Tamara let out a hefty sigh. “Jo’s self-conscious about her lack of status and she doesn’t feel worthy of Tristan. She should have apologized for avoiding him at the garden party, but instead she’s taken a leap down this hole of self-destruction so all they did was fight.”
“Self-destruction? That doesn’t sound good.”
“Maybe I’m being overdramatic. That’s what Jo seems to think whenever I try to talk to her about it.” Tamara curled her lip in distaste and plucked a daisy from the lawn, picking at the petals. “She’s been partying with Teddy a bit. I know he’s your friend and I shouldn’t worry, but Jo’s not thinking about her future right now and that worries me.”
“The future is a scary place,” I said.
I didn’t blame Jo for not wanting to think about it. I didn’t want to think about it either. If I did I would remember that my relationship with Tamara had an expiry date, and I couldn’t process that I’d be losing her soon. So I pushed the thought somewhere deep inside and covered it, where it would stay until the moment I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Tamara disagreed with my sentiment. She frowned and shook her head. “That’s no excuse. Right now, the only one worrying about Jo is me and it’s eating me up inside. I’m the one who has to make excuses to my parents every time they call. I always clean up the mess.”
I could practically see the stress radiating from her and it killed me. I shot to my feet, extending a hand to help Tamara up.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“You need a distraction.”
She took my hand but eyed me skeptically.
“Just trust me,” I told her. “You’ll feel better.”
She nodded, even if she didn’t look completely sold on the idea. I led her back to the house, navigating through the ground floor rooms until we reached one she’d never seen before.
I gave the double doors a shove and they creaked open, revealing a wide, airy room with teak floorboards polished to a glass-like sheen.
Tamara’s mouth fell open. “What the...?”
“A ballroom,” I filled in. “A modest one, but a ballroom nonetheless.”
“This is a ballroom?”
I grinned and stepped to a small door at the back of the room that opened to a closet with the audiovisual controls. I hooked up my phone, searched for the perfect song, and hit play.
Groovy electronic beats bumped through the speakers, filling the room with iconic Swedish pop. I turned to Tamara and took stock of her expression. Her eyes blazed with delight.
“Isn’t there some royal rule against using the ballroom to play ABBA?” she called over the music.
I laughed and pulled her into my arms. “When have I ever played by the rules?”
“You’re a scamp.”
“I’m your scamp.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “Will you dance with me?”
She smirked. “I guess so. Since there’s nobody else to dance with...”
“Cheeky.”
We began to circle the room in a modified waltz, keeping pace with music. I spun Tamara under my arm and she shrieked with laughter, so I did it several more times in a row until she begged for me to stop.
We tangoed up and down the floor, then broke apart to throw down some classic disco moves. It was silly—ridiculous, even—but a lifetime of starched poise had taught me that letting loose sometimes is necessity. By the third song, Tamara’s face was permanently etched with a smile. Her eyes were degrees lighter, just as bright as the night we first met.
“I don’t know how you do it,” Tamara said as I dipped her back.
I pulled her back up. “Believe it or not, royalty get trained in the art of the dance.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“But I love to piss you off. Your mouth gets deliciously pouty.”
“I was about to give you a compliment, but just for that I’ve changed my mind.”
I pulled her tight to my body, leaning down until our eyes were level. “I bet that you like when I tease you too.” My mouth hovered over hers, a mere centimeter away from touching. “It’s our little game of cat and mouse.”
Her pupils spilled wide. “Cat and mouse, huh?” She glanced toward the closed ballroom door. “Do you think the maids are gone by now?”
“Undoubtedly.” I glided my hands down her back, cupping her firm ass. “Why do you ask?”
“If it’s a game of cat and mouse you want, then let’s play.” She pushed up and kissed me, holding the front of my shirt in her delicate hands. Her mouth moved feverishly against mine. A stab of white-hot pleasure worked through my balls and I deepened the kiss, laying claim to every inch of her mouth.
