would only make it worse.
“Hi. Coffee?”
If I wanted to sound like a Neanderthal, staring at a gorgeous royal woman with a splitting headache at too early in the goddamn morning was the perfect way to do it.
“Um, no thank you.” Lady Stella avoided my eyes, her rounded cheekbones flushing a delicate pink. I wondered how much my hungover, disheveled appearance offended her royal gaze.
“Gavin’s our half-brother, Stel. The one we told you about.” Scarlett squeezed her hand and gave her an encouraging smile.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling solidly out of some very big loop.
“You said rotten things about me, I hope,” I said with a large slurp of coffee.
“Shit’s getting rocky in the government, Gav,” said Alex. “We’re at the point where the queen is finally admitting she needs to be accepted by the people if she wants a chance at staying in power.”
I rolled my eyes at him and groaned as I set my cup down.
“Really, Alex? This is the important shit we had to discuss?” I thought he already knew how many fucks I gave about the queen, which was precisely zero.
“Yes, because it concerns you.” He pulled his hands from his pockets and began gesturing like a politician at a speech. “Your existence has always been a rumor at the palace, but never confirmed-,”
“Just as I prefer it,” I interrupted, glancing over at Lady Stella. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened into a cute little O. She looked appalled at my attitude with the prince, interrupting him and using swear words.
Trust me, sweetheart. Far worse things have come out of this mouth.
“You’ve never been confirmed until now,” Alex continued. “The pressure’s been getting to her and she came clean about her affair and secret pregnancy. I know you don’t watch the news, but it’s everywhere.”
“Fucking great,” I muttered and heard Stella gasp. I tried to adjust my cock subtly and wondered how she’d react if I whipped it out. “What’s that mean for me?”
“Her Majesty is desperate to save her reputation right now so it’s fantastic news for you. Alex grinned broadly. “She’ll formally recognize you as her son and legitimize you.”
CHAPTER 2
GAVIN
“Wait, what?”
I was sure I didn’t hear him correctly and nearly choked on my coffee. “Just like that? You’re saying I’ll become a goddamn prince?”
“No, not a prince,” Alex laughed. “You don’t come from two royal bloodlines so you won’t be in the line of succession unless the apocalypse comes upon us. But you will be compensated well and given a land trust. Maybe even a Lord’s title if she’s feeling generous.”
“You deserve this, Gavin!” Scarlett exclaimed. “It’s not fair how Mum dumped you off when you were born. You have rights to land and titles, not to mention proper compensation for what you’ve been through.”
The weight of their words didn’t fully sink in, primarily because my attention was still focused on Lady Stella. She said nothing and stood close to Scarlett as though my sister would protect her from me. That was probably wise of her. My cock pressed against my jeans insistently as I willed Lady Stella to look at me directly with those big doe eyes.
“There are conditions of course and that’s where Lady Stella comes in.” Alex must have noticed me eye-fucking her. “You have to present yourself as royalty. Show that you can merge with royal society. Our good friend Lady Stella here will teach you everything you need to know.”
“Please, Your Highness. Gavin.” Stella stepped forward and finally locked her eyes onto mine. My heart skipped a beat at the sudden, bold eye contact. Suddenly she didn’t seem so shy and demure.
“Her Majesty hasn’t granted me the honor of the title Lady, so please just call me Stella.”
For the first time in my life, I wanted to be polite instead of rude. I wanted to drop my gaze respectfully but my eyes remained glued to hers. Those beautiful orbs consumed and seduced me, whether she realized it or not.
“Oh, nonsense,” Alex said with a wave of his hand. “Your family’s title will ultimately be restored, I promise you. But if you insist, I’ll oblige as long as you call me Alex in return.” He flashed her a smile, which made her turn a distinct shade of red.
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance. My brother the prince, always a cockblocker.
Not that I had any reason to be possessive of Stella, who, for one, I just met and only said two words to, and two, would never in a million years go for a guy like me.
“Uh, anyway,” I said, painfully aware of all the royal pedigree standing in my cramped, messy kitchen. “What exactly is it that I have to learn?”
“How to talk in buzz words like these two bozos just did,” Scarlett said with a roll of her eyes. “How to walk like you have a massive stick up your arse, eat with your utensils like you’re performing brain surgery, dance like everyone is watching you ‘cause they will be.”
I laughed at my sister’s ragging. Sometimes it seemed she felt outcasted from royal life just as much as I did.
“Fuck that. Not worth it,” I smirked, only half-joking. Any idiot knew that even a minor royal family member would be subject to a life of public scrutiny. I wasn’t especially keen on trading my humble life as a nobody for a rich assho
le with cameras constantly in my face, especially under the rule of Her Majesty Queen Cunt.