Out of nowhere, Tamara slammed her weight into her palms and pushed me back. I stumbled, breathing heavily, my brows crossed in confusion.
My temptress smiled seductively and winked. And then she was gone.
It took until Tamara reached the door for me to process her intent, and the second I did my cock stiffened in anticipation. I ran after her but she slipped through the door before me and bolted down the hall.
The chase was on.
Chapter 25
Tamara
Anticipation nearly jellified my legs but I kept running, core blazing with heat. I wanted Alex to catch me with every fiber of my being but I knew the payoff would be greater for both of us if I did my best not to let him. So I sprinted through the deserted hallways, listening for his heavy footfalls behind me. I made an abrupt right turn into a music room, dashing behind the piano and through to the next room, doubling back toward the ballroom. I didn’t know the house nearly as well as Alex, but I knew that most of the rooms had more than one way in or out. It would make for an interesting hunt.
My heart clambered up my throat and each thundering step behind me increased my arousal. By the time I skidded into the dining room, I was soaked.
Alex had gained on me as I navigated the previous rooms, and I knew all it would take was one misstep for him to catch me. God, how I wanted him to. I was considering tripping myself up, but it turned out I didn’t have to. The door leading to the next room was locked.
I was trapped.
I turned with my back to the closed door, panting. Alex stood on the other side of the table, bulge visible through his pants. I licked my lip.
“Nowhere left to run,” he said in a honey-thick voice.
Heat pulsed between my thighs. “That’s not entirely true.”
I vaulted around the table, trying to duck around him through the doorway. Alex snatched me up by my waist, lifting my feet off the ground with my back to his hard chest. He laughed triumphantly.
I squirmed in his arms, even as my body begged me to submit. He turned to the table and pushed me over it, grinding his bulge against my ass as his hot lips descended on my neck.
“Come on, Kitty Kat,” he purred, nipping my earlobe. “That’s all you got?”
I struggled, but all it did was push my ass into his bulge even more. He hummed with pleasure and held my arms tight to the table, sucking my throat.
That pushed me over. I couldn’t fight him anymore, not when my body sang with every touch of his mouth. I moaned and pushed my ass into him, my eyes fluttering closed.
“Tamara,” he murmured. “You’re so fucking hot.”
He stood but kept a hand on my back. The other reached around to undo my pants, stripping them down to my ankles. He cupped my pussy through my panties, rubbing just enough to make my knees shake. He removed his hand and I whimpered. Alex chuckled and pulled down my panties too. He lifted his hand from my back but grasped my hips instead. I looked around to see what he was doing just in time to see him squat down and press his face into my sex.
Alex’s tongue found my clit and swirled in a tight circle and my brain exploded.
“Oh god,” I whined.
He chuckled and the vibrations made my toes curl. His tongue lapped at me eagerly, hot and wet and perfectly s
oft. I rested my forehead against the cool wood, lost in ecstasy.
Alex stiffened his tongue and thrust it inside me. I cried out in surprise and pleasure, pushing back against his face as he fucked me with his tongue. But his tongue wasn’t enough. I needed his cock, I needed it more than anything. More than oxygen.
“Alex, please fuck me.” My voice came out ragged. “Fuck me right now.”
He pulled back, breath fanning my sex. “You’re demanding today.” His hand came down on my ass and the resulting sting was heavenly. “I like it.”
“I want to feel you bare,” I said, realizing he probably didn’t have any condoms on him and that I couldn’t wait for him to get one. I wouldn’t make it. “I’m on the pill.”
Alex growled his approval and stood up, bending over me and kissing my neck as he undid his belt. I heard his pants swish to the floor and he stood up, holding the back of my neck in one hand and squeezing my hip with the other. His foot kicked my legs a little further apart. I held my breath.
Alex speared inside of me. Hard. Fast. I screamed against the table, eyes rolling to the back of my head. He grunted and pulled out, then slammed inside again, releasing my neck and leaning down to bite into my shoulder.