I didn’t even care about compensation or owning land. After raising my middle finger to my foster parents, I worked my way up in the shipwright trade and found my calling building boats. Not only did I enjoy it, I was good at it. My skills were in high demand. The Kingdom of Amberfall was a modestly-sized island in the Atlantic, so we always had a need for ships. Even in hard financial times, I’d always have steady employment.
The only thing tempting me toward this royal bullshit was Stella. Specifically, being alone with her and seeing how long it would take for her to faint from my brutish, unrefined ways. It would be fun to see, at least. And I’m never one to turn down alone time with a gorgeous woman. She didn’t seem like the type to get wild, but all royal women put on that chaste, public persona. Who knew what she was like behind closed doors?
I realized I was smirking at Stella like a creep when Alex said, “We’ll give you some time to think about it, Gav. I just wanted to make introductions and keep you in the loop of what’s going on. Whether you accept or not, you’ll still get people breathing down your neck now that they know.”
“Exactly what I wanted to avoid,” I replied snarkily.
Alex shrugged and flashed me his winning smile. “Might as well be rich and powerful then, eh?”
“It’s not all bad, Gavin, honestly,” Scarlett piped up. “This will open huge doors for you. Anything you want to pursue, any impact you want to have on the people, you can make it happen.”
“Discussing important shit before noon will be illegal.” I downed my coffee equally as an excuse to stop looking at Stella as well as an attempt to stop the splitting headache in my brain.
Scarlett laughed and came up to me to kiss my cheek. “Love ya, Gav.” She pulled away and playfully slapped me in the center of my broad chest. “Put some clothes on unless you want to give the photographers a show.”
“Great,” I muttered as Alex opened my front door and stepped aside to let the ladies file out. “Nice meeting you,” I said to Stella as a last-ditch effort to be a gentleman.
She paused to hold my gaze for just a moment before casting her eyes down again. With a curt nod at me, she gracefully exited through the door without a word.
“Talk soon, Gav.” Alex broke the moment with his quick goodbye and slammed my door closed, which did nothing to help my headache.
As soon as they left, I pushed their offer out of my mind. It’ll never happen, I thought as I rummaged through my medicine cabinet. That girl made it crystal clear she doesn’t want to be anywhere near me, let alone teach me royal society shit.
“Smart move, Stella,” I muttered as I twisted a cap off of a bottle of ibuprofen. “You want nothing to do with this bastard.”
CHAPTER 3
STELLA
“I don’t think I can do this.”
“Don’t be silly, Stella!” Scarlett said flippantly as we piled into Prince Alexander’s car. “Gav’s not bad once you get to know him.”
I swallowed the dry lump in my throat, remembering his dark eyes burning into mine as I tried not to stare at his bare, muscular chest. In that moment I realized I never stood so close to a barely dressed man before.
He radiated pure masculine energy, from his low, throaty voice mumbling words to the forms of his muscles wrapped around his arms and shoulders. He was like some fictional anti-hero come to life. Not that I had much experience with men in general.
Or any experience, for that matter.
"Is he always so... grumpy?" I couldn't get over how uncomfortable I felt, sticking out like a sore thumb in his place while Prince Alex and Scarlett seemed completely at ease in his presence. And do I really have to go over there every day?
"Kind of. He's sort of a dark, brooding type. Unless you get him drunk, then he's happier and more lively." Prince Alexander—I mean, Alex— glanced at me in the rearview mirror while he spoke.
"Definitely not a morning person," Scarlett chuckled next to me as she scrolled through her phone. "He's harmless, though, Stel. You'll be fine."
On the contrary, he appeared the opposite of harmless. His powerful arms looked like they could hurt me with a single handshake. His scruffy face never stopped scowling angrily during our visit.
But what did I know?
Living in exile for the past ten years not only isolated me from royal affairs but contact with people my own age as well. We didn't have a full house of servants like when I was a child, but I was still tutored at home. When going into town, I had to shield my face to avoid being recognized by the locals.
I wasn't part of the royal family, nor was I an ordinary girl with an ordinary life. I was stuck in some strange limbo, not belonging to either world.
Not long after our exile, Alex, along with his sister Princess Scarlett, kept in touch with me behind her mother's back and the three of us became close friends. I lived vicariously through Scarlett. She toured across America and Europe, met famous actors, athletes, musicians, and attended their parties. Her adventures were filled with flirting, dancing, and drinking, while I had to stay hidden away like a shameful secret.
For the last few years, I held on to the tiny shred of hope that maybe, just maybe, Alex had eyes for me and would ask me to marry him. Once a girl gets marrying a prince into her head, it’s hard to let go. But he never looked at me with anything more than friendly affection.
When they called me with the opportunity of a lifetime to get our family title and position back, I jumped at the chance. I didn't care about the fact that I'd be teaching a common person how to be a royal when I hadn't been one myself for ten years. I'd figure it out. I'd teach astrophysics to a toddler if it meant my family's honor and dignity could be restored.
I felt determined, if not downright elated, on the trip with Prince Alex and Scarlett back to the capital city of Larkhall. Nothing could stop me.
But the moment I stepped into Gavin's tiny apartment and saw him towering over me like a wall of muscle and adrenaline, all my resolve disappeared. I wanted to hold my head high, appear dignified and refined, but my body did things—and felt things— it never did before.
When I felt his eyes on me I became painfully aware of my nipples in my bra pressing against their soft, fabric shell. I tried not to look at him but my eyes caught bits and pieces in abstract snapshots. The band of his jeans slung low on his narrow hips. A trail of dark hair below his navel that disappeared underneath those jeans. The faded ink dotted into his skin and wrapped around his muscles like lover's hands.
Every time his eyes caught mine, I grew hot all over and felt like an empty cavern inside. I've had fantasies about actors and unattainable men of course, but Gavin was too intimidatingly real.
"I don't know, he's a bit... intimidating." To put it mildly.
"There's a sensitive soul in there somewhere," Alex joked. "He's had it rough, Stella. The queen cast him out because of her own fuck up and he paid the price for it."
"Don't swear in front of Stel's virgin ears, Alex," Scarlett teased. “It’s true, though. Gavin got a shitty hand in life through no fault of his own.”
I felt myself growing hot again. I didn't realize how common swear words were in the outside world. My parents raised me to never speak harshly. It wasn't the royal way. I also didn't know losing your virginity was apparently common before marriage. Being friends with a party girl like Princess Scarlett opened my virgin eyes quite shockingly wide.
"I guess we have some common ground in that regard," I muttered to myself. In my head, I heard Janie's strict voice say, No mumbling! Speak clearly, Stella. A Lady's voice must ring clearly like a songbird!
"You might have more in common than you think." Alex's eyes twinkled at me mischievously in the mirror. "He seemed quite keen on you."
"Keen?! He looked like he wanted to swat me away like a housefly!"
"You're just not used to how men look at women, especially a woman they want to bone." Scarl
ett jabbed me in the ribs, thoroughly enjoying my discomfort.
"Oh God, stop," I pleaded to their laughter but couldn't ignore the flip-flopping in my stomach. Scarlett had no idea how right she was. I spent the last ten years of life hiding from the eyes of everyone but my family. I wasn't used to anyone looking at me, let alone as a man's object of... desire? Affection? Lust? I had no idea what went through Gavin's mind but I knew it wasn't an innocent stroll through a park.
"Fancy some tea this afternoon?" Scarlett asked, breaking into my thoughts as we pulled up to the palace gates.
"Of course," I smiled as the Queen's Police waved us through. Amberfall culture was an interesting mix of American and British. Coffee was considered a working class beverage while tea was a sign of wealth and being a member of the upper class. As tea prices soared, we rationed it at home until it gradually ran out about two years ago. Both of my parents turned their noses up at coffee but I secretly enjoyed the taste and smell. With the recent economy sending prices sky-high, tea was a luxurious, rare treat that only true royals could enjoy.
Alex parked us in the heavily guarded palace garage, much to the chagrin of our small army of guards and escorts waiting. It wasn't customary for a royal, let alone the Crown Prince, to drive and park a car himself, but Alex was known for having a rebellious streak. And no one was going to question the only prince and heir to the throne.
"You ladies enjoy your tea this afternoon," he said as he held our door open. "I'll be meeting with Her Majesty and the Cabinet. She'll want to hear all about our visit to Gavin's," he added with a smirk and an eye roll.
"A likely story," Scarlett remarked as we walked together down the corridor. "She'll only want to know everything will go according to her plan."
"Even if I can teach him, do you think it'll work in the queen's favor?" I asked.
Scarlett shrugged. "We won't really know until it happens. At best, the common people will see Gavin as a representative of them. He'll be their voice among the elite, thanks to the benevolent queen." She said the last two words with a sarcastic sneer. "At worst, everyone will see right through Her Majesty's ruse and start rebelling anyway." Scarlett turned to me and squeezed my hand as we approached the breezeway that led to my palace apartment. "I have no doubt you can do it, love. You possess all the qualities any royal Lady dreams of having."
Beauty and the Bastard: A Royal Bad Boy Romance Page 2