We fucked like animals. It was rough. Brutal. Phenomenal. If my nails weren’t short, I would have left scratches in the table. Alex’s growling moans were louder than I’d ever heard them, and it turned me on so much I felt like crying.
Searing pleasure built in my core, winding tighter and tighter with every thrust. I lost all concept of time and space, only aware of the burn in my belly and the cock buried in my pussy. Tighter and tighter, hotter and hotter, until finally I came. My eyes screwed shut I screamed as the pleasure blasted me into oblivion.
For one perfect second, my mind was completely blank. I even forgot to breathe.
And then, gasping for air, I came back to earth.
Alex’s hands squeezed my hips and he thrust inside of me one last time with a strangled, primal cry. I felt his cock pulse, felt him shudder. Then he pulled out and flipped me over, covering my mouth with his before I could even let out a surprised yelp.
Alex held my face and kissed me hard and deep, even though both of us were still struggling to breathe. Something about the moment was more intimate than any we’d shared before. I buried my hands in his hair and kissed him back.
We came up for air a second later, and he looked me deep in the eyes.
The way he looked at me made my heart hurt. I saw his passion, his tenderness. I saw how much he loved to look at me and I saw how much he loved when I looked back.
What I didn’t see was the same pain that twisted through my gut like a jagged blade any time I remembered that this thing between us, this wonderful, beautiful thing, would soon turn to dust.
It had to. My visa would run out, or the factors that set us apart would become too much to manage, and we would end. Alex knew just as well as I did that our time was limited and every second we enjoyed together was just another second closer to us being torn apart, but he didn’t hurt from it in the same way I did.
If he did, I would see it. In his eyes, in the words he used, in the actions he took. But it didn’t seem to bother him at all. I couldn’t tell how he felt about me, except that he wanted me and he was used to getting what he wanted.
I couldn’t tell him that was what had made me distant lately. I could barely admit it to myself because it made me feel every bit the person Michael painted me to be in the tabloids. I shoved it away.
“Let me make you dinner,” Alex said. “I have to return you this evening, but we’ve got all day here.”
“Sure.” I plastered on a smile. “Uh, just let me gather myself together a little.” I shuffled my jean-encased feet and we both chuckled. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in a minute.”
Alex adjusted his clothes and kissed me on the lips, then left for the kitchen. I pulled up my pants and found the nearest bathroom. I splashed cold water on my face before heading out again.
By the time I reached the kitchen, the smell of garlic filled the air and lifted my spirits. My stomach grumbled. It was still a little early for dinner, but we’d had a busy day and I hadn’t eaten anything since this morning.
“What are we having?” I asked when Alex’s back came into view, hunched over the stove.
He turned his head and smiled. “Nana has a knack for Italian. I’m going to attempt to make her famous Bolognese.”
“Attempt, eh?” I took a seat at the kitchen island.
“I’ve never made it before without her hovering over my shoulder with a wooden spoon to whack me for over seasoning,” he said with laugh.
“I’m sure it’ll be delicious.”
Alex went back to working on the stove, humming something I couldn’t quite make out. He was in a fantastic mood. I tried to soak it in, knowing that my ennui was useless.
If I were stronger, I would end things with Alex and break my own heart, instead of having it broken for me. As it was, I was a sucker for punishment and knew that I’d walk this plank for the next month, no matter how much it hurt to see how unaffected he was. He never mentioned me leaving. One might think he didn’t even know.
If I was going to walk the plank anyway, I may as well have a good time, right?
So I watched Alex cook, and I ate his delicious food, and I staved off the unavoidable for another few hours.
CRASH!
“Uh-oh.”
“Don’t touch that!”
I sat up in bed, glaring blearily around the dark room. Nobody there. The noise had sounded near enough to be in my bedroom, but when I listened closer I realized the cacophony was coming from the living room.
No more crashing now, just giggling. I could make out at least two distinct voices, and I knew one of them was my sister. I glanced at my phone on the bedside table. Four am.
Anger bubbled up in my chest and I shot out of bed, wrapping a robe around my shoulders and bursting into the living room.
Just as I expected, Jo’s hair was a tousled mess. Bloodshot eyes swiveled in my direction, but she hardly seemed to see me. The crashing noise had come from the shattered glass in the middle of the kitchen floor. Beside it, a lithe blonde girl crouched with a dustpan, while Teddy awkwardly tried to sweep the broken glass up with my broom.
Jo stood between them and me. When she saw me, her mouth split into a wide and hopeful grin. She knew how much shit she was in.
“Sorry for waking you up,” she slurred. “Issjusta glass.”
“We’ll have it cleaned up in no time!” cheered the blonde girl. I couldn’t tell whether she had an accent or was slurring her words.
“You’ve met Teddy,” Jo said, swinging her arm in his direction.
Teddy posed seductively with the broom, like it was a stripper pole and he was the star dancer. I would have found it funny if I weren’t so annoyed.
“This is Svetlana,” Jo introduced next. “She’s a Swedish princess. Can you believe that? I mean, she’s gorgeous obviously. I just mean when in your life have you met a Swedish princess?”
“It’s so nice to meet you!” Svetlana jumped to her feet and, making a wide berth around the broken glass, pranced over with her hand held out in greeting. “I’ve heard so much about you!”
I shook her hand, looking over to Jo, who’d taken up Svetlana’s spot on the floor to finish clearing the mess.
Svetlana kept talking, though her unfocused eyes wandered around the room. “You know, when Alexander first told me about you I wasn’t even surprised. He was distracted, totally distracted. You can always tell when a guy you’re with is thinking about another girl. Isn’t that sweet?”
I frowned, trying to decipher her words. “You know Alexander?”
Svetlana didn’t seem to hear me. She was calling back to Teddy, “Hey, can we get that thing? The thing you were talking about? Teddy? Teddy can we get it?”
“Darling if you’re talking about a deep-fried sausage
, then I’ll gladly inform you that sausage is always on my mind.”
“Let’s go get it,” Svetlana said. “I’m starving.”
“And I’m drunk,” Jo added in a singsong voice. “I’ll see you guys on the flip side.”
Teddy and Svetlana cleared my flat before I had time to question the blonde further. But I had more pressing matters to attend to.
“Jo,” I said in a stern voice. “What the fuck?”
She slumped onto the sofa with a lax smile. “Sorry for waking you.”
“That’s not what I’m upset about.” I stuck my fists to my side. “Or at least not all of it. You can’t keep doing this.”
“Oh, Saint Tamara, here to save my soul,” she scoffed. “I’m just having some fun.”
Talking to her while she was wasted wasn’t going to get me anywhere, but I figured I could at least leave some parting words for her to chew over before I went back to bed.
“Get your act together,” I said. “I mean it. Tomorrow morning, take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself if this is the kind of person you want to be.”
I turned and walked toward my bedroom.
“The kind of person who has fun?” she shot back.
I paused in the doorway. “The kind of person who runs.”
Chapter 26
Alexander
The press attention had died down substantially in the weeks since Tamara and I made first page news, which made it a lot easier to sneak onto set to see her. That was advantageous, since she seemed to have been living there over the past few days as they wrapped up filming.
I was desperate to talk to her. Something felt off between us, even after our last trip to Springfield, and I hoped that it was my mind playing tricks on me. I knew she was busy, but it almost seemed like she’d been avoiding me.
I navigated through the busy back lot to her trailer with ease, clutching the bouquet of roses under my arm. I knew the way like the back of my hand. I knocked.
Something in the trailer moved and the door swung open. Tamara’s eyes flew open wide.
“Surprise!” I said, extending the flowers to her.
Royal Engagement Page 17
